環(huán)球英語 — 754：Running Strong
Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Adam Navis.
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And I'm Robin Basselin. 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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Emil Zatopek was not a beautiful runner. His head turned up, his face locked in struggle. He breathed loud and heavy. His chest would move from side to side. But he was fast. Famous running teacher Larry Synder said, "Zatopek does everything wrong, but win."
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Today's Spotlight in on Emil Zatopek. Emil Zatopek was a runner whose life was filled with both Olympic glory and personal suffering. But it was these difficult conditions that shaped him the most, as a runner and as a human being.
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Zatopek lived in the former Czechoslovakia. His childhood was nothing special. He was an average child. But when he was nineteen years old, he was working in a shoe factory. The shoe factory decided to hold a fifteen kilometre race. Zatopek had never trained for any kind of sport. But later in his life he described the time this way to Radio Free Europe writer, Frank T. Csongos:
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"One day, the factory sports leader pointed at four boys and ordered us to run in a race. I protested that I was weak and not fit to run. But the coach sent me for a physical test. The doctor said that I was perfectly well. So I had to run. When I got started, I felt I wanted to win. But I only came in second. That was the way it started."
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But the conditions in the former Czechoslovakia were not good for becoming a runner. The year was 1939. Germany had taken control of the country. Tanks and soldiers marched through the streets. But Zatopek accepted the situation. Later in life, he described the time to Leigh Montville, a writer for Sports Illustrated:
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"There were no dances. Social events were not permitted. Every night there we had to be home at sunset. I did not have a car. There was no meat to eat most of the time, only vegetables."
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With nothing else to do, Zatopek ran everywhere. He ran to work. He ran home. When he had to stay inside he would run in place. He would put his dirty clothes in a washing container and run on them. This way he got exercise and clean clothes at the same time.
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There were no experts to tell him how to run better. So Zatopek tried different things. He would run in military boots: tall, heavy shoes. He ran wearing a gas-mask, a device to protect against breathing gases. He thought this would force him to breathe better. After he got married, he would run with his wife riding on his back. All through World War Two, Zatopek did the best with what he had.
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In 1948, the war was over. Zatopek could travel to the Olympic Games. That year, the Olympics was in London, England. He finally had a chance to run against the best in the world. Zatopek ran two events: the five kilometre and ten kilometre race. The rough training had made Zatopek strong. He won the ten kilometre race and came in second in the five kilometre.
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Over the next six years, Zatopek won thirty eight [38] ten kilometre races without losing. He set world records at distances from the five kilometres to thirty kilometres. But the highlight of his running career came at the 1952 Olympics.
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The 1952 Olympic Games were in Helsinki, Finland. The former Czechoslovakia did not have many good distance runners. Zatopek could choose any events he wanted. So he chose all of them. He ran the five kilometres and won a gold medal. He ran the ten kilometres and won another gold medal. But then came the marathon. He had never run 26.2 miles before. He did not know how fast to run. He had no idea what to do.
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Zatopek decided to run near Jim Peters. Jim Peters was from England and held the world record in the marathon. The two men ran together for the first fifteen kilometres. Peters tried to lose Zatopek by running very fast. Zatopek was known for talking a lot during runs. He asked Peters what he thought of the race so far. Peters tried to fool Zatopek by saying that they were going too slow. Zatopek was surprised. But he decided that Peters must know what he was talking about. Zatopek increased his speed and left Peters behind him. Peters was so crushed that he could not even finish the race. Zatopek finished with a new world record. He described running the marathon this way:
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"I was unable to walk for a whole week after that. The race took that much from me. But it was the most pleasant exhaustion I have ever known."
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Zatopek continued to run until the 1956 Olympics. He finished sixth in the marathon. Then he retired from running. He and his wife enjoyed several years of public life. They were famous in Czechoslovakia. During this time the country was controlled by the former Soviet Union. In 1968, the people of Czechoslovakia tried to create government reforms. These included easing government control on travel, newspapers, and speech. Zatopek publicly supported these reforms.
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In response, the Soviet Union sent soldiers and tanks into Czechoslovakia. Many people stopped protesting, but Zatopek continued to speak. As a result, he was given a choice. He could stop protesting and become an international ambassador for the Communist Party. This would prove to the world that he supported the new Soviet government. Or he could go to work in the uranium mines. He chose the dangerous mines. For six years, Zatopek worked in the mines before he was released. For the next 22 years, Zatopek did any job he could find. He dug water holes. He carried building materials. He cut down trees. He did this until 1989 and the second Czechoslovakian revolution.
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Zatopek died on November 22, 2000. Eight days later his country chose him as the "Czech Sporting Legend of the Century." Before he died the government apologized for the way they treated him. To this day he is celebrated by the Czech people. Zatopek's life was difficult, but it made him strong. He was a strong runner. He had a strong will. And he was strong in spirit.
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The writer and producer of this program was Adam Navis. The voices you heard were from the United States. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. Computer users can hear our programs, read our scripts, and see our word list on our website at https://www.Radio.English.net. This program is called "Running Strong."
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