VOA标准英语2008年-Michael Phelps Eyes Unprecedented 8 Olympic Gol

American swimmer Michael Phelps is seeking to navigate¹ uncharted territory. For his second straight Olympics, the 23-year-old Phelps is aiming to win eight gold medals to surpass² the record seven that fellow-American swimmer Mark Spitz won in 1972. As VOA's Jim Stevenson reports, Phelps is well on his way to completing his lofty³ ambition.
　
Swimmer Michael Phelps

Many say Michael Phelps' quest⁴ is a mission impossible. But no other swimmer is coming into the Beijing Olympics with the conditioning and records that Phelps possesses.

Phelps secured his eight-race Olympic schedule by winning the 100-meter butterfly at the U.S. swimming trials last Saturday in Omaha, Nebraska. To surpass Mark Spitz, Phelps says he has to overcome just one competitor in Beijing - himself.

"You never know what can happen," said Phelps. "The only person I can worry about is myself. And, if I can prepare myself the best way that I can, then that is really all I can ask. If I go in there and I do a best time and I still get beat, that is all I can ask for. So, I am trying to prepare myself the best way I can. And just go out there and swim fast."

When he was 15, Phelps got his first taste of international competition at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where he became the youngest U.S. male Olympian swimmer since 1932.

In 2001, Michael Phelps began his assault⁵ on the record books, becoming the youngest swimmer to break a world record in winning the 200-meter butterfly in 1:54.92 minutes at the national championships. Four months later in Japan, he lowered the mark at the World Championships by 34-100ths of one second (1:54.58). Phelps was named the 2001 USA Swimmer of the Year.

The two-time Olympian became the first athlete ever to win eight medals total at a non-boycotted Olympic Games, collecting six gold and two silvers in 2004 in Athens. Phelps set four individual world records and won seven gold medals at the 2007 World Championships to become the winningest athlete in World Championship history.

Phelps says his success and experience has prepared him well for Beijing.

"Right now, I am more relaxed than I was in 2004 going into the Olympics," he said. "After going through everything I had been through in the last four years, it helped me prepare a little bit better for these games coming up and really understand what is going to happen. Before Athens, I was (like a) deer in the headlights, and did not really know what to expect."
　
Michael Phelps swims en route to winning final of 200 meter butterfly during U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials, 02 Jul 2008

Phelps has set his best times in all of his events since March 2007. At the recent U.S. swimming trials, he lowered the world record in the 400-meter individual medley⁶ (to 4:05.25 minutes). His fans expect to see more records, and Michael Phelps has no doubt that he can improve on all of his results.

"I do not think anything is too high. The only way for you to limit yourself is if you put a limit on yourself. The sky is the limit," Phelps said. " And the more you use your imagination, the farther you will go. I think anything is possible. I set very high goals for myself. And I work as hard as I can to get there."

The talented Phelps began swimming at the age of seven. Four years later, he started training under his current coach Bob Bowman at his Baltimore, Maryland, swim club. Bowman has watched and guided Phelps' steady improvement over the years. He says the past four years have been especially impressive.

"Probably the two areas where Michael has improved the most are, number one, his physical strength," Bowman said. "And that is a result of a much more intense strength-training program since Athens. And the other area where he really has improved the most is his breaststroke. It has gone from being a stroke that was quite weak in Athens to being a strength of his."

Michael Phelps will be one of the busiest athletes in Beijing, as he is scheduled to swim six individual events and possibly three relays⁷ in nine days. Including heats, semifinals and finals, he could swim as many as 20 races. At the end, Phelps could be standing⁸ as the most decorated athlete in Olympic history.

　

 

1 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

2 surpass   

vt.超过，超越，胜过

参考例句：

• Young people surpass old men in strength.年轻人在气力上赛过老年人。
• The latecomers surpass the early starters.后来居上。

3 lofty   

adj.崇高的，高尚的，高耸的，极高的

参考例句：

• This mountain is lofty.这座山极高。
• His lofty spirit has greatly attracted and activated others.他的崇高精神大大地吸引并且激励了别人。

4 quest   

n.寻求，搜索，追求

参考例句：

• Man will suffer many disappointments in his quest for truth.人类在探索真理过程中必然会遭受挫折。
• His quest for perfection is relentless.他不断追求完美。

5 assault   

v.猛烈地攻击，袭击；n.突然而猛烈的攻击

参考例句：

• She appeared in court on charges of kidnapping and assault.她因受到拐骗和侵犯人身的指控而出庭。
• The trainees were put through an assault course.受训人员接受了突击训练课程。

6 medley   

n.混合

参考例句：

• Today's sports meeting doesn't seem to include medley relay swimming.现在的运动会好象还没有混合接力泳这个比赛项目。
• China won the Men's 200 metres Individual Medley.中国赢得了男子200米个人混合泳比赛。

7 relays   

v.转述( relay的第三人称单数 )；转达

参考例句：

• New relays of troops were sent to the battle front. 新补充的部队已送往前线。 来自辞典例句
• His questioners worked on him in relays. 审讯人员轮流对他进行审讯。 来自辞典例句

8 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。