Have you ever dreamed of using an entire city as your training ground, effortlessly moving across walls, buildings, stairs, and obstacles? This is not just a fantasy from the movies. In cities around the world, a group of enthusiasts practice this seemingly impossible sport — “parkour.”
The origins of parkour can be traced back to 20th-century France. A military officer named Georges-Hebert witnessed the incredible physical abilities of local residents in Africa, which inspired him to create the Methode Naturelle, or natural method. This training method cleverly combined climbing, running, and swimming with artificial barriers to mimic nature. Later, David Belle evolved this into parkour as we know it today. His father, Raymond, crucially influenced its development and taught David that with total conviction, anything is possible.
At its core, parkour is about overcoming obstacles in an environment while developing one’s capabilities. Basic movements include running, jumping, climbing, and rolling. However, parkour is not limited to fixed moves. Practitioners, commonly called traceurs, can develop unique skills based on the environment and their personal abilities. In addition, safety is always a top priority in parkour. Beginners should learn gradually under professional guidance and avoid risky moves done for mere excitement.
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The charm of parkour lies not in the flashy moves or the display of high-difficulty skills. Its true essence is that every jump and climb is a challenge and a breakthrough for self-belief.
你是否曾經夢想過把整個城市當作一個大訓練場，輕鬆地在牆壁、建築、樓梯、障礙物間自由穿梭？這並非只存在於電影中的幻想。在世界各地的城市中，有一群熱衷此道的人練習著這項看似不可能的運動─跑酷。
跑酷的起源可追溯至20世紀的法國。當時一位名叫喬治．赫伯的軍官在非洲見證了當地居民的驚人體能，啟發他建立了一套全新訓練方法，叫做大自然訓練法。這種訓練法巧妙地結合了攀爬、奔跑、游泳等技能，並透過人工設置的障礙物來模擬自然環境。這套方法後來被大衛．貝爾發展成現今所知的跑酷。大衛的父親，雷蒙德．貝爾，對跑酷的發展有著至關重要的影響，並教導大衛只要有絕對的信念，任何事情都有可能。
跑酷的核心在於克服環境中的障礙，同時培養自身的能力。基本動作包括跑、跳、攀爬和翻滾等。然而，跑酷並不侷限於固定的招式。從事跑酷活動的人可以根據環境和個人能力發展獨特的技巧。此外，安全永遠是跑酷的首要考量。初學者應該在專業指導下循序漸進地學習，避免為了追求刺激而冒險嘗試危險動作。
跑酷的魅力不在於浮誇的動作或是高難度的技巧呈現。它的真諦在於每一次跳躍和攀爬都是對自我信念的一次挑戰和突破。
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flashy adj. 艷俗的；浮華的
KEY VOCABULARY
1. effortlessly adv. 毫不費力地；輕鬆地
Bradley swung at the baseball and effortlessly hit it high into the sky.
布萊德利揮動球棒擊球，毫不費力地擊中球，使它高高地飛向天空。
2. be traced back to 追溯到……
Robert’s fear of water can be traced back to an accident in which he almost drowned.
羅伯特對水的恐懼可以追溯到他差點溺水的事故。
3. artificial adj. 人工的；人造的
These are artificial flowers; that’s why they don’t have any scent. 這些是人造花；這就是為什麼它們沒有任何氣味。
4. mimic vt. 模仿；模擬
My parrot can mimic my phone’s ringtone perfectly. He fools me every time he does it!
我的鸚鵡可以完美地模仿我的手機鈴聲。每次他這麼做都會騙到我！
5. practitioner n. 從事特定活動或職業的人
Camilla has been a practitioner of karate since she was five, and now she’s at the master level.
卡蜜拉從五歲開始當空手道家，而今她是大師級。
6. guidance n. 指導；引導
The students looked to their teacher for guidance on how to complete the project.
學生們向他們的老師尋求有關如何完成專案的指導。
7. risky adj. 有風險的；冒險的
It could be risky to do business with Bruce; he was caught lying about his taxes recently.
與布魯斯一起做生意可能有風險；他最近被抓到在稅務上作假。
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