2007年VOA标准英语-NFL Star has International Roots

By Arash Arabasadi
Washington
05 September 2007
 

For many, sports are recreational fun; a way to pass the time. But for the few both lucky and good enough to compete as adults, sports can be the gateway¹ to a lucrative² career playing at the professional level.  Many professional athletes embody³ the rags-to-riches story of kids who grew up with nothing only to become wealthy, international stars.  Recently, VOA's Arash Arabasadi met with one of these athletes in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Futbol: the game with the most fans, played in the most countries and watched by the most viewers, is the sport of choice around the world.  But in the United States, a different kind of football is king.  The National Football League (NFL) draws the most fans of any spectator⁴ sport in the country.  Its 16-game schedule -- full of fast paced, flashy and often-painful displays -- keeps fans on edge week after week.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh

Touraj "T.J." Houshmandzadeh is a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals.  Touraj's father is Iranian; his mother, who named him, is black.  "I mean, it was the name that was given to me, you know?  My mom named me that.  Why?  That was her choice."

Houshmandzadeh is among the league's most productive⁵ receivers, consistently⁶ ranking in the league's top 20, and his jersey⁷ is a top seller for the Bengals organization. 

Marvin Lewis, Bengals head coach

His head coach, Marvin Lewis, says Houshmandzadeh is an energetic member of his team. "He brings, obviously, a lot of ability.  He's made a lot of plays through his career here, and just done a fine job. He's a great team guy.  He sacrifices a lot; plays physical, and tough inside, and he's been an excellent third down receiver. He brings some fire to the game."

The 29-year-old California native says he never knew his Iranian father. Houshmandzadeh says he talked to his father for the first time this summer, and the two have spoken several times since, but says his parents went their separate ways shortly after they started dating. "It was just a situation where he met my mom, and they were together, and he wanted her to go back with him, from my understanding, and she wasn't going to do that.  So, he left and that was it.  So, it wasn't, you know… I guess you could say we parted ways, but I didn't know of him, I didn't know him, so… he chose to leave and that's what happened." 

T.J.

T.J. never finished high school, because he says education was not a priority⁸. "I just didn't like school.  I was out all night, doing what I wanted to do, and I just got behind and I just said, 'Forget it. I'm not going to go anymore'."

His career in the NFL almost never happened, but this future star's life changed when he enrolled⁹ in junior college. 

He says he learned he was good at the game when he impressed coaches enough to play at the University of Oregon. "You get to college and you start doing well and the coaches kind of let you know that if you stay healthy and go to school, you got a good shot.  So that's when you start to, you know, I did, anyway, in college."

Life has changed for the kid from California who dropped out of school before realizing his dream.  He is currently¹⁰ in the third year of a four-year contract worth $13 million.  His team, the Cincinnati Bengals, is expected to make a run at the playoffs in 2007, and T. J. will most likely play a key role. 

1 gateway   

n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法

参考例句：

• Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
• A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。

2 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

3 embody   

vt.具体表达，使具体化；包含，收录

参考例句：

• The latest locomotives embody many new features. 这些最新的机车具有许多新的特色。
• Hemingway's characters plainly embody his own values and view of life.海明威笔下的角色明确反映出他自己的价值观与人生观。

4 spectator   

n.观众，目击者，旁观者

参考例句：

• A spectator threw the ball back to the players.一个观众把球掷回给球员。
• He was content to stand by as an impassive spectator.他满足于站在旁边做一个冷漠的旁观者。

5 productive   

adj.能生产的，有生产价值的，多产的

参考例句：

• We had a productive meeting that solved some problems.我们开了一个富有成效的会议，解决了一些问题。
• Science and technology are part of the productive forces.科学技术是生产力。

6 consistently   

ad.一贯地，一直

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。
• The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law. 部长一向反对法律上的任何放宽。

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 priority   

n.优先处理的事，居先，优先（权）

参考例句：

• The development of the national economy is a top priority.发展国民经济是应予以最优先考虑的事。
• Things should be taken up in order of priority.办事应有个先后次序。

9 enrolled   

adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They have been studying hard from the moment they enrolled. 从入学时起，他们就一直努力学习。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He enrolled with an employment agency for a teaching position. 他在职业介绍所登了记以谋求一个教师的职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。