Fun facts
奥运趣话
Fun 1.
The symbolizes purity and the endeavor for perfection.It is a tradition both now and in ancient times. The flame is ignited by the sun in Olympia, Greece and burns throughout the Games. However, the Olympic Torch Relay,where the Olympic Torch is passed from runner to runner from Olympia to the hosting city, is a modern tradition that only began in 1936.
奥运圣火象征着高尚纯洁和追求完美，这是从古代奥运会到现代奥运会都保留的传统。圣火是通过希腊奥林匹亚的太阳光而点燃的，在比赛期间一直熊熊燃烧。然而，奥运火炬接力活动只是从1936年才开始的现代传统，火炬由传递者之间相互接力从奥林匹亚一直传到奥运会举办国。
Fun 2.
A gymnasium is a building where sports and athletic activities are held. The word “gymna-sium” comes from the Greek root “gymnos”,which means “naked” or “with no clothes on”.This is because athletes participating in the ancient Olympics didn’t wear any clothes!
体育场(gymnasium)是举办比赛和竞技活动的场所。“gymnasium”一词源于希腊词根“gymnos”，意为“赤裸的”、“不穿衣服的”。这是因为古代奥运会的运动员比赛时都不穿任何衣服。
FUN 3
Many people find itstrange that the distance of a mara-thon is such astrange number. Its total length is 26 miles and 385 yards, or 42.2 kilometers. Actually, it was originally set to be 26 miles, but in 1908 Queen Alexandra of Great Britain demanded that the athletes finish just below the royal box at London’s White City Stadium. Thus, the extra 385 yards were added!
许多人都感到奇怪为什么马拉松比赛的总路程会是这样一个数字。它的路程总长是26英里又385码，合42.2公里。事实上，起初设置的时候路程总长是26英里，但是1908年英国女王亚历山德拉下令马拉松比赛的终点线必须设在伦敦白色城市体育场的皇家包厢内，于是，马拉松比赛的总路程就这样增加了385码！
Fun 4.
Is it possible for an athlete to set a new world record but not be awarded a gold medal?This happened in 1924 when an American broke the world long jump record with a jump of 25 feet, 4 inches. The problem: he took this leap in a pentathlon competition, for which he finished in third place. The gold medal for the long jump was awarded for a jump of only 24 feet, 5 inches.
有没有可能运动员打破了世界纪录却没能获得金牌呢？1924年一名美国选手以25英尺4英寸的成绩打破了跳远的世界纪录，但他打破纪录的是五项全能比赛中的跳远项目，而他在五项全能比赛中总分只得到了第三名。结果那年跳远比赛的金牌获得者的成绩居然只有24英尺5英寸。
Fun 5.
In the 2004 games in Athens, Greece, the 11,099 athletes produced more than 1 million kilos of dirty clothes. A family of four could live over 250 years and never have that much dirty laundry. We suspect that Beijing’s laundry washers will be very busy in 2008!
在2004年希腊雅典奥运会上，11099名运动员共“生产”了一百多万公斤的脏衣服。一个四口之家生活上250多年也无法“生产”出那么多要洗的衣服。不难想象，到了2008年北京的洗衣店到时将忙得多么不可开交！
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