VOA慢速英语2014 中国拳击战士改变美国拳击面貌

 

AS IT IS 2014-07-28 Chinese Fighters Changing Face of US Boxing 中国拳击战士改变美国拳击面貌

The face of heavy weight boxing is changing in the United States. 

Two Asian boxers² have entered the ring. Chinese Olympic medal winner Zhang Zhilei is training on the East Coast.  Another Chinese boxer¹, Taishan Dong, just won his first professional fight in the United States.

A Mountain of a Man

His name is Jianjun Dong.  But in the boxing ring, he is called Taishan.  Taishan is a famous Chinese mountain.  And at 127 kilograms and 211 centimeters tall, Taishan looks like a mountain of a man. 

In Asia, he is a top non-professional, or amateur³, fighter.  The 26-year-old is also a former kick boxer.  And recently he started his professional career as a heavyweight boxer with a fight July 18th in San Francisco, California.  Taishan Dong defeated Andy Rozman just a few minutes into the action.

VOA’s Mike Sullivan spoke⁴ with the young boxer at his training place in Los Angeles, California.  Mr. Dong said he came to the United States to better his future in boxing.

The United States is strong in sports, a world leader.  I hope to move to a higher level.  America offers many opportunities to realize my dreams and reach my goals.”

Taishan Dong may be one of the tallest boxers ever. And he is powerful.  But he is still new as a professional fighter. 

Taishan Dong works⁵ on his hitting with trainer, John Bray⁶.  Mr. Bray himself is a former heavyweight boxer.  He said the Chinese fighter has possibility.

“I think that he’s a young, eager heavyweight that’s very teachable.  The heavyweight landscape is wide open, as you know, and he’s going to fare very well.”

Taishan Dong is not the only up-and-coming Chinese heavyweight boxer. 

Zhang Zhilei will have his first heavyweight professional fight in the western state of Nevada this summer.  He is now training in the northeastern state of New Jersey⁷.  Mr. Zhang won a silver medal in boxing at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 

Both young men face cultural and language barriers.  Taishan speaks little English.  But he told VOA that he works around it.

“I trained in sports since a young age in China. Spoken communication is a big barrier in the United States.  But I can work with my trainer using body language.” 

His trainer John Bray does not speak Mandarin⁸.  But he said he and Mr. Dong both “speak boxing.”

Lately, Taishan Dong has more on his mind than just fighting. He and his wife Gege are new parents.  Their daughter Harper was born four months ago in Los Angeles. 

Taishan and Zhang Zhilei are both skillful⁹ young fighters.  They both hope to change the face of U.S. heavyweight boxing.  It is one American sport that includes few Asian faces.

1 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

2 boxers   

n.拳击短裤；（尤指职业）拳击手( boxer的名词复数 )；拳师狗

参考例句：

• The boxers were goaded on by the shrieking crowd. 拳击运动员听见观众的喊叫就来劲儿了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The boxers slugged it out to the finish. 两名拳击手最后决出了胜负。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 amateur   

adj.业余的，非专业的；n.业余爱好者

参考例句：

• He made an amateur attempt to build a cupboard.他很外行地试做了一个碗柜。
• Although Tom's only an amateur he's a first-class player.虽然汤姆只是个业余爱好者，但却是一流的高手。

4 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。

5 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

6 bray   

n.驴叫声, 喇叭声；v.驴叫

参考例句：

• She cut him off with a wild bray of laughter.她用刺耳的狂笑打断了他的讲话。
• The donkey brayed and tried to bolt.这头驴嘶叫着试图脱缰而逃。

7 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

8 Mandarin   

n.中国官话，国语，满清官吏；adj.华丽辞藻的

参考例句：

• Just over one billion people speak Mandarin as their native tongue.大约有十亿以上的人口以华语为母语。
• Mandarin will be the new official language of the European Union.普通话会变成欧盟新的官方语言。

9 skillful   

adj.灵巧的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Soon they became very skillful in answering such questions.很快他们就会很熟练地回答这种问题了。
• It was very skillful of you to repair my bicycle.你修好了我的自行车，技术真好。