VOA标准英语2008年-US Sprinter Felix Uses Small Frame as Advantage

Standing¹ at a mere² one meter, 67 centimeters and weighing just 56.7 kilograms, American Allyson Felix has the perfect disguise to hide the blinding speed of a world class sprinter³. VOA's Jim Stevenson has this profile of the small woman with big ambitions for the upcoming Beijing Olympics.
　
Allyson Felix

Allyson Felix started running track in her freshman⁴ year of high school, when she was known as "chicken legs" by her teammates because of her long, spindly legs. It is doubtful her former teammates could keep up with her now. Felix found she had a special talent for sprinting⁵. She worked to build her leg muscles and reportedly has leg-pressed 317 kilograms and dead-lifted about 110 kilos.

That strength helped propel her to consecutive⁶ 200 meter outdoor world titles. With her sights on the Beijing Olympics, Felix initially⁷ had sought to stand on the top of the podium in China after running a shorter distance.

"My first ultimate goal is the 100 meters," she said. "And there, I am definitely in it to win it. After that, the 200 meters is my priority. I won silver in Athens [2004]. So the only thing to go from there is gold."
　
Allyson Felix competes in 200 meters race at U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials, 06 Jul 2008

But Felix missed the chance to compete for two individual golds in Beijing when she failed to qualify in the 100 meters at the recent U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon. Her priority now shifts to the 200 meter event after she cruised to victory Sunday at the qualifying meet.

At the 2007 World Athletics⁹ Championships in Osaka, Japan, Felix became the second woman in history to win three gold medals at one World Championships. She won the 200 meter race in a personal best 21.81 seconds, with a margin¹⁰ of victory of more than one-half second (.53), the biggest ever in World Championships history.

Allyson Felix has also found success in team events. She earned gold medals at last year's World Championships on the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 meter U.S. relay teams. And she is hoping to boost the U.S. medal count in Beijing after the individual events.

"I would love to represent my country in the relays, both the 4 x 100 [meter race] and the 4 x 400, which went well in the world championships. So I am hoping they will bring me back for that," she said.

Felix says a strong religious faith provides her motivation to run fast. Her father, Paul, is an ordained¹¹ minister. Felix is looking beyond her athletic⁸ career to working with children.

"My degree is in elementary education. So I definitely want to be in the classroom when I get done," she explained. "I am a Sunday school teacher right now. And that is what I have grown up wanting to do. And so I definitely see myself there."

And Felix definitely sees success in China. Her biggest rival in the 200 meters is once again expected to be Jamaican Veronica Campbell, who edged Felix for the Olympic gold medal four years ago in Athens. Campbell qualified¹² for the Beijing Games in her country's trials with a time of 21.94 seconds. Felix's winning time in the U.S. trials was slightly better at 21.82 seconds. Allyson Felix hopes she can maintain that advantage over Campbell and all her other competitors in China and capture the gold medal.

 

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

3 sprinter   

n.短跑运动员，短距离全速奔跑者

参考例句：

• He is more a sprinter than a swimmer. 他是短跑健将，而不是游泳选手。 来自辞典例句
• The sprinter himself thinks he can run the race at 9.4 seconds. 这位短跑运动员自认为可以用9.4秒跑完比赛。 来自互联网

4 freshman   

n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)

参考例句：

• Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
• He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。

5 sprinting   

v.短距离疾跑( sprint的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Stride length and frequency are the most important elements of sprinting. 步长和步频是短跑最重要的因素。 来自互联网
• Xiaoming won the gold medal for sprinting in the school sports meeting. 小明在学校运动会上夺得了短跑金牌。 来自互联网

6 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

7 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

8 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

9 athletics   

n.运动，体育，田径运动

参考例句：

• When I was at school I was always hopeless at athletics.我上学的时候体育十分糟糕。
• Our team tied with theirs in athletics.在田径比赛中，我们队与他们队旗鼓相当。

10 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

11 ordained   

v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定

参考例句：

• He was ordained in 1984. 他在一九八四年被任命为牧师。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was ordained priest. 他被任命为牧师。 来自辞典例句

12 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。