環(huán)球英語—1197:Ancient Olympic Games

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Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Nick Page.
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And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand - no matter where in the world they live.
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This week, skilled sports players are gathering from around the world. It is the Olympic Games. They will compete in many contests – running races, swimming, gymnastics, boat and bicycle races, and many more. They are taking part in a modern version of an ancient tradition. Today, we go back in time to the ancient Olympic Games. How were they different from the modern Games? How were they the same?
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Imagine that it is the eighth century before the birth of Christ - the time of the very first Olympic Games! The Olympic Games were extremely important to the Greeks. The Games were held every four years in the city of Olympia in Greece. Olympia was named after Mount Olympus. The ancient Greeks believed that this huge mountain was home to the gods. The ancient Greek people worshipped many gods. The Olympic Games were part of a big religious celebration. They were in honour of their god, Zeus. Everyone met together at the huge grounds in Olympia. The grounds were made up of large columns and steps. They could seat 20,000 people! The temple of Zeus was at the centre.
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People traveled long distances to attend the Games. Many people traveled on foot. Others traveled on horses or boats. The trip took some people several weeks. When they arrived at the Games, most people slept on the ground. Some people had tents. But others had to manage without. It was hot and very crowded. The water supply was not very good either. But all this did not stop people from attending the Games.
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That is, it did not stop the MEN from attending. Women were not permitted to enter and watch. But they did have their own events at Olympia once every four years. The women’s games were called Heraia. These were held in honour of their goddess Hera. People worshipped Hera as the wife of the Greek god Zeus. The events at Heraia were all running races.
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Some women still tried to watch the men’s games. If they were caught, there was a severe punishment. They were thrown off a mountaintop! But this did not stop some women. They tried to enter the Games area in secret.
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The first Olympic Games for men only included one event - a short run. But the running path was much wider than a modern one. Twenty people could run at once. Runners raced from one end of the sports ground to the other. Slowly, over the years, people added more and more events. This made the Games even more popular. Finally, there were five days of different events to compete in.
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The events included many races. Horse and chariot races were popular. In these races the horses had to work hard. They pulled the chariots. Each man drove his chariot as fast as he could to try and win. There were also fighting events. Crowds shouted with joy as the strongest man won. One of the fighting events was called the pancratium. This event usually happened towards the end of the Games. It was very popular. But it was also dangerous for those competing. A common opening move in the pancratium was to break one of your enemy’s fingers. Officially, biting was banned. The men were also not supposed to take each other’s eyes out. Although some men still tried!
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The Games were not just for sportsmen. They brought together writers, artists, painters and political leaders. It was a place where these people could make themselves known and meet other people. Leaders of city-states met together at the Games. They often made treaties with each other. However, it was not all peaceful. There were conflicts between city-states about the control of the Games. Some researchers say that the Games had military importance too. The long jump and throwing events tested the physical condition of men - for battle.
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It was a great honour to win an event. Winners received crowns made from olive trees. There were also silver and bronze awards for second and third place. But there was another, greater, prize. The winners became immediately popular. People wrote about them in songs and literature. They were treated like heroes. Artists even painted pictures of some of the winners. They received special treatment throughout the year. They were invited to important dinners. They had special seats at the theatre. And the very great sportsmen received even more. For example, if a man won five different events, he had won a pentathlon. To win the pentathlon three times was a great victory. People would build statues in honour of these men.
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But even in those ancient Games, people found ways to cheat! Sportsmen rubbed olive oil on their bodies. This was to protect them from the sun and dirt. Then, they were supposed to dust their bodies with dry powder. However, some men secretly rubbed more oil on their bodies after the powder. This helped them in the fighting events. The other men could not hold them easily. The oil made them slide out of their hands. Cheating in this way improved the men’s chances of winning.
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The ancient Olympic Games lasted for twelve centuries - even after the Romans conquered Greece. But in the fourth century AD, the Roman ruler, Theodosius, banned them. Theodosius banned all the events in the city that worshipped Greek gods. The Games did not start again until 1896.
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Today, only some of the structure of the ancient Olympic grounds remains. Steps and columns still stand in the beautiful setting. The modern Olympic Games begin with a ceremony held at the ancient grounds of Olympia. Here, the people burn a special light - a torch. They set light to the torch without using fire. They use a special round mirror. The mirror makes the sunlight burn onto the torch - and light it.
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Then, the Olympic torch travels around the world to reach the Games. Famous athletes and ordinary people carry it all the way to reach its goal. At the Games, the torch lights a much larger fire that will burn through the modern Games. The torch is a symbol. It is a tie to history - to the organizers and athletes of the original, ancient Olympic Games.
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The writer of this program was Marina Santee. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at www. radioenglish.net. This program is called, ‘Ancient Olympic Games’.
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