Olympic Games.docx

Olympic Games.docx

《Olympic Games.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Olympic Games.docx（6页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

OlympicGames

OlympicGames

AmateurathletesfromallovertheworldtakepartinthemodernOlympicGames.AnynationmayenterateaminthegamesifitagreestofollowtherulesoftheInternationalOlympicCommittee.ThegamesareheldduringthefirstyearofeachOlympiad.（AnOlympiadisaperiodof4yearsthatbeginsinaleapyear－1960,1964,1968,andsoon.）

   OlympicGameswereheldinancientGreeceatleastaslongagoas776B.C.Thecustomlastedformorethan1000yearsbutthendiedoutundertherulersofRome.Inthelate1800'saFrenchman,BaronPierredeCoubertin（1862-1937）,decidedtotrytostartthegamesagain.Hewishedtorenewthoseidealsofexcellenceofbody,mindandspiritshownintheancientGreekOlympics.Hesucceeded,andthemodernOlympicGamesbeganinAthens,Greece,in1896.

   Throughlegend,thebeginningoftheOlympicGamescanbefoundinreligiouscelebrationsthatwereheldtoshowrespecttothegodsoftheGreeks.Thesegodswerelikehumansinsomeways,buttheycouldnotdie,thatistosay,theywereimmortal.Theyweresaidtohavebodiesofgreatsize,strength,andbeauty.Theyhadthepowertochangefromoneformtoanother.Pretendingtobeordinarypeople,theysometimesenteredthelivesofmenandwomen,marriedthem,andhadchildren.ThefirstOlympicwinnersweresaidtobechildrenoftheGreekgods.

   ThreethousandyearsagoOlympiawasanimportantreligiouscenterinsouthwesternGreece.HerewastheTempleofZeus,fatherofthegodsandrulerofbothgodsandmen.Heremencametoworshipandtoapproachasnearlyaspossibletheskillsandstrengthofthegods.Speedandskillinhand-to-handfightingwerenecessaryforsurvival.Theywereevenmoreimportantforleadershipamongmen.Physicalexcellencewasveryimportant,too,butitwasnotall.Nexttofamilylinefromthegods,theGreeksvaluedfamethroughpoetryandsong.Poetsandpeoplewereeagertosingthepraisesnotonlyofvictorsinbattlebutalsoofvictorsincontestsofskillandstrength.So,theseedsofachievementinarts,inmoralconduct,andinaffairsofthemindwereplantedontheplainsofOlympiaatthefeetofthegoodandkindZeus.HeretheOlympicGamesbegan.Theysurvivedforcenturies,inspiringthemusicandpoetryandthearchitectureandsculpturethatweretobecomethemagnificenceoftheGoldenAgeofGreece.

   ThegreatpoetPindarwrotepoemsofpraiseinmemoryofthewinnersofthelaurelorwildolivewreath.ThisprizelookedlikethecrownofZeus.ItwasforthewreaththatCoroebusracedabout200yardstovictoryinthefirstrecordedOlympicGames.ThismarkedthebeginningofthefirstOlympiad.Byourcalendartheyearwas776B.C.

   Itwasacook,Coroebus,notaGreeknobleman,whowasthefirstknownwinnerofanOlympicaward.Acrowdof45000peoplerosefromtheirseatsonthegrassinthestadiumtocheer.

   AlthoughtheGreeksweresaidtobedemocratic,slavesandwomenhadfewrights.OnlyfreebornmalecitizenscouldtakepartintheOlympicGames.Womenwereforbidden,withdeathasthepunishment,eventoseethegames.Onewomandidsuccessfullygetawayfromthepunishment.ThemotherofPisidoruscontinuedthetrainingofhersonafterhisfatherdied.Pretendingtobeaman,sheattendedthegames.Shewasnotrecognizeduntilsheshoutedwithjoyoverherson'svictory.Shewaspardoned,andintimewomenwereallowedinthegames.

   AthleticcompetitionbecamesoimportanttotheGreeksthattheOlympiccelebrationswereapeacefulinfluenceonthewarlikecity-states.Sparta,famousforitsstricttrainingofyouthanditsmanyOlympichonors,wouldwaituntilthegameswereoverbeforesendingfightersintobattle.Othercitiesfollowedthisexample.The“sacredmonth”ofthegamesbecameatimeforpeaceandfriendship.

   Milo,awrestlerofthe6thcenturyB.C.,maybeconsideredthegreatestathleteofancienttimes.Hewonthewrestlingcrownsixtimes.Thus,hewaschampionforaquarterofacentury.Hewassaidtobesopowerfulthathecouldcarryayoungcoworevenafull-grownbullonhisshoulders.

   NewsportscontinuallyaddedvarietytotheOlympics.Thehoplitodromewasafootraceruninarmor.Aneventcalledthepancratiumwasacombinationofboxingandwrestling.Awinnerwasnamedonlywhenonemanraisedhishandindefeatorlayunconscious-ordead.

   Oneofthegreatesthonorswastobecrownedtowinnerofthepentathlon（meaning"fivecontests"）.Theathleteshadtocompeteinthebroadjump,javelinthrow,afootrace,discusthrow,andwrestling.TheseeventscalledfortheuseofavarietyofmusclesandcreatedthebeautifulbodiesadmiredsomuchbytheGreeks.

