From the history of the Olympic Games

THE OLYMPIC GAMES

The Olympic Games are the oldest competition. They were originated by the Greeks long before our era.

While the origin of the Olympic Games is not known exactly, there is a historical record of the ancient games beginning in 776 В. С. Thereafter¹ they were held at four year intervals until 393 A. D., when they were abolished by the Roman emperor Theodosius after Greece had lost its independence. The ancient Olympiad was a festive time. For a period of about a month poets, sculptors, artists and historians made Olympia a cultural center > At first the program was confined to one day and consisted only of a single event — a race the length of the stadium. Then a race of a half mile was added and later — an endurance race² Afterwards additional races, the discus throw, the javelin throw, the long jump, boxing, wrestling, the pentathlon, chariot racing and other events were added and the duration, including the religious ceremonies, was extended to seven "days.³

Women were not allowed as competitors or spectators Women got on the Olympic program after World War I, in a time of women's rights legislation in all fields.

Before the contests opened all the competitors and their families, the trainers and the judges swore a solemn oath⁴ to keep the competition clean and fair and to give just decisions.⁵

The games occupied such an important position in the life of Greece that time was measured by the four-year interval between them — an "Olympiad". The greatest, honour then to be attained by any Greek was the winning of the simple branch of wild olive given to a victor in the games Kings competed alongside commoners; even the Roman emperor Nero sought Olympic honours.⁶ Winners became national heroes, musicians sang their praise and sculptors preserved their strength and beauty in marble. Their feats of skill and courage were recorded⁷ by the poets and writers of the time. The gracefulness and sportsmanship of the contestant and the method of winnig were esteemed equally, with⁸ the victory itself.

The earliest recorded Olympic champion is Coroibos of Otis, winner of an olive wreath in the stadium race of 170 т in 776 B, C. A long jump of 7.05 т by Chionis of Sparta in the seventh century B. G. is a performance comparable with present-day club standards, though Chionis probably propelled himself with the aid of weights, a device not permitted by modern rules. Milon of Croton won six wrestling titles between 540 and'516 B. C-

After nearly 300 Olympiads the Roman Emperor Theodosius banned the Games. In 1896, after a lapse of 1,500 years, the Games were revived in Athens, Greece, and have been staged every four years since, except for interruptions caused by World War I and II. It was due to the efforts of the Baron Pierre-de Coubertin (1853—1937) of France, a brilliant educator and scholar but not an athlete, that the Olympic games were revived.

He summoned an international conference at the Sorbonne, Paris, in 1894. Russia was among the 12 countries which decided, at an international congress on sports in 1894, to revive the Olympic Games and found the International Olympic Committee. Its representative was elected one of the 14 IOC members. The Winter Olympics were born in 1924 at Chamonix, France. Russian competitors have been competing in the Olympic Games since 1908.

Notes

I thereafter — с этого времени

2. an endurance race — бег на выносливость

3. the duration.. was extended to seven days — время проведения (Олимпийских Игр) было увеличено до 7 дней.

4. swore a solemn oath — давали торжественную клятву

6. to give just decisions — принимать справедливые решения

6. Even the Roman emperor Nero sought Olympic honours — даже Римский император Нерон боролся за Олимпийские награды

7. were recorded — были увековечены

8. were esteemed equally with — оценивались наравне с

Задания

I. Прочтите текст и расскажите о возникновении Олимпийских игр.

II. Прочтите и переведите без словаря следующие интернациональные слова:

Olympic, record, interval, emperor, Greece, festive, period, poet, sculptor, cultural, center, program, mile, discus, boxing, religious, ceremony, trainer, position, hero, musician, method, champion, modern, international, conference, congress.

III. Найдите предложения, в которых рассказывается, как в древней Греции относились к участию женщин в Олимпийских играх.,

IV. Из нижеприведенных видов спорта составьте программу древних Олимпийских игр:

endurance race, a race of a half mile, chariot racing, swimming, discus throw, hammer throw, shot put, javelin throw.Jong jump, high jump, boxing, wrestling, septethlon, pentathlon, gymnastics, football, basketball, ice hockey.

V. Найдите в тексте предложение, в котором говорится о награде, вручавшейся победителю игр в Греции.

VI. Скажите, когда и по чьей вине прерывались Олимпийские игры.

VII. Расскажите о древних Олимпийских играх, пользуясь следующим планом:

1. The Olympic Games are the oldest competition.

2. The first program of the Games.

3. The opening ceremony of the Games.

4. The participants of the Games.

5. The earliest recorded Olympic champions.

6. The role of the Roman Emperor Theodosius in these Games.

7. The revival of the Games.

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