My health, my way
Golf: There’ s nothing like it!
“贵族运动” 高尔夫
When most people think of golf, they probably think of Tiger Woods jet-setting to golf courses around the world winning prestigious tournaments and making a lot of money. It seems hard to believe that what is now an international sport and multimillion-dollar industry evolved from origins as humble as hitting a pebble around sand dunes with a stick.
It is generally agreed that golf was first played in Scotland in the 15th century. Its popularity spread throughout the 16th century, and the first international golf match took place in 1682between players from England and Scotland. Clubs began forming soon after, and concrete rules of the game were established.
The Industrial Revolution brought a period of change for golf. Suddenly, with the mass production of golf clubs and balls, the average person could afford to play. New railway lines made it possible for people to go to the country for the day, and thus play on a different course every weekend.
Golf was made an Olympic sport in 1900, by which time there were already more than 1, 000golf courses in the United States. The famous PGA was formed in 1916, and by 1944, the equally famous PGA tour consisted of 22events and was held throughout the year.
Legendary golfers Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player dominated the game from the 60s’ into the 70s’, wowing fans by winning almost all of the events they competed in. Nicklaus still holds an unbeaten record of five U.S. PGA championships, six U.S. Masters titles, and four U.S. Opens.
These days, it is up to current stars like Tiger Woods and David Duval to keep spectators glued to the TV set. Even if you are not a big fan, why not head off to the driving range and have a go? More than 23million players exist in the United States alone, and they are all likely to tell you the same thing about golf: There’ s nothing like it!
一提到高尔夫球,大多数人可能就会想到泰格·伍兹乘喷气客机到世界各地的高尔夫球场赢得备受瞩目的锦标赛,并大把大把地赚钱。很难相信如今这个价值高达数百万美元的国际性工业,是从随便拿根棍子,在沙丘上挥打鹅卵石这种不起眼的运动发展起来的。
众所周知,高尔夫起源于15世纪的苏格兰,普及于16世纪。首场国际高尔夫球赛就是在1682年举行的,选手均来自英格兰及苏格兰。不久,高尔夫俱乐部开始成立,同时也制定了具体的比赛规则。
工业革命为高尔夫运动带来了一系列的变革。突然间,随着高尔夫球杆及高尔夫球的大量生产,普通百姓也接触到了这项运动。新建的到郊区的火车线路使人们可以在比赛当天往返,因此每个周末可以在不同的球场打球。
1900年,高尔夫被正式确定为奥林匹克运动项目,那时美国已有上千个高尔夫球场。著名的职业高尔夫球员联盟于1916年成立;到1944年,同享盛名的职业高尔夫球员联盟巡回比赛,在1年内举行了22场比赛。
高尔夫球界的传奇人物──杰克·尼克要劳斯,阿诺德·帕尔默及加里·普莱耶一直称霸于60到70年代的高尔夫球坛。他们几乎囊括了所有的比赛奖项,使球迷们大为赞叹。尼克劳斯至今仍保持数项无人能破的辉煌记录:5个美国职业高尔夫锦标赛冠军、6个美国高尔夫精英赛冠军,及4个美国公开赛冠军头衔。
现在,高尔夫则靠当红球星泰格·伍兹和大卫·杜瓦的魅力吸引球迷通过电视观看比赛。即使你不是头号球迷,也可以去高尔夫球场挥一挥杆,尝试一下。仅在美国就有23,000,000人从事高尔夫运动。关于高尔夫,他们会异口同声地说, “没有比它更好的运动了!”
实战提升
Practising&Exercise
单词注释
prestigious adj. 有名望的,有威信的
established adj. 已建立的;已确立的;
course n. 路线;方向
dominate v. 支配,统治,控制
spectator n. 旁观者;目击者
实用句型&词组
George is hard to get along with. (困难的)
The National Day was celebrated throughout the country. (遍及)
What are you up to? (忙于)
翻译行不行
很难相信如今这个价值高达数百万美元的国际性工业,是从随便拿根棍子,在沙丘上挥打鹅卵石这种不起眼的运动发展起来的。
工业革命为高尔夫运动带来了一系列的变革。
关于高尔夫,他们可能会异口同声地说, “没有比它更好的运动了!”
