牙买加的秘密

Jamaican secrets

New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">from August 19, 2008 China Daily

牙买加人的秘密

New Zealand's biggest free-to-air broadcaster TVNZ said the explanations for Jamaica's success in producing the fastest man and three fastest women at the Olympics range from the power of root vegetables to the study of genes.

新西兰最大的免费广播电视公司TVNZ说，牙买加之所以能在 奥运会上产生跑得最快的男运动员和3个女运动员，其解释从根类蔬菜的魔力到基因研究不一而足。

Jamaica, an island of 2.6 million people, has made remarkable achievements on the tracks of Beijing's Bird's Nest and let the yellow, green and black flag fly with pride.

牙买加，是一个260万人口的岛国，在北京鸟巢的田径赛场上取得了举世瞩目的成绩，让他们黄、绿和黑色相间的国旗熤熤生辉。

Once known for being the land of laid-back reggae culture, Jamaica's athletes are giving their country a new image as the island of power and pace and many are asking the question - why?

"It's part of the natural ability of Jamaicans," Jamaican Sports Minister Olivia Grange told Reuters when asked the question recently.

牙买家曾以其悠闲的瑞格舞文化闻名，牙买加运动员给他们的国创造了一 个全新的形象—力量和步伐。许多人问，为什么呢？

“这部分源于牙买加人的天份。”当最近被问到这个问题时，牙买加体育部长奥里沃告诉路透社说，

Men's 100-meter gold medalist Usain Bolt's father credited the local yam for his son's success and while that might raise smiles there are many on the Caribbean island who believe their diet - full of root vegetables and herbs - is behind the pace of their youth.

男子100米金牌得主博尔特的父亲把 儿子成功归功于当地的红薯，尽管这会引人发笑，他相信因为他们的食物基本上是根类植物和草本植物，这就是当地年轻跑得快的原因。

The popularly held idea among Jamaicans that they are born quick has been given some academic support by Professor Errol Morrison of the island's University of Technology.

牙买加人普遍认为他们天生跑得快得到了他们岛内的科技大学埃尔.莫里森授的理论支持。

Morrison told the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper that research conducted with the University of Glasgow has identified a special component, called Actinen A, found in the "fast twitch fibres" in muscles.

莫里森告诉牙买加格宁那报说，一项由格拉斯哥大学实施的研究已经证明在肌肉的“快速启动纤维”有一种称为肌动蛋白A的特殊成份。

Morrison says the gene is present in a disproportionately high number of Jamaicans and others of West African descent.

"What it says to us is what is happening is not a flash in the pan, but there will be many potential Asafa Powells, Sherone Simpsons and Sherikas (Sherika Williams), because the genetic predisposition is there," he added.

莫里森说这种基因大量存在于牙买加人身上，而其他西非人则相对很少。他又说：“这么说来所有发生的这一切对我们来说并不是昙花一现，而将来会有更多的阿萨法鲍威尔，沙龙辛普森，沙拉克威兼姆斯，因为具有这种基因。”

"The question is always there. What is it, nature or nurture, that makes us so good? The answer seems to be coming that there seems to be a strong underlying genetic or nature predisposition as to why we are able to perform like this." There is also the power of tradition - athletics has long had strong roots in Jamaica.

“总会有人问，究竟是什么，天性条件或是后天培养，使我们如此优秀呢？至于我们能够做得这样好，其答案似乎在于一种强大的未知的基因和先天优势。”另外还在于强大的传统力量，体育运动在牙买加源远流长。

Arthur Wint won the 100 metres gold medal at the 1948 Games, the first the country had entered while still a British colony, and Herb McKenley won four medals from 1948 to 1952 and later Merlene Ottey enjoyed success throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

亚瑟温特赢得1948年100米金牌，这是这个国家第一次参加（奥运会），当时它还是一个英国殖民地，哈博迈克科林从1948年至1952年先后获得4块奖牌，至后来的默林欧蒂从20世纪80年代至90年代一直享受着成功的喜悦。

"I think it's a combination of factors," Jamaican athletics chief Howard Aris told Reuters."We have the tradition from way back, from 1948. We have the talent, we have the certified coaches. From the very early stages, they are taught the right things - how to eat, how to train, how to sprint."

牙买加体育运动主席霍华德亚里斯告诉路透社，“我想是几种因素综合的结果，我们从1948年开始就有这个传统。我们有这个天分，我们有正规的教练。从最早的阶段开始，他们就受到正确的教导，如何吃，如何思考，如何奔跑。”

Whatever may be pushing Jamaicans to run fast - it is certainly working in Beijing.

无论是什么使牙买加人跑得快---它确定无疑地在北京发挥了作用。