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Every Saturday morning, at 9 am, more than 50,000 runners set off to run 5km around their local park.
每周六上午九點，五萬多名跑步者在他們附近的公園跑五公里。
The Parkrun phenomenon began with a dozen friends and has inspired 400 events in the UK and more abroad.
“Parkrun”這一現象最初由十幾個朋友發起，如今在英國卻已引發四百個類似活動，在國外就更多了。
Events are free, staffed by thousands of volunteers.
活動是免費的，還招募了大量的自愿者。
Runners range from four years old to grandparents;
跑步者從四歲到祖父母輩都有，
their times range from Andrew Baddeley's world record 13 minutes 48 seconds up to an hour.
他們的用時區間從安德魯·巴德利創造的世界記錄13分鐘48秒到一個小時不等。
Parkrun is succeeding where London's Olympic "legacy" is failing.
“Parkrun”在倫敦奧運會“遺產”失敗之處取得了成效。
Ten years ago on Monday, it was announced that the Games of the 30th Olympiad would be in London.
十年前的一個周一宣布，第三十屆奧林匹克運動會將在倫敦舉行。
Planning documents pledged that the great legacy of the Games would be to level a nation of sport lovers away from their couches.
計劃文件承諾、奧運會的偉大遺產將會讓一個國家的體育愛好者離開他們的沙發。
The population would be fitter, healthier and produce more winners. It has not happened.
人們將身材更好、更鍵康，并將產生越來越多的冠軍，但是這些并未發生。
The number of adults doing weekly sport did rise, by nearly 2 million in the run—up to 2012—but the general population was growing faster.
每周鍛煉身體的成年人數量的確在2012年前增加了將近兩百萬，但總人口增長速度更快。
Worse, the numbers are now falling at an accelerating rate.
更槽糕的是，這個數字現在正在加速下降。
The opposition claims primary school pupils doing at least two hours of sport a week have nearly halved.
反對者聲稱，每周至少進行兩小時體育運動的小學生減少了近一半。
Obesity has risen among adults and children.
肥胖的成人和兒童人數在增加。
Official retrospections continue as to why London 2012 failed to "inspire a generation."
官方仍在反思為什么2012年倫敦奧運會未能“激勵一代人”。
The success of Parkrun offers answers.
“Parkrun”的成功給出了答案。
Parkrun is not a race but a time trial: Your only competitor is the clock.
“Parkrun”不是競賽、而是計時賽：你唯一的競爭對手是時間。
The ethos welcomes anybody.
其精神在于歡迎任何人。
There is as much joy over a puffed-out first-timer being clapped over the line as there is about top talent shining.
氣喘吁吁的初次參與者在沖線時會得到人們的掌聲喝彩，由此產生的快樂堪比最有天賦的新星的表現。
The Olympic bidders, by contrast, wanted to get more people doing sports and to produce more elite athletes.
相比之下，奧運會申辦者則希望讓更多的人參與體育運動并產生更多的精英運動員
The dual aim was mixed up: The stress on success over taking part was intimidating for newcomers.
雙重目標混為一談：成功而并非參與的壓力會讓初次參與者望而生畏。
Indeed, there is something a little absurd in the state getting involved in the planning of such a fundamentally "grassroots", concept as community sports associations.
實際上，國家把這樣一個基本的“草根”概念作為社區體育協會來參與規劃是有些荒唐的。
If there is a role for government, it should really be getting involved in providing common goods:
如果政府要發揮作用，它應該真正參與到公共設施的建設之中：
making sure there is space for playing fields and the money to pave tennis and netball courts, and encouraging the provision of all these activities in schools.
確保有運動場地的空間，有資金用于建設網球和籃網球場地，并支持學校開展所有這些體育活動。
But successive governments have presided over selling green spaces,
但是歷屆政府都賣過綠地，
squeezing money from local authorities and declining attention on sport in education.
從地方政府壓榨資金并不斷減少對體育教育的關注。
Instead of wordy, worthy strategies, future governments need to do more to provide the conditions for sport to thrive.
除了口頭和相應的戰略內容，未來政府需要作出更多的行動來創造條件，使得體育運動蓬勃發展。
Or at least not make them worse.
或者至少不讓情況更加糟糕。