The True Cigar
恋上哈瓦那雪茄
Even before you come to grips with the cigar itself, there are small pleasures to be enjoyed, starting with the box-an ornately decorated yet functional relic from the days before the invention of plastic. A true cigar box is made from cedarwood, which allows the tobacco to breathe and to continue maturing. It is sealed with what looks like a high-denomination bank note (the export warranty of the respective government), and it is often covered with the kind of baroque graphic art that conjures up thoughts of brandy and boudoirs: curlicues, gold embossing, vignettes of white-bosomed ladies and bewhiskered gentlemen, florid typography-everything, in fact, that nineteenth-century pop artists could lay their hands on.
When you open the box, your nose is treated to a classic aroma, a bouquet that deserves a few quiet moments of appreciation before you proceed any further. It is a particularly masculine scent, and men have been known to line their clothes closets with the thin leaves of cedarwood that separate the fat rows of cigars. (The thought of walking around smelling like a human corona may not appeal to all of us, but there are, God knows, worse things to smell of, as anyone who has been ambushed and sprayed on his way through the cosmetics department at Bloomingdale’ s will confirm. )
Now we come to the cigars, looking as prosperous and well filled as a group of investment bankers after a killing. This is the beginning of what should be at least forty-five minutes of unhurried enjoyment. Cigars should never be rushed, or puffed absentmindedly while you’ re doing deals on the phone. The more attention you give them, the more pleasure they will give you, so if you don’ t have a quiet hour or so, save the cigar until later. The leisurely ceremonial of preparing and smoking one of nature’ s minor triumphs is worth the investment in time.
A knowledgeable smoker will always inspect his cigar before committing himself. This is not an affectation;good cigars are made by human hands, which are fallible, and are sometimes stored in unsuitable conditions, which can be fatal. A cigar in its prime will feel firm as you roll it between thumb and index finger, and slightly elastic as you squeeze it. Brittle cigars will not taste good, and should be put aside for less discriminating smokers, such as politicians.
If the cigar pleases your eye, your nose, and your fingers, the next step is to make an incision in the wrapper at the head so that the smoke can be drawn through. Surgical techniques vary from smoker to smoker. Rambo, should he ever do anything as un-American as smoke a Cuban cigar, would probably bite off the end. More delicate souls will use a cigar cutter or even a sharp fingernail to make a small opening. The cut should be clean, and not too deep;if you stab a cigar in the head with a penknife or a toothpick, you will create a funnel, which results in a hot, bitter smoke.
The last stage before lighting up is optional. Should you remove the band-that miniature work of art just below the head-or should you leave it on? When it was first invented (credit is often given to Gustave Bock, a Dutchman), the band had a practical purpose, which was to prevent the outer wrapper from coming adrift as the cigar heated up. Nowadays, with more reliable gumming methods, the risk of losing the wrapper is very slight, so it comes down to a question of aesthetics. Do you prefer your cigars to be decorated or totally nude? Either is fine, and only pedants make a fuss about it.
So you’ ve rolled and you’ ve squeezed and you’ ve sniffed and you’ ve cut, and now you are ready to light up. Once again, a certain finesse is required, and certain laws of nature should be observed. The most important rule is never to use a gas lighter unless you like the taste of gas fumes. Similarly, don’ t be tempted to lean across the dinner table and gaze into the decolletage of your beloved as you light up from a candle. Wax and tobacco don’ t mix. Use a match. When you have the cigar in your mouth, bring the flame close to the end (about one third of an inch away)and rotate it so that you make an even burn that starts at the rim and spreads to the center.
You can now settle back and take the first luxurious puff. There is a richness of texture to cigar smoke that makes inhaling quite unnecessary: it is enough just to hold the smoke in the mouth for a few seconds before blowing it gently toward the heavens. And as you watch it hanging in the air, thick and blue gray and aromatic, you can easily imagine that what you are smoking was hand-rolled on a Cuban maiden’ s long brown thigh. (I doubt that this delightful practice still exists in the cigar factories, but a man can dream. )
“The cigar smoker,” wrote Marc Alyn, “is a calm man, slow and sure of his wind.” You will never see an experienced cigar man taking quick, agitated puffs. He is concentrating-albeit in a relaxed and sometimes even trancelike fashion-on the pleasure of the moment. This mood of leisurely well-being that is induced by a good cigar is perhaps its greatest attraction. It even has social benefits, because this mild euphoria makes heated argument almost impossible. Nobody but a clod would waste a $45Havana by waggling it around for emphasis or stubbing it out in anger.
