Second Best in the World, but Still Saying Sorry 1.

apologized profusely: xin

At the Tokyo Olympics, Japanese athletes who fell short of gold have lỗi một cách mãnh liệt, dữ
apologized profusely — sometimes, even after winning silver. dội
TOKYO — Kenichiro Fumita was crying so hard that he could barely get the 2. return my gratitude: đáp lại
words out.
vớ i lòng biết ơn
“I wanted to return my gratitude to the concerned people and volunteers who 3. bob: cử động lên xuống
are running the Olympics during this difficult time,” Mr. Fumita, a Greco-  bob one’s head: cúi lên, cúi
Roman wrestler, said between sobs after finishing his final bout at the Games xuống
this week. 4. abjectly: một cách đáng
thương
“I ended up with this shameful result,” he said, bobbing his head abjectly. 5. wrenching: quặn lòng
“I’m truly sorry.” 6. weep: khóc
7. lament: than phiền, buồn bã
Mr. Fumita, 25, had just won a silver medal. 8. reflect an absurdly
unforgiving metric of
In what has become a familiar — and, at times, wrenching — sight during the
Tokyo Olympics, many Japanese athletes have wept through post-competition
success: phản ánh một thướ c
interviews, apologizing for any result short of gold. Even some who had won a đo thành công khắc nghiệt
medal, like Mr. Fumita, lamented that they had let down their team, their một cách ngớ ngẩn
supporters, even their country. 9. the emotionally charged
displays of repentance:
Apologizing for being second best in the world would seem to reflect an nhữ ng biểu hiện đầy sự hối
absurdly unforgiving metric of success. But for these athletes competing in cải
their home country, the emotionally charged displays of repentance — which repentance: sự hối cải, hối lỗi
often follow pointed questions from the Japanese news media — can represent emotionally charged: đầy cảm
an intricate mix of regret, gratitude, obligation and humility. xúc
10. intricate: phứ c tạp
“If you don’t apologize for only getting silver, you might be criticized,” said
Takuya Yamazaki, a sports lawyer who represents players’ unions in Japan. 11. obligation: nghĩa vụ
12. Humility: sự khiêm tốn
From an early age, Japanese athletes “are not really supposed to think like they 13. deeply rooted mind-set:
are playing sports for themselves,” Mr. Yamazaki said. “Especially in childhood, cách suy nghĩ đã ăn sâu, lâu
there are expectations from adults, teachers, parents or other senior people. So đờ i
it’s kind of a deeply rooted mind-set.” 14. compound sth: làm xấu
thêm cái gì
The expectations placed on the athletes have been compounded by the 15. Deliver sth: to produce or
coronavirus pandemic, which made the Olympics deeply unpopular with the provide what people expect
Japanese public before the events began. Many may feel more pressure than
you to.
usual to deliver medals to justify holding the Games, as anxiety swells over
rising coronavirus cases in Japan. Athletes who have failed to do so have offered Có đượ c nhữ ng gì mọi ngườ i
outpourings of regret. mong đợ i
16. justify holding the Games:
“I feel fed up with myself,” said Kai Harada, a sports climber, vigorously chứ ng minh việc tổ chứ c
wiping his eyes during an interview after failing to make the finals. Takeru Giải đấu là xứ ng đáng
Kitazono, a gymnast who finished sixth on the horizontal bar, fought back tears 17. swell: tăng lên - [transitive,
as he spoke of his supporters. “I wanted to return my gratitude with my intransitive] to increase or
performance,” he said. “But I couldn’t.” make something increase in
number or size
Naomi Osaka, in a statement after she was eliminated in the third round of
18. outpourings of regret: sự
women’s singles tennis, said she was proud to represent Japan but added, “I’m
sorry that I couldn’t respond to people’s expectations.” bộc lộ đầy cảm giác tội lỗi,
hối hận
In some respects, these athletes have offered an extreme form of the apologies 19. vigorously: mãnh liệt
that are everyday social lubricants in Japanese culture. vigorous exercise: bài tập nặng
20. fight back sth (tears): kiềm
When entering someone’s home, a visitor literally says sorry. Workers going on nén nhữ ng giọt nướ c mắt
vacation apologize for burdening colleagues, while conductors express deep 21. In some respects: trong một
regret if a train is a minute late — or even a few seconds early. Generally, these vài nhữ ng khía cạnh nào đó
apologies are a matter of convention rather than a declaration of responsibility. 22. social lubricants
(metaphorical): chất xoa dịu
At times, the mea culpas ring hollow. Corporate chieftains and politicians
frequently bow deeply to the news cameras to apologize for this corporate trong xã hội
scandal or that political misdeed. For the most part, few consequences follow. 23. Burden (v): làm nặng nề
cho ai, gây gánh nặng cho ai
