Introduction 介绍
"My will to live completely overcame my desire to win."
“我求生的意志完全战胜了我求胜的梦想。”
That was the reaction of 19-year-old Hungarian Alfred Hajos after he won the 1200 metres freestyle at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. He won by being the first swimmer to reach shore after a boat had left everyone in the icy waters of the Mediterranean.
这就是19岁的匈牙利男子Alfred Hajos在1986年雅典首届现代奥运会赢得1200米自由泳后的反应。在小船把所有运动员放入冰冷的地中海中之后，他是第一个到岸的人，所以他得胜了。
Olympic swimming has come a long way, to temperature-controlled 50-metre pools, wave-killing gutters, lane markers designed to reduce turbulence, and status as one of the Games' glamour events. It is far removed from those early days.
奥运会游泳项目走过了一条漫长的路，
There were the venues, from the Bay of Zea in 1896, to Paris's River Seine in 1900, to a 100-metre pool constructed inside the athletics track in 1908. Then there were the events, from a 100-metre race for Greek sailors in 1896, to underwater and obstacle races in 1900, to a "plunge for distance" in 1908. That event involved a standing dive, with contestants then remaining motionless for 60 seconds, or until their heads broke the surface - whichever came first.
比赛地点从1896年的海湾到1900年巴黎的塞纳河，再到1908的100米游泳池。游泳项目从1896年希腊海员式的100米赛到1900年的水下障碍赛，再到1908年的远距离赛。
COMPETITION比赛
Women's swimming events became a regular part of the Olympic Games in 1912, and men and women now compete in 16 events each. The programme involves four different strokes across a range of distances.
女子游泳项目在1912年成为了奥运会的常规比赛项目。男子游泳和女子游泳分别各有16个比赛项目。游泳项目包括四种方式。
Freestyle races cover 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500, 10 000 metres. The 800m is for women only, the 1500m for men only. The butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke races each cover 100 and 200 metres. All four strokes are used in the 200m and 400m individual medley events.
自由泳包括50米，100米，200米，400米，800米，1500米和10 000米.其中800米只有女子项目，1500米只有男子项目。蝶泳，仰泳，蛙泳比赛只包括100米和200米比赛。个人混合泳，这四种方式都要用到，只有200米和400米项目。
The 4 x 100m freestyle, 4 x 200m freestyle and 4 x 100m medley relays complete the programme.
4 x 100米自由接力泳 ， 4 x 200米自由接力泳和4 x 100米混合泳使游泳项目更加完整了。
Each race has a maximum of eight swimmers. Preliminary heats in the 50m, 100m and 200m lead to semi-finals and finals based on the fastest times. In relays and individual events of 400 metres or more, the eight fastest finishers in the preliminaries advance directly to the finals.
每次比赛运动员不能超过八人，先参加50米，100米，200米预赛然后再参加半决赛和决赛。比赛成绩取最快的那一次。 在400米接力，400个人项目或者更多项目中，预赛中成绩位于前入名的选手可直接进入决赛。