Despite a good cigar’ s tranquilizing effect, it doesn’ t kill conversation. Quite the contrary, since it encourages contented and appreciative listeners. (Why do you think cigars are handed out at the end of formal dinners? Obviously, to render the audience benign, no matter how long and terrible the speeches are. )Stories told over a cigar are funnier, observations are more profound, pauses are comfortable, the cognac is smoother, and life is generally rosier. An hour with a good cigar and a couple of friends is a vacation from life’ s nonsense.
即使你还没把雪茄抓在手里,仍然有一些小小的乐趣可先供自己享受一下。就从雪茄盒开始吧--这是个装饰华丽但不失功能性的盒子,算是塑料发明前的遗迹。真正的雪茄盒子是用杉木做的,可以让烟草透气,继续闷熟。封条看起来像是高面值的银行票据(这是各国政府核发的输出许可证),上面通常还布满了印刷精美的巴洛克风格的图画,叫人想起白兰地酒和美人的香闺:涡卷曲的花纹,镶金的浮雕,柔光照片里露出雪白胸脯的淑女和一脸络腮胡须的绅士。其实,这都是19世纪通俗画家笔下的东西,一应俱全。
等你打开雪茄盒,一阵隽永的芳香便会扑鼻而来。这份浓郁值得你为之流连片刻,静静体味一番,然后再进行下一步。雪茄香味有一股特别的阳刚气。男人们通常把雪茄储藏在衣橱里,再放一些杉木针叶,把一排排胖嘟嘟的雪茄和衣服隔开,以免串味。(谁都不想自己的古巴雪茄闻起来活像根科罗娜雪茄。其实和变了味的雪茄比起来,这不算什么,比这更糟的是曼哈顿的布鲁明黛尔百货公司的化妆品柜台的香水埋伏,所有经历过的男士都可以出来作证。)
接下来,该说说雪茄了。一根根雪茄就像成功的投资银行家在获得暴利之后,大腹便便的样子。这只是刚刚开了个头,紧随其后的,还有至少45分钟不慌不忙的享受呢。抽雪茄绝对不能急,也不能一边吞云吐雾,一边分心于手中的电话,与人谈着生意。你越是专心于享用雪茄,雪茄带给你的快乐也就越多。所以,假如你抽不出一小时左右的空闲,让你安安静静地抽上一枝雪茄,那就留待以后再说吧!为了造物主这一小小的杰作投入些时间,从容准备、尽情享用这全套仪式,还是值得的。
内行的烟鬼在吸烟前,一定要检查一下他的雪茄。这可不是装模作样。好的雪茄都是手工制成的,难免会出些差错。有些雪茄也可能贮存的环境不对,那可是致命伤。上等的雪茄夹在食指和拇指间捻动,会觉得十分结实,捏一捏也觉得它略带些微的弹性。松松脆脆的雪茄味道并不好,应该留给分辨能力较差的人,比如政客之流享用。
这雪茄你若是看着养眼,闻着满意,摸起来也舒服,那下一步便是在雪茄头部的外包烟叶上开个切口,好让烟气穿透。动这种外科手术的技巧,因吸烟者不同而相异。像电影《第一滴血》中的兰博这号人,假使他也做出抽古巴雪茄这等最不美国的行为,那他可能就是一口咬掉雪茄的屁股。比较优雅的人则会用雪茄刀,或者尖尖的指甲,划开一个小切口。切口一定要整齐,也不可太深。如果你用刀片或牙签戳雪茄的头,就要小心别弄出个大洞来。那样的话,吸出来的烟会又烫又苦。
点烟之前的最后一步其实是可有可无的。你是要撕掉那一圈带子呢--就是烟头下面的那一圈微型画,还是留着不动?它刚被发明出来的时候可是有实用功效的。这份殊荣归之于一位荷兰人,古斯塔夫博克,雪茄品牌标签的引入者,也是率先涉足古巴雪茄的欧洲人之一,就是要防止雪茄点燃之后,外层卷雪茄的烟叶散落开来。如今,上胶的方法已经比较可靠了,这一层外卷烟叶散掉的风险也就很小了。所以,是否撕掉那一圈带子,不过是美观与否的问题。你是喜欢你的雪茄附着一些装饰物呢,还是想让它一丝不挂?其实两种做法都可行,只有喜欢卖弄的人才会对此小题大做。
