The Rise and Growth of Rhythmic Gymnastics艺术体操的兴起与发展

You might have seen athletes gracefully bending and leaping in rhythm with melodies. This is “rhythmic gymnastics”， a sport often mistaken for artistic gymnastics. However， the two are distinct in focus and presentation.

你可能见过运动员跟随着旋律优雅地弯曲、跳跃。这就是艺术体操，一项常被误认为是竞技体操的运动。然而，两者在着重点和呈现形式上截然不同。

Artistic gymnastics focuses on strength， flexibility and balance， with athletes performing solo on various equipment. They are scored based on the difficulty of their movements， their execution of certain skills on each apparatus， and their ability to combine multiple skills into different movements. And rhythmic gymnastics emphasizes style and presentation， with athletes often performing in teams. Moving in harmony with music， they use different items like balls， hoops， ribbons and clubs. This creates a performance that looks like a dance but with athletic skills.

竞技体操注重力量、身体柔软度以及平衡性，运动员在各种器械上单独表演。他们的评分是根据动作的难度、在每个器材上某些技巧的执行度，以及将多种技巧组合成不同动作的能力而来。而艺术体操强调风格和呈现，运动员经常以团队形式表演。他们随着音乐和谐一致地舞动着，表演时会借助不同的物品，如球、环、彩带和棒子。这创造了一种看起来像是舞蹈但具有运动技巧的表演。

Another significant difference between artistic and rhythmic gymnastics is that only women are allowed to compete in major international rhythmic gymnastics events. This has been the case since the sport’s beginning. Rhythmic gymnastics dates back to 19th-century Europe and started to gain international popularity during the mid-20th century. By the 1980s， it was formally included in the Olympic Games for women. Although the sport is largely associated with female athletes， there are also men who practice rhythmic gymnastics. However， male versions of the sport have yet to receive official recognition.

竞技体操和艺术体操之间的另一个显著区别是，只有女性才可以参加主要的国际艺术体操赛事。自从这项运动诞生以来，情况就一直是如此。艺术体操可追溯至19世纪的欧洲，并在20世纪中叶开始在国际上流行。到了20世纪80年代，艺术体操正式列入女子奥运比赛项目。尽管这项运动主要与女性运动员有关，但也有男子在练习艺术体操。然而，这项运动的男性版本尚未获得官方认可。

Currently， two styles of male rhythmic gymnastics are on the rise. One of them， known as the Japanese School， is characterized by dynamic and powerful tumbling elements. While group routines don’t usually use equipment， individual routines use clubs， ropes， double rings and sticks. The Spanish School is more similar to traditional rhythmic gymnastics and has developed alongside it. Its rules mirror women’s international rhythmic gymnastics. Male rhythmic gymnastics might not be represented internationally yet， but its current growth speed suggest a promising future for the sport.

目前，两种流派的男子艺术体操正兴起。其中一种被称为日本流派，其特色是动感而有力的翻滚元素。虽然团体整套的动作不常使用器材，但个人整套的动作会用到棒、绳、双环和棍。西班牙流派与传统的艺术体操更为相近，并与其一同发展。其规则跟女子国际艺术体操很像。男子艺术体操可能还无法列入国际赛事，但其目前的增长速度显示了这项运动的未来大有可为。

Word Bank

distinct" adj. 截然不同的；有区别的

execution" n. 实行；执行；实施

apparatus" n. 仪器；器械；装置

routine" n. （演出中的）一套动作