05 Hi, Zeus

Chapter 5. Hi, Zeus. This is the very first day of the Games, Plato told Jack. The day of the chariot races. Oh, wow! whispered Jack. He couldn't believe he was going to see a chariot race. The modern Olympic Games didn't have chariot races. They walked toward the racetrack. Plato pointed to a large building near the road. That is the gymnasium, he said. It is where our athletes train. They practice running.

第五章 你好，宙斯 柏拉图对杰克说：今天就是奥运会的第一天，是战车比赛的日子。 “哇哦！”杰克小声惊呼，他简直不敢相信自己居然能亲眼看到战车比赛。 现代奥运会可没有战车比赛项目。 他们朝着赛道走去，柏拉图指着路边一栋很大的建筑。 他说道：那是体育馆，是我们的运动员训练的地方。 他们在这儿练习跑步。

and throwing the javelin and discus. We have a gymnasium at our school in Frog Creek, said Jack. We call it a gym. People all over the world copy us Greeks, Plato said. Wait, said Jack, I have to take notes for Annie. He pulled out his notebook and wrote, Ancient Greeks invented gyms. Okay, we can go, said Jack. He tucked his notebook under his arm. As they moved along, Plato pointed to a beautiful tree nearby. The olive tree is our sacred tree, he said. The winners of the games will wear crowns made from its branches.

还有投掷标枪和铁饼。 杰克说：我们青蛙溪镇上的学校里也有体育馆。 我们都简称它为体馆。 柏拉图说：全世界的人都在效仿我们希腊人呢。 杰克说：等一下，我得给安妮记点笔记。 他掏出笔记本写道：古希腊人发明了体育馆。 杰克说：好啦，我们可以走啦。 他把笔记本夹在了胳膊下面。 他们往前走的时候，柏拉图指着旁边一棵好看的树。 他说道：橄榄树是我们的圣树哦。 比赛的获胜者会戴上用它的枝条编成的花冠。

Oh, wow, said Jack, and he wrote, Olive Tree is sacred. Next they passed a beautiful statue of a winged lady. Who's that? said Jack. She's Nike, the goddess of victory, said Plato. Jack quickly wrote, Nike is goddess of victory. Nike is important to the games, said Plato, but the most important Olympic god is in there. He took Jack to a brick building with huge columns. They stepped through the door. He was a temple. Jack gasped.

“哇哦，”杰克说着就写下：橄榄树是圣树。 接着他们路过一尊长着翅膀的美丽女士雕像。 杰克问：那是谁呀？ 柏拉图说：她是耐克，是胜利女神哦。 杰克飞快地写下：耐克是胜利女神。 柏拉图说：耐克对奥运会来说很重要，不过最重要的奥林匹克神祇在里面。 他带着杰克走到一栋有着巨大柱子的砖石建筑前。 他们迈步走进了大门。 这里是一座神庙。 杰克倒抽了一口冷气。

In front of them loomed the biggest statue he had ever seen. The statue was at least two stories high. It was a bearded man sitting on a throne. This is the temple of Zeus, and that is a statue of Zeus himself, said Plato. The Olympic Games are played in his honor. He is the chief god of the Greek gods and goddesses.

一尊他见过的最大的雕像赫然立在他们面前。 这尊雕像至少有两层楼那么高。 雕像是一位留着胡子、坐在王座上的男士。 柏拉图说：这里是宙斯神庙，那就是宙斯本人的雕像哦。 举办奥林匹克运动会就是为了纪念他。 他是所有希腊男神和女神里的主神。

Oh, man," whispered Jack. "'Yesterday all the athletes came here,' said Plato. They swore to Zeus that they had trained for ten months, and they promised to obey the rules of the games. The statue of the mighty Greek god stared down at Jack. Jack felt very small. "'Hi, Zeus,' he said. His voice was small, too. Suddenly trumpet sounds came from outside. "'The hour has come,' said Plato. We must hurry. The Olympic parade begins."

“我的天呐，”杰克小声说道。 柏拉图说：“昨天所有运动员都来过这里。” 他们向宙斯发誓，他们已经训练了十个月，还承诺会遵守 奥运会的规则。 这位伟大的希腊神祇的雕像低头注视着杰克。 杰克觉得自己特别渺小。 他说道：“你好呀，宙斯。” 他的声音也小小的。 突然外面传来了号角声。 柏拉图说：“时间到了。” 我们得快点了。 奥运会的游行要开始啦。”