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 生词短语

goodwill n. 友好
cricket n.板球
inclination n.意愿
contest n. 比赛
orgyn. 恣意，放荡
deducevt.推断
competitive a. 竞争性的
pick up 随意挑选
side n. 队
patriotism n. 地方观念爱国主义
involvevt. 卷入
at any rate 无论……,至少…….
prestige n. 声誉
disgrace vt. 使丢脸
savagen.野性的
combative a.好斗的
frankly ad.坦率地
mimic a.与….极相似
behaveiour 行动
spectatotorn.观众
word….into…..引起……注意
furyn.狂热
absurda.荒唐的

Notes on the vocabularies 词语注释

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
inclinationn. 意愿
      inclinev.
       be inclined to do sth表示强烈的意愿
      I am inclined to take toefl.
      willing
      show inclination tofollow one's inclination 随心所欲
contestn. 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
patriotismn.地方观众，爱国主义
      patriot:爱国者patriotic:爱国的

involvevt.卷入
      involve oneself in scandal be involved in
prestigen.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
disgracevt.使丢脸
      grace,graceful-graceless
      disgraceful 丢脸 Your essay is very guaceful.
      fame-defamehonor-dishonor
      stigmaa(污点) vt.stigmatizeRobbery stigmatizes him.
savagen.野性的
      inhuman 残忍无比 nonhuman （非人类的）
      mercy-mercilessruth-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。
attituden.态度
spectatorn.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
furyn.狂热
      furious a.—强于 anger,annoyance,aggravation
      rage---suddenly & quickly
absurda.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

Notes on the text 课文注释
amazed: surprised,astound,astonished
前两个词都可以用作表语和主谓宾结构，后两个词只有表语结构。
The news surprised me.
I was surprised by the news.
I am astonished to hear the news.
         You should not say”The news astonished me”.
hear(watch,notice,see)sb.do/doing
if only:
1. 表虚拟，当“真好”讲,后面无任何主从句。
   If only I had a pair of wings.我要有双翅膀就好了。
   If only I could fly to the moon.
2. 作为条件句＝as long as，后面须有主句。
deduce:推导
the background of the 1936 Olympic games :二战时在德国柏林举行，希特勒举办的目的为
        了宣传他的 national supremacy(民主优越性)。然而，事与愿违，本届奥运会出现了
        一位独领风骚的田径大王－美国黑人运动员，杰西•欧文斯，他共获得 4 枚金牌，
        让希特勒 disgrace(颜面尽失)，后人评论“the 1936 Olympin games is a mistake”,而
        且称为 political tragedy,影射希特勒的种族歧视，导致极端的仇恨，引发二战。
neagly all 基本肯定
green: 绿地
aroused:被激发起来
frankly: 真正的
mimic warfare:模拟战争
      battle field-fight to win,commander,do your utmost,blood,lose life,machine guns
      sport field—play to win,coach,do your best ,sweat,lose life,hand leg foot
fury over 对…愤怒
virtue:quality