英语新闻视频：2014巴西世界杯吉祥物 请叫我Fuleco

2014年巴西世界杯的吉祥物已经确定为一只的三色犰狳(又称：铠鼠)。犰狳在巴西是濒危动物。此前，巴西世界杯组委会在其国内开展了为吉祥物征名的活动，总共170万人参与了此次活动并从三个候选名字“Amijubi”、“Fuleco”和“Zuzeco”中选出Fuleco确定为2014年世界杯吉祥物的官方名称。

　　Fuleco是Futebol(足球)+Ecologia(生态)的合成词，吉祥物本身和名字将环保理念融入了足球，体现了这届世界杯注重环保的理念。

　　Brazil’s 2014 FIFA World Cup mascot¹, a blue and yellow armadillo...now officially has a name. Following an online vote, the armadillo was baptized on Sunday as "Fuleco", a word which organisers say transmits a message of environmental awareness².

　　The name of the three-banded armadillo, an endangered species indigenous³ to Brazil, was announced on national television. The name Fuleco was chosen by 48 percent of the 1.7 million votes, trumping⁴ the two other options, Zuzeco and Amijubi. While nature’s version is light brown in color, FIFA’s armadillo is yellow with green eyes and a blue shell - the colours of the Brazilian flag - and will be holding a football. Three-banded armadillos live mainly in Brazil’s arid⁵ northeast and are threatened by destructionto their natural environment. They are unusual among armadillos in that they can roll up into a ball to defend themselves from predators⁶.

 

1 mascot   

n.福神，吉祥的东西

参考例句：

• The football team's mascot is a goat.足球队的吉祥物是山羊。
• We had a panda as our mascot.我们把熊猫作为吉详物。

2 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

3 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

4 trumping   

v.（牌戏）出王牌赢（一牌或一墩）( trump的现在分词 )；吹号公告，吹号庆祝；吹喇叭；捏造

参考例句：

• Reality has a way of trumping art, and human-climate change is very real indeed. 现实总有它的王牌艺术，受人类影响的气候变化的确成了事实。 来自互联网
• This quirky aversion may be a case of psychological security trumping physical comfort. 这种奇怪现象可能是缘于一个心理上的安全感战胜生理上的舒适感的例子。 来自互联网

5 arid   

adj.干旱的；(土地)贫瘠的

参考例句：

• These trees will shield off arid winds and protect the fields.这些树能挡住旱风,保护农田。
• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。

6 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》