环球英语 — 349： More Than a Football Game

　　Voice 1
Hello and welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Ruby² Jones,
Voice 2
And I'm Joshua Leo. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
Welcome to this very special football game. The two teams are on the field and are getting ready. This is a hugely important game. The winner of this game could win a place in the 2010 World Cup. But the two teams are also playing for their countries' honour. This is north against south - North Korea against South Korea. This is more than a football game. This is a chance for each country to beat their nearest neighbour. Now the teams are ready. The referee³ is going to start the game.
Voice 1
On April 1, 2009 North Korea and South Korea met on the football field. It was an important game for the teams. But the game was also important for political reasons. In today's programme, we talk about why the game was so important. We examine the history and current state of the relationship between North and South Korea. And we discuss how the football match was a perfect example of just how complex that relationship is.
Voice 2
North and South Korea are similar in many ways. They share much of their history. The people who live in the two countries are from the same ethnic⁴ group. The two countries are also about the same size. They share the same piece of land in East Asia - the Korean peninsula⁵.
Voice 1
But this area of land was divided just over fifty [50] years ago. During the Second World War Korea had been occupied by the Japanese. At the end of the war the United States and Russia freed Korea. They divided power in the country between them. Russia supported the North, while the United States supported the South. The plan was to establish a united Korea, then leave. But Russia and the United States had very different ways of governing. The North and South developed very differently.
Voice 2
Neither part of Korea wanted to lose power to join a united Korea. And, in 1950 war started. The war killed millions of people. After three years it stopped. However, the two parts of Korea have never officially made peace.
Voice 1
Today the differences between the North and South are great. The countries' two governments are very different. South Korea has an open democracy⁶. It is one of the richest countries in Asia. Over the past fifty [50] years it has produced some of the most advanced technology in the world.
Voice 2
North Korea does not have a true democracy or strong economy. The country is controlled by its leader Kim Jong-Il. His image appears all over North Korea. Everyone in North Korea is taught to love and respect him. They cannot vote for anyone else. The government often treats its citizens badly. It does not give them personal freedom. The state also controls people's access to news from outside North Korea.
Voice 1
In recent years it had seemed that the two Koreas were becoming closer. In 2007 the leaders of the two countries met. They talked about how the two countries could work together. They even talked about uniting the two countries again.
Voice 2
But since then, things have changed. South Korea has a new leader and North Korea has continued to develop new weapons. At the time of the recent football game, the relationship between North and South Korea was particularly bad. This is because North Korea was planning to launch⁷ a new rocket. They said it was part of their space programme - that they were trying to put a rocket into space. However, many other governments did not believe them. They claimed that North Korea was really testing a powerful weapon. They believed that this weapon threatened the safety of many nearby countries.
Voice 1
North Korea launched⁸ the rocket in early April 2009. But it did not reach space. It failed and fell into the Pacific Ocean. However, North Korean news reported that the rocket was a success. They said it was orbiting⁹ the earth.
Voice 3
There is only three minutes left of the game. The score remains¹⁰ nil-nil - North Korea zero South Korea zero. If any team scores a goal now it could be the winner... Now South Korea have a free kick. It looks like Kim Chi-Woo will take it. He steps forward and ... it is in! South Korea have scored. South Korea lead by one goal to zero...
That is the end of the game. It has ended one zero to South Korea. South Korea have beaten their nearest neighbours.
Voice 2
The North Korean football team manager was not happy with the result. After the game, he spoke¹¹ to news reporters. He said that the South Koreans had poisoned two of his players.
Voice 4
‘This game should have been cancelled. Jong Tae Se and Ri Myung Guk should not have played. They became sick after eating at the hotel. And the South Koreans provided¹² this hotel!'
Voice 1
The South Korean authorities¹³ denied poisoning the players. But the incident showed how little trust there was between the two countries. The poor relationship was already clear before the game. North Korea was supposed to hold the game in their country. But instead, the teams played the game in China. This is because the North Koreans would not let the South Koreans sing their national anthem¹⁴ before the game. This is what national football teams usually do at every football game.
Voice 2
Park Ji Sung is South Korea's leading player, the captain. He told reporters what it was like playing against North Korea.
Voice 5
‘We speak the same language and we look the same. So it is always special to play against North Korea. This is true even when we play in China. I hope one day we can play in North Korea.'
Voice 1
In June, both teams will play their remaining World Cup qualifier games. If they do well in these games they will both win a place in the World Cup. So, the two football teams could share victory. But it may take much longer for their two governments to share success together.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

3 referee   

n.裁判员．仲裁人，代表人，鉴定人

参考例句：

• The team was left raging at the referee's decision.队员们对裁判员的裁决感到非常气愤。
• The referee blew a whistle at the end of the game.裁判在比赛结束时吹响了哨子。

4 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

5 peninsula   

n.半岛

参考例句：

• Dalian is in the south of the Liaodong Peninsula.大连位于辽东半岛南部。
• Korean peninsula lies to the west of Japan.朝鲜半岛在日本以西。

6 democracy   

n.民主政治，民主制度；民主精神，民主作风

参考例句：

• Democracy is based on good will and mutual understanding.民主建立在善意和相互理解的基础上。
• Did democracy have its beginnings in Athens? 民主制度是创始于雅典吗？

7 launch   

vt.发动，推出；发射；n.发射，下水，投产

参考例句：

• The makers are about to launch out a new product.制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。
• Would it be wise to launch into this rough sea?在这样汹涌的大海中游泳明智吗？

8 launched   

v.发射( launch的过去式和过去分词 )；[计算机]开始（应用程序）；发动；开展（活动、计划等）

参考例句：

• He launched a bitter diatribe against the younger generation. 他对年轻一代发起了猛烈的抨击。
• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide. 这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。

9 orbiting   

a.环绕的

参考例句：

• This orbiting telescope is the largest optical instrument in space. 这种轨道望远镜是宇宙中最大的光学仪器。 来自中级百科部分
• Let's pretend we' re on the spaceship orbiting round the earth ! 让我们假装是在沿轨道绕地球运转的宇宙飞船上！

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

13 authorities   

n.当局，权力，权威；权威( authority的名词复数 )；权力；学术权威；[复数]当权者

参考例句：

• They interceded with the authorities on behalf of the detainees. 他们为被拘留者向当局求情。
• At his instigation we conceal the fact from the authorities. 我们受他的怂恿向当局隐瞒了事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。