Greek Olympic Odyssey

Greek Olympic Odyssey 1

Greece, an ancient land; proud to be described as the cradle of western civilization. At every turn, memories of a glorious past. Two and a half thousand years ago, the eastern Mediterranean 2 1)was aglow 3 with the flame of human 2)ingenuity 4.  It was the age of 3)Socrates and Aristotle, Hippocrates and Plato. They left a lasting 5 legacy 6. 

Today the influence of ancient Greece is evident in 4)all walks of life. From philosophy to medicine, from science to politics, the Greeks laid the cultural foundations of the modern world. Greece is also the birthplace of the world’s greatest sporting event, the Olympic Games. On the thirteenth of August 2004, the games will return to their ancient homeland and the city of their revival 7. The occasion will symbolize 8 a remarkable 9 Olympic odyssey.

Greece, was not only the home of the ancient games, it was also the birthplace of the modern games. Athens had been the site of the first Olympic games of the modern era in 1896. Now Greece had been given the chance to welcome the Olympic games back to their spiritual home. 

The origins of the Olympic Games can be traced to a site in a fertile valley in the western Peloponnese: Olympia. The first recorded games were held here in 776 BC. In that year, a cook named Corubus won the 5)stadion, or 6)sprint 10 race. He was the first recorded Olympic champion. 

The games endured and flourished. They were celebrated 11 every four years, for over a thousand years. At their height, the whole of the Greek world was drawn 12 to Olympia for the greatest spectacle of the ancient world. Winners were presented with a crown of olive leaves. But victory also brought fame and fortune, and to be an Olympic champion was to be blessed by the gods.

7)Fittingly, it was Athens that hosted the first Games of the modern era in 1896. Two hundred and forty-five athletes from fourteen nations competed. The program included many familiar disciplines like 8)athletics 13, swimming, gymnastics, and cycling, as well as a few more unusual events.

Since those early days, the Olympic Games have grown in strength dramatically. The Olympic rings are now one of the most recognized symbols in the world. As the Games have expanded, many new events have been added to the Olympic program, reflecting the changing face of popular sport. 

Today, the Games are the world’s largest, most spectacular sporting occasion. It’s not just the size of the Olympic Games that makes them unique – it’s what they symbolize for all of us. 

注释：
1) be aglow with  因……而发光
2) ingenuity [7indVi5nju:iti] n. 独创性，精巧，灵活性
3) Socrates 苏格拉底（公元前469–前399），古希腊哲学家。Aristotle，亚里士多德（公元前384–前322），古希腊哲学家、科学家。Hippocrates，希波克拉底（公元前460–前370），古希腊名医。Plato，柏拉图（公元前427–前347），古希腊哲学家。
4) all walks of life  各行各业，社会各阶层
5) stadion  即短跑，长度为192.27米。希腊人称之为“斯泰德”，意为“场地跑”，英语中“体育场”stadium一词就出于此。
6) sprint [sprint] n. 疾跑
7) fittingly [5fitiNli] adv. 适切地，适合地
8) athletics [AW5letiks] n. 运动，田径

希腊奥运：话说从头

希腊，一个古老的国度，因被誉为西方文明的摇篮而自豪。每一次时代交替，都记载着一段光辉的历史。2500年前，地中海东部地区闪耀着人类智慧的光辉。那是苏格拉底、亚里斯多德、希波克拉底和柏拉图的时代。他们留下了不朽的遗产。
今天，古希腊对社会各个不同领域的影响都是显然易见的。从哲学到医药，从科学到政治，希腊人为当今世界奠定了文化基础。希腊也是世界上最盛大的体育赛事——奥林匹克运动会的发源地。2004年8月13日，奥林匹克运动会将回到自己的故乡，回到自己重获新生的城市。这场盛事象征着一个不同寻常的奥林匹克历程。
希腊不仅是古代奥运会的故乡，而且是现代奥运会的诞生地。1896年，第一届现代奥运会的举办城市就是雅典。现在，希腊有机会欢迎奥运会回到自己的精神家园了。
奥林匹克运动会的发源地可以追溯到位于伯罗奔尼撒半岛以西的一处山谷内的一片肥沃的土地——奥林匹亚。第一个有记录的奥运会于公元前776年在这里召开。一位名叫科莱巴的厨师在短跑中胜出，他是第一个有记录的奥运会冠军。
奥运会不断发展壮大，每四年举行一次，已经有逾千年的历史。在奥运会的鼎盛时期，希腊各城邦国家的人民都被吸引到奥林匹亚，参加这个古代最壮观的盛事。人们向胜利者献上橄榄叶桂冠。胜利不仅为他们带来了荣誉和财富，更带来了众神的赐福。
由雅典主办1896年第一届现代奥运会最合适不过了。来自14个国家的245名运动员参加了比赛，其中包括很多熟悉的体育项目如田径、游泳、体操和自行车，同时还有一些不常见的体育项目。
从最初的岁月开始，奥运会大幅度地发展壮大。现在，奥运五环是世界公众认知程度最高的象征之一。随着奥运会的发展，很多新的运动项目被吸纳进奥林匹克赛事里，反映了大众体育的日新月异。
今天，奥运会成为了世界上最盛大、最壮观的体育盛事。奥运会不仅仅是因为场面浩大而与众不同，更是因为它在我们每个人心中所象征的意义。