托福阅读背景知识之基普桑数字

　　Kipsang number refers to the maximum distance a person could run at theaverage pace used by Wilson Kipsang while setting the marathon world record.

　　“基普桑数字”指一个人能以威尔森·基普桑创造马拉松世界纪录时的平均步速跑出的最长距离。

　　显然，“基普桑数字”与运动员威尔森·吉普森有关，他是何许人也?在长跑方面有多牛呢?

　　Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich (born 15 March 1982) is a Kenyan athlete whospecialises in long-distance running, competing in events ranging from 10 km tothe marathon. He was the bronze medallist in the marathon at the 2012 SummerOlympics. He is the former world record holder in the marathon with a time of2:03:23, which he set at the 2013 Berlin Marathon.

　　威尔森·基普桑生于1982年3月15日，是一名肯尼亚长跑运动员。他参加的赛事从10公里长跑到马拉松级别的都有。他曾在2012年夏季奥运会中，摘得马拉松项目的铜牌。他还是马拉松项目的前世界纪录保持者，当年，他以2:03:23的成绩在2013年柏林马拉松赛上刷新了世界纪录。

　　了解了基普桑后，“基普桑数字”的由来又是什么呢?来看看造词的人是怎么说的：

　　Back when Wilson Kipsang set the world record, my running friends and Icame up with the "Kipsang number," which represented how long could you keep upwith Wilson Kipsang while he was running twenty-six miles. I am a devoted runnerand my Kipsang number is less than a mile. The average, healthy, athletic,American, twenty-two-year old varsity athlete in a sport other than trackprobably has a Kipsang number of between 400 and 800 metres. You could keep upwith him for a quarter of a mile, then you would collapse in exhaustion.

　　想当年，当威尔森·基普桑创造世界纪录时，我跑步的朋友和我一起想出了“基普桑数字”。这个词是指基普桑跑26英里时，你能跟着他跑多远。我是名跑步爱好者，我的基普桑数字是不到一公里。大多数22岁，健康、热爱运动的美国大学校队非田径项目运动员的基普桑数字，可能在400-800米之间。你可能可以跟着他跑0.25公里，然后就会精疲力尽体力不支。

　　这么看来“基普桑数字”就是一种尺度，是来衡量你以马拉松冠军同一步速能跑多远的。

　　For example:

　　What's your Kipsang number? I think I'd have 200m. Then I'd needoxygen.

　　你的“基普桑数字”是多少?我想我的是200米，然后我就需要吸氧了。