By Steve Kingstone

媒体英语会带大家一起学习BBC撰稿人在报道世界大事时常用到的单词和短语。

Background ：有史以来最大象棋对抗赛这周即将重新上演。加里·基莫维奇·卡斯帕罗夫将在西班牙巴伦西亚市对抗阿纳托里·卡尔波夫。25年前是这两位俄罗斯象棋大师首次对战争夺世界大师头衔，那场史诗般的比赛历时5个月之久。

The hair is greyer, the waistlines larger than when they first faced off in September 1984.

But like two heavyweight boxers coming out of retirement, the mere prospect of Kasparov versus Karpov has chess fans enthralled.

Exactly a quarter of a century ago the 21-year-old Gary Kasparov fought the reigning world champion, Anatoli Karpov, to a standstill in an epic series which, after five months and 48 games, was called off - without a clear winner.

The organisers said the contest had put the health of both players at risk. But in a rematch the following year, the young pretendertriumphed, heralding a new era in world chess.

Now aged 46, Gary Kasparov has prepared for this rematch by training with one of today's teenage prodigies, while the 58-year-old Mr Karpov has 'sparred' with a computer and grandmasters, from a base on the Spanish coast.

The two giants of Soviet-era chess will turn back the clock in a series of 12 games played, this time, under strict time limits. The host city, Valencia, claims to be the birthplace of the modern game.

• background [´bækgraund]   n.背景；经历；幕后   (初中英语单词)
• prospect [´prɔspekt, prəs´pekt]   n.景色；境界 v.勘察   (初中英语单词)
• champion [´tʃæmpiən]   n.冠军 vt.拥护   (初中英语单词)
• series [´siəri:z]   n.连续；系列；丛书   (初中英语单词)
• contest [kən´test, ´kɔntest]   v.争辩 n.争夺；竞赛   (初中英语单词)
• computer [kəm´pju:tə]   n.计算机；电子计算器   (初中英语单词)
• strict [strikt]   a.严厉的；精确的   (高中英语单词)
• retirement [ri´taiəmənt]   n.退休；撤退；幽静处   (英语四级单词)
• winner [´winə]   n.胜利者，得奖者   (英语四级单词)
• birthplace [´bə:θpleis]   n.出生地；故乡   (英语四级单词)