Chinese National Fencing Team -- Marches to the Peking 2008 Olympic Games
中国国家击剑队剑指零八北京奥运
Swordis a holy thing in ancient times. It is the father of the short weapons and the weapon for hand-to-hand fight. Because of its convenience for carrying, grace for wearing, swiftness in application, the emperors and nobles in different dynasties, the merchants and the common people are all proud of holding a sword. The Chinese sworld culture is descended from the ancient times with a long history and a profound knowledge. However, what enjoys the most popularity on modern Olympic area is the dangerous and exciting, mysterious and graceful Western sword, which was popular in the main European countries in the Middle Ages.
剑，古之圣品。乃短兵之祖，近搏之器。因其携之轻便，佩之神采，用之迅捷，故历朝王公帝侯，文士侠客，商贾庶民，莫不以持之为荣。中国的剑文化承古自今，源远流长，博大精深。可是，在现代奥林匹克竞技场上流行的却是中世纪在欧洲主要国家大行其道的西洋剑术，惊险刺激、神秘典雅。
Going west along the Chang'an Street and Shijingshan Street, Lao Hill is on the North side of the road. The peaks of the hill rise up one upon another peacefully and they are quite different from the streets a step away, which are full fo the endless steams of horses and vehicles. It seems the hill and streets are living in two worlds. The supreme headquarters of the Chinese "modern chivalrous swordsmen" is among the peaks.
顺着北京长安街延伸出去的石景山大街一路向西，老山依靠在路的北边。山势起伏，层峦叠嶂，分外静谧，与数步之遥外车水马龙的大街比起来恍如隔世。
Last Gold Medal is the Matter Happened 24 Years Ago
金牌一别24年
The present leader of the Chinese fencing team, Wang Jian, is also a famous swordsman. He retired in the 80s of last century but he never gives up fencing. Then he recalls the history of Chinese fencing, the most successful time is no more than the year 1984 when Luan Jujie attained the gold medal in the Olympics. Wang jian said,"then I hadn't come to work in the Fencing Center. I was a college teacher." Wang Jian recalls with great emotions, "but since then there has been no breakthrough at all at the Olympic Games for so many years."
中国国家击剑队现任领队王健同样也是名剑客出身，上世纪80年代初退出江湖，但一直没有离开击剑。回顾起中国击剑的历史，最辉煌的时候莫过于1984年栾菊杰在奥运会上剑挑一金。王健说：“那个时候我还没有来击剑中心工作，当时还在大学里当老师。”王健回顾起以前的事情颇多感概，“但是从那之后一直这么多年在奥运会上都没能有所突破。”
After Wang JIan came to work in the Fencing Association, Tan Xue has once got a gold medal in the World Championship. The Chinese team competed for the gold medal in the Olympics for several times but every time, they failed with an error of the breath of a single hair. Especially at the Athens Olympics the Chinese foilmen-"the three chivalrous swordsmen", got the Silver Medal that was no less outstanding than the Gold Medal. But it is still a pity. "Now all the efforts of the team are going around the Peking 2008 Olympic Games. When I think that it has been already 24 years since the gold medal got at the last Olympics. It is time to have another one."
王健来到击剑协会工作之后，谭雪曾经取得过一块世锦赛金牌，在奥运会中几次冲击金牌都差之毫厘。特别是在雅典奥运会上中国男子花剑“三剑客”那枚成色不输金牌的银牌最让人惋惜，“现在队里所有的工作都在围绕2008年北京奥运会而展开，想想距离上次奥运会上拿金牌已经是整整24年了，也该再拿块金牌了。”
Worries about Fencing
忧心重重话击剑
Although the Chinese National Team has got gold medals in the World Fencing Championship, there is no joyful expression on the face of the leader, Wang Jian. And perhaps at this moment he is thinking about the Peking 2008 Olympic Games. Among the six fencing sports Men's and Women's fail fencing, Men's and Women's epee fencing and Men's and Women's Saber Fencing, Chinese National Team has its advantages in Men's Foil Fencing, Women's epee Fencing and Women' Saber Fencing. But in early 2006, the World Olympic Committee cancelled the two games Men's Foil Fencing and Women's epee Fencing. Only Wang Jian knows clearly about the situation of the Chinese swordsmen. He says,"The strength of the girls in the women's epee fencing are equal. So they are suitable to fight in-group. In personal competition, no one has the certainty to win. So it's better to make them try. Men's foil fencing team has several new members since Wan Haibing and the others retired. And their strength is equal, too and they are lack of experiences and psychological quality. About Women's saber fencing only Tan Xue stands head and shoulders above others and she fights a lone battle."
虽然中国国家击剑队曾在世界击剑锦标赛上夺得过金牌，可是在领队王健的脸上却看不出任何喜悦的表情，也许在他心里想的是2008年的北京奥运会。男女花剑、男女重剑、男女佩剑共6个剑种中，中国队实力较强的是男子花剑、女子重剑和女子佩剑，但是2006年初国际奥委会却把男子花剑团体和女子重剑团体这两个单项取消了。对于中国剑客们的处境，王健比谁都清楚，“女子重剑方面几名队员实力比较平均，比较适合打团体，如果打个人的话谁也没有把握，只能让她们自己去冲；男子花剑自从王海滨他们退了之后，新上来的几名年轻队员，实力也相当，但还欠缺经验，心理素质还不行；而女子佩剑只有谭雪一枝独秀，孤军奋战。”
Still in the Adapting Period with the Foreign Coach
与外国教练尚在磨合期
Under the pressure of the Peking 2008 Olympic games, many sports employ the excellent foreign coaches. Fencing team is no exception. In August 2006, the French coach Boreal joined in Chinese Fencing team and was in charge of Chinese Men and Women's saber fencing. Though Boreal had not worked long in China, the 50-year old French old man had made effective improvement to the daily training of the swordsmen.
面对北京奥运会的压力，很多项目都请来了外国高水平教练，击剑队也不例外。2006年8月刚刚上任的法国教练鲍埃尔就在这样的情况下加盟了中国击剑队，负责中国男女佩剑的指导工作。鲍埃尔上任虽然时间不长，与队员们还处在磨合期，但是这位50岁的法国老头儿已经对队员们平时的训练进行了一些有效的改进。
Challenges for the young coaches
少帅当家挑战不少
Behind the fact that the Chinese Fencing team got two gold medals and one bronze in the Fencing World Championship there is a common feature that the coaches are all young ones who have just taken up the office for less then one year. Zhao Gang, chief coach of Women's epee fencing, Xiao Jian, chief coach of Men's epee fencing have taken up the office after the 10th National Games 2005 and the chief coach of Men's foil fencing more late. "Three young coaches take over the team directly from their retirement from the athletes. But many years fighting make them rich in commanding on the spot."
2006年的击剑世锦赛中国队取得两金一铜3枚奖牌的背后，有一个共同的特点，主教练都是新上任不到一年的少帅。女子重剑主教练赵刚、男子重剑主教练肖剑在2005年十运会后走马上任，而名气最大的男子花剑主教练王海滨任职的时间更晚。“3名少帅都是直接从运动员的位子上退下来接手运动队的，多年征战使得他们在临场指挥上经验丰富。”
Wish wholeheartedly the Chinese National Fencing Team a graceful bearing and another success on the Peking 2008 Olympic Games.
衷心祝愿中国国家击剑队能够在2008年的北京奥运会上一展风采，再创辉煌。
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