VOA标准英语2011--Elite Sailors Circle Globe in Volvo Ocean Race

Elite¹ Sailors Circle Globe in Volvo Ocean Race

 

One of the toughest, most grueling events in sports offers no prize money, only a trophy².

 

It’s challenging, thrilling and dangerous. And takes a long time.

The Volvo Ocean Race is a marathon sailing event that began Oct. 29 and will not end until next July. Its 11th edition is taking elite sailors and their multi-million dollar yachts on a journey of more than 39,000 nautical³ miles around the world, in temperatures ranging from -15 to +40 degrees Celsius⁴.

The six Volvo Open 70 yachts all have 11-member international crews, and represent United Arab Emirates, China, France, Spain, New Zealand and the United States.

The commitment to this lengthy⁵ event means none of the sailors will likely vie for gold at next year’s London Olympics.

The crew of the Spanish yacht Telefonica features three past Olympic gold medalists. One is Iker Martinez, who skippered Telefonica to victory in the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race from Alicante, Spain to Cape⁶ Town, South Africa.

"We’re happy, that’s something very special for us," he said. "We tried already in the last two editions [of the race] and it didn’t happen as we wanted, but we learned a lot every time. So this is very important for the team. We’re now very happy."

Skipper Ken7 Read from the USA, right, reacts to a broken mast on the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, Nov. 21, 2011.

The opening leg took boats west toward the island of Fernando De Noronha off Brazil's coast before heading south across the Atlantic to Cape Town.

In second place after that first leg is Camper. Sponsored by the Spanish footwear brand, it's crewed mostly by New Zealanders. The lone⁸ South African member, Mike Pammenter, smashed his face when he was washed down the deck by high seas.

Puma⁹ was in the lead at one point in the race, but lost its mast and fell to fifth.

“Nobody’s hurt, nobody was even close to hurt, and then some clear heroics from the crew," said Puma's American skipper Ken Read. "We’ll live to fight another day, I promise you that."

And there are many days yet to come during passage to eight more ports of call. Future stops include The United Arab Emirates, China, New Zealand, Brazil, the United States, Portugal and France, with the race finishing in Galway, Ireland, in early July.

In-port races are being staged at each stop, the closest spectators can get to the action without actually being aboard one of the boats. The second leg of the Volvo Ocean Race is expected to take three weeks, with the sailors aiming to arrive in Abu Dhabi on January 1 of the New Year.

1 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

2 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

3 nautical   

adj.海上的，航海的，船员的

参考例句：

• A nautical mile is 1,852 meters.一海里等于1852米。
• It is 206 nautical miles from our present location.距离我们现在的位置有206海里。

4 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

5 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

6 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

7 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

8 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

9 puma   

美洲豹

参考例句：

• The police and the volunteers combed the forest for the lost puma from the zoo.警察和志愿者们在森林里到处寻找动物园迷失的美洲狮。
• A businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree.一位商人去钓鱼，看见那只美洲狮在树上。