美国国家公共电台 NPR--Skateboarders dream of shredding this famous bench. But first, they have to find it

Skateboarders dream of shredding¹ this famous bench. But first, they have to find it

Transcript²

A bench has gone missing in Philadelphia this week – and not for the first time.

For skateboarders, the 13 feet of curved steel isn't just a bench. It's a storied treasure. And it's been on quite the journey.

"It's kind of like one of the ultimate obstacles to skate," said Anthony Van Engelen, a professional skateboarder who says it's just the right shape. "If you can hook into that at the start, take the curve all the way to the end, it's a cool feeling."

Van Engelen, also known as AVE, was Thrasher magazine's Skater of The Year in 2015. He first encountered the bench in Santa Ana, Calif., in 1995.

He said that sliding across the bench is like whipping around a tight corner on a motorcycle. And it wasn't long before his friends realized they could unscrew the bench and take it.

"They just strapped⁴ it to the top of a Honda Civic⁵, and I think they used, like, extension cords and wires," he said. "[They] held onto it out the window and drove it to my friend's house."

Thus began a journey that is still unfolding. The bench appeared in a skate video featuring Van Engelen in 2003. It changed hands when, according to Van Engelen, "a well-known pro³ skater at the time" took it from him. But in 2020, long-time fans were rewarded with another sighting in a new video, with Van Engelen performing a switch backside noseblunt slide. The mythic bench had returned.

Van Engelen carried that buzz – and that bench – to New York City. His company, FA World Entertainment, was opening a new store there and left the bench in nearby Tompkins Square Park for other skaters to use.

"The first day I was there, I went to Tompkins [Square Park] and was skating the bench. The next day, I went to Tompkins, the bench was gone," he said. "I was like, 'cool.'"

It showed up in Philadelphia's Cecil B. Moore Station Plaza⁶, as earlier reported by the New York Post. A group of skaters drove it down to Philly in a rented truck, according to one of the skaters who spoke⁷ to NPR but asked for his name to be withheld⁸.

On Tuesday, a day after it garnered⁹ local news coverage¹⁰, the bench disappeared again.

A spokesperson for Temple University, which manages the ground where the bench was last seen, told NPR that someone claiming to be the owner of the bench contacted campus police to report it stolen.

"After providing evidence of ownership, including a receipt of purchase, Temple University Police assisted the owner with the bench's recovery. With the bench now back in the rightful owner's possession, it is expected to return to New York City," the university said in a statement.

Van Engelen told NPR he doesn't know who picked up the bench.

"For 99% of humanity, it's just a chunk¹¹ of steel," he said. "I hope as many people who want to skate it, get a chance to skate it, and it just goes forever."

Skaters in Richmond, Va. may get their chance — that is, if you believe this Instagram account that posted a photo Wednesday of the bench near the James River. 

1 shredding   

v.撕碎，切碎( shred的现在分词 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件）

参考例句：

• Like the Tehran experience, the shredding may be all for naught. 如同德黑兰事件中的情况一样，切碎文件可能是徒劳的。 来自时文部分
• How shredding began is subject to some guesswork. 粉碎处理行业的起源是个有争议的问题。 来自时文部分

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 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

4 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

6 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

7 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。

8 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 garnered   

v.收集并（通常）贮藏（某物），取得，获得( garner的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith gradually garnered a national reputation as a financial expert. 史密斯先生逐渐赢得全国金融专家的声誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals. 他的提议得到了广泛的支持。 来自辞典例句

10 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

11 chunk   

n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量）

参考例句：

• They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。
• The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。