VOA常速英语20116--虚拟的美国大学广为世界人民流传（在线收听）

虚拟的美国大学广为世界人民流传

The Midwest farm state of Iowa is so proud of its string of blue-water lakes - the Okoboji Lakes- that it calls them "Iowa's Great Lakes." They're ringed by resorts, marinas, and fishing cabins.And they're very real. We point that out because not everything is real in those parts. Mostnotably: the renowned, but quite mythical, University of Okoboji. All over the world, youbump into people wearing University of Okoboji caps and sweatshirts. In fact, a U of O pennant- with its impressive crest showing the Iowa Great Lakes - was once planted at the South Pole.The legendary University of Okoboji football team, the Fightin' Phantoms, plays threepowerhouses - Notre Dame, the University of Nebraska and the winner of the University of Iowaversus Iowa State game - on a single day, September 31. That's right, September only has 30days. So far, the Phantoms have won every game. The make-believe University of Okoboji wasconceived 36 years ago by brothers Herman and Emil Richter, who own a clothing store in thenearby town of Milford, Iowa. As a lark, they printed U of O T-shirts, and people snapped themup. Today, you can also get University of Okoboji mugs and sweatshirts that are every bit asimpressive as those from Stanford or Yale. Former president George W. Bush was evenpresented with the university's cap and gown. Not the usual mortar-board cap with a tasseland not a heavy robe. Okoboji's cap and gown are a golf hat and a beach towel. The Universityof Okoboji may not have halls of ivy or much of a student body. Its enrollment is zero. But it'sa party school, holding an actual homecoming marathon each July, and winter games in January- with ski races, snowshoe hikes and something called a "freeze your fanny bike ride." Peoplewho've been there during the deep freeze of an Iowa winter swear they saw Jack Frost andSanta Claus throwing snowballs by the lake.

以农业之州著称的爱荷华州位于美国中西部，以其一连串澄澈绿水湖--欧克博奇湖区为傲。这片湖区的爱称是"爱荷华湖区"。该湖区为避暑胜地、游艇船坞、钓鱼小屋环绕。而且看起来都十分真实。我们特意提出这一点，是因为并非爱荷华的所有事物都真是存在。最引人瞩目的是：闻名遐迩又十分神秘的欧克博奇大学。在全球各地，你都能碰到身着印有欧克博奇大学校徽帽子和运动衫的人。事实上，这所带有爱荷华湖区、让人印象深刻的大学相传地处南极。

这所传奇式学校的足球队名为打败幻影，曾于9月31日那天在爱荷华州立比赛中打败了三个对手：圣母大学、内布拉斯加大学和爱荷华大学。对，然而9月只有30天。目前为止，该校足球队无往而不胜。欧克博奇大学是36年前爱荷华州附近米尔福德镇的一对兄弟赫尔曼和埃米尔臆想出来的，这对兄弟开了一家服装店。为了以假乱真，他们印制了带有欧克博奇大学校徽的T恤，销量甚好。如今，你依然可以买到欧克博奇大学的马克杯和运动衫，与斯坦福大学或耶鲁大学的一样逼真。美国前总统布什还曾穿戴过欧克博奇大学的校帽和校服。但不同以往的是，学位帽没有流苏，也不沉重。而是由高尔夫帽和沙滩浴巾组成。欧克博奇大学的师生人数不到常春藤的教学楼，也没有学生。生源为0。这是一所派对学校，每年7月会举行货真价实的夏季马拉松比赛，每年1月会举行冬季运动会--滑雪、雪上远足以及"冬日骑行之旅"。来爱荷华州参加过冬日骑行之旅的人都信誓旦旦地说自己见过杰克冻人和圣诞老人在湖边扔雪球。