哈佛大學(xué)校園英語情景對話30：輟學(xué)的奧運冠軍

John is toying with his cell phone after class.

H: Have you downloaded something new into your cell phone?

H:你在你的手機上下載新的東西了嗎?

J: No, I'm reading news on line. I’ve been following the news about London Olympic Games.

J：沒有，我在在線閱讀新聞。我一直在關(guān)注有關(guān)倫敦奧運會的新聞。

H: Anything new? Has the Olympic mascot or theme song been decided?

H:有什么新的消息嗎?奧運會的吉祥物或主題曲定了設(shè)有?

J: It’s still too early. Did you watch Beijing Olympics?

J：現(xiàn)在還太早。你看北京奧運會了沒有?

H： Certainly. I went to watch gymnastics competition, also increased.

H：當(dāng)然看了。我去看了體操比賽。我的奧運知識也增加了。

J: Do you know who’s the first modem Olympic champion?

J：你知道誰是現(xiàn)代奧運會的第一個冠軍嗎?

H: I know the father of modern Olympic Games. It's Pierre de Coubertin. His remarkable contribution led to the first Modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896.

H:我知道現(xiàn)代奧運會之父是誰。他是皮埃爾*德?顧拜旦。他的突出貢獻(xiàn)促成了第一 屆現(xiàn)代奧林匹克運動會于1896年在雅典舉辦。

J ： You didn’t answer my question.

J：你還沒回答我的問題。

H: I don’t know, to tell you the truth.

H:說實話，我不知道誰是現(xiàn)代奧運會的第一個冠軍。

J: It’s James Connolly. He was a Harvard student.

J：是詹姆斯?康諾利，他是哈佛學(xué)生。

H: Oh, he graduated from Harvard.

H:哦，他畢業(yè)于哈佛呀。

J: No, he didn’t graduate from Harvard. He didn’t finish college.

J：不，他設(shè)有從哈佛畢業(yè)，他設(shè)有完成學(xué)業(yè)。

H: How come? What happened?

H:為什么?發(fā)生什么事了?

J: It's unclear what really happened. The story is like this: Connolly decided to participated in the first modem Olympics Games. But the Gaines in 1896, unlike today when they are held during summer break, were scheduled for April 6 to 15, so Connolly had to ask for a leave of absence to the College, and was denied. The only choice would be to resign and make a reapplication to the College.

J：不清楚到底是怎么回事。據(jù)說是這樣的：康諾利決定 參加第一屆現(xiàn)代奧運會，但是和現(xiàn)在的夏季奧運會不 同,1896年的奧運會安排在4月6號~15號(4月 正是新學(xué)期剛開始，需要好好上課的時間)。因此康 諾利必須向?qū)W院提出修學(xué)申請，但被拒絕了。他唯一 的選擇是要退學(xué)并重新申請入學(xué)。

H: Why? Isn’t it a good thing for a student to participate in such big Games?

H:為什么?學(xué)生參加這種大型的運動會不是件好事嗎?

J: It’s not unreasonable for the College to make such a decision. At that time, the traffic was not so convenient as it is today. It would take about half a month to travel from the U.S. to Athens. To keep in good form, Connolly had to set out earlier. Counting in the time spent in Athens and traveling back, it would take nearly a whole semester. The College couldn’t accept it.

J：哈佛大學(xué)做這樣的決定不是沒有道理的。當(dāng)時的交 通不像今天這么便利，從美國到雅典要花費大約半個月的時間。為了保持好一點的競技狀態(tài)，康諾利還要提前出發(fā)。一去一回，加上 中間的比賽時間，這個學(xué)期就算是基本報廢了。學(xué)院肯定不同意。

H: What’s Connolly’s response?

H:康諾利呢，他什么反應(yīng)?

J: Connolly replied : “ I am not resigning and I’m not making application to re-enter. Vm getting through with Harvard right now. Good day!”

J：康諾利回答說："我不是在退學(xué)，也不會再申請入學(xué)。我的哈佛生涯到此為止。 拜拜! ’’

H: He’s really pissed off. But I have a doubt about it. Even if Connolly would be absent for a semester, couldn’t the College give him another chance? Harvard values athletics， doesn’t it?

H:他確實被惹怒了。但是我有一點懷疑，即使康諾利休學(xué)一個學(xué)期，學(xué)院就不能再 給他一次機會嗎?哈佛很重視體育運動的，不是嗎?

J: Perhaps not at that time. The then President Eliot was barely tolerant of intercollegiatecompetition, and certainly had no desire to propagate an image of Harvard athleticism overseas.

J：或許當(dāng)時不是吧。當(dāng)時的校長艾略特不能容忍大學(xué)間的競爭，所以當(dāng)然他也不想 在國外樹立哈佛崇尚運動的形象了。

H： Unbelievable. Why did he hate sports so much?

H:難以置信。他為什么那么討厭運動呢?

J: Eliot had nothing against track and field sports in particular. In fact, he was a strong advocate of physical fitness. He just didn’t like those types of competition.

J：艾略特也不是討厭田徑運動。事實上，他非常提倡身體健康。他只是不喜歡這種 類型的比賽而已。

H： Poor Connolly had no other choice but to resign in order to join in the Gaines. But had he not do so, the sports circle would have lost an excellent athlete.

H:為了參加奧運會，可憐的康諾利沒有其他選擇只有退學(xué)。但是要不是他這樣做， 體育界就失去了 一名優(yōu)秀的運動員。

J: On the other hand, because he did so, Harvard lost an excellent athlete, who tarne out to be the first modem Olympic champion.

J：另一方面，他的做法使得哈佛失去了_名優(yōu)秀的運動員，而且是現(xiàn)代奧運會的第 一個冠軍。

H: Did Harvard regret its decision later on?

H:后來哈佛大學(xué)對當(dāng)初的決定后悔過設(shè)有?

J： Yes. In 1949，Connolly was offered an honorary doctorate by Harvard University, but he turned down. He never returned to Harvard.

J：后悔了。1949年，哈佛大學(xué)授予康諾利榮譽博士學(xué)位，但他拒絕了?？抵Z利再 也沒有回過哈佛大學(xué)。

H： Perhaps he thought he was deeply hurt by Harvard University.

H:或許他感覺自己被哈佛大學(xué)深深傷害了。