Pair Skating and Ice Dancing
雙人花樣滑冰與冰上舞蹈

At this month's Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, U.S.A., some of the most spectacular action will take place on the indoor ice rink. Sports fans who are turned off by the sometimes brutal intensity of ice hockey can tune in to the gentler figure skating competition.
這個(gè)月在美國(guó)鹽湖城舉行的冬季奧運(yùn)會(huì)，最令人嘆為觀止的表演將在室內(nèi)滑冰場(chǎng)舉行。有時(shí)過(guò)于粗暴的冰上曲棍球使運(yùn)動(dòng)迷們失去了興趣，他們可以觀看較溫和的花樣滑冰賽。

Gold medals are awarded in four categories of Olympic figure skating. Two medals go to the winners of the male and female individual events. The other two are awarded to mixed pairs. Within this group, there are two separate events for pair figure skating: pair skating and ice dancing.?
奧運(yùn)會(huì)花樣滑冰的金牌頒發(fā)給四個(gè)比賽項(xiàng)目。兩枚金牌頒給男女個(gè)人單項(xiàng)冠軍。另兩枚則授予男女混合雙人賽的優(yōu)勝者。在男女混合雙人賽中，雙人花樣滑冰分為兩個(gè)單獨(dú)的項(xiàng)目：雙人滑冰和冰上舞蹈。

In pair skating, a couple performs a program of movements in harmony. They add a number of combined spins and spectacular lifts. Ice dancers, in contrast, are not allowed to perform the athletic moves of pair skaters, and the couple rarely separates. Instead, they perform dances such as tangos and waltzes, and they must interpret the rhythm of the music.?
雙人滑冰中，一對(duì)選手表演一套協(xié)調(diào)的動(dòng)作。他們加入若干旋轉(zhuǎn)動(dòng)作組合和精彩的抬舉動(dòng)作。成鮮明對(duì)照地，冰上舞蹈選手是決不允許表演雙人滑冰選手那些敏捷動(dòng)作的，而且冰上舞蹈選手彼此也很少分開(kāi)。作為替代，他們表演探戈和華爾茲這類(lèi)舞蹈，同時(shí)還必須表達(dá)出樂(lè)曲的韻律。

Figure skating was one of the events at the very first Winter Olympics in 1924.?Before that, figure skaters had competed at the Summer Games as early as 1908. Ice dancing is a relatively new addition to the Games, making its debut at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria.?
花樣滑冰是1924年首屆冬季奧運(yùn)會(huì)的比賽項(xiàng)目之一。在那之前，早在1908年的夏季奧運(yùn)會(huì)，花樣滑冰選手們就曾較量過(guò)。冰上舞蹈則是奧運(yùn)會(huì)中一個(gè)比較新的比賽項(xiàng)目，于1976年在奧地利因斯布魯克冬季奧運(yùn)會(huì)中首次登場(chǎng)。

The use of skates as a means of transportation in cold northern regions of the world began in prehistoric times. Ice-skating as a sport, however, originated in Holland. From there, it spread to the rest of northern Europe and North America. The world's first ice-skating club was formed in Edinburgh, Scotland, sometime around the end of the seventeenth century.?
從史前時(shí)代起，冰鞋在寒冷的北國(guó)就被當(dāng)作一種交通工具使用。不過(guò)滑冰作為一項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)則起源于荷蘭。它從那兒傳到北歐的其它地區(qū)和北美洲。大約在17世紀(jì)末，全世界第一家滑冰俱樂(lè)部在蘇格蘭愛(ài)丁堡成立。

Though ice-skating is a highly technical activity, it is easy to appreciate. Millions of people around the world enjoy watching the harmonious movements of a skating couple even if they don't know the names of the particular spins or jumps being used.?They are simply attracted by the graceful beauty of this highly entertaining sport.? by Martin Kelly
雖然滑冰是一項(xiàng)技術(shù)性很高的運(yùn)動(dòng)，欣賞起來(lái)卻很容易。即使不知道運(yùn)動(dòng)員采用的那些特殊旋轉(zhuǎn)或跳躍動(dòng)作的名稱(chēng)，全世界數(shù)百萬(wàn)的人也樂(lè)于欣賞一對(duì)滑冰選手表演的和諧動(dòng)作。他們僅僅是被這項(xiàng)高娛樂(lè)性的運(yùn)動(dòng)所展現(xiàn)的奇妙美感所吸引。