美国国家公共电台 NPR--Vin Scully, the famed Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster, dies at 94

Vin Scully, the famed Los Angeles Dodgers² broadcaster, dies at 94

Transcript³

LOS ANGELES — If there's one name synonymous with the Dodgers, it's not a player, manager or any team official. It's Vin Scully.

For more than a half-century, there wasn't a Dodgers game that didn't begin this way for fans at home or the stadium: "It's Time For Dodger¹ Baseball!"

Vin Scully began announcing games on the radio and then on television when the Dodgers still played in Brooklyn. He spent more time with one team than any other announcer in sports history, before he retired⁴ after the 2016 season.

Vin Scully's death was announced by the Dodgers in a tweet. He was 94.

It wasn't just longevity⁵ that made Scully great. It wasn't his baseball knowledge—which was prodigious⁶. It was his distinctive⁷ voice...poetic⁸ and philosophical⁹ asides, and his talent for making a personal connection with listeners.

It was there from the start. One memorable¹⁰ time in 1957, catcher Joe Pignatano was coming up for his first at-bat as a Brooklyn Dodger. During the broadcast, Scully wanted to make sure the player's family wouldn't miss out. "Say, I tell you what. You might know the Pignatanos. If you do, maybe his wife's taking care of the baby [and] and not listening to the game. Give her a call. Looks like Joe's gonna break into the Major Leagues tonight."

Veteran broadcaster Larry King remembered Vin Scully from his time both in Brooklyn and L.A. "There's a comfort zone. You feel home," King said, recalling a game one year when the Dodgers were out of contention¹¹. He said the sound of Scully's voice was mesmerizing¹². "A meaningless game. I'm driving from L.A. to San Diego. I turn on the game and I can't turn it off."

Scully was as much a part of the team as the players on the field. You could hear Scully's voice emanating¹³ from radios people brought to Dodger Stadium. Some fans, like Cary Gepner, preferred his radio play-by-play to a TV broadcast without him. "You can listen to Vin Scully call a baseball game and you don't need to watch the game because he paints a better picture than the television could ever paint. I love him."

Vin Scully had baseball statistics ready. But he didn't rely on them. It was the stories he told. They came from baseball, from Shakespeare, from anything he was curious about. Here's an example from an interview with member station KPCC: "We were playing on Friday the 13th and I thought, 'I wonder why the background of Friday the 13th, why it's such a big deal?' So I looked it up and it goes back to the 1800 so and so's"

So, in between pitches, fans learned something new. When there was a big moment on the field, he conveyed the excitement. And there were plenty of big moments in his career. 1965—a perfect game about to be pitched by Sandy Koufax:

"One strike away. Sandy goes into his windup. Here's the pitch. Swung on and missed. A perfect game!"

1974-- Hank Aaron's historic and record-breaking 715th home run to surpass Babe Ruth:

"Fastball. It's line drive into deep centerfield. Buckner goes back to the fence, it is gone!" For the next half-minute, Scully didn't say a word. Taking it in as the Atlanta crowd cheered and roared the milestone¹⁴. And then, Scully said, exactly what that homerun meant, "What a marvelous moment for baseball. What a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia. What a marvelous moment for the country and the world. A Black man is getting a standing¹⁵ ovation¹⁶ in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol¹⁷. And it's a great moment for all of us."

1988--Dodger Kirk Gibson's improbable pinch hit home run in game one of the World Series:

"High fly ball to right field. She. Is. Gone!"

For years, he also did network TV sports for CBS and NBC. He had the famous call of the 1986 Red Sox-Mets World Series game in which Bill Buckner let a ground ball through his legs at first base.

"Little roller up along first, behind the bag. It gets through Buckner. Here comes and the Mets win it!"

Vincent Edward Scully was born in 1927 in the Bronx. He grew up a Giants fan. But after graduating from Fordham University, he was recruited by the legendary¹⁸ broadcaster Red Barber.

Scully moved to the West Coast with the Dodgers in 1958. Later in his career, he cut back on travel. A devout¹⁹ Roman Catholic, as he got older he'd ask God whether to come back for another year. God may have said yes, but Scully was glad to do it. "I'm so happy to be here. I know it sounds goofy and I'm probably a little goofy. But I'm honestly happy and deeply thankful."

Finally, he decided²⁰ age had caught up with him. After 67 seasons, 2016 was his last. Before the final home stand, the team held a moving ceremony at Dodger Stadium. At the end, Scully got up and spoke²¹. He told the crowd that they kept him going every time they roared. And, with his under-rated humor he answered the question "What are you gonna do now?" His reply was classic Scully:

"Well, you know, if you're 65 and you retire you might have 20 years of life left and you better have some plans. When you're 89 and they ask you what you are--I'm gonna try to live..."

Vin Scully once said a player had an injury which made him "day-to-day." Then he paused and added, "aren't we all?"

1 dodger   

n.躲避者；躲闪者；广告单

参考例句：

• They are tax dodgers who hide their interest earnings.他们是隐瞒利息收入的逃税者。
• Make sure she pays her share she's a bit of a dodger.她自己的一份一定要她付清--她可是有点能赖就赖。

2 dodgers   

n.躲闪者，欺瞒者( dodger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a crackdown on fare dodgers on trains 对火车逃票者的严厉打击
• But Twain, Howells, and James were jeeringly described by Mencken as "draft-dodgers". 不过吐温、豪威尔斯和詹姆斯都是被门肯讥诮地叫做“逃避兵役的人。” 来自辞典例句

3 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。

4 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

5 longevity   

n.长命；长寿

参考例句：

• Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
• Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。

6 prodigious   

adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的

参考例句：

• This business generates cash in prodigious amounts.这种业务收益丰厚。
• He impressed all who met him with his prodigious memory.他惊人的记忆力让所有见过他的人都印象深刻。

7 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

8 poetic   

adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的

参考例句：

• His poetic idiom is stamped with expressions describing group feeling and thought.他的诗中的措辞往往带有描写群体感情和思想的印记。
• His poetic novels have gone through three different historical stages.他的诗情小说创作经历了三个不同的历史阶段。

9 philosophical   

adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的

参考例句：

• The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
• She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。

10 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

11 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

12 mesmerizing   

adj.有吸引力的，有魅力的v.使入迷( mesmerize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I think you must be mesmerizing me, Charles. 查尔斯，我想你一定在对我施催眠术啦。 来自辞典例句
• The attendant one-dimensional wave equation has mesmerizing harmonic properties. 伴生的一元波平衡具有迷人的和谐特性。 来自电影对白

13 emanating   

v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的现在分词 )；产生，表现，显示

参考例句：

• Even so, there is a slight odour of potpourri emanating from Longfellow. 纵然如此，也还是可以闻到来自朗费罗的一种轻微的杂烩的味道。 来自辞典例句
• Many surface waters, particularly those emanating from swampy areas, are often colored to the extent. 许多地表水，特别是由沼泽地区流出的地表水常常染上一定程度的颜色。 来自辞典例句

14 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

15 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

16 ovation   

n.欢呼，热烈欢迎，热烈鼓掌

参考例句：

• The hero received a great ovation from the crowd. 那位英雄受到人群的热烈欢迎。
• The show won a standing ovation. 这场演出赢得全场起立鼓掌。

17 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。

18 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。

19 devout   

adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness)

参考例句：

• His devout Catholicism appeals to ordinary people.他对天主教的虔诚信仰感染了普通民众。
• The devout man prayed daily.那位虔诚的男士每天都祈祷。

20 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

21 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。