2006年VOA标准英语-Ivorian Football Players Aim to Unite Coun

By Franz Wild
Abidjan
23 May 2006
 
  
  
As Ivory Coast prepares to play in its first football World Cup, many in the war-divided country are pinning their hopes of peace on the sport.  Politicians recently organized a friendly match between the top two local teams to show Ivorians that the spirit of football can unite the country.

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In Ivory Coast, politicians and citizens alike say they hope football can bring President Laurent Gbagbo's south and the north, which has been under rebel control since 2002, together in a spirit of reconciliation¹.

Many of Ivory Coast's top dignitaries, including Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny and leader of the rebel New Forces Guillaume Soro, gathered Sunday in the de-facto capital of the rebel-held north, Bouaké.  They were there to watch the symbolic² reconciliation match between league leaders ASEC Mimosas and Africa Sports.

But at the last minute Ivorian champions ASEC dropped out after murmurings of security concerns and insufficient³ pay. 

The Abidjan Youth Club jumped in for absent ASEC, only to be beaten by Africa Sports 1-0.

At half time, Banny told the many thousands of spectators that football will bring the two sides together.

"Everything is possible through sport," he said.  "We will unite around the round ball, which, he said, is the same for everyone.  A ball rolls in the same way for everyone and because of that it is a powerful symbol of reconciliation."

The peace process has faltered⁴ though.  Last year when October's planned elections fell through, the international community gave Mr. Gbagbo another year to organize new elections.  But both sides are unwilling⁵ to make compromises and U.N. observers are privately⁶ skeptical⁷ elections will be held this October.

A member of the New Forces political front, Ben Souk, told VOA the spirit of football can take Ivorians a long way.

"The mentality⁸ of the players can bring peace," he said.  "But not football, because football is a sport.  We are trying to bring politics to change the mentality. T hat is why you see the people here.  Everyone here, we are together to try to change the mentality."

The Elephants, as the national team is known, bear the hopes and expectations of many Ivorians.  When they play for the first time at the World Cup in June, many Ivorians believe every win will bring peace one step closer.

The rap group Koosh dOzone performed for the dignitaries ahead of Sunday's match.  They refuse to take sides in the conflict.  Their members are both from the north and the south.

Lead singer Fimo Capone says they will be performing a song about the Elephants, which talks about how they will unite the country.

He says, they will be singing about the national team, because, he says, the team stands for peace.  He adds that, everything the team has achieved has brought Ivorians closer together.  And, he notes, if they go far in the World Cup, they will have done a lot to bring Ivory Coast closer to peace.

Capone says Ivory Coast is not really divided.

He says, the politicians say the country is divided, but he says that is not true.  It is the politicians themselves, he explains, who are divided.  But, he believes, the population is not divided.

Few are openly skeptical about the real difficulty of uniting Ivory Coast.  Privately members of the New Forces have acknowledged that football will not make the political hurdles⁹ disappear overnight.

For now, the players on the national team say they are prepared to take on the responsibility of being a force for peace.

1 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

2 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

3 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

4 faltered   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
• "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”

5 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

6 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

7 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

8 mentality   

n.心理，思想，脑力

参考例句：

• He has many years'experience of the criminal mentality.他研究犯罪心理有多年经验。
• Running a business requires a very different mentality from being a salaried employee.经营企业所要求具备的心态和上班族的心态截然不同。

9 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句