VOA标准英语2010年-Famous South African Street Rocks Ahea

Vilakazi Street will be the scene of much celebration as the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa unfolds

Schoolboys, their disheveled uniforms streaked¹ with dust and faces dripping with sweat, boot a football across the road. Young children saunter along the sidewalk, blowing plastic trumpets², the shrill³ sound piercing the high, thin air. Vehicles flying the flag of South Africa speed past, hooters blaring, drivers' fists punching the air. Drummers pound out a furious rhythm on their instruments, accompanying a choir⁴ that sings "Ke nako, Ke nako" ("it is here") in a local Sotho dialect.

 Hordes of foreign football fans from all corners of the globe - from Argentina to Algeria, from Greece to Ghana - look on, and eagerly snap photographs of the unfolding scenes.

With Africa's first football World Cup set to begin, there's a carnival⁵ atmosphere in Vilakazi Street. This is South Africa's most famous road, situated⁶ in Orlando West in the middle of the country's biggest township, Soweto. Vilakazi Street is the only street in the world to have been home to two former Nobel Peace Prize winners. Both former South Africa president Nelson Mandela and human rights activist⁷ Archbishop Desmond Tutu once sheltered here, trying to escape the apartheid police.

 Now, with just hours to go before hosts South Africa meet Mexico in the tournament's opening game at nearby Soccer City stadium, Vilakazi Street is packed with football supporters ... And a shadow of its former violent character.

"It's hard to believe that just more than 20 years ago this place was on fire, with apartheid soldiers shooting our people, and us people fighting back with stones and the petrol bombs!" exclaims Orlando West resident Zacharia Moloi. He continues, "Now here we are, hosting the World Cup, with the whole world happy to be in Vilakazi Street! There's a party here now! Life is truly a miracle!"

Bafana are stars

Moloi laughs when asked what he's doing roaming Vilakazi Street in the middle of the day when he should be at work, at a panel beating company across town. "I am here to see all the foreigners like they are here to see me; the relationship is of mutual⁸ benefit!" he cackles.

Turning to the World Cup's first game, Moloi says "emotion" will allow South Africa to beat Mexico. "Bafana Bafana [a nickname for the South Africa team] are going to win this game, convincingly - maybe by three goals," he states.

Moloi says South Africa "cannot fail" to win the opening match because "millions of people at home and around the world" are behind Bafana Bafana.

In a side street nearby, 9-year-old Bonginkosi Dlamini is playing amongst rubble⁹ remaining from recent renovations in Vilakazi Street. He has no doubt that his beloved South African soccer squad¹⁰ will win the World Cup. "Because they are clever," he smirks¹¹.

Dlamini's friend, Thebe Thafeng, says Bafana will first "deal" with Mexico, and then go on to even bigger things. "Ah, it will be nice! We are going to take the World Cup because [South Africa] are skillful ... They're stars - like [midfielder] Simphiwe Tshabalala!"

Mexicans "for breakfast"

As some English football fans cheer from a restaurant balcony overlooking Vilakazi street, Sakhile Nkomo juggles¹² a football theatrically¹³. "We want to prove to everybody that Africa is ready for [World Cup] 2010. It's time. It's here. Feel it," he says.

The young man is especially looking forward to seeing international soccer superstars "in real life - not just on TV. I want to see [Brazilian midfielder] Kaka! I will do anything to see Kaka," Nkomo tells VOA.

He says Bafana's recent friendly results - beating Colombia and Denmark, teams ranked far higher than it - is "total proof" that South Africa's destined¹⁴ to do well in the football extravaganza.

"There will be no favors. We are going to play our normal football and we are going to beat Mexico 2 - 1," Nkomo emphasizes. "After we beat Mexico, we will beat Uruguay and then maybe draw with France [in the group stages]. We will make quarter finals, at least. We will not allow all these world teams to play on our soil, and then we are not there in the later tournament stages ourselves."

Outside the gate of Phefeni Senior Secondary School half way down Vilakazi Street, Hegliece Mazibuko says South Africa's going to "thrash [those Mexicans]; we are going to lash¹⁵ them!" Then, the school caretaker laughs and adds, "Mexico is our breakfast!"

Mazibuko dismisses every neutral's favorite to take the trophy¹⁶, Brazil, as the most dangerous threat to South Africa. "Brazil is playing the tricky¹⁷ soccer like us but we [unlike the Brazilians] don't jump on top of the ball! We touch that ball! We marinate it!"

He says Bafana are going to "stroke that ball around like it is a baby's bottom! Finesse¹⁸ will win us this World Cup! And when we need power, we also have it, in the form or our deadly quick striker, Katlego Mphela."

Mazibuko is adamant¹⁹, "The World Cup will remain here in South Africa."

"It's impossible"

But, Zacharia Moloi, as confident as he is of South Africa beating Mexico, maintains that Bafana still aren't good enough to win the tournament.

"We are facing very good teams. Last time around, we didn't even qualify for the African Nations Cup; our domestic teams are failing in the African Champions League; our players don't play in the world's best leagues," Moloi laments²⁰.

"Maybe, by some miracle South Africa will make it to the semifinals - but no further," he said. "It's impossible!" Moloi scoffs²¹, when a passerby²² interjects to suggest that Bafana could lift football's most coveted²³ prize.

"It's between Brazil and Spain to lift the World Cup," he asserts.

