The Rise and Growth of Rhythmic Gymnastics藝術體操的興起與發展

You might have seen athletes gracefully bending and leaping in rhythm with melodies. This is “rhythmic gymnastics”， a sport often mistaken for artistic gymnastics. However， the two are distinct in focus and presentation.

你可能見過運動員跟隨著旋律優雅地彎曲、跳躍。這就是藝術體操，一項常被誤認為是競技體操的運動。然而，兩者在著重點和呈現形式上截然不同。

Artistic gymnastics focuses on strength， flexibility and balance， with athletes performing solo on various equipment. They are scored based on the difficulty of their movements， their execution of certain skills on each apparatus， and their ability to combine multiple skills into different movements. And rhythmic gymnastics emphasizes style and presentation， with athletes often performing in teams. Moving in harmony with music， they use different items like balls， hoops， ribbons and clubs. This creates a performance that looks like a dance but with athletic skills.

競技體操注重力量、身體柔軟度以及平衡性，運動員在各種器械上單獨表演。他們的評分是根據動作的難度、在每個器材上某些技巧的執行度，以及將多種技巧組合成不同動作的能力而來。而藝術體操強調風格和呈現，運動員經常以團隊形式表演。他們隨著音樂和諧一致地舞動著，表演時會借助不同的物品，如球、環、彩帶和棒子。這創造了一種看起來像是舞蹈但具有運動技巧的表演。

Another significant difference between artistic and rhythmic gymnastics is that only women are allowed to compete in major international rhythmic gymnastics events. This has been the case since the sport’s beginning. Rhythmic gymnastics dates back to 19th-century Europe and started to gain international popularity during the mid-20th century. By the 1980s， it was formally included in the Olympic Games for women. Although the sport is largely associated with female athletes， there are also men who practice rhythmic gymnastics. However， male versions of the sport have yet to receive official recognition.

競技體操和藝術體操之間的另一個顯著區別是，只有女性才可以參加主要的國際藝術體操賽事。自從這項運動誕生以來，情況就一直是如此。藝術體操可追溯至19世紀的歐洲，并在20世紀中葉開始在國際上流行。到了20世紀80年代，藝術體操正式列入女子奧運比賽項目。盡管這項運動主要與女性運動員有關，但也有男子在練習藝術體操。然而，這項運動的男性版本尚未獲得官方認可。

Currently， two styles of male rhythmic gymnastics are on the rise. One of them， known as the Japanese School， is characterized by dynamic and powerful tumbling elements. While group routines don’t usually use equipment， individual routines use clubs， ropes， double rings and sticks. The Spanish School is more similar to traditional rhythmic gymnastics and has developed alongside it. Its rules mirror women’s international rhythmic gymnastics. Male rhythmic gymnastics might not be represented internationally yet， but its current growth speed suggest a promising future for the sport.

目前，兩種流派的男子藝術體操正興起。其中一種被稱為日本流派，其特色是動感而有力的翻滾元素。雖然團體整套的動作不常使用器材，但個人整套的動作會用到棒、繩、雙環和棍。西班牙流派與傳統的藝術體操更為相近，并與其一同發展。其規則跟女子國際藝術體操很像。男子藝術體操可能還無法列入國際賽事，但其目前的增長速度顯示了這項運動的未來大有可為。

Word Bank

distinct" adj. 截然不同的；有區別的

execution" n. 實行；執行；實施

apparatus" n. 儀器；器械；裝置

routine" n. （演出中的）一套動作