奥运会上，美国众多运动员身上有拔火罐的痕迹。美国运动员们用中医拔火罐的疗法来缓解肌肉酸痛的症状。

      Athletes are always looking for a competitive edge over their opponents. Competitors will give anything a shot to get the advantage over their rivals whether it’s a new diet, a different stretching routine or suction cups.

　　运动员们总是寻找各种竞争优势，来超越对手。竞争者们会尝试各种方法只为赢得优势碾压对手，无论是新的食谱，还是一种别样的伸展运动——拔火罐。

　　That’s right. Suction cups.

　　没错，就是拔火罐。

　　During the Olympics, USA swimmers have been seen with dark circular marks around their bodies. Here is Michael Phelps walking around the pool before his 100-meter freestyle relay race.

　　在奥运会上美国泳将们身上的黑色圆形痕迹显而易见。上图是菲尔普斯一百米自由泳赛前在泳池边漫步。

　　It looks like Phelps either lost a fight with a vacuum cleaner or is having way too good a time in Rio, but the marks are actually a result from cupping therapy.

　　菲尔普斯看起来，要么就是在和真空吸尘器的战斗中失败，要么就是这几天在里约过的太过舒适，但是这些痕迹实际上是火罐治疗造成的。

　　For the past couple years, swimmers such as Nathan Adrian and Natalie Coughlin started turning to the ancient method found in China and parts of the Middle East to aid their recovery. Cupping involves heated glass cups that are applied to parts of the body. The temperature of glass creates suction that supposedly helps treat pain and relieve muscles of knots and swelling.

　　在过去的几十年里，一些像Nathan Adrian和Natalie Coughlin的泳将们开始采用在中国和一些中东地区发现的古老方法来做康复治疗。拔火罐是用加热后的玻璃杯罩在身上的某些部位。玻璃杯的温度所产生的吸力大概能治疗疼痛并缓解肌肉硬块、肿胀的症状。

　　While the bruising side effect isn’t too sightly, athletes of Team USA swear by it.

　　虽然瘀青的副作用不小，但美国队的运动员们对它的作用深信不疑。

　　Not only are the swimmers doing it, but the USA men’s gymnastics team is also partaking in the therapy. Instagram posts from Alex Naddour show his own marks in an effort to alleviate the pain from grinding through his sport.

　　不仅游泳运动员们如此，美国男子体操队也分享了这种方法。Alex Naddour在Instagram上展示了他自己的拔火罐痕迹。拔火罐有效地减轻了他在运动过程中难以忍受的疼痛。

　　It seems to be working.

　　拔火罐好像真的有效。

　　U.S. men’s gymnastics finished second during the qualifying round of the 2016 Olympics, and team members Michael Phelps and Nathan Adrian secured gold medals in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.

　　美国男子体操在2016年奥运会的资格赛中排名第二。菲尔普斯和Nathan Adrian稳获4*100米自由泳接力的金牌。

　　While the medicinal effects of cupping are still up in the air, the results from the Olympics may make it a part of the recovery regiment of athletes in future competitions. Or it might just be another fad like the convenient ice cream recovery method.

　　虽然火罐的药用效果尚未明确，但奥运会可能会使它成为运动员们在将来竞赛康复团中的一员。又或者像方便的冰淇淋康复疗法一样，成为另一个流行一时的疗法。

（编辑：何莹莹）