2006年VOA标准英语-Young Athletes Embrace Spirit of World Cup

By Jim Bertel
Washington, DC
19 June 2006
 
watch Youth Soccer report

 
Memory, a young player from Uganda
  
A group of young football (soccer) players from all over the world have been in the United States at the invitation of the U.S. State Department celebrating the World Cup. During their visit the athletes took the World Cup's motto -- "a time to make friends" -- to heart.

-------------------------------------------

The young players are from all over the world: Africa, South America, Asia, the Middle East, with one thing in common: a love of football (soccer).

The young athletes, ranging in age from 13 to 18, are spending two weeks together as part of the World Cup Sports Initiative¹, a partnership² between the U.S. government and the major football organizations in the United States. 

David Tyahla   
  
David Tyahla, with the U.S. Soccer Foundation³, says the visitors are becoming good friends. "It is a great way to live up to the slogan of this year's World Cup which the German organizers are calling  'A Time to Make Friends.'  And that's the whole point about it: crossing boundaries, bringing the global community into the world's game."

The young athletes spent a week in Washington, D.C. learning⁴ about football in the United States. Excelling⁵ on the field was a big part of the week's activities. But organizers hope the athletes will take an even more important message home with them: how success in sports can translate to success off the field. 

 
Sasho Cirovski
  
Sasho Cirovski coaches the University of Maryland's Men's Football team. "Our greatest glory is not in never falling but rising every time we fall. Because that is what sports teaches you -- you get knocked down, you get up. You learn from your mistakes."

Cirovski stressed the importance of both athletics⁶ and academics in preparing for the rest of their lives and encouraged the players to pursue⁷ both.

While very grown-up themes, such as teamwork, cross-cultural understanding and conflict resolution were addressed during the week, the trip was also about making new friends and having fun. Anna is an athlete from Uzbekistan and says she has made lots of friends.

 
Shamila 
  
Shamila, an athlete from Afghanistan, says it has been a great learning experience too. "I learned⁸ a lot of things here especially football or technique, technique especially -- we found different people, friends from different cultures, different countries." 

Jose  
  
Bolivian athlete, Jose, adds he is making new friends and learning from them also. He says he will never forget one encounter⁹. "I would say meeting the president, which I'd say was the most exciting experience I had."

For many of the teenagers, this is the first time they have been out of their country. Simon Norton of World Learning, a group that regularly works¹⁰ with young people on peace-building efforts, believes spending time together has been a "powerful experience" for the athletes.

Simon Norton  
  
“There are so many benefits, from cross-cultural understanding, for the chance for them to hangout, perhaps for the first time with somebody from a different country, certainly a different culture, a different religion, a different skin color.”

And these varied¹¹ experiences have had an impact¹² on the group. Memory, a young player from Uganda, has been especially touched by the week's life lessons and offers this advice to other young athletes: "They should continue playing their soccer, playing their sports, because any sporting activity you do can take you anywhere."

And football will also take this group of young athletes to the World Cup to see a game in person. 

1 initiative   

n.主动性，首创精神，主动权（的行动），倡议

参考例句：

• He went to see the headmaster on his own initiative.他主动去看望校长。
• His employer had described him as lacking in initiative and drive.雇主说他缺乏进取心和干劲。

2 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

3 foundation   

n.[pl.]地基；基础；基金会；建立，创办

参考例句：

• The foundation of the university took place 600 years ago.这所大学是600年前创办的。
• The Foundation gives money to help artists.那家基金会捐款帮助艺术家。

4 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

5 excelling   

优于，擅长( excel的现在分词 )； 胜过平时

参考例句：

• The rockery in the park is of wonderful workmanship excelling nature. 公园里的假山巧夺天工。
• Dukakis has a history of enduring, even excelling at, hardball campaigns. 杜卡基斯一向能承受，甚至擅长选举硬仗。

6 athletics   

n.运动，体育，田径运动

参考例句：

• When I was at school I was always hopeless at athletics.我上学的时候体育十分糟糕。
• Our team tied with theirs in athletics.在田径比赛中，我们队与他们队旗鼓相当。

7 pursue   

vt.继续，从事；追赶，追踪；追求

参考例句：

• He began to pursue an easy and comfortable life.他开始追求安逸舒适的生活。
• This is the path that we shall continue to pursue.这是我们要继续走的道路。

8 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

9 encounter   

v.遇到，偶然碰到；遭遇；n.遭遇；意外的相见

参考例句：

• It was a bloody encounter between the two armies. 这是那两军之间的一次激烈的遭遇战。
• A fortunate encounter brought the two friends together after a long separation.两位老朋友长期分离这次才有幸相遇。

10 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。

11 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

12 impact   

n.冲击，碰撞；影响；vt.装紧，压紧

参考例句：

• The computer had made a great impact on modern life.计算机对现代生活产生了巨大的影响.
• How will the war impact on such a poet?战争对这样一个诗人会产生什么影响？