听播客学英语 168 跑遍世界

 　　Robert Garside is 40 years old and he has run all the way round the world. He started in New Delhi in India in 1997, and finished his epic¹ journey four years later. In the course of his run, he crossed 29 countries in 6 continents. He covered 35,000 miles and wore out 50 pairs of running shoes. He says that the worst bit was when he had to go without food for 3 days. He was put in jail² in China for not having the right papers, and in Panama he was threatened by armed men who wanted to steal his backpack. But there were good times as well, he says, for example when he was crossing the Himalayas.

　　If you think you have achieved a world record in something really strange and unusual – like eating more pizzas than anyone else, or surviving for longest underwater – then you can ask Guinness World Records to recognise your claim. The people at Guinness World Records are not stupid. They want lots of evidence and look very carefully at it. They also check that someone else has not eaten more pizzas than you have, or survived for longer underwater. If they are satisfied, they will print your name in the next Guinness Book of Records and give you a certificate³ to hang on the wall at home, where your friends can see it.

　　Guinness World Records have investigated Robert Garside’s claim to have run all the way round the world. They looked at the photos and videos that he took, and at his credit⁴ card recipts, and other evidence. Last week they announced that, yes, he had indeed run round the world, and they gave him a certificate.

　　But some people – journalists and other long-distance runners – are not convinced⁵. They claim that he made up the accounts of parts of his journey. One reporter says that Robert Garside was in a bar in Rio do Janeiro at a time when he claimed to be running across the Amazon basin. Another says that Robert Garside had himself admitted that he did not do everything he claimed to have done. But the Guinness people believe him, and maybe that is all that matters.

　　World records have been in the news this week. The England football team has had its worst ever start to the European Cup qualifying⁶ rounds. They have now beated Andorra (wow!) but there is still a long way to go. And the world’s tallest man, who comes from Mongolia, has got married. There were pictures of him and his bride in the papers this week. He is at least twice as tall as she is. I am sure they will be very happy together.

1 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

2 jail   

n.监狱，看守所；vt.监禁，拘留

参考例句：

• The castle had been used as a jail.这城堡曾用作监狱。
• If she carries on shoplifting,she'll end up in jail.她如果还在店铺里偷东西，最终会被抓进监狱的。

3 certificate   

n.证书，证明书；vt.发给证明书，认可，鉴定

参考例句：

• She proudly displayed her degree certificate to her parents.她自豪地向父母展示了学位证书。
• No one had seen her marriage certificate.没人看到过她的结婚证书。

4 credit   

n.信用，荣誉，贷款，学分；v.归功于，赞颂，信任

参考例句：

• I credit him with a certain amount of sense.我认为他有一定的见识。
• He got the credit,and we did the dirty work.他得荣誉，我们做不讨好的工作。

5 convinced   

adj.确信的；深信的；有坚定信仰的v.使确信(convince的过去分词)；说服

参考例句：

• I am convinced of her innocence. 我坚信她是清白无辜的。
• I'm convinced there's a jinx on this car. 我看这辆汽车是灾星。

6 qualifying   

使具有资格的

参考例句：

• players who fail at the pre-qualifying stage 在预选赛中淘汰掉的选手
• A doctoral candidate is required to pass a qualifying examination. 考博士需通过一个资格考试。