Part 1 Background Information on Olympic Games 奥林匹克运动简史

The Brief History of the Ancient Olympic Games:

    According to legend, the ancient Olympic Games were founded by Heracles (the Roman Hercules), a son of Zeus. Yet the first Olympic Games for which we still have written records were held in 776 BCE (though it is generally believed that the Games had been going on for many years already). At this Olympic Games, a naked runner, Coroebus, won the sole event at the Olympics, the stade - a run of approximately 192 meters (210 yards). This made Coroebus the very first Olympic champion in history. The ancient Olympic Games grew and continued to be played every four years for nearly 1200 years. At ancient Olympic Games, women were not allowed to compete, even to be the spectators.There were fewer events, and only free men who spoke¹ Greek could compete, instead of athletes from any country. Also, the games were always held at Olympia instead of moving around to different sites every time. 
    In 393 AD, the Roman emperor Theodosius I, a Christian², abolished the Games because of their great influences.

The Brief History of the Ancient Olympic Games: 

    Approximately 1500 years later, a young Frenchmen named Pierre de Coubertin began their revival³. Coubertin is now known as le Rénovateur. Coubertin was a French aristocrat⁴ born on January 1, 1863. He was only seven years old when France was overrun by the Germans during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Some believe that Coubertin attributed the defeat of France not to its military skills but rather to the French soldiers' lack of vigor⁵. After examining the education of the German, British, and American children, Coubertin decided⁶ that it was exercise, more specifically sports, that made a well-rounded and vigorous person.
    However Coubertin's attempt to get France interested in sports was not met with enthusiasm. Still, Coubertin persisted. In 1892, Coubertin constructed an international committee to organize the Games. Two years later, this committee became the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Demetrious Vikelas from Greece was selected to be its first president. Athens was chosen for the revival of the Olympic Games and the planning was begun.

Part 2 The Ancient Olympic Games 古代奥运会

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 founder⁷ 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 stimulants⁸ 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, disintegrated⁹.
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。

Dialogue Script 2 对话原文2 

Joe: The 2004 summer Olympics will be held in Athens, Greece. And you know?
Megan: Of course. Athens is a great place, and...
Joe:And the first modern Olympic Games were held there in 1896.
Megan: The ancient Olympic Games also date from there.
Joe: Yes, the first Game happened in 776 BC in Olympia.
Megan: But it has been enriched largely since 1896, when the first modern Games were held in Athens.
Joe: Absolutely. Especially women, you know, no women were allowed to take part in the Games at that time.
Megan: They even had no right to see!
Joe: But in modern Olympics, women play a significant part in it.
Megan: In the ancient times, non-Greek was not allowed to take part in the games.
Joe: but the modern Olympics are international games, and all the countries in the world have right to join it.
Megan: Yes, now the Athens Olympic Committee is making preparations for the 2004 Games. I hope it will be a great success.
Joe: I hope so, too.

讲解：

1.date，动词, 表示从何时开始。The ancient Olympic Games also date from there. 古典奥运会也是从那开始的。

The Athens Olympic Games date from August 13th to August 29th. 雅典奥运会8月13号开始, 8月29号结束.

2.take part in 参加某项活动，比如: Women can take part in the Olympic Games nowadays. 现在女性可以参加奥运会比赛了。

3. play + 形容词+ part in…在某项活动中起到了什么样的作用。Women play a significant part in the modern Olympic Games. 妇女在现代奥运会中发挥了重要的作用。还可以把part换成role。Women play a significant role in the modern Olympic Games.

4.一些关于古典奥运会的精品短句：

The first Games were held in Olympia to celebrate Zeus'victory against his father.
第一次奥运会在奥林匹亚举行是为了纪念宙斯在比武中战胜了他的父亲。（这是关于奥运会起源的传说之一）
No war was allowed until the Games were over.
奥运会结束之前，战争是不允许发生的。
Women, discovered in the ancient Games, would be thrown off a nearby cliff, whether they were spectators or competitors.
在古典奥运会上发现有妇女，无论他们是观众运动员，都将被推下悬崖摔死。
After the festival, winning athletes wore Olympic wreath of wild olive leaves and went back to their hometown.
盛会结束以后，获胜的运动员戴上由野生橄榄叶编成的花环。(象征着希腊人所能赢得的最高荣誉，荣归故里）
The ancient Olympic Games were a symbol of peace and friendship at the beginning.
古奥运一开始就是一个和平和友谊的象征。
The dove and the olive branch become the symbols of peace.
鸽子和橄榄枝成为和平的象征。

