The Beijing Olympics' opening ceremony on Friday will be watched by an estimated 4 billion television viewers around the world.
周五北京的奥运会开幕式估计将吸引全球40亿电视观众。
下面文章将带领电视观众从不同的视角观看奥运。
Following are a few of the more offbeat angles to watch out for in the days ahead as you sit slumped in the armchair:
THE MOTORBIKE No motorsport in the Olympics? Well, think again. The Keirin cycle race is the only Olympic event to involve a motorbike, with riders paced at a steadily increasing speed for the first five and a half laps before the rather antiquated machine peels off. Top speed? 45 kph, so do not expect Valentino Rossi in the saddle.
TOP HATS AND TAILS Rawhide it ain't. Formal headwear is de rigueur for the debonair dressage rider in the equestrian event. Enjoy it while you can because dressage is one of those disciplines that come up when people discuss which events the Games should drop. Not everyone's cup of tea -- do you like watching horses dance? -- but more exciting than knitting.
SHOES Watch out for the empty pair left in the middle of the Greco-Roman wrestling ring. It does not mean they need cleaning, just that their owner has retired the traditional way.
SMILE AND WAVE There are plenty of rictus smiles and general jolliness going on in synchronized swimming but do not be fooled by appearances. This is a physically demanding sport and below the water line there is a maelstrom of activity, with swimmers timing their routines to music pumped out through submerged speakers.
笑颜洋溢 VS 高难度动作 花样游泳泳池上选手们笑容在水花上荡漾，愉悦的节奏贯穿始终，但是不要被这样的表象迷惑了。要完成这样一套动作需要花费很大的体力，水下选手们随着节拍要进行一系列大幅度，高耐力的动作。
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OFFICIAL MASCOTS There are five of these in Beijing, stylized good-luck dolls known as Fuwa. All have rhyming two-syllable names (HuanHuan, JingJing, BeiBei, YingYing and NiNi). Adorable or slightly embarrassing? Take your pick.
BRA STRAPS If you can see these, then it is bad news for the rhythmic gymnast concerned. It means an automatic points deduction. In Barcelona in 1992, European champion Maria Petrova of Bulgaria was penalized when her zipper broke and the back of her leotard opened. The deduction cost her fourth place.
BODYSUITS The controversial Speedo LZR Racer suit has been credited with a host of records in the pool this year, dividing the swimming world into haves and have nots. Australian Libby Trickett said it made her feel like she was swimming downhill. Bodysuits were first introduced 15 years ago and have drawn charges of unfair advantage ever since. The doubters say their effect is psychological more than physical.
BMX BIKERS The big novelty of the Games, bicycle motocross is a sport nurtured in the Californian counter-culture of the 1960s. British rider Shanaze Reade is a self-described "badass chick who kicks guys". So get ready to hide behind the settee when she straps on her goggles.
BIKINI BOTTOMS Plenty of these at the beach volleyball. But there are rules that state bikini bottoms should be 7 cm across the hip. So neither indecently skimpy nor overly constricting. Women have the option of a one-piece suit but this can be uncomfortable when sand gets in.
It was only fitting that Euro 2008 signed off with a classic final after three weeks of consistently high-quality, attacking, entertaining football that helped make it one of the best tournaments for years.
Only a few games, most obviously the Spain v Italy quarter-final, were strangled by fear of failure and in Spain's case, having lost so regularly at that stage, that was understandable. 本届赛事中仅有少数几场比赛，尤其是四分之一决赛中西班牙对阵意大利一战，双方都因为担心失利而畏手畏脚。不过考虑到西班牙屡屡在八强战中折戟，他们的作法想必可以得到理解。
Otherwise there was a real commitment to attack, from all areas, and Spain's final triumph was a just reward for their superiority at some of the most basic aspects of the game -- accurate passing, instant control and sharp movement.
Much of the pre-tournament talk had been of the likely impact of the strikers but, David Villa's first-game hat-trick apart, it was midfielders who generally ruled the roost. Most of the teams who came to the tournament as 4-4-2 finished as 4-5-1, including both finalists.
Many of the most effective sides -- Spain, Russia and Netherlands in particular -- also employed fullbacks who were virtual wingers, often swamping the opposition.
You have the classic counter coming from the back but also from midfield areas, a kind of collective counter where they win it in midfield and a group of players break at speed, catching out defenders.
The best teams are now trying to exploit the space when it is there by playing a high intensity game, running at pace.
The only real area of play that was sub-standard was the delivery of free kicks and corners, which far too often failed to clear the first defender, resulting in very few headed goals.
