VOA常速英语2008年-Giants Upset Patriots in Super Bowl 42

By Parke Brewer¹
Glendale, Arizona
04 February 2008

The US National Football League's New York Giants upset the previously² undefeated New England Patriots³, 17-14, to win Super Bowl 42. VOA Sports Editor Parke Brewer was at the NFL championship game in the Phoenix⁴, Arizona suburb of Glendale and has a report.

This was one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history. The New England Patriots, who were 12 point favorites, had won all 16 of their regular season games and both of their playoff games. They were trying to become only the second-ever undefeated Super Bowl champion. Instead, the New York Giants, who did not even win their division this season and lost to the Patriots in the final game of the regular season, prevailed, 17-14.

While each team scored on their first possession of the ball, the low-scoring game remained only 7-3 in favor of New England into the fourth quarter. When these two teams played in the final game of the regular season, the Patriots had beaten the Giants, 38-35, so this was a far different contest.

The Giants took a 10-7 advantage about four minutes into the fourth quarter after a short touchdown pass of five yards from quarterback Eli Manning to David Tyree.

New England retook the lead at 14-10 with only two minutes 42 seconds left on a six-yard touchdown throw from quarterback Tom Brady to his star receiver Randy Moss⁵.

But Manning, playing in his first Super Bowl, survived the pressure of the moment and the pressure of New England's defense⁶ to make one long spectacular pass to Tyree to get his team in position to win. And, with 35 seconds on the clock, he tossed the winning touchdown pass of 13 yards to Plaxico Burress.

In all, Manning completed 19 of 34 passes for 255 yards and was named the game's most valuable player.

"It feels great," Manning said. "You know there's no other feeling. It's just unbelievable, just the fight on this team. I'm so proud of our players, our coaches, everybody, for always believing, having faith in each other, having faith in our team, that no matter what's thrown at us we can find a way to win We had no doubts. We believed the whole time and, you know, we made it happen."

Last year, Eli's older brother, Peyton Manning - also a quarterback - led the Indianapolis Colts to the Super Bowl title.

New York Coach Tom Coughlin says huge credit goes to his defense that contained an unbeaten Patriots team that had averaged more than 35 points per game, during the regular season.

"Anytime you have a team that's 18-0, stop and think about it," Coughlin said. "And, in this league, it's just an incredible accomplishment⁷ for them. But our team, we've been building momentum⁸ and building momentum. And, if you're going to have a chance to win, you're going to have to play great defense and we certainly did."

New England quarterback Tom Brady, who had had a spectacular season and was aiming for his fourth Super Bowl title in seven years, was clearly disappointed he was unable to lead his team to a perfect season.

"It (the loss) doesn't take away from the 18 wins we had," Brady said. "Those were all great, and we enjoyed those, but the one we wanted the most just eluded⁹ us this season. We'll be working extremely hard to come back next year and try to figure out the problems from this game, so we can move forward."

With the New York Giants prevailing¹⁰ over heavily favored New England, 17-14, the 1972 Miami Dolphins remain the NFL's only undefeated Super Bowl champion.

1 brewer   

n. 啤酒制造者

参考例句：

• Brewer is a very interesting man. 布鲁尔是一个很有趣的人。
• I decided to quit my job to become a brewer. 我决定辞职，做一名酿酒人。

2 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

3 patriots   

爱国者，爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Abraham Lincoln was a fine type of the American patriots. 亚伯拉罕·林肯是美国爱国者的优秀典型。
• These patriots would fight to death before they surrendered. 这些爱国者宁愿战斗到死，也不愿投降。

4 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

5 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

8 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

9 eluded   

v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到

参考例句：

• The sly fox nimbly eluded the dogs. 那只狡猾的狐狸灵活地躲避开那群狗。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The criminal eluded the police. 那个罪犯甩掉了警察的追捕。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 prevailing   

adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的

参考例句：

• She wears a fashionable hair style prevailing in the city.她的发型是这个城市流行的款式。
• This reflects attitudes and values prevailing in society.这反映了社会上盛行的态度和价值观。