Meet Chen Guanming, a 60-year-old Chinese farmer who pedaled his rickshaw all the way from China to Rio. He calls himself “Olympic madman,” and surely he deserves it: this is the third Olympic Games he’s ridden to.
来认识一下陈冠明,这位60岁的中国农民骑着他的三轮车一路从中国骑到了里约。他管自己叫“奥运疯子”,而他的确名副其实:这已经是他骑车奔赴的第3个奥运会了。
Pedal最广为人知的应该是它的名词含义“踏板”,但它其实也能当动词用,意思是“踩踏板”。这种名词活用还是比较常见的,能省不少事,比如Ship the cargo to China. 的意思是“把货物运到中国”,而Don’t camera me. 可以表达“别拍我”。
Rickshaw本来指的是“黄包车”,人拉的那种,但现在也指这种载客的三轮成,也就是土话里说的“麻木”。
Seventeen years ago, he embarked on the crazy adventure as an Olympics chaser: He toured around China before attending the Beijing Olympics in 2008, then made it to London in 2012, and now he’s in Rio. He plans to finish his global journey in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics.
17年前,他作为奥运发烧友开始了他疯狂的冒险:在奔赴2008年的北京奥运之前,他先环游了中国;之后,他去了2012年的伦敦奥运;而现在他已经在里约了。他打算最终以2020年的东京奥运会来结束他的环球之旅。
Chen doesn’t really have money, but strangers he has met on the road have been pouring supporton him: heartfelt encouragement, a warm meal, or a lift up a hill. The rickshaw, his good buddy, carries all his luggage and weighs as much as 400 pounds.
老陈其实没有钱,但他在途中遇到不少陌生人对他倾囊相助:一句走心的鼓励、一顿热乎的饭菜,亦或是帮他走上坡路。他把自己的三轮车视为好伙伴,他的全部行李都在这辆车上,整辆车总重400磅(约181公斤)。
这里的as much as其实可以去掉,直接说weighs 400 pounds. 意义不变,不过as much as能其到强调的作用。
Zsofia Korodi, a Hungarian living in London, set up a Facebook fan page for Chen after being “inspired by his actions,” so that supporters can keep track of him.
Zsofia Korodi是一位住在伦敦的匈牙利人,他因为老陈的壮举而备受启发,并为他创建了一个facebook主页,于是老陈的支持者现在有办法追踪他的行程了。
Keep track of sth./sb. 的意思是“保持对某物/某人的记录”、“能持续知道关于其的最新进展”。
That way his journeys are pieced together, and people alert the next town to look out for Chen and take care of him.
他的旅程就是以这种方式被一点一点地拼凑成整体。而且,人们会提醒下一个城市老陈即将到来,并让他们照顾好他。
That way在这里是状语,意思是“以这种方式”。
When there’s water to cross, people he’s met fly him over, and he waits patiently for the rickshaw to arrive by ship.
当途中碰上需要跨水的时候,他遇见的人带着他飞了过去,而他则在对岸耐心地等待着传把三轮车运来。
Chen said he does it all to promote the Olympic spirit. “My biggest hope is to encourage the vulnerable, the weak, and those who are afraid of challenges.
老陈说他这么做完全是为了弘扬奥运精神。“我最大的愿望是鼓励那些脆弱的人,以及那些害怕挑战的人。”