美国国家公共电台 NPR--Why some Brazilians won't be wearing their national soccer colors for the World Cup

Why some Brazilians won't be wearing their national soccer colors for the World Cup

Transcript¹

RIO DE JANEIRO — It's probably the most recognized soccer shirt out there: the canary yellow with bright green trim. Brazil has worn it during all five of its record World Cup titles. But at home, the national colors have been steeped in controversy² ever since far-right President Jair Bolsonaro adopted them as the emblem³ of his brand of nationalist politics.

Bolsonaristas, as the president's followers⁴ are known, wear the jerseys⁶ and wrap themselves in the Brazilian flag at marches and rallies supporting his conservative religious, anti-LGBTQ and pro-gun rights messages.

Bolsonaro downplayed the coronavirus pandemic and oversaw⁷ a devastating⁸ COVID-19 death toll⁹. He slashed¹⁰ Amazon protections leading to record deforestation. And he has tried to challenge the election results after electoral authorities declared victory last month for his rival, President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

In Brazil, the yellow shirt has become the equivalent of the red MAGA hat worn by followers of Bolsonaro's ally, former President Donald Trump¹¹.

Soccer fan Vanessa Morales says she just can't wear the Sele??o's shirt during this year's World Cup.

"I'm not going to wear either the green or yellow," she says, not wanting to be confused with Bolsonaro's supporters. She'll wear her local team Flamengo's red-and-black jersey⁵ instead. "It's difficult that a [political] party ended up dominating our T-shirt."

But she says hopefully when Lula takes office in January, more Brazilians will wear the national soccer jersey once again.

Reclaiming¹² the yellow

Vendor¹³ Renato Monteiro says he's sold 20,000 of the shirts to Lula voters in the last two months.

"They're buying it because Bolsonaro thought the symbol was his, but in fact it was not his, it belonged to the people. We rescued the symbol of our homeland," he says from his small stand at a weekend outdoor market in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil's soccer confederation, CBF, is neutral on the political front, but launched a campaign to encourage citizens to rally around the jersey and the team. And one of the country's largest beer companies, Brahma, is urging Brazilians to wear it during the World Cup.

In a country where soccer is practically a religion, maybe there will be a moment when Brazilians can forget what divides them and unite under one color, yellow.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

3 emblem   

n.象征，标志；徽章

参考例句：

• Her shirt has the company emblem on it.她的衬衫印有公司的标记。
• The eagle was an emblem of strength and courage.鹰是力量和勇气的象征。

4 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

5 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

6 jerseys   

n.运动衫( jersey的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The maximum quantity of cotton jerseys this year is about DM25,000. 平方米的羊毛地毯超过了以往的订货。 来自口语例句
• The NBA is mulling the prospect of stitching advertising logos onto jerseys. 大意：NBA官方正在酝酿一个大煞风景的计划——把广告标志绣上球服！ 来自互联网

7 oversaw   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He will go down as the president who oversaw two historic transitions. 他将作为见证了巴西两次历史性转变的总统，安然引退。 来自互联网
• Dixon oversaw the project as creative director of Design Research Studio. 狄克逊监督项目的创意总监设计研究工作室。 来自互联网

8 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

9 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

10 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

12 reclaiming   

v.开拓( reclaim的现在分词 )；要求收回；从废料中回收（有用的材料）；挽救

参考例句：

• People here are reclaiming land from the sea. 这儿的人们正在填海拓地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• How could such a man need reclaiming? 这么一个了不起的人怎么还需要别人拯救呢？ 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

13 vendor   

n.卖主；小贩

参考例句：

• She looked at the vendor who cheated her the other day with distaste.她厌恶地望着那个前几天曾经欺骗过她的小贩。
• He must inform the vendor immediately.他必须立即通知卖方。