The world’s youngest nation will send three athletes to compete in this year’s summer games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
世界上成立时间最短的国家将派三名运动员前往巴西里约热内卢参加今年的夏季奥运会。
Runner Santino Kenyi, 16, will compete in the 1500 meter race.
16岁的长跑运动员桑提诺·肯伊将参加1500米比赛。
"I really feel proud and I’m really very happy for the first time as we are representing our nation," said Kenyi, who knows he is making history for his country.
“第一次代表我们的国家参赛,我觉得非常骄傲和高兴。”知道自己将为祖国创造历史的肯伊如是说。
Although this is the first time South Sudan has sent an official team, it’s not the first time a South Sudanese has competed in an Olympic games.
虽然这是南苏丹第一次正式派队参加奥运会,但却不是南苏丹人第一次参加奥运会。
In 2012, South Sudanese runner Guor Mading Maker took 47th in the marathon at the London summer games. But he ran under an Olympic flag because South Sudan wasn’t yet recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
2012年,南苏丹长跑选手古尔·梅丁·梅克在伦敦奥运会上获得了马拉松比赛的第47名。不过他当时是在奥运旗下跑的,因为当时国际奥委会还没有正式承认南苏丹。
Maker will return to the Olympics this year. Also going to Rio is Margret Rumat Rumar Hassan, who will run the 200 meter race.
梅克今年还会参加奥运会。一起前往里约的还有将会参加200米比赛的玛格丽特·卢马特·卢马尔·哈桑。
Five more South Sudanese athletes will compete as part of the first ever team of refugees.
另外五名南苏丹运动员将在首次作为难民代表队成员参赛。
Kenyi said they are collectively paving the way for future South Sudanese competitors.
肯伊说,他们将共同为以后的南苏丹选手开路。
"We are glad that next time also the new generation who are coming will also represent. It’s like we are just like we are opening the door," he said.
“我们很高兴看到以后会有新人代表我们的国家,就好像我们把这扇门打开了一样。”他说。
Kenyi’s journey to the Olympics hasn’t been easy. South Sudan has experienced civil war since 2013, with tens of thousands killed.
肯伊的奥运之旅并不是一帆风顺的。自2013年以来南苏丹就开始经历内战,数万人丧生。
While millions have fled the country, Kenyi has continued training in the capital Juba, even when fighting breaks out on the city’s streets. "I was training with the war. People were fighting and I’m training."
好几百万人已经逃离了这个国家,但是肯伊还坚持在首都朱巴训练,就算是街道上打仗了也没停过。“我是在战争中训练的。人们在打仗,而我在训练。”
Kenyi said he’s heard so many gunshots they no longer bother him. "This thing has been happening here several times, and gun is now easy for me also because it is always happening."
肯伊说,他听过很多次枪声,都已经习以为常了。“这样的事发生过太多次了,对我来说枪是很平常的,因为经常发生。”
Kenyi said he instead struggles with more prosaic challenges in the underdeveloped country where there are few roads or other infrastructure.
肯伊说,他倒是经常被一些稀松平常的小事所困扰,比如说这些欠发达国家里的道路和其它基础设施都非常少。
"We have no good field, and secondly also we have no facility for training ... We are supposed to train in high altitude and Juba here we have low altitude so it is a bit hard for us," he said.
“我们没有好的场地,其次,我们也没有训练器材……我们本应该在高纬度的地方训练,可是朱巴的纬度太低,所以这对我们来说有点困难。”他说。
Challenges aside, Kenyi believed sport is one way to unite his broken nation. The war has deeply divided South Sudan along ethnic lines.
除了挑战,肯伊相信体育是把他支离破碎的祖国团结起来的方法之一。战争已经让南苏丹的不同种族严重地对立了起来。
"My message to my fellow South Sudanese, my brothers and sisters who are outside, is let us be united and let us be together, let’s together we can build this nation and let us be united, we carry the flag of South Sudan for peace."
“我想对我们南苏丹人、以及所有在外的兄弟姐妹说一句:让我们团结起来,我们就能重建这个国家;让我们团结起来,我们就能让和平的旗帜在南苏丹上空飘扬。”
Despite athletes like Kenyi, peace remains elusive in South Sudan.
除了肯伊这样的运动员,和平在南苏丹也是非常少见的。
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