Many teams, when awarded a free kick in what traditionally would have been a dangerous position, simply took a touch and resumed their patient build-up.
There was little patience about the Netherlands, who charged out of the blocks to give one of the best attacking performances of the group stage and were then on the receiving end of a similarly effervescent display by Russia in the quarter-finals.
There was talk of "Total Football" as the Dutch swept past world champions Italy 3-0, helped by Wesley Sneijder's contender for best goal of the tournament.
But they were undone by an even more adventurous show as Russia, who also sparkled against Sweden, ground them down with their Andrei Arshavin-inspired attacking for a deserved 3-1 win.
Then it was Russia's turn to chase shadows as Spain eventually passed them into exhaustion then picked them off with three well crafted second-half goals in a terrific semi-final where barely a backward pass was made.
Germany's high point was the thrilling 3-2 quarter-final win over Portugal when the advanced midfield role of Michael Ballack inspired them to one of their best performances for years.
In the final it was Spain's cutting edge passing, and a top-notch finish by Fernando Torres, rather than Germany's powerful running, that fittingly secured the trophy.
Italy's penalty shootout victory over France in a dramatic finish to the World Cup in Germany ended a great tournament.
The World Cup was almost flawlessly organised, attracted great crowds and inspired a carnival atmosphere which turned Germany into one big party zone.
With millions of people attending public screenings of the event for the Germany 2006, the atmosphere in the host country was incredible, because‘A time to make friends’ is to everybody's heart.
On the pitch, 32 teams battled it out for soccer’s ultimate prize. Some bowed out after just three games, while France fell at the final hurdle as Italy claimed the crown of ‘world champions'.
For once, the fans actually behaved far better than the players.
On the pitch, there were too few goals, too few great matches, too few great players, too few upsets and too little goalmouth action.
On average the tournament produced fewer goals per game than any other of the 17 previous finals, except for 1990 in Italy, a tournament widely regarded as one of the dullest ever.
There were too many fouls and too much blatant cheating by players -- in particular diving and feigning injury to earn unfair free kicks and penalties, all unchecked and sometimes even encouraged by coaches.
Brazil traditionally bring flair and flamboyance to the World Cup. This time they did not. Their big name players all failed to sparkle and, as a team, they completely failed to provide even half their usual quota of entertainment. Most disappointing of all was Ronaldinho, who came with the reputation of being the world's best player but was almost anonymous in Brazil's five matches. In the final, Italy's youngest playing lining up at the start was Andrea Pirlo, who is already 27.
France had only one player under 26, midfielder Franck Ribery, at 23 one of the few revelations of the tournament.
Nobody could blame the match officials. The refereeing was of a surprisingly high standard, even if there were the inevitable mistakes here and there.
Italy and France arrived in the final deservedly and Italy played some of the best soccer of the entire month when they beat Germany 2-0 after extra time in the semi-finals.
But the final itself was a mirror of the tournament, starting with great promise but ending in disappointment.
It was a sad farewell for Zinedine Zidane, one of the few players ever to attain genius level, who was ending his glorious career on the greatest stage of all. He graced it by scoring an audacious penalty off the crossbar and then finished in disgrace, butting Italy's goalscorer Marco Materazzi in extra time and getting sent off. That he was clearly provoked by Materazzi was a reflection of the cynical nature of play at what could and should have been one of the best tournaments ever.
- VIDEO - Zidane's Best Moments 1994 -2004
On the bright side, Germany turned out to be splendid hosts who did their best to make their guests from all round the world welcome.
Their somewhat under-rated team showed an attacking spirit and determination which did them credit too and their third place finish was a fitting reward for their enterprise.
The Winners: Italy The Azzurri won the FIFA World Cup for the fourth time after holding their nerves in a dramatic penalty shoot-out. For their performances in the group stages, Round of 16, quarter-finals and semis, soccer fans all over the world would agree that Marcello Lippi's side were worthy winners of the competition.
The Runners-Up: France Inspired by Zinedine Zidane, until his dramatic sending off in the Final, Les Bleus surprised everyone to reach the showdown in Berlin on 9 July. Although they looked shaky in the group stages, it was in the knockout stages when they really came into their own, defeating Spain, Brazil and Portugal with relative ease.
Third place: Germany The highest scorers at the tournament captured the imagination of the public with a combination of fine soccer and a never-say-die attitude.
Fourth place: Portugal Luis Felipe Scolari’s outfit were arguably the surprise package of Germany 2006, overcoming Mexico, the Netherlands and England en route to the semi-finals.
