5. Sports and Games.
5、体育运动.
1. What fun it is to jump into a pool or go swimming in a river in summer! How joyful and relaxing it is to have a game of table tennis after a day of study at school! And how exciting it is to play or watch a close game of basketball or volleyball! All over the world millions of people take part in different kinds of sports. Sports are perhaps the most popular form of relaxation that almost all can enjoy, whether boys or girls, men or women, young or old.
1、夏天跳进池塘或到江河里游泳多么有趣!一天的学习之后打一场乒乓球赛多么令人轻松愉快!参加或观看一场势均力敌的篮球赛或排球赛多么令人兴奋!全世界千百万人们参加各种各样的运动。体育运动大概是几乎所有人都喜爱的最普遍的令人松弛的娱乐形式，男女老少都很喜欢体育运动。
2. Some people seem to think that sports and games are unimportant things that people do at times when they are not working, instead of going to the cinema, watching TV, listening to the radio, or sleeping. But in fact sports and games can be of great value, especially to people who work with their brains. They should not be treated only as amusements.
2、有些人似乎认为体育活动不是什么重要的事情，只是人们在不工作的时候，不看电影，不看电视，不听广播，不睡觉时才去参加的活动。其实，体育运动很有价值，特别是对脑力劳动者大有好处。体育运动不应仅仅被当作娱乐活动来对待。
3. Sports and games build our bodies, prevent us from gaining weights, and keep us healthy. But these are not their only uses. They give us valuable practice in helping the eyes, brain and muscles to work together. In table tennis, the eyes see the ball coming, judge its speed and direction, and pass this information on to the brain. The brain then has to decide what to do, and sends its orders to the muscles of the arms, legs, and so on, so that the ball is met and hit back where the player wants it to go. All this must happen with very great speed, and only those who have had a lot of practice at table tennis can do this successfully. For those who work with their brains, the practice of such skills is especially useful.
3、体育运动增强体质，防止我们发胖，使我们保持身体健康。但体育运动的作用不仅仅限于这些方面。体育运动给我们的眼睛、大脑和肌肉以宝贵的锻炼，促使它们协同工作。打乒乓球时，眼睛看到球打过来，判断其速度和方向，马上将这个信息传给大脑。接着大脑得决定怎么办，并立即将其命令传达给手臂、腿等人体部分的肌肉，结果球被击回到运动员希望它着落的地方。整个行动必须以最快的速度发生，只有那些训练有素的人才能成功地完成。对那些脑力劳动者来说，这样的技能实践特别管用，尤其有益。
4. Sports and games are also very useful for character-training. In their lessons at school, boys and girls may learn about such virtues as selflessness, courage, discipline and love of one’s country, but what is learned in books cannot have the same deep effect on a child’s character as what is learned through experience. The ordinary school cannot give much practical training in living, because most of the students’ time is spent in classes, studying lessons. So what the students do in their spare time is of great importance. If each of them learns to go all out for his team and not for himself on the sports field, he wilt later find it natural to work for the good of society and for the good of his country.
4、体育运动对性格的培养也很有益处。男孩女孩们在课堂上也许对不自私自利、富有勇气、遵守纪律、热爱祖国这样的美德有所了解，但是从书本上学到的东西不可能像通过亲身体验了解到的东西一样对孩子的品质产生深刻的影响。普通的学校不可能在生活方面给孩子们很多实用的培养，因为他们的大部分时间用于上课，花在学习功课上。所以，学生们在课余时间所做的事非常重要。如果每个学生在球场上学会了为自己的球队而不是为他自己竭尽全力，那么他以后会感到为社会的利益、为祖国的利益而工作是理所当然的了。