12-14 英格兰神奇小子——韦恩·鲁尼（在线收听）

English Wonder Boy -- Wayne Rooney

Wonder boy Wayne Rooney is the name on everybody's lips. At the tender age of 16, Rooney announced himself to the Premiership as a top prospect -- scoring a splendid goal against Arsenal to earn his first victory for Everton in the last minute of the game on 19 October 2002.

Wayne Rooney is the son of a working-class family, he grew up in a three bedroom council house at the suburb of Liverpool with his parents, Jeanette and Wayne, and his younger brothers, Graham and John. The family have always been Everton mad, and Rooney's old bedroom window, which was visible from the street, was filled with Everton pennants¹.

Rooney was the talk of the town well before his international success. He was only nine when he was spotted by Everton scout Bob Pendleton playing for boys' club Copplehouse in the local Walton and Kirkdale Junior League. In his last season he scored 99 goals before joining the Everton academy. His progress was so swift that he was playing for the Under-19s side when still only 15.

His life now is very different, though his superstardom hasn’ t gone to his head, he still looks like the boy next door, and if you pass him on the street you wouldn't look twice. He certainly doesn't carry the glamour of Beckham, but who cares? As long as he keeps scoring the goals for England, he's a national hero.

Wayne Rooney scored 4 goals in Euro 2004, and has been described by England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson as the greatest teenage talent to emerge since Pelé at the 1958 World Cup. Still at only 18 his career has just started, Liverpool-born Rooney is a boy that everyone wants to be.

Manchester United acquired the Everton striker² at the transfer deadline date on 31 August 2004. The six-year deal is worth ＄ 48.3 million; with agent fees, the total soars to ＄ 54 million. “ It was a tough decision to leave Everton, the club I've supported and played for all my life, but I'm excited to be joining a club as big as Manchester United,” Rooney said in a statement released by his new team.

Rooney scored his first hat trick³ in competitive football on his debut⁴ for Manchester United as the Red Devils crushed Fenerbahce 6-2 in a European Champions League Group match at Old Trafford on 28 September. It’ s really an exciting start for him and all who love him.

And things just keep getting better for Rooney. FIFA has included the 18-year-old Manchester United striker in its World Player of the Year Nominations on October 5. “ Wayne Rooney is ready to become the greatest player England has produced,” said Gary Lineker, the former England Captain.

注释：

1. pennant [5penEnt] n. 三角旗，尖旗

2. striker [5straikE(r)] n.  [足] 前锋（尤指中锋）

3. hat trick [体]（一名足球或曲棍球员在一场比赛中的）命中三球

4. debut [5deIbju:] [法] n. （演员等的）首次登台演出，首次出现

英格兰神奇小子——韦恩·鲁尼

神奇小子韦恩·鲁尼的名字挂在每个人的嘴边。在年仅16岁时，鲁尼就宣告了他是英超最有前途的人——在2002年10月19日对阿森纳的比赛中，他在全场比赛的最后一分钟攻入了精彩的一球，从而赢得了他代表埃弗顿比赛的第一场胜利。

　　韦恩·鲁尼出身于工人家庭,在利物浦郊区的一套有3间卧室的市建住宅中长大。同住的有他的父母珍尼特和韦恩，以及两个弟弟，格雷厄姆和约翰。这一家人都是埃弗顿的球迷，从街上可以看到，鲁尼卧室的破旧窗户上插满了埃弗顿的小三角队旗。

　　在取得世界性的成功之前，鲁尼就已经成为了全镇人谈论的焦点。在代表科普尔豪斯俱乐部少年队参加沃尔顿和科尔克代尔地区青少年联赛时，鲁尼被埃弗顿球探鲍勃·彭德尔顿发现，那时他才年仅9岁。在鲁尼进入埃弗顿足球学校前的一个赛季里，他攻入了99个球。他的进步如此神速以至于在19岁以下青年队踢球时仅仅只有15岁。

　　鲁尼现在的生活已经和以前大不相同，但是并没有一点超级明星的样子，看上去还是好像一个邻家男孩。如果你在街上从他面前走过，你绝不会看他第二眼。他当然不具备贝克汉姆那样的魅力，但是谁会在意呢？只要他能继续不断地为英格兰队进球，他就是国家的英雄。

　　韦恩·鲁尼在2004年欧洲杯上攻入4球，被英格兰队教练斯文?戈兰·埃里克松称为继1958年世界杯出现的贝利之后最伟大的天才少年。年仅18岁的他，事业刚刚开始起步，每个人都希望像这位利物浦少年一样。

　　2004年8月31日，曼联在转会期的最后一天得到了这位埃弗顿前锋。这份为期6年的合同价值4830万美元，算上代理费，总额达到5400万美元。“离开埃弗顿——这个我一直支持和为之效力的俱乐部——是一个艰难的决定，但是我很高兴加入了像曼联这样强大的俱乐部，”鲁尼在他的新东家为他发表的一份声明中说道。

　　9月28日，在欧洲冠军联赛的一场小组赛中，红魔在老特拉福德球场以6－2狂扫费内巴切，而鲁尼在正式代表曼联出场的首次亮相中就上演了帽子戏法。这对于他以及喜欢他的人们都是一个激动人心的开始。

鲁尼的事业蒸蒸日上。10月5日，国际足联已经将这位18岁的曼联前锋列入了2004年世界足球先生候选人的名单当中。“韦恩·鲁尼已经准备好成为英格兰历史上最伟大的球员，”前英格兰队队长加里·莱因克尔这样说道。