FIFA Fair Play award - BRAZIL & SPAIN Golden Ball - Zinedine ZIDANE (FRA) Golden Shoe – Miroslav KLOSE (GER) Best Young Player – Lukas PODOLSKI (GER) Lev Yashin Award – Gianluigi BUFFON (ITA) The Most Entertaining Team - PORTUGAL
All Star Team: Goalkeepers Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Jens Lehmann (Germany), Ricardo (Portugal) Defenders Roberto Ayala (Argentina), John Terry (England), Lilian Thuram (France), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Fabio Cannavaro (Italy), Gianluca Zambrotta (Italy), Ricardo Carvalho (Portugal) Midfielders Ze Roberto (Brazil), Patrick Vieira (France), Zinedine Zidane (France), Michael Ballack (Germany), Andrea Pirlo (Italy), Gennaro Gattuso (Italy), Francesco Totti (Italy), Luis Figo (Portugal), Maniche (Portugal) Forwards Hernan Crespo (Argentina), Thierry Henry (France), Miroslav Klose (Germany), Luca Toni (Italy)
Quarter-Finalists Argentina After some great performances in the group stages and a victory over Mexico in the Round of 16, the Albiceleste were unlucky to lose to the hosts in a dramatic shoot-out.
Brazil The world champions’ attempt to secure their sixth FIFA World Cup success ended after a lacklustre showing against France.
England Unlucky with injuries, unlucky from the spot. Penalties proved to be the undoing of England once again, and England failed to live up to their high expectations at this event.
Ukraine Coached by Oleg Blokhin, the FIFA World Cup first-timers did extremely well in reaching the last eight, but found Italy too tough an opponent in Hamburg.
Round of 16 Australia Not expected to get past a group which included Brazil, Croatia and Japan, Dutch coach Guus Hiddink masterminded a magnificent showing by the Socceroos.
Ecuador Before the tournament began, it was claimed that the South Americans could not play well away from their home country. Their Performance proved their doubters wrong.
Ghana Ghana were rightly described as the ‘Pride of Africa’, as the only side from the continent to qualify for the Round of 16. Victories over the USA and the Czech Republic cemented this claim.
Mexico The match against Argentina which saw them lose 2-1, will surely be remembered as one of the tournament’s best.
Netherlands Marco van Basten’s men came up short against a well-organised Portugal side, after qualifying from what was thought to be the tournament’s toughest group.
Spain Tipped by many to go far in the competition after disposing of Ukraine, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia with relative ease at the group stages, Spain fell at the very next hurdle. France beat them again.
Sweden Conceding two early goals by Lukas Podolski in the first 12 minutes to Germany effectively ended the Swede’s hopes of progressing into the quarter-finals.
Switzerland The winners of Group G failed to convert any of their three penalties against Ukraine to see them exit the competition with an unwanted new FIFA World Cup record.
Group Stages Angola While not altogether unexpected, Angola's first-round elimination was down to a combination of inexperience and tactical limitations.
Costa Rica Costa Rica were hoping for big things in Germany, but the team which was considered to be one of the best in the country’s history, failed to get past the group stage.
Cote d’Ivoire The Elephants came with a lot of promise and although they fell at the first hurdle, they won many friends and admirers in their all-too-brief visit to Germany.
Croatia Soaring expectations back home thought that a clash with Italy in the Round of 16 was the team’s destiny. However, failure to take chances put paid to Croatia’s hopes.
Czech Republic They entered the FIFA World Cup as one of the highest ranked teams and got off to an impressive start. But the journey home came all too soon for the Czech Republic.
Iran Defeats to Mexico and Portugal in their opening games left Iran with no chance of advancing. The subsequent point claimed against Angola was no consolation at all.
Japan Two goals and a solitary point were all Japan had to show for their efforts at Germany 2006, the tournament which brought to an end Zico’s reign as coach.
Korea Republic Victory against Togo gave the Taeguk Warriors their first FIFA World Cup success on European soil, but it was not enough to book the team a place in the Round of 16.
Paraguay Paraguay returned home having picked up just three points from their three Group B encounters. Their hopes were ended by narrow defeats in their opening two matches.
Poland Poland and their fans are unlikely to harbour fond memories of Germany 2006, but a 2-1 win over Costa Rica in their final match did provide some consolation.
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia for their fourth consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup finals, and once again Sami Al Jaber weighed in with a goal.
Serbia and Montenegro The team that only conceded one goal in qualifying, to finish ahead of Spain, somehow ended up on the receiving end of ten in as many days in Germany.
Togo Having suffered three defeats in as many games, Togo bade farewell to Germany as the bottom team in Group G, with off-field issues contributing to their downfall.
Trinidad and Tobago Showing great determination and resolve to make up for their inexperience and lack of resources, T&T will look back on their two weeks in Germany as a success.
