VOA标准英语2008年-US Wins Gold in Olympic Women's All-Around Gymn

U.S. women won the Olympic gold and silver medals Friday in the All-Around Gymnastics competition. VOA Sports Editor Parke Brewer¹ was at the event in Beijing and has details.
　

Nastia Liukin competes on the uneven2 bars during the women's individual all-around final of the artistic3 gymnastics event in Beijing, 15 Aug 2008

On the strength of her performance on the uneven bars, Nastia Liukin won the women's Olympic all-around gymnastics title, beating teammate and reigning⁴ world champion Shawn Johnson by six-tenths of a point (63.325 to 62.725). China's Yang Yilin took the bronze medal (62.650).

It is only the third time a nation has had a one-two finish in this event at the Olympics. The others were by the former Soviet⁵ Union in 1960 (Larissa Latynina gold, Sofia Muratova silver for the Soviet Union) and Romania in 2000 (Simona Amanar gold, Maria Olaru silver for Romania).

Liukin and Johnson are clearly the best of the American female gymnasts competing in Beijing and knew they would be battling head-to-head for the all-around title. But they are good friends and - as unusual as it may seem - they are even rooming together at the Olympic Village.
　

Shawn Johnson smiles during women's individual all-around final of the artistic gymnastics event in Beijing, 15 Aug 2008

Johnson had nothing but kind words for her winning teammate.

"We both were wearing USA and we wanted the best for each other," she said. "And I couldn't be any more proud of Nastia. She deserved that gold today."

Liukin says she and Johnson find nothing wrong with being good friends and competitors.

"You know, it's never been awkward⁶ for us," she said. "I think that we've pushed each other both to the limit from the few years that we've competed with each other. We've both wanted it so bad that we've pushed each other so much, and I think that we've become better and stronger gymnasts because of each other."
　

Nastia Liukin holds her gold medal for the Women's all-around artistic gymnastics final in Beijing, 15 Aug 2008

Liukin also has great support from her father and coach, Valery, who was a four-time Olympic medalist for the former Soviet Union at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. And her mother hung one of his gold medals in Nastia's room to give her inspiration⁷.

"I saw it every single day when I woke up, and it just gave me that extra motivation," she said. "And I think that made a little bit of a difference, just being able to see it and just having it there in my room knowing that, you know in a few months, hopefully, I can have one these of my own."

And after winning silver for the United States in the team event Wednesday, Nastia Liukin now has her gold, from the individual all-around event.

On Sunday, she and Shawn Johnson can add to their medal count when the women begin competition on the individual apparatuses⁸.

1 brewer   

n. 啤酒制造者

参考例句：

• Brewer is a very interesting man. 布鲁尔是一个很有趣的人。
• I decided to quit my job to become a brewer. 我决定辞职，做一名酿酒人。

2 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

3 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

4 reigning   

adj.统治的，起支配作用的

参考例句：

• The sky was dark, stars were twinkling high above, night was reigning, and everything was sunk in silken silence. 天很黑，星很繁，夜阑人静。
• Led by Huang Chao, they brought down the reigning house after 300 years' rule. 在黄巢的带领下，他们推翻了统治了三百年的王朝。

5 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

6 awkward   

adj.笨拙的，尴尬的，使用不便的，难处理的

参考例句：

• John is so shy and awkward that everyone notices him.约翰如此害羞狼狈，以至于大家都注意到了他。
• I was the only man among the guests and felt rather awkward.作为客人中的唯一男性，我有些窘迫。

7 inspiration   

n.灵感，鼓励者，吸气

参考例句：

• These events provided the inspiration for his first novel.这些事件给了他创作第一部小说的灵感。
• What an inspiration she was to all around her!她对于她周围所有的人是一种多么大的鼓舞！

8 apparatuses   

n.器械； 装置； 设备； 仪器

参考例句：

• That magazine covers all kinds of heating apparatuses. 那本杂志论及所有暖气装置。 来自辞典例句
• Apparatuses and methods for preparing sol-gel solutions are provided. 提供制备溶胶-凝胶溶液的装置和方法。 来自互联网