CNN 2011-01-30

One of the players in the big game is gonna be Hines Ward¹. He's a wide receiver and someone who has a lot of fans; not just in the U.S., but halfway² around the world as well. Mr. Ward is using his popularity and his personal background to try to make life better for some kids in South Korea. Paula Hancocks catches us up on the details.Hines Ward is a hero in South Korea, less for throwing an American football and more for breaking down biracial discrimination. The NFL player has an American father and a Korean mother. His visit to South Korea four years ago, his first since he was a baby, captivated the nation .The sporting superstar met with biracial children, sparking an internal debate on how to stop ethnic³ prejudice.

We can't change the past, but in the present day and the future, maybe if I can provide hope and inspiration to make Korea an even better place than it already is, then I'll be more than excited.

Almost 99% of people here in South Korea are Korean. It's still very rare to have parents of two different races. So by visiting here, and also by setting up a foundation which helps biracial children, Hines Ward is widely credited as having changed the prejudices of a nation. This is the Rainbow Choir⁴. Nearly every child is biracial; many of them say they have experienced some kind of prejudice at school. This sixth grader is Chinese-Korean and remembers Ward's visit. She says...

His parents are from different cultures and he was very nice to me. He's in the same situation as me, which makes me like him even more.

This boy tells me...

Hines Ward is cool and strong.

Kim Seong-Hoi started the choir and opened the Center for Multicultural⁵ Korea after being inspired by the NFL star. He says...

South Korea can only grow if it learns how to live with more foreign people in the country, with people not all of the same bloodline.

So, while American football is not popular in South Korea, Hines Ward definitely is.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul, South Korea.

1 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

2 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

3 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

4 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

5 multicultural   

adj.融合多种文化的，多种文化的

参考例句：

• Children growing up in a multicultural society.在多元文化社会中长大的孩子们。
• The school has been attempting to bring a multicultural perspective to its curriculum.这所学校已经在尝试将一种多元文化视角引入其课程。