Tunisia Tunisia made history by becoming the first African side to record a win at Argentina 1978. Twenty-eight years on and three campaigns later they have yet to repeat the feat.
USA For a team that earned only a single point, thanks to a 1-1 draw with Italy, there is no shortage of things that could have gone better for this US squad.
With England struggling both against the sweltering heat and their South American opponents, it's that man Beckham again who sees England home, making history in the process.
After Frank Lampard was fouled 25 from yards from goal, Beckham stood over the ball with only one thing in his mind. The result was glorious, the ball curling over the wall and in off the post to the delight of the England fans.
Cue the mass celebration, soon followed by a bout of sickness as the England captain marvel throws up on the field before being substituted.
Having scored in the previous two World Cups (a free-kick against Colombia in 1998 and a penalty against Argentina four years later), Beckham became the first English player to score in three World Cups.
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England v Wales
World Cup Qualifier
Old Trafford, Manchester
06 October 2004
Beckham gave the Old Trafford faithful a reminder of his wonderful talent with his first goal for England at the ground since leaving Manchester United.
With England leading through Frank Lampard's fourth minute strike, The Three Lions had to sit tight until the 76th minute for their second goal...but it was well worth the wait.
Collecting a short square pass from Nicky Butt as he loitered on the left hand side of the penalty box, Beckham switched the ball onto his right foot before sending a curling shot past the despairing Paul Jones.
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England 1-0 Argentina
World Cup Finals
Sapporo Dome, Sapporo
07 June 2002
Four years after being sent off against the same opposition in St Etienne for a silly kick on Diego Simeone, the England captain exorcised his demons in a moment of pure theatre.
With the game evenly poised after 44 minutes, England were awarded a penalty following a foul on Michael Owen.
Beckham grabbed the ball and placed it on the spot. Simeone tried to shake hands in a moment of gamesmanship, but England's captain, hyperventilating, ignored the gesture and blasted the ball into the net.
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England 2-2 Greece
World Cup Qualifier
Old Trafford, Manchester
06 October 2001
Trailing 2-1 to Greece, captain Beckham chose a wonderful moment to lead from the front. Impeccable during the game in a supremely energetic performance, Beckham stood 25 yards from the Greece goal in the final minute knowing only a successful free-kick would see England through to the 2002 World Cup Finals. And how he delivered.
With millions holding their breath, and watching on TV at home, Beckham curled in a sublime effort which sealed The Three Lions' passage to the Far East and condemned Germany to a play-off.
Arguably his greatest moment in an England shirt.
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Germany 1-5 England
World Cup Qualifier
Olympic Stadium, Munich
01 September 2001
A day all England fans will recall with a smile.
England's hopes of automatic qualification for the 2002 World Cup Finals were fading fast after a poor start to the campaign, and it got worse when The Three Lions fell one down to Carsten Jancker's goal after six minutes.
But Beckham's England, inspired by Michael Owen's hat-trick, turned in a special display to rout the Germans on their home soil. Steven Gerrard and Emile Heskey scored the other goals.
Photo: Zidane's first goal that saved France from losing against England at the 89 minutes. France beaten England with 2:1 (the second one was a penalty by Zidane during the injury time) on June 14th, 2004, the European Cup held in Portugal.
Tennis Vocabulary (English and Chinese Version, N/A in Japanese)
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BASICS
Player 球员 one of the people involved in playing a game, e.g. tennis player or football player 参与比赛的人，比如网球运动员或者足球运动员
Singles 单打比赛
a two-player game
一场有两个人参加的比赛
Doubles 双打比赛
a four-player game
一场有四人参加的比赛
Serve 发球
a point begins with a player serving the ball. This means one player hits the ball towards the other player. (The serve must be played from behind the baseline and must land in the service box. Players get two attempts to make a good serve.)
