VOA标准英语2012--South Sudan Wheelchair Basketball Team Hopes for Paralympics Berth

 

South Sudan Wheelchair Basketball Team Hopes for Paralympics Berth¹

 

Wheelchair-bound basketball players race around a court in the sweltering evening heat. The players bear the scars of the ravages² of war and poverty: limbs lost to land mines and bomb shrapnel, or twisted by polio.

The decades-long civil war from which the new nation of South Sudan emerged in July 2011 left a legacy³ of some 50,000 disabled people. It is why representation of the wheelchair basketball team in this year's Paralympic Games is so important.

Gatluak Kual Luak, president of the Wheelchair Basketball Association, said the dream of competing in London has kept the team together.

“If South Sudan wheelchair basketball appears or is seen in the Olympics, it will mean [a lot] not only to me, but it will mean [a lot] to the whole of the nation,” said Luak.

But the nation's Olympic dream is fading fast.

South Sudan fell short of forming the minimum five sports federations⁴ in time to become a full member of the International Olympic Committee.

South Sudan Minister of Sports Cirino Hiteng Ofuho said that despite a letter from President Salva Kiir to the IOC, hopes of raising South Sudan’s flag have disappeared.

“The appeal of the president was that 'yes, we are aware of these preconditions, but we are willing to work to fulfill⁵ them, but allow us, these are games that come every four years.'" said Ofuho.

The IOC recently relaxed its rules to let star South Sudanese marathon runner Marial Guor, who resides in the United States, compete under the Olympic flag.

Ofuho said he hopes the wheelchair basketball team can be squeezed into the Paralympics.

“One of our athletes is going to be, has been allowed by the IOC to participate. It came late, but we can still thank them,” said Ofuho.

Coach Nyambura Kenyi Gabriel said representing South Sudan abroad would be a huge boost for disabled people that often feel they have no future here.

"It will be very most important and great once we go and compete in the Olympics. So it will be very important for us, and it will be very important for the disabled people. Because it is said, disability does not mean inability. That means that they have also talent to compete in sport,” said Gabriel.

Gabriel says that until the team is allowed abroad, these courts will never be empty. 

 

1 berth   

n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊

参考例句：

• She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.她订了一张由伦敦开往阿伯丁的火车卧铺票。
• They took up a berth near the harbor.他们在港口附近找了个位置下锚。

2 ravages   

劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹

参考例句：

• the ravages of war 战争造成的灾难
• It is hard for anyone to escape from the ravages of time. 任何人都很难逃避时间的摧残。

3 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

4 federations   

n.联邦( federation的名词复数 )；同盟；联盟；联合会

参考例句：

• These problems are women's special problems and special work of women's federations. 这样的问题，就是妇女的特殊问题，就是妇联的特殊工作。 来自互联网
• The Bridge Federate is a feasible solution to achieve multi-federations interconnection. 基于桥接成员实现多联邦互连是目前较为通用和可行的方法。 来自互联网

5 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。