VOA标准英语2012--World-Class Runners Flock to Kenyan Town

World-Class Runners Flock¹ to Kenyan Town

Lornah Kiplagat is a Kenyan-born athlete who has won marathons throughout the world and holds several world records.
She and her husband Pieter founded the High Altitude Training Center in Iten, Kenya, after realizing the town’s training benefits for athletes.
“The altitude here is sort of like perfect," she says. "It’s not too high. It’s not too low. The weather is never hot, it’s warm. But there’s always a breeze², there’s a breeze always. There is everything that you need. There is the gym, there is the pool, the food is good, the nature. So all these things combined, definitely³ has made it the best place to be in the world.”
Movie stars, famous long-distance runners, and amateurs⁴ all come to train in Iten.
The London Marathon organizers even chose Iten to announce the Kenyan men’s elite⁵ field.
Some of those athletes include Wilson Kipsang, Emmanuel Mutai, and Patrick Makau, all household names in the marathon world.
Top marathoners can make millions of dollars every year in sponsorships, appearance fees, and prize winnings. For Kenyan runners, many of whom start their careers by running barefoot, this income can be a big incentive⁶.
Regina Cherotich is a runner from Iten. She is participating at the annual Discovery Race, where young Kenyan runners showcase their talents, and can even obtain sponsorships.
For Regina, this money will allow her to pay her daughter’s school fees.
“I like running because, if you run well, you get money, to support the families. My daughter and the whole people,” she says.
Once they become famous, many Kenyan runners build homes in Iten and make it their training base. For them, the altitude of 2,400 meters above sea level is normal.
But for foreign athletes like Swedish runner Charlotte Schonbeck, it’s a bit different.
“When I came home last time, from high altitude training, the first few days, it felt like I was running on pink clouds. It was just soft and easy to run at home. So that’s the effect I want to feel when I get home next week.”
This training regime⁷ is not for the faint-hearted. The altitude, combined with the steep hills of the Great Rift⁸ Valley, make for an intense⁹ workout.
“When you’re on the sea level, you can come to a certain level by just doing the sea level training and everything. But at one point, you need something extra. And then, I think it’s good to start with the high altitude. But you need to be strong on sea level before you go up here.”
And for these serious runners, Iten is indeed still the home of champions.

1 flock   

n.羊群，一群，大量；vi.群集，聚集，成群

参考例句：

• A flock of customers were waiting for the store to open.一群顾客在等候着商店开门。
• A few sheep have been lost from the flock.羊群里少了几只羊。

2 breeze   

n.微风；轻而易举的事；vi.来去匆匆，急速走

参考例句：

• A little breeze is blowing in from the window.微风从窗户里吹进来。
• The clouds are pale and a light breeze is blowing.云淡风轻。

3 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

4 amateurs   

n.业余爱好者( amateur的名词复数 )；外行，生手

参考例句：

• The tournament is open to both amateurs and professionals. 这次锦标赛业余选手和职业选手均可参加。
• The boss kissed the other performers off as mere amateurs. 老板认为其他的演员只有业余水平而把他们打发掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

7 regime   

n.政体，政权，制度

参考例句：

• Under the new regime in our office,no one is allowed to leave early.在新的办公制度下，谁也不能早退。
• The people finally rose up and overthrew the reactionary regime.人们终于起来把反动的政权推翻了。

8 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

9 intense   

adj.认真的，专注的；强烈的；紧张的；热情的

参考例句：

• Susan was an intense young lady.苏珊是一个热情的年轻姑娘。
• The quarrel caused her intense unhappiness.争吵令她极其不快。