First Palestinian Olympic Swimmer Set to Compete

By David Schickert
Raad Aweisat is planning to travel to Athens, Greece, this August and become the first-ever Palestinian swimmer to represent his people at the Olympics. Though he lives in a war-torn region and trains in a poorly equipped facility, Aweisat is motivated to represent his people and that's all he needs to keep him going in the freezing cold of winter.
Introduced to swimming at the age of four, Raad Aweisat quickly began topping local Palestinian competitions and then moved on to compete in events in Germany, Iran, Kuwait, Morocco and Spain. But the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians almost brought an end to his promising¹ career.
Aweisat was practicing at the YMCA near his neighborhood in Jerusalem when violence broke out in September 2000. The YMCA told Aweisat to either join the Israeli Swimming Federation², which as a Palestinian he did not want to do, or find somewhere else to swim. There was only a 17-meter pool in the area, located in the backyard of several connected homes. Aweisat's father gathered nearby villagers together to lengthen³ the pool by digging until it reached an acceptable 25 meters.
It is still far from ideal. A corrugated⁴ tin roof hangs above the pool. Nylon sheets surround the narrow three-lane pool in these winter months in an attempt to keep the minimal⁵ heat from escaping. Those sheets trap the chlorine fumes⁶ from the water, leaving a fog hovering⁷ above the pool's surface.
The pool is heated only for two-hour swim sessions each day. That costs about $100 per day and it's all Aweisat's father can afford. Other parents chip in to help cover the costs. There is no outside funding.
Yet the optimistic 17-year-old feels that rewards are much sweeter when faced with many obstacles. Still, Aweisat knows if he had better facilities he could become a better swimmer. "With such conditions it's possible to deliver something," he said, "but if we have a better institution, a better pool, better training facilities, then for sure we'll deliver better and get to the required level."
At the Palestinian national swimming competition last August, Raad Aweisat finished the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 58.95 seconds. The qualifying speed for this Olympic event is 58 seconds, but because of the conditions Aweisat has to work under he was given an exemption⁸ by the Palestinian Swimming Federation.
Other swimmers at this time of year are working out in heated indoor pools. They are toning their muscles with computer-monitored hydraulic⁹ weight machines. The gym where Aweisat works out was constructed from a former stable.
Palestinians gained International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognition in 1993 after the Israeli-Palestinian peace accords. A Palestinian team first competed at the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. Yet Palestine has sent only a few athletes to the Olympic games.
Hussein Aweisat, Raad's father, feels that exposure from the games may show the world what Palestinian athletes have to work with, especially his son. But even with everything the Aweisat family has gone through to help guide Raad to the Olympics, his father knows this is the only way to do it.
"I hope to go to the Olympiad in Athens," said Mr. Aweisat. "Maybe it's a good way for all the people in the world to see my swimmer and the miserable¹⁰ situation here. You can see the high level and good swimmers in the national team for Palestine. I don't really know, but it's okay, for me; it's okay. This is the best way to go to Athens. No other way, just this."
The other Palestinian athlete expected to compete in Athens this year is 19-year-old middle-distance runner Sana Bakhith.
After the Olympics, swimmer Raad Aweisat's dream is to go to college in the United States and become a surgeon. Right now he finds it hard to escape the world of conflict and fighting that surrounds him, but he does use it as motivation, motivation driving the spirit of one young man who feels that if he does well at the Olympics it will not just be for himself, but for Palestine too. In Washington, I'm Dave Byrd, VOA sports.
注释：
war-torn 战火摧残的
facility 设备
Kuwait 科威特（中东国家）
Morocco 摩洛哥
promising 有希望的，有前途的
YMCA 基督教青年会Young Men's Christian Association
corrugated tin 波纹马口铁
nylon 尼龙
chlorine [化]氯
fume 气体
hover 盘旋
optimistic 乐观的
butterfly 蝶泳
hydraulic 水压的
gym 体育馆
miserable 艰苦的
surgeon 外科医生

1 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

2 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

3 lengthen   

vt.使伸长，延长

参考例句：

• He asked the tailor to lengthen his coat.他请裁缝把他的外衣放长些。
• The teacher told her to lengthen her paper out.老师让她把论文加长。

4 corrugated   

adj.波纹的；缩成皱纹的；波纹面的；波纹状的v.（使某物）起皱褶(corrugate的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• a corrugated iron roof 波纹铁屋顶
• His brow corrugated with the effort of thinking. 他皱着眉头用心地思考。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

6 fumes   

n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体

参考例句：

• The health of our children is being endangered by exhaust fumes. 我们孩子们的健康正受到排放出的废气的损害。
• Exhaust fumes are bad for your health. 废气对健康有害。

7 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

8 exemption   

n.豁免，免税额，免除

参考例句：

• You may be able to apply for exemption from local taxes.你可能符合资格申请免除地方税。
• These goods are subject to exemption from tax.这些货物可以免税。

9 hydraulic   

adj.水力的；水压的，液压的；水力学的

参考例句：

• The boat has no fewer than five hydraulic pumps.这艘船配有不少于5个液压泵。
• A group of apprentics were operating the hydraulic press.一群学徒正在开动水压机。

10 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。