好啦,你捻也捻过了,捏也捏过了,闻也闻过了,切也切过了,现在就等着点烟了。还是一样,需要用点技巧,还得遵守一些大自然的规律。而最重要的一条规则就是绝对不要用打火机,除非你喜欢汽油味。同样地,你不可动辄弯腰趴到餐桌上,一边就着蜡烛点烟,一边死死盯着露肩低胸的美人儿。石蜡和烟草是水火不容的,请用火柴。雪茄叼在嘴里之后,将火苗移到雪茄的尾端(保持约1/3英寸的距离),环绕一周,让雪茄均匀地从边缘点燃,再燃烧至中央。
现在你可以往后一靠,好好喷出第一口氤氲的烟雾了。雪茄的烟气有醇厚浓郁的质感,所以,没必要吸进去,只消将烟含在嘴里几秒钟,再仰头朝天徐徐吐出即可。当你看着空中灰蓝色的烟雾,浓厚又芬芳,你十有八九会幻想,你正在抽的这根雪茄是由一位古巴少女在她修长的褐色大腿上婆娑卷成的。(我不太确定,这种撩人的做法是不是还流传于现在的雪茄工厂里。但是,男人们做做梦也无妨嘛!)
马可·埃林写道: “抽雪茄的人是一个冷静的人,从容不迫、目标明确。” 你绝对看不到一个老资格的烟民会焦躁不安、狂吐烟圈的。他一定是专心沉浸在那一刻的喜悦之中。这份专注是轻松的,甚至像是处于一种眩晕的状态。好雪茄带来的这种悠闲、安逸的心情,或许正是它最大的魅力所在。雪茄甚至还有其社交上的好处,因为在这种略微飘飘欲仙的氛围里,几乎不太可能出现激烈的争论。除了笨蛋,有谁还会捏着45美元一根的哈瓦那雪茄四处招摇,却只是为了发表一下自己对某一问题的看法呢,又有谁会在一怒之下就将一根点燃的哈瓦那雪茄掐灭了呢?
虽然一枝上等雪茄具有镇静的效用,但还不至于扼杀聊天的雅兴。恰恰相反,正是因为雪茄,造就出了一批批心甘情愿且心悦诚服的听众。(要不然的话,在晚宴结束时,你干吗要发雪茄给大家呢?很清楚啊,就是想要听众慈悲为怀而不管那演讲有多臭、多长。)抽雪茄的时候,听到的故事比平常更好笑,观察比平常更深刻,一时的静默也很舒服,干邑白兰地喝起来更濡滑,生活变得更美好。花一个小时,抽一根好雪茄,还有一两位好友做伴,可以暂且摆脱生活中无谓的纷扰。
雪茄怎么抽
众所周知,抽香烟是将烟雾吸入肺部,然后吐出,而抽雪茄与抽香烟截然不同。正确的抽食方法是抽雪茄的同时口含雪茄烟雾,在充分享受雪茄特有的醇香后轻轻吐出烟雾。需注意的是,雪茄的烟灰有助于冷却雪茄,因而,不要轻易弹掉烟灰。最后,当你品尝完一支醇香的雪茄后,不要像熄灭香烟那样将之掐灭,你只需将雪茄放在烟灰缸边,数秒后,它就会自动熄灭。
实战提升
Practising&Exercise
单词注释
ornately adv. 装饰过分地
cosmetics n. 化妆品,美容品
prosperous adj. 兴旺的,繁荣的
wrapper n. 包裹布;包装纸
nude adj. 裸的;与生俱有的
luxurious adj. 奢侈的;骄奢淫逸的
实用句型&词组
He smoked at least half a packet of cigarettes a day. (至少)
He put aside his work to spend more time with his son. (把……放在一边)
They walked a couple of miles. (几个,三两个)
翻译行不行
即使你还没把雪茄抓在手里,仍然有一些小小的乐趣可先供自己享受一下。
当你打开雪茄盒,一阵隽永的芳香便会扑鼻而来。这份浓郁值得你为之流连片刻,静静体味一番,然后再进行下一步。
恰恰相反,正是因为雪茄,造就出了一批批心甘情愿且心悦诚服的听众。
Six Misunderstandings on Fitness
健身误区,一一数来
Physical fitness is today’ s hot topic. And everywhere you turn your hear something new. But is it all true?
