文章介绍了竞走运动的特点、健身优势、与跑步的热量消耗及冲击力差异，同时指出该运动对身体部位的压力和参与前的注意事项。
Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.
研究表明，竞走和跑步在健身方面有许多益处相似，而且很可能造成更少的损伤。不过，它也有自身的问题。
Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport’s rules require that a race walker’s knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact (接触) with the ground at all times. It’s this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.
竞走运动员是经过训练的运动员。夏季奥运会中最长的田径项目是50公里竞走，比马拉松大约长5英里。但这项运动的规则要求，竞走运动员在大部分腿部摆动过程中膝盖要保持伸直，并且任何时候都要有一只脚与地面保持接触。然而，马萨诸塞州塞勒姆州立大学运动科学助理教授杰克林·诺伯格说，正是这种奇怪的形式让竞走成为一项极具吸引力的运动。
Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says, According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories(卡路里) per hour, which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,000 or more calories per hour.
她说，和跑步一样，竞走对体能要求很高。根据大多数计算，以每小时6英里的速度竞走的运动员每小时大约会燃烧800卡路里，这大约是普通步行所燃烧热量的两倍，尽管比跑步少，跑步每小时大概会燃烧1000卡路里甚至更多。
However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.
不过，诺伯格博士说，竞走对身体的冲击不像跑步那么大。根据她的研究，跑步者每一步落地时承受的冲击力高达自身体重的四倍，而竞走者由于脚不离地，每一步承受的冲击力大约只有自身体重的1.4倍。
As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner’s knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport’s strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.
因此，她说，一些与跑步相关的损伤，比如跑步膝，在竞走运动员中并不常见。但这项运动奇怪的形式确实会给脚踝和臀部带来相当大的压力，所以有过此类损伤病史的人在参与这项运动时可能需要谨慎。事实上，她说，任何想尝试竞走的人可能都应该先咨询教练或有经验的竞走运动员，学习正确的技巧。这需要一些练习。
一、重点词汇
1. share /ʃeə(r)/ v. 分享；共有
2. benefit /ˈbenɪfɪt/ n. 益处；v. 有益于
3. injury /ˈɪndʒəri/ n. 损伤；伤害
4. condition /kənˈdɪʃn/ v. 训练；使适应；n. 条件
5. athlete /ˈæθliːt/ n. 运动员
6. event /ɪˈvent/ n. 赛事；事件
7. require /rɪˈkwaɪə(r)/ v. 要求
8. straight /streɪt/ adj. 直的
9. swing /swɪŋ/ n. 摆动；v. 摆动
10. contact /ˈkɒntækt/ n. 接触；v. 接触
11. attractive /əˈtræktɪv/ adj. 有吸引力的
12. physically /ˈfɪzɪkli/ adv. 身体上地
13. demand /dɪˈmɑːnd/ v. 要求；需要
14. calculation /ˌkælkjuˈleɪʃn/ n. 计算
15. pace /peɪs/ n. 速度；步伐
16. approximately /əˈprɒksɪmətli/ adv. 大约
17. pound /paʊnd/ v. 连续重击；猛击
18. associate /əˈsəʊʃieɪt/ v. 联系；关联
19. uncommon /ʌnˈkɒmən/ adj. 不常见的
20. considerable /kənˈsɪdərəbl/ adj. 相当大的
二、重点短语与固定搭配
1. share...with... 与……分享……
2. contribute to 导致；有助于
3. at all times 始终；一直
4. such as 例如
5. be cautious in doing sth. 做某事要谨慎
6. in fact 事实上
7. learn proper technique 学习正确的技巧
8. take some practice 需要一些练习
9. at a pace of 以……的速度
10. burn calories 燃烧卡路里
11. hit the ground 落地
12. wish to do sth. 希望做某事
13. try doing sth. 尝试做某事
14. remain in contact with 与……保持接触
15. physical demanding 对体能要求高
16. twice as many as 是…… 的两倍
17. as much as 多达
18. body weight 体重
19. as a result 因此，结果
20. be associated with 与…… 相关联
21. place stress on 给…… 带来压力
22. a history of …… 的病史 / 经历
