VOA标准英语2013--London Marathon Runners in Solidarity With Boston

 

London Marathon Runners in Solidarity¹ With Boston

Before the start of Sunday’s marathon, runners observed a 30-second silence to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.

This was the first race in the World Marathon Majors series since the Boston attack last Monday, which killed three people and injured almost 200.

But security fears did not stop runners from turning out on Sunday. More than 35,000 people ran the 42-kilometer race.

And it did not keep fans at home either. The route was crammed² with spectators⁴, hollering as their friends and family raced past.

With security up by 40 percent and police positioned at every corner, the crowds said they felt safe.

"We have had the experience of the Olympics this summer, so our police and security forces are well up to speed with what to do," said one female spectator³.

Also, onlookers⁵ said they felt a sense of solidarity in light of what happened in Boston.

"Everybody has just really grouped together this year. And I just think everybody is like, ‘No, we are not going to let anything stop us.’ I think it has actually made people come here more this year than they have before," said another woman who came to the see race.

Similar expressions of solidarity came from male spectators.

"There is nothing that happens anywhere, whether it is here or there, that changes what we do here," said one man.

"You have to carry on. It is tragic⁶, but you have to carry on," said another.

Runner Andy Holloway finished in two-hours, 59 minutes and 24 seconds. He was happy with his time, but said his thoughts were also with Boston.

"Runners are part of a community, and especially marathon runners, and with the events in Boston last week it touched us all because we can relate to what those people were doing in running a marathon."

Ethiopia's Tsegaye Kebede won the race with an unofficial time of two hours, six minutes and four seconds.

Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya was the first-place runner in the elite⁷ women's event.

1 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

2 crammed   

adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)

参考例句：

• He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
• All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。

3 spectator   

n.观众，目击者，旁观者

参考例句：

• A spectator threw the ball back to the players.一个观众把球掷回给球员。
• He was content to stand by as an impassive spectator.他满足于站在旁边做一个冷漠的旁观者。

4 spectators   

n.观众，旁观者( spectator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The spectators were wilting visibly in the hot sun. 看得出观众在炎热的阳光下快支撑不住了。
• The policemen asked the spectators to stand well back. 警察要求旁观者靠后站。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 onlookers   

n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene of the crash. 在撞车地点聚集了一大群围观者。
• The onlookers stood at a respectful distance. 旁观者站在一定的距离之外，以示尊敬。

6 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

7 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。