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Text 1
Ancient Olympic Games
Information related to the text
Olympia: Plain in southern Greece along
the Alpheus（阿尔菲俄斯河).
The Golden Age of Greece: The period of
prosperity and achievement in great thought and art in the
history of Greece which began in the 5th century B.C. when
the ancient Greece reached the peak of their power and influence.
Yard: A unit of length which is equal
in the US to 0.9144 meter.
Greek Democracy: Democracy began in certain
city-states in ancient Greece in which the whole citizen body
formed the legislature, a system made possible by the fact
that a city-state's population rarely exceeded10 000 persons
and that women and slaves enjoyed no political rights. Citizens
were illegible for a large variety of executive and judicial
offices, some of which were filled by elections, others being
assigned by lot. There was no separation of powers, and all
officials were fully responsible to the popular assembly,
which was qualified to act in executive and judicial as well
as legislative matters. Greece Democracy was a brief historic
episode that had little direct influence on the practice of
modern states. From the fall of Greek city-states to the modern
constitutional states there was a gap of 2 000 years in the
practice of democracy.
Zeus: The chief of the Greek gods on Mount
Olympus. According to Greek mythology, Zeus is the son of
Uranus, the Sky； and Gaea, the Earth. He defeated the Titans
and was powerful enough to control not only the thunder and
lightning, but also Men's fortune and misfortune. Therefore,
he is regarded as the King of both men and gods. In Roman
mythology, Zeus is called Jupiter.
Sparta: Ancient city in southern Greece
in Peloponnisos Peninsula with Laconia as its capital.
Pindar: (522?-443? B.C.) A Greek writer of odes, who was
regarded by the ancient Greeks as the greatest of their lyric
poets. Pindar's odes celebrated victories in games held at
the greatest religious festivals of Greece - the Olympian,
the Pythian, the Isthmian, and the Memean - and from these
festivals the four books of pindaric odes take their names.
In his religious, as in his political thought, Pindar was
a conservative. As an aristocrat, he held many conventional
and traditional bias of his class. He felt the virtue of excellence
and achievement of the victor at the games could be achieved
only by the nobly born, supported by the favor of the gods.
Pindar's odes must be counted among the most beautiful and
influential in Greek literature. Goethe
in Germany, Shelley and Wordsworth in England, and Victor
Hugo in France, all used the Pindaric legacy with varying aims
and varying successes.
Nero: (37-68 A.D.) The 5th Roman Emperor
(54-68 A.D.) infamous for his personal debaucheries and extravagance,
and on doubtful evidence, for his burning of Rome and persecution
of Christians.
Theodosius I: (347-395 A.D.) was first
the Great Roman general and latter Roman Emperor (379-395
A.D.). He banned the ancient Olympic Games in 394 A.D.
Alpheus River: A river about 75 miles
long in southern Greece， flowing northwestward into Ionian
Sea.
The Athletic Sports Union: A French group
of athletic sports which Baron Pierre de Coubertin had helped
to organize.
Language notes
1)
The custom lasted for more than 1 000 years but then died
out under the rulers of Rome.
（这一习俗延续了1000余年，后来在罗马人统治时终止了。）
To die out means to disappear completely.
In this sentence, it means to stop.
e.g. The moth's habitat is being destroyed
and it has nearly died out.
The old traditions
are dying out.
2)
They survived for centuries, inspiring the music and poetry
and the architecture and sculpture that were to become the
magnificence of the Golden Age of Greece.
（几个世纪里，它赋予人们无穷无尽的创作灵感，使他们创作出希腊黄金时代辉煌的音乐、诗歌、建筑和雕塑作品。）
Be to in this sentence expresses destiny.
e.g. The celebrations were not to take
place. (ie They
did not, in fact, take place.)
3)
Only freeborn male citizens could take part in the Olympic
Games.
（唯有出生于自由民的男性方可参加奥运会比赛。）
Freeborn here means not born in slavery.