the player who hits the ball first for each point in a game
一局比赛中为得每一分而首先击球的球员
Receiver 接球方
the player who hits the ball back after a serve
接发球将球击回（对方场地）的球员
Ends 端区
each side of the court (that begins with a baseline)
球场的每一边（从底线开始）
Baseline 底线
the line marking the front and back of a tennis court
划分一个网球场前场与后场的线
Net 球网
the piece of material down the middle of the tennis court that divides the court in half
网球场中央将球场一分为二的材料
Sideline 边线
the left and right edges of a tennis court
网球场的左右两边的界限
Bounce 反弹
when a tennis ball hits the ground, it goes back into the air - the ball has bounced. During a match, the ball often becomes less bouncy and needs changing for a new ball
if a score gets to 40-40, the score is called deuce - at this stage, the winner of the game is the first player to now win two points in a row
如果比分达到40-40，这个比分称为平分，在这个阶段，首先连续获得两分的球员赢得该局比赛的胜利。
Tiebreak 决胜局 （或‘抢七局'）
if both players win 6 games each then there is a tie-break. In a tiebreak, the first player to win seven points, wins the tiebreak (note: like deuce, if both players get to six points, then the winner is the player who now wins two points in a row)
a score of zero points in a game or zero games in a set
在一局或一盘比赛中得零分。
Match point 赛点
a player who only needs one more point to win the match is said to be at match point
当一个球员只需要再得一分就会获得整个比赛的胜利时，他被称为处在赛点。
All 平
indicates the scores are level. For example, ‘15 all' means that both players have a score of 15
表示双方都得分相等。例如，‘15 all'15平，意思是双方得分都是15。
Fault 失误
a serve which hits the net and / or lands outside the service box
发球触网或者球落在发球区之外。
Foot fault 脚误
this happens when a server's foot touches the ground in front of the baseline or the wrong side of the centre mark (on the baseline) before the player hits the ball
这发生在发球球员的球拍击到球之前，球员的脚踏出底线或者落在超过底线中点的一侧。
Let 触网球
when a serve hits the top of the net and lands within the service box, it is known as a 'let' and the server must serve again
发球击出的球触到球网的顶部并落在发球区之内时，这被称为‘let'，发球球员必须重新发球。
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TYPES OF SHOTS
Down-the-line 边线直线球
a shot that travels parallel to and along the sideline
与边线平行并且靠近边线飞行的球。
Drive 抽球
a hard, straight shot often used to pass an opponent at the net
大力、直线击球，常被用来使球越过处在网前的对手。
Drop shot 放小球
a gently played shot that just gets over the net so the other player can't reach it
轻巧的击球，使球刚刚越过球网从而使得对手来不及赶上来回球。
Ground stroke 击触地球
a shot that is made after the ball has bounced
在球触地反弹之后的击球。
Half-volley 反弹球
a shot hit just as the ball bounces
在球落地反弹后立即回击的击球。
Lob 高吊球
a shot played deliberately high into the air to land at the back of the opponent's court
有意高高击向空中并使球落在对手后场的击球。
Rally 对打
the exchange of shots between players. A rally starts when the receiver returns serve and ends when the point is won
两个球员之间的来回击球。'对打'从接球员回球开始，到一方得分为止。
Smash 高压球
an overhead shot hit very hard, usually before the ball has bounced
过顶大力击球，通常是在球落地反弹之前。
Stop volley 截停球
a shot that slows the ball down a lot and makes it drop just over the net with very little bounce 使球速大减、刚好过网、并极少反弹的击球。
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READING THE PRESS
The player posted his first win
这个球员赢得了他的第一个胜利。
this means that a player has won their first match
这是指一个球员赢得了第一场比赛的胜利。
Convert a point
获得一分
this means that the player won that point
这是指一个球员赢了那一分。
The courts were slow
球场很慢
this means the tennis balls did not travel as fast after they hit the ground
这指的是网球在击中地面之后速度不是很快。
I fancy my chances
我看好我的机会
a player thinks he has a good chance of winning a match against an opponent
一个球员认为他很有机会战胜对手。
The underdog
不被看好的一方
the player that is expected to lose
预计会输的球员。
Hang on in the match
将比赛撑下去
continued to win points to stay in the match even though it looked like the player should lose
继续得分使比赛延续下去，尽管看上去该球员会输掉比赛。
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TALKING WITH FRIENDS
S/he will win because they are hungry for the title
她/他会赢，因为他们渴望摘取桂冠。
if you say this you think that the player really wants to win the title
如果你这样说的话，那么你认为该球员真切希望获得冠军头衔。
My favourite is out
我钟爱的球员已经出局
the person you really wanted to win has lost their match and is out of the tournament
你真心希望获胜的球员已经输掉了比赛，而且已经被淘汰出比赛。
The player is at his peak
该球员处在他的巅峰
if you say a player is at their peak, you mean they are playing at their very best
如果你说一个球员处在巅峰，你是说他们打出了他们的最好水平。
Goran is a legend!
戈兰是一个传奇人物！
you think this player is very, very good
你认为这个球员非常、非常棒。
Don't write that player off
不要认定那个球员没戏
you think that a player still has a chance of winning, even if they are not playing well
你认为某个球员仍然有获胜的机会，即使他们发挥得不好。
The player has been given an easy draw
这个球员得到了一个上上签。
this means that the player only has to play against easy opponents to get to the final
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