What fun it is to jump into a pool or go swimming in a river in summer！ How joyful and relaxing① it is to have a game of table tennis after a day of study at school！ And how exciting it is to play or watch a close game of basketball or volleyball！ All over the world millions of people take part in different kinds of sports. Sports are perhaps the most popular from of relaxation that almost all can enjoy， whether boys or girls， men or women， young or old.
Some people seem to think that sports and games are unimportant things that people do at times when they are not working， instead of going to the cinema， listening to the radio， or sleeping. But in fact sports and games can be of great value， especially to people who work with their brains. They could not be treated only as amusements②.
Sports and games build our bodies， prevent us from getting too fat， and keep us healthy. But these are not their only uses. They give us valuable practice in helping the eyes， brain and muscles to work together. In table tennis， the eyes see the ball coming， judge its speed and direction， and pass this information on to the brain. The brain then has to decide what to do， and sends its orders to the muscles of the arms， legs， and so on， so that the ball is met and hit back where the players wants it to go. All this must happen with great speed， and only those who had a lot of practice at table tennis can do this successfully. For those who work with their brains， the practice of such skills is especially useful.
Sports and games are also very useful for character-training. In their lessons at school， boys and girls may learn about such virtues as unselfishness， courage， discipline③ and love of one’s country， but what is learned in books cannot have the same deep effect on a child’s character as what is learned through experience. The ordinary school can not give much practical④ training in living， because most of the students’ time is spent in classes， studying lessons. So what the students do in their spare time is of great importance.
① relaxingadj. 令人松懈的，令人轻松的，轻松愉悦的
② amusementn. 娱乐，消遣，娱乐活动
③ disciplinen. 纪律，风纪，教养
④ practicaladj. 实用的，有实用价值的
体育运动与强身健体
在夏天的时候跳进游泳池或河里游泳是多么有趣啊！完成一天的学习工作后打一场乒乓球赛是多么轻松愉快啊！参加或者观看一场势均力敌的篮球赛或排球赛是多么令人兴奋啊！体育运动大概是所有人都喜欢的最普遍的令人松弛的娱乐形式，不管男孩女孩，男女老少都喜欢体育运动。
有些人似乎认为体育运动不是那么重要的事情，只是在人们不工作、不看电影、不听广播、不睡觉的时候才去参加的活动。其实，体育运动很有好处，特别是对那些脑力劳动者来说。体育运动不应该只是被当作娱乐活动来对待。
体育运动能够增强人的体质，防止我们发胖，让我们保持身体健康。但是体育运动的作用不仅仅限于这些方面，体育运动让我们的眼睛、大脑和肌肉得到锻炼，促使他们更好地协同工作。比如说，打乒乓球的时候，眼睛看到球打过来，判断其速度和方向，马上将这个信息传给大脑。接着大脑决定怎么办，立即将命令传达给手臂、大腿等处的肌肉，结果球被击回到运动员希望它着落的地方。整个过程完成得很快，只有那些训练有素的人才能做到。对那些脑力劳动者来说，这样的技巧型运动特别有用。
体育运动对人的性格培养也很有用。孩子们在课堂上也许对富有勇气、遵守纪律、热爱祖国这样的美德有所了解，但是从书本上学到的东西不可能像通过亲身体验了解到的东西那样对孩子的品质产生深刻影响。普通的学校不可能在生活方面给孩子们很多的实用技能的培训，因为他们的大部分时间都花在了功课上，所以学生们业余时间的体育运动是非常重要的。