4)
She was pardoned, and in time women were allowed in the games.
（她终于得到豁免，而且此后不久，妇女也终于获准观看比赛。）
In time in this sentence means after
a certain period of time.
e.g. He kept on practicing painting, and in
time, he became a good artist.
5)
One of the greatest honors was to be crowned to the winner of the
pentathlon (meaning "five contests").
（赛场上最大的荣耀是获得5项全能比赛的优胜桂冠。）
Be to in this sentence expresses arrangement,
intention or purpose.
e.g. Each participant was to pay his own expenses.
6)
Remains of the huge statue of Zeus at Olympia bear the signature
of Phidias, the famous Athenian sculptor and architect.
（在奥林匹亚残存的宙斯巨型雕像上，著名雅典雕塑家、建筑师菲迪亚斯的签名依然清晰可见。）
Bear here means show sth or carry visibly.
e.g. The coach bears the royal coat of arms.
7)
In 1892, at a meeting of the Athletic Sports Union, De Coubertin
first put forth the idea of starting the Olympic Games again.
（1892年，在一次田径运动联合会的会议上，顾拜旦倡议重新举办奥运会。）
To put forth her means to advance,
propose or suggest sth for discussion.
e.g. She is putting forth a radical proposals
for medical reform.
8)
It was fitting that Baron de Coubertin should remain director
of the International Olympic Committee until 1925.
（因此，理所当然地，直到1925年，他一直连任国际奥委会主席。）
Note that-clause is in subjunctive
mood. Fitting here means suitable for the occasion;
right or proper.
e.g. It was fitting that he should be here
to tackle the problem in person.
Text 2 Modern
Olympic Games
Information related to the text
Marathon: The site
of a victory of Greeks over Persians in 490 B.C. The news
of the victory was carried to Athens by a warrior Pheidippides,
who ran a long distance of 26 miles (42.2 kilometers) and
dropped dead as soon as he finished shouting out
"Rejoice,
we have conquered." The Marathon is the longest foot race,
26 miles, named after the town of Marathon.
Montreal: A city and a seaport in southern
Quebec, Canada on Montreal Island which is in St. Lawrence
river with a population of 1 100 000.
Antwerp: A city and a seaport in northern
Belgium with a population of 191 000.
Language notes
1)
The Modern Olympic Games might have remained just a part of
history without the dream of one Frenchman, Pierre de
Coubertin.
（如果没有法国人皮埃尔•徳•顾拜旦的梦想，现代奥林匹克运动也许只能是段历史。）
This sentence can be paraphrased as the Olympic
Games might have been memorized as an event in Greek history,
taking place long ago without being turned into reality if
Pierre de Coubertin failed to have come up with the idea of
reopening the Olympic Games.
2)
The Greek government was unhappy with the decision to hold
the Games in Athens, as they had serious economic problems
at the time and did not feel they were in a position to spend
the necessary money.
（当时由于希腊政府在国内面临严重的经济困难，感到难以支付举办奥运会所需资金,因此政府对在雅典举办奥运会的决定颇为不满。）
Be in position to
do sth means to be able to do sth.
e.g. I'm sorry I'm not in a position to help
you right now, for I've to finish typing this long letter
in half an hour.
3)
Australia, Austria, Britain, Bulgaria, Chile, Denmark, France,
Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA, were the
only countries to send athletes to the Games and most of the
athletes who did come had to pay for their own travel and
other costs.
（仅有来自澳大利亚、奥地利、不列颠、保加利亚、智利、丹麦、法国、徳国、匈牙利、瑞典、瑞士和美国的运动员参赛，而且大多数参赛运动员的旅费及其它费用均由他们本人承担。）
The athletes had to pay for their own travel
and other costs because the competitors in the early modern
Olympic Games were not sent by their governments. They went
to the Games by themselves and paid for their own traveling
expenses and other costs. It was not until 1908 when the Games
were held in London that athletes were sent by their countries
and their expenses were covered by the governments.
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