The former president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee, Yoshiro 24. Convention (n): truyền
Mori, initially tried to use such an apology to avoid resigning after making sexist thông, phong tục
remarks. But a vociferous social media campaign helped depose him. 25. mea culpas: lờ i thú tội,
nhận tội
People who study Japanese culture say the athletes’ apologies, even in the face 26. Ring hollow: nghe vô
of victory, stem from an instinct that is cultivated from childhood. nghĩa, giả dối (= did not
sound sincere).
“Americans are very good at finding reasons why you are great even if you fail,”
27. political misdeed: tội danh
said Shinobu Kitayama, a social psychologist at the University of Michigan. But
in Japan, he said, “even if you succeed, you have to apologize.” chính trị
28. sexist remarks: lờ i bình
The apologies are also likely to be recognized as tacit expressions of gratitude, phẩm phân biệt giớ i tính
said Joy Hendry, an anthropologist and the author of “Understanding Japanese 29. Vociferous: mạnh mẽ
Society.” “I expect they feel that they need to apologize for not having achieved 30. Depose: buộc ai đó phải rờ i
the very best they could” for those who trained or financially supported them, chứ c, từ chứ c
Ms. Hendry said. to remove someone, especially
a ruler, from power
Mr. Fumita, the wrestler, may have also felt pressure to please his father, a well- 31. Instinct: bản năng, thói
known wrestling coach. In an interview on NHK, the public broadcaster, Mr.
quen
Fumita said he was afraid to answer a call after his silver medal win. “I could not
pick up the phone,” he said. “I just didn’t know what I could say to my father.” 32. Cultivate an instinct: nuôi
dưỡ ng/hình thành một thói
The athletes also know that aside from the medal count, the Japanese public quen
cannot enjoy the perks of being an Olympic host, because spectators are barred 33. Tacit: gián tiếp, ngầm hiểu
from the venues. 34. Perk = benefit: cái lợ i
35. Bar = prevent
The absence of fans was palpable on Tuesday night at a near-empty stadium in 36. Venue: khu vự c thi đấu, địa
Saitama, a Tokyo suburb, during the semifinal men’s soccer match between điểm thi đấu
Japan and Spain. Close to 64,000 seats were vacant as loudspeakers blasted 37. Palpable: nặng nề, có thể
recorded cheers and applause onto the field.
cảm nhận đượ c
After Japan lost in the final minutes of extra time, Yuki Soma, 24, a midfielder, 38. Vacant: trống
paid tribute to those who could not be there. “By winning a medal at any cost, 39. pay tribute to: gử i lờ i tri ân
I would like to give energy to Japan and make them smile,” he said at a đến
postgame news conference, his eyes downcast. The bronze is still in Japan’s 40. Do sth at any cost: làm cái
reach as it faces Mexico on Friday. gì bất cứ giá nào
41. Downcast (of eyes): nhìn
Of course, it’s not just Japanese Olympians who express bitter disappointment xuống
after missing out on gold. Liao Qiuyun of China wept openly after winning (of a person) despondant: tuyệt
silver in women’s weight lifting last week. After the U.S. women’s soccer team vọng
fell to Canada on Monday night in a semifinal, one member of the team, Carli 42. bitter disappointment
Lloyd, crouched on the field, clasping her head in her hands.
 be bitterly disappointed:
But in a post-match interview, she made no apology. “I was just gutted,” Ms. thất vọng tràn trề
Lloyd said, adding, “we give up so much, and you want to win.” 43. miss out on sth: bỏ lỡ cái gì
44. be subjected to sth: phải
When Simone Biles withdrew from both the gymnastics team competition and trải qua điều gì
the individual all-around competition, she explained that she wanted to protect 45. Narcissism: sự ảo tưở ng, tự
her own mental and physical health. mãn
The urge to apologize may stem in part from the harsh coaching style found in
some sports in Japan, said Katrin Jumiko Leitner, an associate professor in
sports management and wellness at Rikkyo University in Saitama. When she
first came to Japan to train in judo, she said, she was shocked by coaches'
aggressive language. “I thought, if that’s the way to become an Olympic
champion, I don’t want to be an Olympic champion,” she said. “They did not
treat athletes like human beings.”

Some Japanese athletes have been subjected to public criticism for failing to
show sufficient humility. Yuko Arimori, a marathon runner who won silver in
Barcelona in 1992 and bronze in Atlanta in 1996, was accused of narcissism by
some in the Japanese news media after declaring in Atlanta that she was proud
of herself.

Ms. Arimori understands why athletes continue to offer apologies, given that
they can convey a sense of gratitude.

But “I think supporters know the athletes have worked hard enough,” Ms.
Arimori added. “So there is no need to apologize.”