The more you sweat, the more fat you burn
This myth has encouraged people to work out in extreme heat or wear layers of clothes or rubber or plastic weight-loss suits in the hope of sweating fat off. Unfortunately, it’ s water they’ re losing, not fat.
Fat burns when it is used as a fuel source for exercise, which doesn’ t happen initially. When you first begin to exercise, you burn carbohydrates or sugars. It takes about 20minutes of easy to moderate aerobic activity before the transition from burning sugars to fat begins. (Aerobic exercise is any rhythmic and continuous activity that uses oxygen and large muscle masses of the body, such as the arms and legs. Examples are bicycle riding, jumping rope, walking, jogging, aerobic dance, and swimming. )So, to burn the flab, plan on working out at least 40minutes.
If you stop working out, your muscles will turn to fat
If you decrease your activity and continue to eat the same or more, you may gain back that spare tire that you worked so hard to lose. It’ s not, however, because your muscles turned to fat. Muscles may atrophy or lose their tone, but they won’ t turn to fat. Muscle is muscle and fat is fat.
Exercise increases appetite
This is true for hard or intense exercise that lasts for 60minutes or longer. Moderate exercise that is less than 60minutes, however, will probably reduce your appetite for one to two hours.
Exercise always lowers blood sugar
Generally, exercise will lower blood sugar and it’ s best to prepare for exercise by eating before you start out. If your blood-sugar level is above 250mg/dl, however, exercise could make it rise even higher.
You can get fit in 10minutes a week
This and similar claims are common, but untrue. There are no shortcuts to getting fit. Becoming fit takes work and the general rule is 20minutes of aerobic activity three times a week. Consistency is the key. If you miss a day or two, don’ t try to compensate by doing double duty-you open yourself up to injury.
No pain, no gain
Many people tend to overdo their exercise programs looking for quick results. Doing so, however, may prove to be your downfall by resulting in injury or sore muscles.
Your best bet is to start any exercise program slowly and gradually increase the workout.
We start people out with 15minutes of stretching, 30to 40minutes of walking or walking/jogging, and end with 10more minutes of stretching. This gives people a good beginning without the pain or injury.
Electric stimulation
Electric stimulation may help make a muscle contract and tone it slightly, but this technique can’ t take the place of exercise, and it certainly won’ t help you lose weight.
健身是当今的热门话题。无论你走到哪里,都能听到许多新奇的事情。但是,那些都是正确的吗?
