Lesson 6 The sporting spirit体育的精力

First listen and then answer the following question.
听录音，然后答复以下问题.
How does the writer describe sport at the international level?

I am always amazed when I hear people saying that sport creates goodwill between the nations, and that if only the common peoples of the would could meet one another at football or cricket, they would have no inclination to meet on the hattlefield. Even if one didn't know from concrete examples (the 1936 Olympic Games, for instance) that international sporting contests lead to orgies of hatred, one could deduce if from general principles.
当我听人们说体育运动可发明国家之间的友谊，还说各国民众若在足球场或板球场上比武，就不肯在战场上残杀的时分，我总是惊惶不已。一个人即便不能从详细的案例（例如1936年的奥林匹克运动会）了解到世界运动竞赛会导致张狂的仇视，也能够从常理中揣度出定论。

Nearly all the sports practised nowadays are competitive. You play to win, and the game has little meaning unless you do your utmost to win. On the village green, where you pick up sides and no feeling of local patriotism is involved, it is possible to play simply for the fun and exercise: but as soon as a the question of prestige arises, as soon as you feel that you and some larger unit will be disgraced if you lose, the most savage combative instincts are aroused. Anyone who has played even in a school football match knows this. At the international level, sport is frankly mimic warfare. But the significant thing is not the behaviour of the players but the attitude of the spectators: and, behind the spectators, of the nations who work themselves into furies over these absurd contests, and seriously believe -- at any rate for short periods -- that running, jumping and kicking a ball are tests of national virtue.
现在展开的体育运动简直都是竞争性的。参与竞赛便是为了制胜。假如不搏命去赢，竞赛就没有什么含义了。 在乡下的草坪上，当你随意组成两个队，并且不触及任何地方心情时，那才可能是单纯的为了娱乐和训练而进行竞赛。但是一量触及到荣誉问题，一旦你想到你和某 一团领会由于你输而丢人时，那么最粗野的争斗天分便会激发起来。即便是只是参与过校园足球赛的人也有种领会。在世界竞赛中，体育简直是一场模仿战役。但 是，要紧的还不是运动员的行为，而是观众的情绪，以及观众死后各个国家的情绪。面对着这些荒.唐的竞赛，参赛的各个国家会如痴如狂，乃至煞有介事地信任 -- 至少在短期内如此 -- 跑跑、跳跳、踢踢球是对一个民族道德本质的查验。

New words and expression
goodwill
n. 友爱

cricket
n. 板球

inclination
n. 志愿

contest
n. 竞赛

orgy
n. 无节制的，放纵

deduce
v. 揣度

competitive
adj. 竞争性的

patriotism
n. 地方观念，爱国主义

disgrace
v. 使丢人

savage
adj. 野性的

combative
adj. 好斗的

mimic warfare
模仿战役

behaviour
n. 举动，举动

absurd
adj. 荒.唐的

Notes on the text课文注释
1 if only the common peoples of the world...,这儿if only 引导的一个非实在条件句，if only 作“只需”讲。
2 have no inclination to do.无意做...,不想做...
3 deduce...from...,从...揣度出...
4 You paly to win.句中的you是泛指人，可译作“人们”。
5 pick up,随意选择。
6 and, behind the spectators, of the nations, 在 of the nations前面省掉了the attitude。

Lesson 6 课后练习和答案Exercises and Answer