Part 3 The Modern Olympic Games 现代奥运会

Dialogue Script 1 对话原文 1

Mark: Shall we take a walk?
Tina: I don't want to go since I'm too full.
Mark: You may live up to 99 years, if you take a walk after meals. That is what you told me before.
Tina: All right, let's go.
Tina: Mark, do you know when the first modern Olympic Games were held?
Mark: Of course, the first modern Olympics were held in Athens in 1896. And Mr. Baron¹⁰ De Coubertin was the father of the
modern Olympics.
Tina: Yes, he made a great contribution to the restoring of the Olympic Games. But I heard at that time women were not allowed to participate in the Games or even watch the Games, is that true?
Mark: Yes, that's true. Women didn't participate in the Olympic Games until the second modern Olympics. Moreover, there were only 295 competitors from 13 countries and areas who participated in 9 events.
Tina: But we know the development of any kind of event has a process to train the audiences.
Mark: I agree with you. At the first Olympic Games, there were only 9 events, but now it has developed into no less than 20.

讲解：

1. 在巴黎举行的第二届现代奥运会上妇女才被允许参赛，而不是第一届雅典奥运会。

2. 俗语: You may live up to 99 years, if you take a walk after meals. 就是我们经常说的“饭后百步走,活到九十九”。

3. 法国贵族顾拜旦是现代奥运会之父，Coubertin was the father of the modern Olympics.

4. 只有来自13个国家和地区的295选手参加了9项比赛, 其规模和影响远没有现在的奥运会大.

Dialogue Script 2 对话原文 2

Annie: Where are you heading for?
David: Take a walk. I just had dinner, and you?
Annie: I'm taking a walk too. I have just watched a game. It was really interesting.
David : Annie, do you know "Olympic Vow"?
Annie: Yes. In fact, the oath was composed by Pierre De Coubertin. At the opening ceremony, an athlete of the host country recites the following, "In the name of all competitors, I promise that we will take part in these Olympic Games, respeting and abiding¹¹ by the rules which govern us, in the true spirit of sportsmanship for the glory of sports and the honor of our teams."
David: Did it start from the 7th Games?
Annie: Yes, Besides taking an oath by the athletes, the flag was raised from that time as well.
David: Ah, yes, I know about the flags. There will be a handing-over and taking-over ceremony in each closing ceremony of the Olympic Games. The mayor of the host city will give the flag to president of the IOC, and president will hand it to the mayor of the next host city.
Annie: But do you know the flag raised at the opening ceremony of the Olympics is only a substitute? The host city treasures it after it receives the flag.
David: Oh, really? I didn't know that. The flag was officially used on June 15, 1914. It was first raised at the celebration congress of the 20th anniversary restoration of the Olympic movement in Paris. Unfortunately, this Olympic flag was burned in the flames of WWI.
Annie: Then where does the flag we use now come from?
David: The flag we use now was made by the Belgium Olympic Committee in 1920 when the Games were held in Antwerp. It was given to the International Olympic Committee as a gift, which has been used since then.
Annie: It was passed down one games after another and it became an "heirloom".

讲解:

1.第七届奥运会有很多特殊的地方。一是由于一战的缘故，第六届奥运会被取消了，而第7届就在一战结束后举行，有纪念意义。二是在这次大会上，首次由主办城市的运动员代表在大会的开幕式上宣誓。

2.host city 主办城市。 host country 主办国。

3. 奥运会的宣誓词是由顾拜旦起草的"In the name of all competitors, I promise that we will take part in these Olympic Games, respeting and abiding by the rules which govern us, in the true spirit of sportsmanship for the glory of sports and the honor of our teams."中文是 “ 我代表全体运动员宣誓，我保证我们参加奥林匹克运动会，尊重和遵守体育规则，发扬体育道德精神，为体育争光，为国家争得荣誉。”

4.在这届奥运会闭幕式上首次举行了会旗的交接仪式,。There will be a handing-over and taking-over ceremony in each closing ceremony of the Olympic Games. 这个仪式一直延续到今天。就是由奥运会主办城市的市长将会旗交给国际奥委会主席，主席再将会旗交给下届奥运会主办城市的市长。

