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The Longest Race马拉松长跑
At the 1960 Italian Summer Olympics, Abebe Bikila became an overnight sensation in his home country of Ethiopia and the world. This happened when he set a new record for the marathon, running the race barefoot. Four years later, a mere six weeks before the Tokyo Olympics, Bikila had his appendix removed. He went on to establish another record, this time wearing shoes. After crossing the finish line, he astounded onlookers by doing jumping jacks while most of his competitors wearily collapsed around him.
While the 1960s had their share of excitement during marathons, it was in 1896 that the first official marathon was held. In these inaugural modern Olympic Games in Athens, the organizers wanted a race to pay tribute to the legend of the Greek soldier Pheidippides. The story states that Pheidippides ran 34.5 km, from the town of Marathon all the way to Athens, to announce that the Persians had been defeated. As soon as he relayed the good news to the people, Pheidippides died.
In the beginning, marathons had no set distance. Sometimes the race would be 40 km, while at other times 42 km. In 1924, 42.195 km was made the official distance. Because marathon courses varied in elevation, wind speed, and surface, until 2004, world's records were called "world's best".
Since 1896, every Olympic Games has staged the marathon as the final event. Sometimes the sprint to the finish line has even been incorporated into the closing ceremonies with the runners coming down the final stretch to feel the loud roar of the crowds. Fast or slow, world's greatest or not, the real triumph of a marathon is just saying that you've competed in one.
在 1960 年的意大利夏季奥林匹克运动会上，阿贝贝‧比基拉一夜之间在祖国埃塞俄比亚和全世界造成一股轰动。当时他赤脚创了马拉松的纪录。四年后，在东京奥林匹克运动会仅仅六周前，比基拉刚刚割掉了盲肠。他又一次创下纪录，不过这次是穿着鞋子的。冲过终点线后，他身边的参赛者都累瘫在地上，他却还能张开双手上下跳跃，令观众们目瞪口呆。
虽然是在二十世纪六十年代见识到马拉松赛跑的刺激，但正式的马拉松赛事在 1896 年就已开始举行。在雅典举行的首次现代奥林匹克运动会中，主办方有意向一名希腊士兵斐迪庇第斯的传奇事迹致敬。传说斐迪庇第斯跑了 34.5 公里，一口气从马拉松城跑到雅典，宣布波斯战败的消息。一传达这项消息给人们后，斐迪庇第斯就断气了。
一开始，马拉松赛并没有固定距离。有时候赛程是 40 公里，有时候是 42 公里。1924 年，42.195 公里被设定为马拉松的正式距离。因为马拉松的场地会因海拔、风速和跑道路面而有所不同，2004 年以前，世界纪录都被称为“世界最佳成绩”。
1896 年起，每届奥运都将马拉松赛跑安排为最后的比赛项目。有时候到终点线的冲刺甚至会和闭幕典礼合并在一起，让参赛选手在最后一段跑道感受群众的欢呼声。飞快或迟缓，世界最棒与否，只要你说出自己全程参与了马拉松，那就是真正的胜利。
Can I Get a Hand with This? 手势大不同
One of the most famous symbols in US college sports is the Texas Longhorn "Hook 'em Horns." This is done by having the index and pinky fingers up while the middle and ring fingers are held down by the thumb. This hand gesture is supposed to look like a cow with long horns. For students, professors, and Longhorn fans, this symbol is thrown up at graduations, athletic events, or anything Texas-related. In 1985, a group of Texans visiting the Vatican in Italy heard that their beloved Longhorns had just won a big game. Overwhelmed with joy, they started parading around the city in celebration of the team's victory. What's more, they flashed the Hook 'em Horns to everyone walking by. Soon after, they were tossed in jail. It happens that in Italy, this hand gesture, with an added twist of the wrist, is very insulting towards one's wife.
While "Give Me Five," "The Finger," or "Victory Sign" are pretty universal, there are many hand gestures that mean different things around the globe. If you are at a restaurant in America and want the check for your meal, you can "write" your name in the air as a signal to the waiter. In Japan, putting two hands together like the letter T notifies the waiter that you are ready to pay. In America, however, this gesture is known as the "Time-Out" symbol.
Sometimes, changing a hand gesture just a little bit can completely change its meaning. An old superstition stated that if we "cross our fingers...our wishes will come true." But if we move those crossed fingers behind our back, it has a different meaning altogether. This means that either someone is lying or they actually want the opposite of what they've wished to come true. So, whether it's a set of horns in the wrong place or calling time out in a restaurant, the meaning of hand gestures can vary from country to country.
美国大学运动中最有名的象征是得州长角牛队的 "Hook 'em Horns"。这个手势的比法是伸出食指与小指，大拇指压住往下的中指与无名指，看起来像是长着角的牛。对学生、教授和长角牛迷来说，这个手势会出现在毕业典礼、运动赛事和任何跟得州有关的场合中。1985年，一群在意大利梵蒂岗观光的得州佬得知自己热爱的长角牛队赢了大赛。他们的高兴溢于言表，于是开始游街庆祝长角牛队的胜利。此外，他们还向路人比出牛角手势。没多久，他们全被抓进牢里。这是因为在意大利，这个手势配合手腕的转动，恰巧是对他人妻子的严重侮辱。
虽然 "Give Me Five"（击掌）、"The Finger"（比中指）或 "Victory Sign"（胜利手势）几乎是全世界通用，但还有很多手势在世界各地代表着不同的意义。在美国的餐厅里，当你想结账时，可以在空中写自己的名字来向服务生示意。在日本，则是将两只手摆成一个 T 字来告知服务生准备结账，而这个手势在美国则是大家所熟知的“暂停”的涵义。
有时候，些微改变手势可能会完全改变意思。古老的迷信说如果我们“手指交叉……梦想就会成真”。但若是我们将交叉的手指放在背后，其意义就全然不同。这要不是指有人正在说谎，就是有人实际上希望事与愿违。因此，不论是时空错置的牛角或在餐厅喊暂停，手势的意义在每个国家都不尽相同。
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