VOA慢速英语2016 迈克尔·菲尔普斯得到奥运会的最后机会

Michael Phelps Gets Last Chance at Olympics 迈克尔·菲尔普斯得到奥运会的最后机会

Michael Phelps has become the first American male swimmer to qualify¹ for five Olympics. He won the 200-meter butterfly race at the U.S. Olympic trials on Wednesday.

迈克尔·菲尔普斯成了第一位入选五届奥运会的美国男子游泳运动员。本周三他赢得了美国奥运会预选赛200米蝶泳比赛。

Phelps has won 18 gold medals, more than anybody in Olympic history. He won eight gold medals in a single Olympics in 2008 in Beijing, China.

菲尔普斯赢得过18块金牌，比奥运会历史上任何人都多。单单在2008年北京奥运会上，他就赢得了8块金牌。

But his golden image was tarnished² after the 2012 London Olympics. He was arrested two times for drunk driving.

但是他的光辉形象在2012年伦敦奥运会之后就开始打折扣。他因为酒驾两次被捕。

He stepped away from swimming. He entered a rehabilitation⁴ program. He then returned to the pool to train for the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

他离开了游泳事业。他加入了戒酒计划。他为了里约奥运会又回到了游泳池进行训练。

The Games’ opening ceremony is August 5.

里约奥运会的开幕式是在8月5日。

Phelps first appeared in the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, in 2000. He was 15 years old. Now 31, Phelps still holds three world records. He says he is happy to represent his country at the Olympic Games one more time.

菲尔普斯的第一次亮相是在2000年的悉尼奥运会上。那时候他才15岁。现年31岁的他依旧保持着三项世界纪录。他说他很乐意再一次代表国家出战奥运会。

Being able to make my fifth [Olympics] is something that means a lot to me,” Phelps said. “…I think 20 years from now, I’ll be able to look and be happy with that decision to come back.”

“能够第五次出战奥运会，对我来说意义重大。”菲尔普斯说。“就算是20年以后，我也会对现在的决定感到满意的。”

Another goal for Phelps is setting one more personal best time during the next month.

菲尔普斯的另一个目标是，在下个月内再达到一次个人最佳成绩。

“It’s been a long time since I’ve got a best time,” he said. “I’d like to have maybe one before I retire. I hope we can get at least one in the next four weeks.”

“距离我上一次的最佳成绩已经很长时间了。”他说，“我想在退役之前再来一次这样的成绩。我希望我们能够在接下来四周内达成至少一次最佳成绩。”

When the Rio Olympic Games begin in August, Phelps will be joined on the U.S. swim team by Allison Schmitt. Schmitt is another athlete who won gold medals in London in 2012. But she has struggled in her personal life since winning gold.

8月份里约奥运会开始时，菲尔普斯将和阿丽森·施密特一起到美国国家游泳队报到。施密特是另一位在2012年伦敦奥运会上获得金牌的运动员。但是自从赢得金牌以后，她的个人生活就一直不怎么平坦。

For Schmitt, it was depression that included suicidal thoughts. It was not until her cousin committed suicide⁵ that she looked for help. She qualified⁶ for Rio on Wednesday after placing fourth in the 200-meter freestyle race. She won that event at the London Games in 2012.

对施密特来说，要担忧的是有自杀念头的抑郁症。直到她的表亲自杀她才开始寻求帮助。本周三她以200米自由泳比赛第四名的成绩拿到了里约奥运会的入场券。在2012年伦敦奥运会，她在这个项目上拿到了冠军。

“I’m going to Rio,” Schmitt said. “It’s been a tough four years, but I’m so happy right now.”

“我要去里约了。”施密特说“这四年来很艰苦，但是我现在很快乐。”

The star swimmer of the 2016 summer games may be 19-year-old Katie Ledecky. In 2012, she was a young swimmer from the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Ledecky won a surprise gold medal in the 800 meter freestyle in London. In less than four years, she broke three world records.

2016年夏季奥运会的游泳之星很可能是19岁的凯蒂·雷德基。2012年，她还是来自华盛顿特区近郊的年轻游泳运动员。雷德基在伦敦奥运会上爆冷赢得了800米自由泳冠军。在不到四年的时间里，她已经打破了三项世界纪录。

At last year’s world championships, Ledecky won five gold medals. She says she will not try to break German swimmer Kristin Otto’s record of six gold medals at a single Olympics.

在去年的世界锦标赛上，雷德基赢得了5块金牌。她说她可能不会去尝试打破德国游泳运动员克里斯汀·奥托在一届奥运会上就赢得6块金牌的纪录。

“I don’t think about who I’m chasing or any of the historical implications,” Ledecky said.

“我不会想我在追赶谁，或者达成什么历史意义。”雷德基说。

The U.S. team will also feature Missy Franklin. She is a four-time gold medalist at the 2012 Olympics. She will race in the 200-meter freestyle event in Rio.

美国队的另外一个亮点是梅西·富兰克林。她在2012年奥运会上赢得了4块金牌。她将参加里约奥运会的200米自由泳项目。

Words in This Story

butterfly – n. a way of swimming in which the swimmer's face is in the water and the arms move together in a circular motion while the legs kick up and down

medal – n. a piece of metal often in the form of a coin with designs and words in honor of a special event or an achievement

tarnish³ – v. to damage or ruin the good quality of a person's reputation

drunk driving – n. the act of driving a vehicle while drunk

rehabilitation – n. the process of bringing someone back to a normal, healthy condition after an illness, injury or drug problem

freestyle – n. a swimming race in which the competitors are allowed to use different styles or methods

1 qualify   

vt.取得资格，有资格，限定，描述；vi.取得资格，有资格

参考例句：

• I won't qualify until next year.我明年才具备资格。
• You must qualify yourself for the post.你必须使自己具备担任这一工作的资格。

2 tarnished   

（通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏

参考例句：

• The mirrors had tarnished with age. 这些镜子因年深日久而照影不清楚。
• His bad behaviour has tarnished the good name of the school. 他行为不轨，败坏了学校的声誉。

3 tarnish   

n.晦暗，污点；vt.使失去光泽；玷污

参考例句：

• The affair could tarnish the reputation of the prime minister.这一事件可能有损首相的名誉。
• Stainless steel products won't tarnish.不锈钢产品不会失去光泽。

4 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

5 suicide   

n.自杀，自毁，自杀性行为

参考例句：

• The number of suicide has increased.自杀案件的数量增加了。
• The death was adjudged a suicide by sleeping pills.该死亡事件被判定为服用安眠药自杀。

6 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。