the word "sport" first meant something that people did in their free time. later it often meant hunting wild animals and birds. about a hundred years ago the word was first used for organized games. this is the usual meaning of the word today. people spend a lot of their spare time playing football, basketball, tennis and many other sports. such people play because they want to. a few people are paid for the sport they play. these people are called professional sportsmen. they may be sportsmen for only a few years, but during that time the best ones can earn a lot of money.

for example, a professional footballer in england earns more than 30,000 pounds a year. the stars can earn a lot more. international golf and tennis champions can make more than 50,000 pounds a year. of course, only a few sportsmen can earn as much money as that. it is only possible in sports for individuals, like golf, tennis and motor racing. perhaps the most surprising thing about sportsmen and money is this: the stars can earn more money from advertising than from sports.an advertisement for sports equipment doesn't simply say,"buy our things". it says, "buy the same shirt and shoes as..." famous sportsmen can even advertise things like warches and food. they allow the companies to use their name or a photograph of them and they are paid for this. sport is no longer just something for people's spare time.

运动员和金钱

“运动”一词最初是指人们在闲暇时所做的事情。后来这个词经常用来指猎获野生动物和鸟类。 大约一百年前，人们首次用这个词指有组织的活动。这就是“运动”一词现在通常的含义。人们花费很多业余时间踢足球、打篮球、网球、做许多其他运动。这些人运动是因为他们想要运动。有些人运动会有收入。这些人就被称作职业运动员。他们也许只能作几年运动员，但在那几年期间最好的运动员可以赚到很多钱。

比如说．英国一位职业足球运动员每年可以赚到三万多英镑。球星可以赚到多得多。 高尔夫和网球世界冠军每年可以赚到五万多英镑。 当然，能赚那么多钱的运动员也为数不多。而且只有在个人运动项目中才有可能，比如高尔夫、网球和赛车。有关运动员和金钱，最让人惊讶的也许是运动明星们的广告收入比运动收入还要高。有关运动装备的广告不简单地宣传“买我们的东西”；而是说“买和某某同样的衬衫和鞋子”。著名运动员甚至可以为手表、食物这样的东西作广告。他们允许公司使用他们的名字或照片，并接受报酬。运动不再是人们闲暇时所做的事情了。

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