VOA标准英语2011--Roller Skating Becomes Popular US Sport for Women

Roller Skating Becomes Popular US Sport for Women

Roller derby was once a popular sport for men and women in the United States until it fizzled out a few decades ago. Then, about ten years ago, it was revived in Austin, Texas, as an amateur sport for women. Since then, it has spread all over the U.S. The "Texecutioners," the roller girls from Texas, where the sport was reborn, competed this year in the national roller derby championship in Denver.

It may not be a professional sport, but these players are no amateurs. The “Texecutioners” from Austin, Texas took home the bronze at the national championship in Denver.

During a warm-up before the winning game, player "Molotov M. Pale" from the "Texecutioners" explained why she was drawn¹ to the sport.

"It was a lot of really smart, creative women with all this buzzy energy to be almost revolutionary. I mean it was people wanting to change things and restructure things and very DIY and do it yourself and I wanted to capture that energy, that incendiary energy that lights things up," she said.

In roller derby, two teams have five players each who race in the same direction around a track.

Each team’s fastest player, called a “jammer,” aims to skate past opposing team members called “blockers.” When the “jammer” passes a “blocker” she earns a point.

It often ends in bruises². The players, many wearing hot pants, are up to it.

Molotov M. Pale says when roller derby re-emerged around ten years ago it had a lot of personality.

"There was a lot of individuality and style, and people created these amazing personas. And that’s still very present, and you see that everywhere, but it has also taken a shift toward a more mainstream³ sport and less of a sub-cultural sport," she said.

The sport is becoming more mainstream. Today, more than 1,000 leagues from around the world play roller derby, and a team can be found in just about every corner of the United States.

Suzy Hotrod is one of the star players of the New York team, the “Gotham Girls”, winners of the national competition.

She says today athleticism⁴ is key to roller derby.

"Roller Derby is an amazing thing for women," she said. "It’s super about strength and female empowerment and being confident, being an athlete. This is where everyone can come and still play sports and feel the community and be athletic⁵ and it’s really changed my life."

1 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

2 bruises   

n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was covered with bruises after falling off his bicycle. 他从自行车上摔了下来，摔得浑身伤痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pear had bruises of dark spots. 这个梨子有碰伤的黑斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

4 athleticism   

n.运动竞赛，崇尚运动，竞技热

参考例句：

• He brings defense. He brings talent. He brings athleticism. That's a lot. “他带来的防御，他带来了人才，他带来了身体，这是很多”。 来自互联网
• Each of these sports isn't won through sheer athleticism alone. 每个体育项目无法凭借纯粹的运动能力而获胜。 来自互联网

5 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。