Brits the length and breadth of the country are currently gripped by London 2012 Olympic fever.
如今,英国四处洋溢着2012伦敦奥运会的狂热气息。
While many of us are hugely inspired by the phenomenal achievements of the athletes, the sad reality is that only a minority of us share the same enthusiasm for being active.
当我们许多人因为运动员的杰出成就受到极大鼓舞时,残酷的现实却是:仅有少数人与他们一样拥有运动的热情。
Scientific journal The Lancet has carried out a global study, including results from 122 countries, to establish which nations are the laziest.
科学期刊《柳叶刀》进行了一项全球研究,其中包括来自122个国家的调查结果,列出了世界上最不爱运动国家的排行榜。
The UK, it found was one of the most inactive countries, with a staggering 63.3% of the population being inactive. It was ranked eighth laziest country in the world.
研究发现,英国是最不爱运动的国家之一,居然有63.3%的人口不爱运动,位列排行榜第八。
The UK was put to shame when compared with its US friends. The study found just over 40 per cent of those in North America were inactive, putting it in the 46th spot.
当与他的好朋友美国比较时,英国应当感到羞愧。调查显示只有40%多的北美居民不爱运动,处于第46位。
Meanwhile, Greece was labelled the least lazy nation in the study. Only 15% of the population of the balmy Mediterranean country, which also boasts one of the world's healthiest diets, was classed as inactive.
同时,希腊是研究中最爱运动的国家。这个气候宜人的地中海国家只有15%的人口被归为不爱运动,他们同时也享受着世界上最健康的饮食。
Overall, women rated lower than men in the study. The highest percentage of inactive women was found in countries where they find it difficult to find employment due to social constraints, such as Saudi Arabia, which ranked third least active country.
总的来说,此项研究中,女人比男人更缺乏活力。不爱运动女人的最高比率出现在妇女失业率高的国家,比如位列第三的沙特阿拉伯。
Of the countries surveyed almost one third of their population is considered inactive.
调查的国家中基本上都有三分之一的人群不爱运动。
And 80 per cent of adolescents rated as below the standards.
而且80%的青少年低于标准。
The results of the study, the researchers said, are being release to coincide with the Olympic Games to help spur lazy members of the public to choose to lead more active lives.
研究者说,公布调查的结果是为了与奥运会相呼应,帮助激励群众中的懒惰分子选择更有活力的生活。
The researchers point out that lack of exercise is now a leading cause of death and a third of people across the world do not meet the minimum activity recommendations, which is generally about 2.5 hours of moderate activity per week.
研究者指出,现在缺乏锻炼是死亡的主要原因,世界上三分之一的人口没有达到最低运动量推荐标准,也就是每星期一共适度运动2.5个小时。
They hope that the timing of the series, along with Olympic excitement, will give people a push into more physical action.
他们在奥运会激情四溢之时推出这个榜单,希望能促使人们参与到更多的体育运动中去。