Sochi Olympics

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Why Watch The Sochi Winter Olympics?
(YouTube, 2014)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T89NdTBBqo8
The Winter Olympics are a collection of competitive sports, right? The games are really a wonderful
display of unity, patriotism and sportsman show… what is happening right now? How is that a sport?
Why are we watching this? Our country isn’t even competing right now.
The Winter Olympics are a collection of weird sports played in the cold – is a crazy mash-up of allies,
neighbors and sometimes even sworn enemies. So what’s the point? So (that) people from other
countries get medals in sports that we don’t understand? Why should we care what happens?
It seems like it’s all political anyway. You know what? -- forget the politics. It’s about the games, right?
And the games are ultimately about the people playing them.
So wait a second; maybe the winter Olympics are a collection of stories being written. It’s the tension
and anticipation of a lifetime of training, failing and succeeding; it’s the presentation of humans taking
risks to fulfill their ultimate dreams. We get to experience the climax of all these human stories from all
over the globe in one place from thousands of miles away.
So it doesn’t matter if they are sliding down a mountain on their belly or using a broom to glide a rock
along the ice. These people, our fellow humans, are sharing with us the biggest part of their lives.
The Winter Olympics are a collection of humans telling the world their stories.
Vocabulary
01. a collection of
02. a wonderful display
03. sportsman show (‘spectacle’)
04. isn’t even competing
05. right now
06. weird sports
07. a crazy mash-up
08. even sworn enemies
09. so what’s the point?
10. to get medals
11. it’s all about the games, right?
12. ultimately
13. to fail
14. to fulfill their ultimate dreams
15. we get to experience the climax
16. from all over the globe
17. from thousands of miles away
18. so it doesn’t matter
un ensemble de
une merveilleuse démonstration / présentation
jeu de mots sur “sportsmanship” = esprit sportif
n’est même pas dans la compétition
maintenant, en ce moment
des sports bizarres
un mélange fou
même des ennemis jurés
alors à quoi bon ? / quel est l’intérêt ?
gagner des médailles
il s’agit des jeux, n’est-ce pas?
en fin de compte
échouer, râter
réaliser leurs rêves ultimes
nous pouvons ressentir le point culminant
de partout dans le monde
à des milliers de kilomètres
alors peu importe
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19. sliding down a mountain
20. belly
21. a broom
22. to glide
23. along the ice
24. our fellow humans
25. telling the world their stories
descendre une montagne en glissant
ventre
un balai
faire glisser
sur la glace, le long de la glace
nos semblables
racontant au monde leurs histoires
Why Watch The Sochi Winter Olympics?
(YouTube, 2014)
Exercise: fill in the blanks with the correct words
The Winter Olympics are a _c________________ of competitive sports, right? The games are really a
(un) ensemble (de)
_w_____________d____________ of unity, patriotism and sportsman show… what is happening right
démonstration/présentation merveilleuse
now? How is that a sport?
_r__________n________.
Why are we watching this?
Our country isn’t even competing
en ce moment
The Winter Olympics are a collection of _w__________ sports played in the cold – is a __c_________
bizarres
mélange fou _m______-u_________of allies, neighbors and sometimes even _s__________e______________.
ennemis jurés
_S____w_________t_____p_________? So (that) people from other countries _g_____m____________
Alors quel est l’intérêt?
gagnent des médailles
in sports that we don’t understand? Why should we care what happens?
It seems like it’s all political anyway. You know what? -- forget the politics. It’s about the games, right?
And the games are _u________________ about the people playing them.
en fin de compte
So wait a second; maybe the winter Olympics are a collection of stories being written. It’s the tension
and anticipation of a lifetime of training, failing and succeeding; it’s the presentation of humans taking
risks to _f____________ their ultimate dreams. We get to experience the climax of all these human
réaliser
stories from _a______o________the_w___________ in one place from thousands of miles away.
(de) partout dans le monde
_S____i____d_________m__________ if they are _s_____________d__________ a mountain on
Alors peu importe
descendent en glissant
their _b__________ or using a _b__________ to _g__________ a rock _a_________ the _i_______.
ventre
balai
faire glisser
le long de/sur
glace
These people, our _f__________h______________, are sharing with us the biggest part of
(nos) semblables
their lives. The Winter Olympics are a collection of humans _t_____________ the world their stories.
racontant