--Shi Pu
(Librarian of Hangzhou Public Library)
Recently, "You Only Live Once" premiered during the Chinese New Year film festival. Director Jia Ling portrays boxer Le Ying in the film, and loses weight and gains muscle for the character. During the process, she gradually realize that life is fleeting, and to truly appreciate it, one must prioritize self-improvement.
The film's inspiring message has resonated with many, prompting them to join gyms and begin their own fitness journeys in the New Year.
What defines sports? For many of us, the immediate response might be, "Isn't sports just about running, jumping, playing ball, and exercising?" However, a closer look at domestic sports textbooks, whether it's "Introduction to Sports" or "Principles of Sports," reveals a more nuanced understanding. These texts often describe sports as a complex social and cultural activity, utilizing physical exercise as its fundamental means. The overarching goal is to comprehensively enhance physical fitness, promote athletic ability, improve quality of life, and so on.
Sports encompass a wide spectrum, including physical fitness activities, various sports disciplines, leisure and entertainment pursuits, physical education, and economic consumption. Despite the frequent use of the term "sports" in daily life, there are notable distinctions between what we commonly perceive as "sports."
Modern sports, characterized by standardization and uniformity, trace their origins back to the athletic competitions of ancient Greece, as detailed in the book "Sport in Capitalist Society : A Short History ", which I recommend today.
Why not take some time out of your fitness routine to delve into this book? Explore how sports have evolved and been shaped over the past two centuries. This book is not large in volume, but it has a high concentration of academic knowledge. Readers can reflect on the subtle connections between sports and race, class, gender, and media in their review of the development process of sports.
ISBN： 978-7-302-45863-0
