普通高中课外英语阅读文章(2)
普通高中课外英语阅读(三)
Picking up a sword
He bent his knees slightly and balanced his body. A sword (剑) in his right hand shone in the bright light. He jumped forward, held the sword out and drew it back at lightning speed. He stared from behind his mask (面具) into the eyes of the other guy, and said, "Wanna challenge me?"
You might think this is a cool scene from a film, of two men duelling over a beautiful woman or for honor, like in Hamlet or Star Wars.
But you would be wrong. They were two lovers of fencing (击剑) practicing at Xi'an High School, Shannxi. A fencing club was established in the school last October and now has 36 members.
Sun Chenshijun, 16, is one of them. Sun first watched a fencing match at the age of 9 and wasn't really impressed. But after he saw the amazing performance of the Chinese swordsmen in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games he changed his mind.
"The silver medalist (奖牌得主) Wang Lei impressed me with his passion (激情) and temperament (气质). He shows that fencing is the perfect combination of grace (优雅) and flexibility (柔韧). So when I heard there was to be a fencing club I felt really excited," the tall Senior 1 student says.
Four times a week, Sun and other fencers study with an experienced coach.
To warm up, they do jumps, footwork (步法), push-ups (俯卧撑) and sit-ups (仰卧起坐). Then they practice fencing in pairs.
Proud of his new hobby, Sun says fencing has improved his body.
"My back tended to be a little bent, but now I have to hold my back straight while I'm practicing. It's changing my image!" he says.
Lai Tao, 17, says she's lucky to be a member.
"I do epee (重剑) fencing. It's a great workout and an excellent way of letting off steam. It relives the tension (减压) of study. As you practice, you develop leg-arm-mind coordination (协调), quickness and concentration (注意力集中)," Lai says.
Although club members always wear protective gear (装备) from head to toe, they often get hurt when first starting out. Some inexperienced fencers take a while to get a feel for fighting with a sword.
"Just some minor bruises (小瘀伤). The sword has a soft tip and bends, so the wounds aren't serious," Lai says.
