出生于加州Modesto的美国游泳选手马克-施皮茨(Mark Spitz)参加了1972年慕尼黑奥运会(the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich)， 在男子100米自由泳、200米自由泳 和100米蝶泳、200米蝶泳以及4x100米自由泳接力、4x100米混合接力与4x200米自由泳接力夺得金牌，並且这7个项目都打破世界纪录，成为奥运会史上一届获金牌最多的运动员(in a single Games)。 直到2008年8月17日，美国游泳天王菲尔普斯(Michael Phelps)8金入袋，才打破泳坛老前辈施皮茨屹立36年的单届奥运7金纪录(the record Spits had held at seven for 36 years)。
两代游泳天王：当年意气风发的施皮茨和当今笑傲泳坛的菲尔普斯
看看老前辈施皮茨拥坐36年奥运冠王宝座之后的感言，一副高处不胜寒的‘可怜’状。
Before this year's Games, Spitz said he was ready to turn over the mantle (罩子)as greatest Olympic swimmer to Phelps.
"Let him have that monkey on his back for the next 25, 30, 35 years," said Spitz, 58. "It's not an easy thing. It's fun to answer to at first, but pretty soon that gets to be boring."
施皮茨说的 have that monkey on his back 是什么意思呢？笔者综合了wiktionary.org 和answers.com 两个网站上关于monkey on one's back 的用法，并做了点注解。
monkey on one's back
1. (idiomatic) An addiction, especially to narcotic drugs 毒瘾深
He'd had a monkey on his back for at least two years.
他至少上瘾两年了。
I know the monkey on his back can't be removed by any means.
我知道什么方法都无法戒掉他的毒瘾。
2. (idiomatic) A state of a vexing problem or burden 烦恼或负担
This project has proved to be a monkey on my back--there seems to be no end to it.
这个项目已经证明是负担，而且好像永无出头之日。
Ok，我们知道monkey on one's back 的相应中文意思了，a hi-5。
