[ti:Nepalese Monks Compete in Long-Distance Races] [00:00.00]如果您也喜欢 恒星英语学习网 www.hxen.com 请与您的朋友分享... [00:01.48]Seven Buddhist religious workers from the village of Sindhukot in Nepal [00:07.08]are trading in their robes for running shoes. [00:11.92]They want to become ultra-marathon runners. [00:16.28]They hope that by running in long distance races they can help provide money [00:23.36]to rebuild homes destroyed by a deadly earthquake in 2015. [00:30.16]The monks train by running across the hills around their village in the Himalayas. [00:38.12]Most of them are in their early twenties. [00:42.08]They follow a firm training plan each day. [00:47.24]The monks pray in the morning before going into the hills [00:51.45]to run up to 40 kilometers each afternoon. [00:56.24]Twenty-one-year-old Man Bahadur Lama is the fastest runner of the group. [01:03.12]He said, "We found out that we can get many opportunities through running [01:09.12]and hope to do something from our monk team [01:12.48]— make a name for our village and bring development here. [01:16.88]That is why we are running." [01:20.16]Life is difficult in Sindhukot. [01:24.12]The village is about 80 kilometers from Nepal's capital Kathmandu. [01:30.29]But, like many rural communities in Nepal, [01:34.56]it feels completely disconnected from the rest of the world. [01:39.80]The closest school is a two-hour walk [01:43.00]and the only shops are in a nearby village. [01:47.48]Many Buddhist families in Nepal send at least one son to join the local monastery. [01:55.32]There, the boys are usually fed, clothed and educated. [02:01.92]This provides financial help for their parents. [02:07.24]Lama was sent away when he was only eight years old. [02:12.32]But he currently lives at home [02:14.84]because the village monastery was destroyed in the 2015 earthquake. [02:21.72]Fellow monk Mingma Lama said his duties as a monk in the community [02:26.94]have prepared him for running long distances. [02:31.40]"Every day we go up and down the hills. [02:34.60]We often have to walk far... [02:37.04]So running wasn't too hard for us," he said. [02:40.88]These Himalayan monks are not the first to take up running. [02:47.20]The so-called "marathon monks" of Mount Hiei in Japan [02:52.20]are known for running 1,000 marathons in 1,000 days. [02:58.24]But they are seeking enlightenment, not prize money. [03:04.24]Mingma Gyalbo is a member of the monastery who also organizes races nearby. [03:11.72]He told the AFP news service that the monks are talented [03:17.04]but need more support to become better. [03:21.08]He said they lack technical skills, like knowing the best foods to eat [03:26.72]and they need good running shoes. [03:30.12]Trail running and ultra-marathons are gaining popularity in Nepal. [03:37.28]The environment surrounding the Himalayas [03:40.36]is well-suited for extreme tests of human endurance. [03:45.40]Nepal now hosts several races each year, [03:49.68]including the world's highest marathon that starts at an altitude of 5,364 meters. [03:59.04]A few Nepalese runners have found success internationally. [04:05.00]One of them is Mira Rai. [04:08.12]She won the 52 kilometer Ben Nevis Ultra in Scotland in 2017. [04:15.20]She was also named the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2017. [04:22.44]The Sindhukot monks' first race was a 30 kilometer trail run in a nearby village in 2016. [04:30.72]But they have yet to win any medals. [04:34.88]Man Bahadur Lama finished tenth in their first major marathon earlier this month. [04:42.28]He missed out on winning the top prize of 100,000 rupees, or $964. [04:49.68]That amount is more than the average yearly income in Nepal. [04:55.56]Shekhar Pandey was the race organizer. [05:00.88]He said, "I was quite amazed when I first learned that these monks were running. [05:07.40]They are very self-motivated and hardworking, [05:11.04]they are training by themselves. [05:13.88]They are very young and if they train well, [05:17.24]they have good potential." [05:20.20]One of the monks, Chuldim Sampo, said the group is excited. [05:26.00]He added, "We want to show people that even monks are capable of running." [05:32.84]I'm Jonathan Evans. 如果您也喜欢 恒星英语学习网 www.hxen.com 请与您的朋友分享...