＊閱讀全文請點擊此連結
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19503755
＊新聞標題
In which countries did Paralympians outperform Olympians?
＊標題解說
這篇報導是根據英國Sheffield Hallam 大學運動管理學的教授
Simon Shibli的觀察所寫成, a professor of sport management at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK
‧ Olympics：the Olympic Games 奧運
‧ para-前置詞—beyond 在...之外的
所以 Paralympics 是在 Olympics 之外的另一種比賽
‧ the Paralympics-殘奧會，是讓有肢體障礙的人所參與的運動比賽
an international athletics competition for people who are disabled
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/paralympics
‧ Olympian：奧運選手（名詞）Olympians（名詞，複數型）
an athlete who competes in the Olympics
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/olympian
‧ Paralympians 相對於 Olympians, Paralympians殘奧會選手（名詞，複數型）
‧ outperform X：表現更好，超越 X（動詞）
to achieve better results than somebody/something
The company has consistently outperformed its larger rivals.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/outperform
＊內文解析
■ 美國以46枚金牌高居奧運成績排行榜之冠，但他們在殘奧會贏得的金牌大約少了三分之一，31枚，將他們排在前五名之外，位居第六名。
The United States topped the Olympic Games league table with 46 gold medals, but they won about a third fewer in the Paralympics - 31, placing them outside the top five, in sixth place.
‧ 簡化來看：The United States topped the X, but they won a third fewer in Y
X= the Olympic Games league table 奧運成績排行榜之冠
Y= the Paralympics 殘奧會
‧ placing them outside the top five, 是分詞片語
說明他們在殘奧會的排名在五名之外
‧ top 排行榜：高居某種排行榜（動詞）
to be in the highest position on a list because you are the most
successful, important, etc
The band topped the charts for five weeks with their first single.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/top_3
‧ league table：比賽隊伍成績記錄及名次表（名詞）
a table that shows the position of sports teams and how successfully
they are performing in a competition
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/league+table
‧ medal：獎牌（名詞）（金牌,銀牌，銅牌都算medal）
‧ gold medal：金牌
■ 在過去的幾屆的比賽中，美國殘奧會的排名已經無法跟奧運的排名相比 。
In the last few games, the US Paralympic ranking has failed to match its Olympic ranking.
‧ ranking：排名（名詞）
the position of somebody/something on a scale that shows how good
or important they are in relation to other similar people or things,
especially in sport
He has improved his ranking this season from 67th to 30th.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/ranking
■ 根據Shibli教授的觀察
「現在發生的事情是這樣的，隨著越來越多的國家投資並參與全球性的如軍備武器競賽一般的全球體育競賽，這使得以前佔主導地位的國家難以保持其獎牌的持份。」
"And what's happening is that, as more nations invest and take part in that global sporting arms race, it makes it difficult for the previously dominant nations to maintain their share of the medals."
‧ arms race：國家軍事武器競賽（名詞）
a situation in which countries compete to get the most and best weapons
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/arms+race
‧ global sporting arms race：如軍備武器競賽一般的全球體育競賽（名詞片語）
‧ their share of the medals：他們獎牌的持份（他們持有的獎牌）
■ 這肯定不會逃脫美國的注意，中國以95枚金牌高居獎牌排行榜之冠， 很酷的以59枚金牌遙遙領先第二名的俄羅斯聯邦。
It surely won't have escaped the notice of the US that China is top of the medals table with 95 golds - a cool 59 gold medals clear of the second-placed Russian Federation.
‧ escape the notice of the US：逃離美國的注意（動詞片語）
‧ clear（of something）遠離某事（副詞片語）
away from something; not near or touching something
Stand clear of the train doors.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/clear_3#clear_3
‧ the second-placed Russian Federation：第二名的俄羅斯聯邦
‧ second-place + ed 當形容詞，不需重複兩個 e, 所以拼成 second-placed
■ 以奈及利亞為例－在奧運會上沒有獎牌，但在殘奧會有12枚獎牌（其中有六金）。
Take Nigeria - no medals in the Olympics but 12 medals （six of them gold） in the Paralympics.
‧ 簡化來看：No medals in X but 12 medals in Y
■ 他（指Shibli）推測說，奈及利亞可能把殘奧代表隊列為優先，因為你可以用更少的錢獲得更多的勝利。
He speculates that Nigeria may prioritise its Paralympic team, because you can get more wins for less money.
‧ speculate：推測（動詞）
to form an opinion about something without knowing all the
details or facts
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/speculate
‧ prioritise（英國拼法）X：– prioritize（美國拼法）
把X列為優先（動詞片語）
(formal) to treat something as being more important than other things
The organization was formed to prioritize the needs of older people.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/prioritise#prioritize
■ 盧汪達，波斯尼亞黑塞哥維那，伊朗和伊拉克也都引人關注－他們都以比奧運會投入更多的運動員參加殘奧會。
Rwanda, Bosnia Herzegovina, Iran and Iraq also stand out - they've all entered more athletes into the Paralympics than the Olympics.
‧ stand out (from/against something) 容易被注意到（動詞片語）
to be easily seen; to be noticeable
The lettering stood out well against the dark background.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/stand+out#stand_1__108
■ 對伊朗來說，這也得到好成績，因為他們在最後獎牌排行榜上總得分名列第十名。
And for Iran this paid off, as they finished joint 10th in the final medals table.
‧ X pay off：X 得到好的結果（動詞片語）paid（過去式）
(of a plan or an action, especially one that involves risk) to be successful
and bring good results
The gamble paid off.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/pay_1#pay_1__78
‧ joint：聯合的（形容詞）
involving two or more people together
They finished in joint first place. 總分第一名
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/joint
‧ They finished joint 10th：他們最終總分排在第十名
＊字彙整理
在奧運（the Olympics）和殘奧會（the Paralympics）都結束之際，讀此新聞，我們學到各國對參與國際體育賽事的策略：
‧ 殘奧會選手：Paralympians（名詞-複數型）
‧ 奧運選手：Olympians（名詞-複數型）
‧ 表現更好，超越 X：outperform X（動詞）
‧ 最終得到好成績：pay off（動詞片語）
The straregy paid off 此策略奏效（過去式）
‧ 比賽隊伍成績記錄及名次表：league table（名詞）
the medals table 獎牌排行榜
‧ 高居比賽排行榜之冠：top the league table（動詞片語）
‧ 獎牌：medal（名詞）
‧ 金牌：gold medal（名詞）
‧ 排名：ranking（名詞）
‧ 容易被注意到：stand out (from/against something)（動詞片語）
‧ 把X列為優先：prioritise X（動詞片語）
prioritise its Paralympic team 把殘奧代表隊列為優先
‧ 國家軍事武器競賽：arms race（名詞）
‧ 如軍備武器競賽一般的全球體育競賽：global sporting arms race（名詞片語）
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