新概念英语第二册

LESSON 94

future champions

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原文

Experiments have proved that children can be instructed in swimming at a very early age. At a special swimming pool in Los Angeles, children become expert at holding their breath under water even before they can walk. Babies of two months old do not appear to be reluctant to enter the water. It is not long before they are so accustomed to swimming that they can pick up weights from the floor of the pool.

A game that is very popular with these young swimmers is the underwater tricycle race. Tricycles are lined up on the floor of the pool, seven feet underwater. The children compete against each other to reach the other end of the pool. Many peddle their tricycles, but most of them prefer to push or drag them.

Some children can cover the whole length of the pool without coming up for breath even once. Whether they will ever become future Olympic champions, only time will tell. Meanwhile, they should encourage those among us who cannot swim five yards before they are gasping for air.

译文

实验证明,孩子很小的时候就可以接受游泳训练。在洛杉矶的一个特殊游泳池里,孩子们在学会走路之前就已经成为在水下屏住呼吸的专家。两个月大的婴儿似乎并不不愿意下水。没过多久,他们就习惯了游泳,可以从泳池的地板上拿起重物。

水下三轮车比赛是非常受这些年轻游泳运动员欢迎的游戏。三轮车排列在水下七英尺的泳池地板上。孩子们互相竞争,以到达泳池的另一端。许多人兜售三轮车,但大多数人更喜欢推或拖三轮车。

有些孩子甚至可以跑完整个泳池而一次都没有上来喘气。他们是否会成为未来的奥运会冠军,只有时间才能证明。与此同时,他们应该鼓励我们当中那些无法游出五码的人,然后他们就会喘不过气来。