Marathon：the Ultimate① Olympic Event②
The final event in the Olympics is the marathon③. It is also usually the most exciting. As④ the leader comes into the stadium to run the last few metres of the 42kilometre race, the crowd rises to its feet⑤ to shout and cheer. The name of the race comes from⑥ a battle in Ancient Greece. According to⑦ the story, a soldier ran from the scene of the battle⑧， Marathon, to Athens, to bring the news of a Greek victory⑨ against the Persians. He died just after arriving.
[读文清障]
①ultimate/'?ltIm?t/adj.最后的
②event n．比赛项目
③marathon/'mær?θ?n/n.马拉松
④as引导时间状语从句。
⑤rise to one's feet站起身
⑥come from来源于，来自于
⑦according to根据，由其构成的短语在句中作状语。
⑧the scene of the battle战场
⑨victory/'vIkt?ri/n.胜利
马拉松：最后的奥运赛事
[第1段译文]
奥运会的最后一个项目是马拉松赛跑。它通常也是最令人兴奋的。每当领先的运动员进入体育馆来跑那全程42千米的最后几米时，全场观众都会站起身来向他欢呼喝彩。这项比赛的名字来源于古希腊的一场战争。故事是这样的，一位士兵从马拉松战场跑到雅典，就是为了带回希腊人战胜了波斯人的消息，他到达以后就死了。
The marathon has been an Olympic event since the modern games started in 1896⑩. At first? the distance was 40 kilometres — the distance between Marathon and Athens. In 1908, however, at the London Olympics, it was changed. The King of England wanted the runners to leave from his castle? in Windsor and arrive in a new stadium in central London. The distance was 26 miles — about 42 kilometres. In fact, the 1908 marathon ended dramatically?. When the leader, an Italian, entered the stadium he turned the wrong way? and fell onto the ground. Officials picked him up? and helped him to the finishing line?， just as the second runner, an American, entered the stadium. The Americans protested? and in the end? the American runner was declared? the winner. Since then?， there have been many more exciting marathons.
⑩since引导时间状语从句，从句用一般过去时，主句用现在完成时。
?at first首先，起初
first of all首先
in/at the beginning起初，一开始
?castle n．城堡
?dramatically/dr?'mætIkli/adv.戏剧性地
?turn the wrong way转错方向
?pick sb. up扶起某人
pick up捡起；接收；学会；恢复；重新开始(曾经中断的工作)
?the finishing line终点线
the starting line起跑线
?protest/pr?'test/vi.抗议 /'pr??test/ n．抗议
?in the end(＝finally/at last)最后，最终，终于
?declare/dI'kle?/vt.宣布
?since then自从那时起，常与现在完成时连用。
exciting/excited的比较级、最高级都是在其前加more, most。
[第2段译文]
自从1896年的现代奥运会以来，马拉松一直是奥运会的一个项目。最初距离是40千米——马拉松和雅典之间的距离。然而，在1908年的伦敦奥运会上，它的距离改变了。英国国王想让运动员们从他在温莎的城堡出发到达伦敦市中心的一个新的体育场。距离是26英里——大约42千米。事实上，1908年马拉松比赛的结局很富有戏剧性。当领先的那位运动员——一位意大利选手——跑进体育馆时，他转错了方向并摔倒在地。奥运会工作人员扶起他并帮他冲到了终点，这时，第二名赛跑者，一个美国人，也进入了体育馆。美国人提出抗议，最终那位美国运动员被宣布为获胜者。从那时起，就一直有很多更令人兴奋的马拉松比赛了。
In fact, you don’t have to wait for the Olympic Games to run or watch a marathon, as there are marathons in over sixty countries and hundreds of cities around the world today. One of the most famous marathons is in New York, and is watched by two million people around the streets and across the bridges of the city’s five boroughs， and past New York’s famous landmarks. But perhaps one of the most beautiful and extraordinary marathons ever is the Great Wall Marathon, which most competitors find is the toughest course to run.
The marathon is the final Olympic event because it is thought to be the hardest. But experts believe that most people — even people who are not particularly good at sport — can run a marathon, if they train for it.
don't have to没有必要，相当于needn't。
as引导原因状语从句。
borough/'b?r?/n.(自治)区
past prep.通过，经过
pass v．通过，传递
landmark n．界标，陆标；标志性建筑物
extraordinary adj.不同寻常的，非凡的
ever用于最高级句子中，表示“有史以来”(＝of all time)。
competitor/k?m'petIt?/n.竞争者；对手
tough/t?f/adj.费力的；棘手的；困难的
which引导非限制性定语从句，which在从句中作主语。动词不定式to run在此作定语，修饰the toughest course。 most competitors find作插入语。
because引导原因状语从句，it is thought to be ...“它被认为是……”。
particularly adv.特别，尤其
be good at擅长
who引导定语从句，修饰people。
train v．训练，train for为……而训练
[第3～4段译文]
事实上，你没有必要等到奥运会才去参加或观看马拉松，因为现在在全世界60多个国家和几百个城市里都有马拉松。其中最著名的马拉松之一是在纽约，街道周围观看的人有两百万，比赛跨越了全市的5个区的桥，经过了纽约著名的标志性建筑物。但是也许最精彩、最不同寻常的马拉松比赛之一还是在长城?举办?的马拉松比赛，它被大部分参赛者认为是最难跑的比赛。马拉松是奥运会的最后一项赛事，因为它被认为是最难的项目。但是专家们相信大部分人甚至那些不是特别擅长体育运动的人也可以参与此活动，如果他们为此而进行训练的话。
