On September 27, the 48th WorldSkills Competition closed in Shanghai. When the last medal was handed out, the Chinese team had won 41 golds, 11 silvers and 4 bronzes, plus six excellence awards. It was the best result China has ever achieved since it joined the event, and the fifth time it has topped the gold medal table.
The numbers behind that success are easy to list but hard to earn. Held from September 22 to 27, the competition brought together 1,385 young competitors from 68 countries and regions, all fighting for medals in 64 skill areas. China sent 71 contestants and entered every one of those events, something it has managed only three times.
Several events have now become almost a tradition of winning. In CNC milling, China took gold for the sixth time in a row. In bricklaying and fashion technology, the team made it five straight victories. Electrical installation, electronics, and mobile robotics each reached a fourth consecutive gold. Construction and manufacturing contributed nearly half of all the team’s golds.
Behind the medals are young people with unusual stories. He Xiaoman won gold in rail vehicle technology with the highest score of the whole competition, and received the Albert Vidal Award, given to the single best competitor across all events. She said the journey mattered far more than the prize. Another winner, Jiao Jiao, left a mountain village in Guizhou at sixteen to study car body repair in Shanghai, and now wants to pass that craft on.
The closing ceremony ended a week of intense work, and the flag was passed to Japan, which will host the 49th competition in 2028. For the young people on stage, though, the most valuable thing is probably not the metal around their necks. As one of them put it, the skills they learned along the way will stay with them for life. Skill is not only a way to win a prize. It is a way to build a future.
Words to know:
- competition (n. 比赛，竞赛)
- contestant (n. 参赛选手)
- event (n. 比赛项目，赛事)
- consecutive (adj. 连续的，接连的)
- manufacturing (n. 制造业，制造)
- contribute (v. 贡献，促成)
- engineering (n. 工程，工科)
- craft (n. 手艺，技艺)
长难句拆解 · 分词状语与同位语叠加
原文：He Xiaoman won gold in rail vehicle technology with the highest score of the whole competition, and received the Albert Vidal Award, given to the single best competitor across all events.
拆解：主干是 He Xiaoman won gold and received the award（何晓嫚夺得金牌并获得该奖项）。with the highest score of the whole competition 是介词短语作方式状语，解释她赢的方式；given to the single best competitor 是过去分词短语作后置定语，修饰 the Albert Vidal Award，相当于 which is given to。
直译：何晓嫚在轨道车辆技术项目中以全场最高分夺得金牌，并获得阿尔伯特·维达大奖——该奖项授予所有赛项中唯一的最佳选手。
同义替换 · 雅思阅读利器
雅思阅读最爱把原文的词换成另一个说法来出题，认出这些替换，定位就能快一半。
- closed in Shanghai → came to an end in Shanghai / wrapped up in Shanghai（赛事落幕，也可换 conclude）
- topped both the gold medal table and the overall team score → came first in both rankings（排名第一的两种说法）
- fighting for medals → competing for medals / competing for a place on the podium（分词短语表同时进行）
- entered every one of those 64 events → took part in all 64 events（enter 作「报名参加」解，阅读里常见）
- took gold for the sixth time in a row → won gold for the sixth consecutive time（in a row = consecutive）
- contributed nearly half of all the team’s gold medals → made up nearly half of the total golds（contribute = account for）
- the journey mattered far more than the prize → the process was far more important than the result（matter 作动词表「重要」）
阅读自测 · 3 题
- T / F / NG：中国代表团在本届大赛中共获得 41 枚奖牌。（判断正误并说明依据）
- 简答：何晓嫚获得阿尔伯特·维达大奖的原因是什么？
- 选词填空：The team won gold in CNC milling for the sixth ____ time.（供选：consecutive / occasional / generous）
参考答案与解析
- FALSE（偷换结论）。原文说的是 41 枚金牌，银牌 11 枚、铜牌 4 枚还要另算，奖牌总数远多于 41。题目把「金牌」偷换成「奖牌」，是典型的偷换概念——看到数字就选 T 是这类题最常见的丢分点。
- 她在轨道车辆技术项目中拿下全场最高分。文中明确提到该奖项授予每届大赛所有参赛项目中的最高分得主。注意干扰项：拿金牌的人很多，获奖的真正理由是她分数最高。
- consecutive。in a row 与 consecutive 都表示「连续」，与文中六连冠对应；occasional 是「偶尔的」，generous 是「慷慨的」，都构不成搭配。
中文译文
9 月 27 日，第 48 届世界技能大赛在上海闭幕。当最后一枚奖牌颁出时，中国队已获得 41 枚金牌、11 枚银牌、4 枚铜牌，以及 6 个优胜奖。这是中国自参赛以来取得的最好成绩，也是中国第五次位居金牌榜世界第一。
这些数字说起来容易，拿到却很难。大赛于 9 月 22 日至 27 日举办，汇聚了来自 68 个国家和地区的 1385 名年轻选手，他们为 64 个赛项的奖牌而战。中国派出 71 名选手，参加了全部项目，这在中国参赛历史上仅有三次。
有些赛项如今几乎成了拿金牌的传统。数控铣项目，中国实现六连冠。砌筑和时装技术项目，团队实现五连冠。电气装置、电子技术以及移动机器人项目，各自达成四连冠。结构与建筑技术、制造与工程技术两大领域合计贡献了全队近半数的金牌。
奖牌背后是一个个不寻常的年轻人。何晓嫚在轨道车辆技术项目中以全场最高分夺得金牌，并获得阿尔伯特·维达大奖——该奖项授予所有赛项中唯一的最佳选手。她说，一路走来的成长比奖项本身宝贵得多。另一位获奖者焦娇，十六岁时离开贵州山村到上海学习车身修理，如今希望把这门手艺传下去。
闭幕式为一周的激烈角逐画上句号，会旗也交接给了日本——第 49 届大赛将于 2028 年在日本举行。不过对台上这些年轻人而言，最宝贵的东西大概并不是脖子上那块金属。正如其中一位所说，他们一路学到的技能将伴随一生。技能不只是赢得奖项的手段，更是通往未来的一条路。