Nearly all the sports practised nowadays are competitive.

现在开展的体育运动几乎都是竞争性的。

small at first, narrowly contained within its banks,

开始很小，被紧紧地夹在两岸中间，

and these will ply the short wings with such irresistible power that they can bore for long distances through an opposing gale before exhaustion follows.

这些肌肉以巨大的力量扇动短小的翅膀，使这类鸟能顶着大风飞行很远的路才会疲劳。

The high stern castle was a riot of carved gods,

高耸的船楼上雕刻着令人眼花缭乱的神仙、

No necessity of making a living away from home results in neglect of children,

人们没有必要离家谋生，所以不会产生孩子无人管的问题，

This is supposed to induce pleasurable sensations in the elephant,

据说这是为了使象产生愉快的感觉，