流汗越多,消耗的脂肪越多
这个错误的观点鼓励人们在极热的环境下运动,或者穿好几层衣服或者穿橡胶或塑料减肥服,希望通过流汗将脂肪排出。然而,他们排出去的是水而非脂肪。
作为一种燃料能源,脂肪只有运动才能消耗。但在刚开始运动时是不能奏效的。当你开始运动时,你消耗的是碳水化合物,或是糖分。平缓进行有氧运动大约20分钟后,才会使你由消耗糖分向消耗脂肪过度。(有氧运动就是有节奏的、持续的活动。它需要耗氧并且锻炼像手臂和腿部的大块肌肉。例如骑自行车、跳绳、步行、慢跑、跳舞和游泳)。所以说,要消耗脂肪,至少要运动40分钟。
停止运动,肌肉变脂肪
如果你的运动量减少,但食物的摄入量不变或有所增加,那过去努力锻炼减去的脂肪很可能会卷土重来。然而,这并不是因为你的肌肉变成了脂肪。肌肉可能萎缩或失去弹性,但是它们是不会变成脂肪的。肌肉是肌肉,脂肪是脂肪。
锻炼增加食欲
对于持续进行了1个小时或更长时间剧烈运动的人来说确实如此。然而,不到1个小时的平缓运动很可能在1~2个小时内降低你的食欲。
锻炼可以降低血糖
在通常情况下,锻炼能降低血糖,在开始锻炼前你最好先吃点东西。然而,如果你的血糖量高于250毫克/分升,锻炼会使你的血糖量升得更高。
每周10分钟,还你健康
这种说法和类似的观点很普遍,但不正确。健康之路无捷径。要想变得健康就必须锻炼。一般是每周进行3次,每次20分钟的有氧运动。关键是要坚持。如果你中间耽误了一两天,不要通过加倍的运动来弥补--这样做你会受到伤害的。
不劳则无获
有些人倾向于过度锻炼以期快速见效,然而,这样做可能会造成伤害或引起肌肉疼痛。
最好的方式就是缓慢地开始锻炼,然后逐渐增加运动量
我们让人们开始锻炼时,先用一刻钟的时间进行伸展运动,然后进行30~40分钟的步行或步行加慢跑,最后以10分钟的伸展运动结束。以这样的方式开始运动就会有个良好的开端,不会感到疼痛,也不会受到伤害。
用电疗代替锻炼
电疗能帮助肌肉变得结实些,但是这种疗法代替不了锻炼,也减不了肥。
实战提升
Practising&Exercise
单词注释
topic n. 题目;话题;论题
sugar n. 糖
gain v. 得到;获得,赢得
reduce v. 减少;缩小;降低
aerobic adj. 需氧的;有氧的
sore adj. 痛的,疼痛发炎的
slightly adv. 轻微地;稍微地;微小地
实用句型&词组
Can you work out on the map where we are now? (确定)
He started out to write a novel. (着手进行)
We’ ll try to improve our teaching methods. (努力)
翻译行不行
健身是当今的热门话题。
在通常情况下,锻炼能降低血糖,在开始锻炼前你最好先吃点东西。
以这样的方式开始运动就会有个良好的开端,不会感到疼痛,也不会受到伤害。
Watch Out for the Hot Tea
烫茶,小心!
The British Medical Journal study found that drinking steaming hot tea has been linked with an increased risk of oesophageal cancer.
Experts said the finding could explain the increased oesophageal cancer risk in some non-Western populations.
Adding milk, as most tea drinkers in Western countries do, cools the drink enough to eliminate the risk.
Tobacco and alcohol are the main factors linked to the development of oesophageal cancers in Europe and America.
Golestan Province in northern Iran has one of the highest rates of OSCC in the world, but rates of smoking and alcohol consumption are low and women are as likely to have a diagnosis as men. Tea drinking, however, is widespread.
The University of Tehran researchers studied tea drinking habits among 300people diagnosed with OSCC and compared them with a group of 570people from the same area.
Nearly all participants drank black tea regularly, on average drinking over a litre a day.
Compared with drinking warm or lukewarm tea (65℃or less), drinking hot tea (65-69℃)was associated with twice the risk of oesophageal cancer, and drinking very hot tea (70℃or more)was associated with an eight-fold increased risk.
The speed with which people drank their tea was also important. There was no association between the amount of tea consumed and risk of cancer.
Drinking a cup of tea in under two minutes straight after it was poured was associated with a five-fold higher risk of cancer compared with drinking tea four or more minutes after being poured.
A large proportion of Golestan inhabitants drink hot tea, so this habit may account for a substantial proportion of the cases of oesophageal cancer in this population.
Previous studies from the UK have reported people prefer their tea to be about 56-60℃-cool enough not to be risky.
Oliver Childs, a spokesman for Cancer Research UK, said, “Tea drinking is part of many cultures, and these results certainly don’ t point to tea itself being the problem. But they do provide more evidence that a regular habit of eating and drinking very hot foods and drinks could increase your risk of developing cancer of the oesophagus.” He advised tea-drinkers to simply wait a few minutes for their brew to cool from “scalding” to “tolerable”.