新概念4-6

I am always amazed when I hear people saying that sport creates goodwill between the nations, and that if only the common peoples of the world could meet one another at football or cricket, they would have no inclination to meet on the battlefield. Even if one didn’t know from concrete examples (the 1936 Olympic Games, for instance) that international sporting contests lead to orgies of hatred, one could deduce it from general principles.
Nearly all the sports practised nowadays are competitive. You play to win, and the game has little meaning unless you do your utmost to win. On the village green, where you pick up sides and no feeling of local patriotism is involved, it is possible to play simply for the fun and exercise: but as soon as the question of prestige arises, as soon as you feel that you and some larger unit will be disgraced if you lose, the most savage combative instincts are aroused. Anyone who has played even in a school football match knows this. At the international level sport is frankly mimic warfare. But the significant thing is not the behaviour of the players but the attitude of the spectators: and, behind the spectators, of the nations. who work themselves into furies over these absurd contests, and seriouslybelieve–at any rate for short periods–that running, jumping and kicking a ball are tests of national virtue.
New words and expressions
goodwill=friendship n.友好
goodwill games:友好运动会
goodwill visit:友好访问
pay a goodwill visit to
official visit:官方正式访问
state visit:国事访问
cricket n.板球
as merry as a cricket(蟋蟀) 形容心情高兴，快乐无比
inclination n. 意愿
incline v.
be inclined to do sth
表示强烈的意愿
I am inclined to take toefl.
willing
show inclination to
follow one’s inclination 随心所欲
contest n. 比赛
近义词：competition game match tournament race
contest:a group of judges
beauty contest
选美比赛
competition:socially 抽象使用
Social competition is fierce.
Dog eat dog.人吃人。形容竞争激烈。
game:physically ,mentally
match:quite important
China won the 2002 World Cup match.
tournament:淘汰赛，巡回赛。
race:以速度见长
cycle racing
自行车比赛
car racing
赛车
orgy n.恣意，放荡
revelry in 狂欢
I revelry in my success.
on a spree
The girl is on a shoping spree.
competitive
combative-贬义词
同 aggressive
competitive-褒义词／中性词
competitor-竞争者
compete with sb. for sth.
pick up 随意挑选
side
队
patriotism n.地方观众，爱国主义
patriot:爱国者 patriotic:爱国的
involve vt.卷入
involve oneself in scandal
be involved in
prestige n.声誉
prestigious a.享有声誉的 Qinghua university is very prestigious.
近义词：fame renown(renowned 著名的) reputation eminence
disgrace vt.使丢脸
grace,graceful-graceless
disgraceful 丢脸 Your essay is very guaceful.
fame-defame
honor-dishonor
stigmaa(污点) vt.stigmatize
Robbery stigmatizes him.
savage n.野性的
inhuman 残忍无比 nonhuman （非人类的）
mercy-merciless
ruth-ruthless
beastly combative a.好斗的 frankly ad.坦率地
Frankly speaking(To be frank)
坦白的说
candid 坦白的 straightly 直率的
mimic a.与……相似
mimic-只用作定语
similar-可作定语和表语 Our ideas are similar. We have similar ideas.
alike-只作表语
Great minds think alike.英雄所见略同。
behaviour
行动 举止
Behave oneself.规矩点儿。
attitude n.态度
spectator n.观众
audience 听众 audial 听
visual
spectacle: 壮丽景色；眼镜
viewer
电视观众
work…into…
引起…注意…
into 后接表示感情的词
fury n.狂热
furious a.—强于 anger,annoyance,aggravation
rage—suddenly & quickly
absurd a.荒唐的
近义词 illogical irrational senseless ridiculous
r 开头的形容词的反义词前面加 ir
l 开头的形容词的反义词前面加 il
at any rate 无论，至少＝at least
Q:How does the writer describe the sport at the international level?
A:He describes it as “mimic warfare”.