Viewers of the Tokyo Olympics are apparently a little baffled by the behavior of athletes in the diving events.

观看东京奥运会跳水比赛的观众们肯定都对参赛选手的行为困惑不解。
 

Baffle：困惑，迷惑不解
 

Divers typically emerge from the water after a plunge and immediately take a quick shower by the side of the pool – even though they are already wet. Then they dry themselves off with little towels – even though they will get wet again on their next dive.

跳水运动员在跳入水池后通常都会从水中出来并会立刻在泳池旁边的淋浴下面冲淋一小会儿-哪怕他们全身已经湿透了。然后，他们会用一块小毛巾把自己擦干-哪怕他们在进行下一轮跳水时还是会浑身湿透。
 

“Why do divers shower after each dive?” has been one of the top Google searches about the Olympics in the past week.

为什么跳水运动员会在每次跳水后淋浴？这是谷歌上周有关奥运会的搜索量最高的问题之一。

Attila KisbenedekAFP/Getty Images
 

So yes, why? As the platform diving events continue this week, we spoke to Jacob Brehmer, diving coach for Ball State University in Indiana, for some answers.

那么，答案是什么呢？由于本周跳台跳水项目还在继续，我们向Jacob Brehmer，印第安纳波尔州立大学的跳水教练请教了相关问题的答案。

platform diving：跳台跳水
 

Why divers shower

为什么跳水运动后会淋浴
 

According to Brehmer, the answer comes down to one thing.

据Brehmer介绍，答案只有一点。
 

“Divers shower in between dives typically just to keep themselves and their muscles warm,” he says. They usually rinse off in water that’s warmer than the pool.

“跳水运动员在每次跳水之间淋浴往往是为了让自己和自己的肌肉保持温暖，”他说。他们通常会冲洗身体，淋浴的水要比泳池的水温暖。
 

Indoor diving pools like the one at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre must maintain water temperatures of at least 26 degrees Celsius (78.8 degrees Fahrenheit), according to FINA, the governing body thats sets rules for international water sports competitions.

根据国际泳联（FINA）--负责制定国际水上运动比赛规则的官方机构的规定，室内跳水池，比如东京游泳中心的跳水池的水温必须至少保持在26摄氏度（78.8华氏度）。
 

“Usually after a diver does a dive, they will have to wait a good amount of time before their next dive,” Brehmer says. “The … air temperature on the pool deck may be a little chilly, so the shower can help keep muscles warm. Diving is such a precise and fast-twitch sport, if the diver gets a little cold and tight, it could really affect their performance.”

“一般跳水运动员在完成跳水动作后并在进行下一轮跳水之前他们需要等很长时间，”Brehmer表示。“游泳池边的温度也许会冷一些，因此淋浴可以使肌肉保持温暖。跳水是一项要求精确并快速收缩身体的运动，如果跳水运动员稍微有点冷并且肌肉处于紧绷状态，那么他们的表现就会受到影响。”
 

Why they use tiny towels

为什么会用小毛巾
 

Staying warm is also one of the reasons swimmers and divers use tiny towels called chamois – pronounced “shammy” – at major events.

游泳队员和跳水运动员在重要的赛事中使用小毛巾的一个原因是使自己保持温暖。
 

The towels are portable and extremely water absorbent, allowing the divers to dry off quickly and stay warm, Brehmer says.

毛巾可以随身携带并且吸水性非常好，这样跳水运动员就可以快速擦干身体并保持温暖，Brehmer表示。
 

Remaining dry also means safer – and more competitive – dives.

保持干燥也意味着跳水会更加安全-也更加具有竞争力。
 

“When the divers are flipping through the air, they are grabbing onto their legs and squeezing very tight,” he says. “If their legs are wet, then there’s a good possibility that … their hands will slip off their legs and they will come out of the dive early – which could result in injury and almost always lower scores.”

“当跳水运动员在空中迅速翻转时，他们会抓住双腿并会紧紧抱住身体”，他说。“如果运动员的双腿是湿的，那么运动员就很有可能因为太滑而无法抱住双腿并过早打开身体-这会导致运动员受伤并往往会拉低分数。”
 

Why they tape their bodies

为什么在身体上缠绷带
 

Olympic divers perform mind-blowing acrobatics into deep pools at high velocity, and keeping their muscles healthy is a crucial part of their success.

奥运会跳水运动员会在高速下降的过程中做复杂的跳水动作，使肌肉保持健康是成功的关键。
 

Any stress in muscle movement can lead to drastic results. That’s another reason some divers wear tape on their knees, back or shoulders.

任何肌肉运动的压力都会导致意料之外的结果。这也是为什么有些跳水运动员会在膝盖、后背或肩膀上缠上绷带。
 

It’s similar to the tape worn by beach volleyball players, tennis players and other athletes.

同样，沙滩排球、网球和其他运动员也会缠上类似的绷带。
 

“Basically it just provides a little extra support and can relieve pain in muscles, joints and ligaments,” Brehmer says.

“绷带通常会提供一些额外的支撑并会缓解肌肉、关节和韧带部位的疼痛，”Brehmer表示。

To relieve pain: 缓解疼痛
 

In a highly competitive sport where the tiniest edge may mean the difference between a medal and finishing sixth, many athletes are leaving nothing to chance.

在一项竞争非常激烈的比赛中，哪怕是极其微小的差距也会导致结果相差十万八千里，所以许多运动员都会力求万无一失。

leave nothing to chance：万无一失、四平八稳，绝不留任何纰漏






来源：CNN     编辑整理：译锐翻译