   TheGoldenAgeofGreececameinthe5thcenturyB.C.,whentheancientGreeksreachedthepeakoftheirpowerandinfluence.Itwasatimethatproducedsomeofthegreatestthoughtandartthattheworldhaseverknown.TheOlympicGamessharedthisgreatnessbysettingstandardsofphysicalandmoralexcellencethatarestillusedinourtime.

   InthesettingofareligiouscelebrationtheGreekswerethefirsttodevelopgamerulesandstandardsofgoodsportsmanship.Everyathletewasrequiredtotakeanoaththathewouldfollowtherulesofthegameandoffairplay.

   Inadirectway,too,theOlympicGamesinspiredtheGreekpoetsandartists.TheOlympicbuildingswereexamplesofthebeautyofGreekarchitecture.RemainsofthehugestatueofZeusatOlympiabearthesignatureofPhidias,thefamousAtheniansculptorandarchitect.ThespiritofthetimesmayhaveinspiredPlato'sRepublic,abookthatprovidedapatternforbuildinganidealnationthroughthecarefuleducationofitschildren.ThepoetPindarreadhisvictorypoemsattheOlympics,andHerodotushishistory.Byawardinghonorstoartistsandscholars,theOlympicGameshelpedtofurtherthegrowthofGreekculture.

   InterestintheOlympicGamesspreadwiththecolonialandtradegrowthofGreece.Foreignathletescametocompete.ButafterRomedefeatedGreece（inthe2ndcenturyB.C.）,Olympicstandardsbegantodecline.TheemperorNerobroughthisowncheeringsection,builthisownhouseatOlympia,anddemandedfirstprizesforallhisentries.Theywerewillingtouseanywaytowin.Aftermorethan1000yearstheOlympicGameshadbecomeaninfluenceforbadratherthangood.InA.D.394theRomanemperorTheodosiusIorderedthemstopped.

   FifteencenturiesaftertheendoftheancientOlympicGames,theOlympiccitylayburiedontheplainsofOlympia.Savagesoldiershadlongagorobbedthetemples.EarthquakeshadchangedthecourseoftheAlpheusRiver,coveringtheremains.Theninthe1880'ssomeGermanarcheologistsuncoveredsomethingthatshowedtheexistenceofagreatcivilization.

   CloseuponthisdiscoverycametheinspirationoftheFrenchmanBaronPierredeCoubertin.Hefeltthattheyouthofhisdaywerebecomingsoftandaplannedprogramofathleticsmightstrengthentheirbodies,minds,andmorals.Hefirmlybelievedthatathleticcompetitionbuiltqualitiesofcourageandasenseoffairplay.

   AtfirstDeCoubertinwasinterestedmainlyintheyouthofFrance.Thenhisdreamgrewtoahopethatathletesofallcountrieswouldtakepart.In1892,atameetingoftheAthleticSportsUnion,DeCoubertinfirstputforththeideaofstartingtheOlympicGamesagain.Fewmemberswerethenreadytoaccepthisidea.ButtwoyearslateragroupwasformedtomakeplansforthefirstmodernOlympiad.

   TheOlympicGameswereheldin1896.TheytookplaceatAthens,Greece-averyfittingplacetorebuildthespiritoftheearlyGreekgames.ThecontinuingeffortsofasinglemanhadbegunthemodernOlympics.ItwasfittingthatBarondeCoubertinshouldremaindirectoroftheInternationalOlympicCommitteeuntil1925.Inthisofficehedirectedthecoursethatthegamesweretotake.HewrotetheOlympiccharter,andathlete'soath.Heplannedtheceremonies.

   "Peace,"DeCoubertinstated,"wouldbefurtheredbytheOlympicGames...butpeacecouldbetheproductonlyofabetterworld;abetterworldcouldbebroughtaboutonlybybetterindividuals;andbetterindividualscouldbedevelopedonlybythegiveandtake,thebuffetingandbattering,thestressandstrainoffiercecompetition."

TheModernOlympicGamesmighthaveremainedjustapartofhistorywithoutthedreamofoneFrenchman,PierredeCoubertin.Coubertinbelievedthatsportandexercisewereveryimportantforthehealthandhappinessofeverymanandalsoforthenation.Hethereforetried,in1892,tointerestotherFrenchmeninhisdreamofstartingamodernformoftheearlyGreekGames.Hisideaswerestronglycriticizedbymanypeople,whodidnotreallyunderstandwhathewastryingtodo.ItisperhapssadthatthegreatworkPierredeCoubertindidtobringbacktheGameswasneverproperlyrecognizedduringhislifetime.Gradually,however,peopleallovertheworldbecameinterestedinhisideasandatameetinginParisin1894,withrepresentativesfromtwelvedifferentcountries,plansweremadetoholdthefirstmodernGamesinAthensin1899.

   OrganizingthefirstmodernGames,however,wasnotwithoutproblems.TheGreekgovernmentwasunhappywiththedecisiontoholdtheGamesinAthens,astheyhadseriouseconomicproblemsatthetimeanddidnotfeeltheywereinapositiontospendthenecessarymoney.ItseemedthereforethattheGameswouldbefinishedbeforetheyhadevenbegun.PrinceConstantineofGreece,however,gavehissupporttoCoubertinandthenewly-formedOlympicCommitteeandotherrichGreekssoonfollowedhisexample.EnoughmoneywascollectedinGreeceandabroadtobuildanewstadiumandpayallthe