5. IOC, the International Olympic Committee, 国际奥委会。现任的国际奥委会主席是比利时的雅克·罗格(Jacques Rogge)。

Dialogue Script 3 对话原文 3

Jimmy: Hi, Lucy.
Lucy: Hi, Jimmy. So nice to see you. I just got back from Berlin.
Jimmy: Really? I know Berlin was chosen as the host country for the 11th Olympics.
Lucy: Oh, yeah, about that, I know only a little. The IOC decided to choose Berlin in order to compel the rise of the power of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi¹² Party.
Jimmy: Yes, and at the Berlin Olympics, two noteworthy conditions started. One is the international of the torch relay. The other is the Games were first shown on television.
Lucy: That's fantastic. It is said that the kindling¹³ must be from Olympia.
Jimmy: It was not a legend. The Olympic flame must be carried to the host country by torch relay. And the aim is to enlarge the influence of the Olympics.
Lucy: Yeah, the ceremony of lighting¹⁴ the flame indeed made the Olympics even more divine.

讲解

1.柏林奥运会有两件特别有特殊意义的事，第一是火炬接力也就是torch relay的开始，另一件事就是首次用电视转播播放体育比赛。

2. 篮球首次在柏林奥运会上被列入比赛项目。Basketball was added as an event for the first time in the Olympic history at the Berlin Olympics.

Dialogue Script 4 对话原文 4

Monica: Joe, do you know what the Olympic Spirit is?
Joe: Yes, it is "mutual¹⁵ understanding, friendship, unity¹⁶ and fair play. "
Monica: And when did China's professional athletes come into being?
Joe: At present, there has not been a wording for professional athletes in China. This is because the Chinese modern athletic¹⁷ sports started rather late and the sports clubs are far from mature as the European and American countries.
Monica: Then do you know when China got its first gold medal at the Olympics?
Joe: I think it was at the 23rd Olympic Games that Chinese shooting competitor Xu Haifeng got the first gold medal for China.

讲解:

1.中国在第23届洛山机奥运会上由射击运动员许害峰夺得了第一枚金牌，打破了中国奥运金牌零的记录。
2.the Olympic Spirit奥运精神，是相互了解，友谊，团结和公平竞争： mutual understanding, friendship, unity and fair play.

Dialogue Script 5 对话原文 5

Anne: At the Seoul Olympic Games, the Chinese team encountered a series of defeat.
Mark: Are you talking about the so-called "fleeing from the Mai city after defeat"?
Anne: Yeah. At the Olympic Games, the Chinese Competitors only won 5 gold medals. 11silver medals and 12 bronze medals, compared with 15gold medals, 8 silver medals and 9 bronze medals at the last Games, that's a big defeat.
Mark: We can see that the Chinese team has taken the lesson. And once again got good scores at the 25th Olympic Games.

讲解:

1. 俗语：“fleeing from the Mai city after defeat” 败走麦城，用来形容失败。

2. 金银铜牌的说法。gold medals, silver medals bronze medals

Dialogue Script 6 对话原文 6

Anne: Hey, did you watch the 2000 Olympic Games?
David: Of course, I have. The opening ceremony was outstanding.
Anne: Yes, I've got it. The flame even rose from the water, just against the saying that "fire and water are incompatible¹⁸". Moreover, Foreman, who lit the Olympic Flame, had several identities, An Australian, a track and field athlete, and a woman. David: At the Olympics, the North and South Koreas marched for the first time into the opening ceremony area hand-in-hand, which is one more example to prove how the Olympic movement contributes to the building of a better and more united world. Anne: What's more, the brotherhood¹⁹ of the century made the audience stand up and applaud loudly.
David: Australian wanted to satisfy the whole world, it seemed they had reached the goal.

讲解:

1.第27届悉尼奥运会正好赶在2000年，是一个世纪之交的盛会。而且2000年悉尼奥运会有很多特色，让人难以忘记。比如说开幕式上圣火竟然是从水中升起的，谁说水火不相容？“fire and water are incompatible”就是水火不相容。

2. 在2000年悉尼奥运会上，朝韩两国第一次手拉手步入开幕式会场，再一次证明了奥运会为建立一个更美好、更团结的世界所做的贡献。萨马兰奇曾经说2000年悉尼奥运会是迄今为止举办得最好的奥运会。

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