世界小史 第76期:希臘
But one thing united the Greeks: their religion and their sport.
但只有一件事情把希臘聯(lián)合在一起了：他們的信仰和體育運(yùn)動(dòng)。
And I say 'one thing' because, strangely enough, sport and religion weren't two separate things – they were closely connected.
太奇怪了，我說“一件事情”，因?yàn)轶w育和宗教是兩件密不可分的事情——他們緊密相連。
For instance, in honor of Zeus, the Father of the Gods, great sporting contests were held every four years in his sanctuary1 at Olympia.
例如，為了紀(jì)念眾神之父宙斯，人們每隔四年在其圣地奧林匹亞舉行一次盛大的運(yùn)動(dòng)會。
As well as large temples there was a stadium at Olympia, and all the Greeks – the Dorians, Ionians, Spartans2 and Athenians,
奧林匹亞那里還有巨大的神廟和一座體育場，所有的希臘人——多里安人、伊安尼爾人、斯巴達(dá)人和雅典人,
came there to show how well they could run, throw the discus and the javelin3, fight hand to hand and race chariots.
都來到那里以顯示他們在跑步、擲鐵餅、投標(biāo)槍、摔跤和賽車方面的才能。
To be victorious4 at Olympia was the greatest honor in a man's life.
在奧林匹亞獲得勝利被認(rèn)為是一個(gè)人一生中最大的榮耀。
The prize was no more than a simple garland made from sprigs of wild olive,
獎(jiǎng)賞僅僅是一個(gè)用野橄欖樹樹枝做成的花環(huán)，
but what fame for the winners: the greatest poets sang their praises, the greatest sculptors5 carved their statues to stand forever in Olympia.
但獲勝者得到很大的名望：最著名的詩人為他們唱贊美詩，最著名的雕塑家塑造他們的雕像來代表曾經(jīng)的奧林匹克。
They were shown in their chariots, throwing the discus, or rubbing oil into their bodies before the fight.
在這些雕像上，人們看到他們駕戰(zhàn)車、擲鐵餅，或也在比賽前他們用油擦身體。
Victory statues like these can still be seen today – there may even be one in your local museum.
這樣的優(yōu)勝者雕像，人們至今還可以見到——也許在你們當(dāng)?shù)氐牟┪镳^里也有一座這樣的雕像。