But for many South Africans, their country has already triumphed - even if Bafana Bafana fails at the tournament's first hurdle²⁴. In less than two decades, the country has risen from being a pariah²⁵ state, to hosting what could well turn out to be the biggest sporting spectacle ever witnessed.

And South Africans of all generations haven't forgotten their homeland's bitter history … As well as its stark²⁶ present.

"When I moan that I have no ticket for a World Cup game, my mom reminds me that I have food to eat, while millions of kids in South Africa do not," Nkomo whispers.

"It's only football; it's only a game," he mutters unconvincingly, tossing the ball once more before his scuffed²⁷ school shoes, and disappearing into the hazy²⁸ distance.
 

1 streaked   

adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹

参考例句：

• The children streaked off as fast as they could. 孩子们拔脚飞跑 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• His face was pale and streaked with dirt. 他脸色苍白，脸上有一道道的污痕。 来自辞典例句

2 trumpets   

喇叭( trumpet的名词复数 )； 小号； 喇叭形物； （尤指）绽开的水仙花

参考例句：

• A wreath was laid on the monument to a fanfare of trumpets. 在响亮的号角声中花圈被献在纪念碑前。
• A fanfare of trumpets heralded the arrival of the King. 嘹亮的小号声宣告了国王驾到。

3 shrill   

adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫

参考例句：

• Whistles began to shrill outside the barn.哨声开始在谷仓外面尖叫。
• The shrill ringing of a bell broke up the card game on the cutter.刺耳的铃声打散了小汽艇的牌局。

4 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

5 carnival   

n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演

参考例句：

• I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
• Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。

6 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

7 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

8 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

9 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

10 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

11 smirks   

n.傻笑，得意的笑( smirk的名词复数 )v.傻笑( smirk的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Eighteenth-century wigs are still worn by the judiciary and nobody smirks. 法官至今还戴18世纪的假发套而没有人嘲笑。 来自互联网
• Once a league laughingstock, nobody even much as smirks at the Hornets anymore. 曾经联盟的笑柄，没人再去嘲笑蜜蜂了。 来自互联网

12 juggles   

v.歪曲( juggle的第三人称单数 )；耍弄；有效地组织；尽力同时应付（两个或两个以上的重要工作或活动）

参考例句：

• They brought back to my mind, in a flash, the three juggles. 他们顿时使我回想起那三个变戏法的。 来自辞典例句
• Our juggles are essentially built from relationships ─with our partners alz, coworkers and friends. 我们的事业和家庭实际上都是建立于各种关系之上的──与伴侣、孩子、同事和朋友的关系。 来自互联网

13 theatrically   

adv.戏剧化地

参考例句：

• He looked theatrically at his watch. 他夸张地看看表。 来自柯林斯例句

14 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

15 lash   

v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛

参考例句：

• He received a lash of her hand on his cheek.他突然被她打了一记耳光。
• With a lash of its tail the tiger leaped at her.老虎把尾巴一甩朝她扑过来。

16 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

17 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

18 finesse   

n.精密技巧，灵巧，手腕

参考例句：

• It was a disappointing performance which lacked finesse.那场演出缺乏技巧，令人失望。
• Lillian Hellman's plays are marked by insight and finesse.莉莲.赫尔曼的巨作以富有洞察力和写作技巧著称。

19 adamant   

adj.坚硬的，固执的

参考例句：

• We are adamant on the building of a well-off society.在建设小康社会这一点上，我们是坚定不移的。
• Veronica was quite adamant that they should stay on.维罗妮卡坚信他们必须继续留下去。

20 laments   

n.悲恸，哀歌，挽歌( lament的名词复数 )v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In the poem he laments the destruction of the countryside. 在那首诗里他对乡村遭到的破坏流露出悲哀。
• In this book he laments the slight interest shown in his writings. 在该书中他慨叹人们对他的著作兴趣微弱。 来自辞典例句

21 scoffs   

嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• [ Scoffs ] Why should a young girl like that love an old fart like me? 为什么一个那样的年轻女孩应该喜欢我这样的老家伙？
• The noise of the moment scoffs at the music of the Eternal. 瞬刻的喧声，讥笑着永恒的音乐。

22 passerby   

n.过路人，行人

参考例句：

• We had our photo taken by a passerby.我们请了一个路人为我们照相。
• A passerby heard her screams and rushed to her aid.一个过路人听见她的尖叫，便冲过去帮助她。

23 coveted   

adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图

参考例句：

• He had long coveted the chance to work with a famous musician. 他一直渴望有机会与著名音乐家一起工作。
• Ther other boys coveted his new bat. 其他的男孩都想得到他的新球棒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 hurdle   

n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛

参考例句：

• The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍，所以我必须要作好准备。
• She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。

25 pariah   

n.被社会抛弃者

参考例句：

• Shortly Tom came upon the juvenile pariah of the village.不一会儿，汤姆碰上了村里的少年弃儿。
• His landlady had treated him like a dangerous criminal,a pariah.房东太太对待他就像对待危险的罪犯、对待社会弃儿一样。

26 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

27 scuffed   

v.使磨损( scuff的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚走

参考例句：

• I scuffed the heel of my shoe on the stonework. 我的鞋跟儿给铺好的石头磨坏了。
• Polly dropped her head and scuffed her feet. 波莉低下头拖着脚走开了。 来自辞典例句

28 hazy   

adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的

参考例句：

• We couldn't see far because it was so hazy.雾气蒙蒙妨碍了我们的视线。
• I have a hazy memory of those early years.对那些早先的岁月我有着朦胧的记忆。