外刊精读|贫富差距＝体育能力差距？

◆双语阅读

Over the last two decades, technology companies and policymakers warned of a “digital divide” in which poor children could fall behind their more affluent peers without equal access to technology. Today, with widespread internet access and smartphone ownership, the gap has narrowed sharply. But with less fanfare a different division has appeared: Across the country, poor children and adolescents are participating far less in sports and fitness activities than more affluent youngsters are. Call it the physical divide.

过去20年里，科技公司和政策制定者提出了“数字鸿沟”的警示，即贫困儿童因无法平等地获取技术，可能会落后于更富裕的同龄人。如今，随着互联网的普及和智能手机的普及，这一差距已大幅缩小。但另一个鸿沟悄无声息地出现了：美国全国贫困儿童和青少年参加体育和健身活动的次数远远少于富裕的青少年。我们称之为身体素质差异。

Data from multiple sources reveal a significant gap in sports participation by income level. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that 70 percent of children from families with incomes above about $105,000 — four times the poverty line — participated in sports in 2020. But participation was around 51 percent for families in a middle-income range, and just 31 percent for families at or below the poverty line.

多个来源的数据显示，不同收入水平的人们参加体育运动的量存在明显的差距。美国疾病控制和预防中心的一项研究发现，2020年，家庭收入超过10.5万美元（是贫困线的四倍）的家庭中，有70%的小孩参加了体育运动。但中等收入家庭的参与率约为51%，而贫困线以下家庭的参与率仅为31%。

A 2021 study of Seattle-area students from fifth grade through high school found that less affluent youth were less likely to participate in sports than their more affluent peers. The study also found that middle schoolers from more affluent families were three times as likely to meet physical exercise guidelines as less affluent students.

2021年对西雅图地区从五年级到高中的学生进行的一项研究发现，不太富裕的青少年比更富裕的同龄人参加体育运动的可能性更低。研究还发现，来自更富裕家庭的中学生达到体育锻炼指导标准水平的可能性是不太富裕家庭的学生的三倍。

A combination of factors is responsible. Spending cuts and changing priorities at some public schools have curtailed physical education classes and organized sports. At the same time, privatized youth sports have become a multibillion-dollar enterprise offering new opportunities — at least for families that can afford hundreds to thousands of dollars each season for club-team fees, uniforms, equipment, travel to tournaments and private coaching.

这是多种因素共同作用的结果。在一些公立学校，开支削减和优先级改变已经减少了体育课和有组织的体育活动。与此同时，青少年体育私营化已经成为一项价值达数十亿美元的业务，产生了新的机会——至少对那些可以负担得起每个赛季数百到数千美元的俱乐部球队费用、制服、设备、异地出行参赛和私人教练的家庭来说是这样。

Schools are not always filling the gap. A recent report from the Physical Activity Alliance, a nonprofit organization, gave schools nationwide a grade of D– for physical fitness. That is a downgrade from a C– in 2014, with the new grade reflecting even less access to regular physical education classes, gym time and equipment in schools. Ann Paulls-Neal, varsity track coach at Highland High, has noticed that more affluent students, with access to club sports.  She speculated about the reasons. Families couldn’t afford private sports or didn’t have cars or time to ferry their children to practice.

学校并非总是能填补这一差距。非营利组织体育活动联盟最近的一份报告，对全国学校的体能板块评分为D-。这是自2014年的C-后发生的降级，新的等级反映出在学校获得常规体育课、健身时间和健身设备的机会更少了。高地高中的校队田径教练安·保罗-尼尔注意到，更富裕的学生有机会参加俱乐部运动。她对原因进行了猜测。有些家庭负担不起私营的体育活动，或者没有车，也没有时间载孩子去训练。

本文节选自：The New York Times（纽约时报）

发布时间：2023.03.24

作者：Matt Richtel

原文标题：The Income Gap is Becoming a Physical-Activity Divide

◆词汇积累

1. fanfare

• /ˈfænfɛə/

• n.（仪式上庆祝或欢迎重要人物到场时）号角齐鸣，嘹亮短曲；大张旗鼓宣扬，热议

2. curtail

• /kɜːˈteɪl/

• v. 减缩，限制; 剪短; 剥夺……特权等

3. season

• /ˈsiːzən/

• n. 季节; (某种特殊气候的)季; (某种活动或事件发生的)时期; 体育赛季; (水果、蔬菜等的)当令期，上市期; 度假旺季，法定假期

• v. 加调料，给……调味; 给……增添趣味; 使(木材)风干，晒干(木材); 变干燥

4. varsity

•  /ˈvɑːsɪtɪ/ 

• n.大学；大学运动代表队

• adj.大学代表队的

◆词组搭配

1.physical divide 身体素质差异

◆写作句总结

Data from multiple sources reveal a significant gap in sports participation by income level.

结构：Data from multiple sources reveal a significant gap in … by income level.

多个来源的数据显示，不同收入水平的人们…明显的差距。

例句：Data from multiple sources reveal a significant gap in tourist consumption by income level.