離開
進入《中英對照讀新聞》Gym culture not working out for the French 健身房文化在法國吃不開
◎陳成良
The French may love to look good but few are willing to work up a sweat over it.
法國人或許喜歡自己能看起來亮眼，但少有人願意為之流汗。
Despite increasing awareness of the benefits of healthy eating and physical exercise, going to the gym in France is still an activity that has yet to capture the mainstream.
儘管人們越來越認識到健康飲食與運動的好處，但上健身房在法國仍非主流活動。
France’s generous healthcare system, its cultural preference for outdoor sports and its lack of affordable good-quality clubs are seen as reasons behind the country’s low rate of gym goers, even relative to laid-back neighbors Spain or Italy.
法國人上健身房比率低，甚至比不上優閒的鄰國西班牙或義大利，原因被認為在於法國擁有慷慨的健保體系、偏愛室外運動的文化，以及平價的優質健身俱樂部匱乏等。
"It appears to me that more people are sitting in cafes smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee than working out ... the French don’t see fitness as a lifestyle," says American-born fitness consultant Fred Hoffman, who has lived in Paris for 21 years.
「我的印象是坐在咖啡館裡抽菸、喝咖啡的人要比去健身的人多得多……法國人不把健身當成一種生活方式，」在巴黎住了21年的美裔健身顧問佛列德．霍夫曼說。
Only 5.4 percent of French people belonged to a health club in 2008, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, compared with 9.5 percent for Italy, 11.9 percent for the United Kingdom and 16.6 percent for Spain.
據「國際健康及運動俱樂部協會」統計，2008年只有5.4%的法國人是健身俱樂部的會員，而在義大利、英國和西班牙這一比例分別為9.5%、11.9%和16.6%。
新聞辭典
work up a sweat：片語，指為某事（流汗）盡心盡力，如The volunteers are working up a sweat to make sure everything is ready on time.（志工們正奮力工作，確保一切都能及時準備完成。）
laid-back：形容詞，輕鬆隨便的；優閒自在的。例句：She enjoys a laid-back way of living. （她喜愛優閒的生活方式。）
racquet：名詞，球拍，同racket。
