美国国家公共电台 NPR--The World Cup final between Argentina and France is expected to be a thriller

The World Cup final between Argentina and France is expected to be a thriller¹

Transcript²

On Sunday, France will try to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cup titles. Argentina is trying to win one for the team's legendary³ forward Lionel Messi.

ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:

We are two days away from what's expected to be a thrilling final at the World Cup in Qatar. The big storylines for finalists Argentina and France - the French are trying to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back titles. Argentina wants to win one for the legendary forward Lionel Messi, who has won just about everything in soccer except a World Cup title. The stakes could not be bigger. NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman joins us from Doha for an early look at this matchup. Good morning, Tom.

TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE⁴: Hi, Rob.

SCHMITZ: I am so excited about this final. Neither of these teams is an overwhelming favorite. Do we have any recent history between them that might provide clues about who may prevail here?

GOLDMAN: Well, if four years ago is reason enough, France beat Argentina 4-3 in the round of 16 at the last World Cup. Both stars of the current teams played in that match. France's Kylian Mbappe got the better of Lionel Messi. Mbappe scored twice. And it was part of his breakout performance as a 19-year-old at that World Cup.

SCHMITZ: So is that a good enough road map to favor France on Sunday?

GOLDMAN: Not necessarily. It's a very small sample size. We're dealing⁵ with a different French team, too...

SCHMITZ: Right.

GOLDMAN: ...Not as potent⁶ as it was in 2018. Mbappe is back. And he looks great. But France has been hit hard by recent injuries. And they've had to be more resourceful and rely on their experience and some luck.

SCHMITZ: Right.

GOLDMAN: I mean, the 2-1 win over Morocco in the semifinals could have easily gone the other way if France's last line of defense⁷ and its goalkeeper didn't stop the repeated close-to-the-goal attacks by Morocco. But they did. The team did what it had to do. And that's how France has gotten through this tournament. Another challenge, though, France has been trying to limit a virus within the team. They are deep and talented. But they can't lose many more players.

SCHMITZ: So advantage Argentina?

GOLDMAN: Maybe (laughter). I'm being really...

SCHMITZ: You're being a little wishy-washy, Tom.

GOLDMAN: I am being very difficult. Argentina lost its first match of the tournament in an all-time upset by Saudi Arabia. It was a bad start. But Messi said that steeled his team, put them in must-win situations in every match after that. They haven't been consistently dominant⁸. But they come into the final having beaten Croatia 3-0 in the semis. That was an impressive win. That does create some nice momentum⁹. I guess, Rob, I'm hedging a bit because, while both teams are very good, their runs in the final have been bumpy¹⁰ at times.

SCHMITZ: I kind of feel like the world has forgotten soccer is a team game because everything is about Messi versus¹¹ Mbappe. Is that fair?

GOLDMAN: No, it's - because there are lots of other really good players who will have an impact on what happens Sunday. To name a couple - France's do-everything forward Antoine Griezmann, Argentina's Julian Alvarez, who scored twice against Croatia. But we love our big stars, right?

SCHMITZ: We do.

GOLDMAN: And Messi and Mbappe have earned their star status. Thirty-five-year-old Messi has been tortured for much of his stellar career by not winning a World Cup title for his country. The stage is perfectly¹² set for him to finally do it. He's had a great impact for World Cup here already. And a lot of people are cheering him on, not just in Argentina. Mbappe is only 23. But he would love to have a second title now, which would make him the second youngest to win two since Pele...

SCHMITZ: Wow.

GOLDMAN: ...The legend, did it 60 years ago.

SCHMITZ: That's NPR's Tom Goldman at the World Cup in Qatar. Thanks, Tom.

GOLDMAN: You're welcome.

1 thriller   

n.惊险片，恐怖片

参考例句：

• He began by writing a thriller.That book sold a million copies.他是写惊险小说起家的。那本书卖了一百万册。
• I always take a thriller to read on the train.我乘火车时，总带一本惊险小说看。

2 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。

3 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

6 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

9 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

10 bumpy   

adj.颠簸不平的，崎岖的

参考例句：

• I think we've a bumpy road ahead of us.我觉得我们将要面临一段困难时期。
• The wide paved road degenerated into a narrow bumpy track.铺好的宽阔道路渐渐变窄，成了一条崎岖不平的小径。

11 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

12 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。