For 36 years after basketball entered the Olympic Games as a full medal sport for men, the question was not who would win, but who would finish second. The United States owned the game, and not just because it was invented there.
　　在男子篮球成为正式的奥运会比赛项目之后的36年中，人们关注的焦点并不是谁会赢得冠军，而是亚军的归属。美国是这项运动的主宰，这并不仅仅是因为篮球起源于美国。

　　The Soviet Union took home the gold when they toppled the US team in a controversial 1972 game. After another semi-final victory for the Soviets in 1988, the sport opened to professionals. Once again, the question became who would finish second. In Barcelona in 1992, with a squad featuring some of the world’s best-known athletes - Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird - the gold-medal winning US "Dream Team" gave an exhibition of basketball at its best.
　　苏联曾在1972的一场有争议的比赛中击败了美国，获得了奥运金牌。在1988年苏联再次击败美国赢得奥运会篮球半决赛的胜利后，奥运会篮球赛向职业选手敞开了大门，于是人们关注的焦点又成了谁将获得亚军。在1992年的巴塞罗那奥运会上，拥有迈克尔·乔丹、魔术师约翰逊、拉里·伯德等著名职业选手的美国“梦之队”上演了一场精彩绝伦的表演赛。

　　Women’s basketball hasn’t been quite such a one-sided affair. Since it joined the Olympic programme in 1976, the gold medals have been divided between the US, the Soviet Union and, after the break-up of the Soviet Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States.
　　而女子篮球的决赛就不是一边倒了。自从1976成为奥运会正式比赛项目之后，冠军起初是由美国和苏联分享，在苏联解体后则有美国和独联体来争夺。

The race commemorates the run of Pheidippides, an ancient "day-runner" who carried the news of the Persian landing at Marathon of 490 B.C. to Sparta (a distance of 149 miles) in order to enlist help for the battle. According to the fifth century B.C.ancient Greek historian Herodotus, Pheidippides delivered the news to the Spartans the next day.

The distance of the modern marathon was standardized as 26 miles 385 yards or 42.195 km. in 1908 when the Olympic Games were held in London. The distance was the exact measurement between Windsor Castle, the start of the race, and the finish line inside White City Stadium.

Sports competitions were organised at Olympia and were named after their location, hence their name of Olympic Games. Nobody knows exactly when they began, but the first written mention of the competitions is dated to 776 BC.

Theses Games were held at the same place every four years. This four-year period acquired the name Olympiad, and was used as a date system: time was counted in Olympiads, rather than years.

重点词汇

Peloponnese  n. （希腊南部）伯罗奔尼撒半岛
Olympia  n. 奥林匹亚，（希腊）伯罗奔尼撒半岛西部的平原
Olympiad  n. (四年一次的)奥林匹克世界运动大会, 四年周期

The pool where synchronized swimming takes place must be at least 3m deep over a 12*12m area in the centre of the pool.花样游泳的水池区域有12米长1米宽，水深至少3米

竞技游泳一共四项，简称蝶（蝶泳butterfly）、仰（仰泳backstroke）、蛙（蛙泳breaststroke）、自
（自由泳freestyle）

游泳池的水温应是26摄氏度，水必须十分干净，并能让人看到水底，这是为了让人们观察她们的动作是否

正确。

Synchronized swimming is one of only three Olympic disciplies in which only women are allowed to compete.

在奥运会的3个只有女子项目的赛项里，花样游泳就是其中一个。

　　Synchronized swimming is often described as"water ballet".花样游泳也叫“水上芭蕾”

　　The water polo was developed in Europe,it was termed softball water polo.

水球起源于欧洲，最初被称为“水止垒球”。

赛前热身：

swimming lane 泳道

water-skiing 滑水

goggles 护目镜

bathing costume 游泳衣

natatorium 游泳馆

bathing cap 游泳帽

playing pool 水球场

cork hoop 救生圈

Dialogue Script 1 对话原文1

　　Jason: Annie, it is said you are an Olympic expert. Can you tell me anything about the ancient Olympics?
　　Annie: Of course. What do you want to know?
　　Jason: It’s origin, fundament, development and abolishment, etc. I am writing an article on it.
　　Annie: It’s original place is Olympia, in Athens. It is a "Holy Land" of sports. The founder of it was a Greek, Yiphitus. It was he who declared to hold the Olympic Games every four years. The first Ancient Olympic Games were held in 776BC.
　　Jason: Were all the participants native Greek?
　　Annie: Yes, there were only Greek at the beginning. With the development of the Olympics, people came to participate in the Games from the land and sea of other places. And the sports events were much fewer than now, the time did not last as long as it does now, either.
　　Jason: Did anybody use stimulants then?
　　Annie: Yes, somebody did, but not as bad as now. It was a pity that the ancient Olympic Games began to decline after the Roman Empire dominated the ancient Greece. It was abolished in 394 AD. Due to two earthquakes and some battles, Olympia was destroyed completely, and the ancient Olympic Games, which has lasted over a thousand years, disintegrated.
　　Jason: This was the sorrow of human beings. Annie, you are really an expert. I’ve got it. Thank you very much.
　　Annie: My pleasure.

讲解:

1. It’s origin, fundament, development and abolishment.
古典奥运会的起源、建立、发展、及废除。

2.BC是公元前，是Before Christ的缩写， AD是公元，是Anno Domini的缩写。

3.Stimulants 兴奋剂 use stimulants使用兴奋剂。

4.Olympic Games是一个复数形式，所以在它后面的动词、系动词形式都要一致。