环球英语 — 444：Blind Cricket

　　Voice 1
Hello, I’m Ruby¹ Jones.
Voice 2
And I’m Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight². 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 1
This is the game of cricket³ – the Indian way!There are the usual players on the field competing to win. But there is so much more than that to see! Singers, dancers, special light shows – all kinds of people perform to capture⁴ the interest of the crowd.
This is India’s newest cricket competition – the Indian Premier⁵ League, or IPL. Top players from the best cricketing⁶ nations join one of the eight IPL teams. These players receive thousands of dollars for each game they play. And, they become stars – both in India and in their home countries. Cricket players have never been so popular!
Voice 2
Dhaka – the capital city of Bangladesh. Here, a cricket game is just beginning. But very few people are watching. And there are no dancers or singers to be seen. The playing field is not level. And some parts of the grass are covered with water – not good conditions for a game of cricket. This is a different world from the IPL!
Voice 1
Bangladesh sits just beyond India’s eastern border. But Bangladesh’s cricket players do not enjoy the same kind of resources or money as India’s players. However, this has not reduced people’s love for the game. Some people play cricket in even the most difficult of situations!
Voice 2
Hafizur Rahman is one such person. Hafizur played cricket for a team in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital city. He did this for seventeen years. He also trained a young men’s cricket team. But in 2003, Hafizur developed eye problems. Doctors operated on Hafizur’s eyes to try and prevent him from losing his sight. But sadly, they were not successful. And now Hafizur is almost blind – he can only see out of the corner of his eyes.
Voice 1
However, Hafizur’s limited sight has not stopped him from continuing to play the game he loves. But how can that be possible, you may ask? A cricket ball is quite small – and extremely hard. The player who is batting needs good eyes to see the ball speeding towards him. Only then will he be able to hit it as far as he can. And this gives him more time to run up and down the field and make some “runs”.
Voice 2
Well, Hafizur does still play cricket. But he plays a version⁷ of the game specially⁸ designed for blind people. Teams first started playing blind cricket in Bangladesh in May 2008. But the game was invented in Australia almost one hundred years earlier. The rules are similar to normal cricket. But some things are very different. First: the ball. It is lighter⁹ and less hard than a normal cricket ball. And it also makes a noise when it moves. This makes it easier for completely blind players to know which direction the ball is moving in.
Voice 1
Secondly¹⁰, the player bowling¹¹ – throwing the ball – uses a different action. The usual method is to pull the arm back, then over the shoulder then release¹² the ball at speed. In blind cricket, the bowler¹³ rolls the ball quickly along the ground instead.
Voice 2
Also, the two teams must have an equal number of completely blind and limited–sight players. The limited–sight players can then tell the blind players where the ball has been hit. The game can be as fast and exciting as any usual game of cricket!
Voice 1
As well as Bangladesh, twelve other countries play blind cricket. And Hafizur Rahman hopes that Bangladesh will soon be able to form a national side. Then, they could play games against international teams. For Hafizur, this means more than just playing a game. It is about proving their ability. He says:
Voice 3
“We will have proved that we are not disabled but that we are people with different problems to solve.”
Voice 2
This is something that is very important in a country like Bangladesh. It is hard for people who have any kind of physical problem like blindness. Often, their families do not have enough money to provide care or education for them. The cost of living is too high. Unemployment is widespread. Food prices have increased, but people’s wages have not. So families use their money to meet only the most urgent¹⁴ needs. Musharraf Hussein represents the aid group Action on Disability and Development. Hussein knows what it is like to have physical problems. He suffered from polio when he was a child. And the disease¹⁵ left him unable to walk without the aid of crutches¹⁶. He describes the situation in Bangladesh for people like him:
Voice 4
“The life of a disabled person is a struggle. They are left on the edge of society.”
Voice 1
But Musharraf wanted to show that disabled people have as much value as people without physical limitations¹⁷. And he was one of the people responsible for bringing blind cricket to Bangladesh. He wanted to show everyone what blind people could do, if they had the chance. Musharraf explains:
Voice 4
“Disabled people also want to give something to society. They also want to make the world enjoyable for all people.”
Voice 2
Abdul Nayeem Mamoon agrees with Musharraf Hussein’s views. Abdul is twenty–four [24], and a student. He is also completely blind. However, Abdul is fast becoming one of the top players of blind cricket in Bangladesh. For him, the game has opened up a new way of life. He says:
Voice 5
“It does not matter who wins and who loses. We disabled people have never been able to play sport before. If I receive the right training, I know I can overcome every barrier. Being blind is not a big problem.”
Voice 1
And there are many barriers for the blind cricket players to deal with. These include physical limits, social rejection¹⁸ and lack of resources. Parts of Bangladesh experience flooding during several months each year. People live or grow food on the remaining dry land. So there are few large cricket fields around the country.
But Bangladesh’s blind cricket players have struggled hard to reach this point. And they will continue to fight to play the game they love.
 

1 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。

2 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。

3 cricket   

n.蟋蟀，板球运动；adj.公平的

参考例句：

• The England cricket team scored quite a useful total.英格兰板球队得分总数令人满意。
• We could hear the shrill of the midsummer cricket.我们可以听到仲夏时节蟋蟀的尖叫声。
• Your behaviour isn't cricket.你的行为不光彩。

4 capture   

vt.捕获，俘获；占领，夺得；n.抓住，捕获

参考例句：

• The company is out to capture the European market.这家公司希望占据欧洲市场。
• With the capture of the escaped tiger,everyone felt relieved.逃出来的老虎被捕获后，大家都松了一口气。

5 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

6 cricketing   

n.板球呢adj.板球运动的v.打板球(cricket的ing形式)

参考例句：

• He is still a cricketing hero even now. 他至今仍是板球英雄。 来自互联网

7 version   

n.版本；型号；叙述，说法

参考例句：

• His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
• What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样？

8 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

9 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

10 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

11 bowling   

n.保龄球运动

参考例句：

• Bowling is a popular sport with young and old.保龄球是老少都爱的运动。
• Which sport do you 1ike most,golf or bowling?你最喜欢什么运动，高尔夫还是保龄球？

12 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

13 bowler   

n.打保龄球的人，（板球的）投（球）手

参考例句：

• The bowler judged it well,timing the ball to perfection.投球手判断准确，对球速的掌握恰到好处。
• The captain decided to take Snow off and try a slower bowler.队长决定把斯诺撤下，换一个动作慢一点的投球手试一试。

14 urgent   

a.紧急的，急迫的，紧要的

参考例句：

• He asked to see the manager for something urgent. 他有急事求见经理。
• A part of this urgent task was allotted to us. 这项紧急任务的一部分分给了我们。

15 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

16 crutches   

n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑

参考例句：

• After the accident I spent six months on crutches . 事故后我用了六个月的腋杖。
• When he broke his leg he had to walk on crutches. 他腿摔断了以后，不得不靠拐杖走路。

17 limitations   

n.局限，不足之处

参考例句：

• The team's technical limitations were exposed by the Italians. 意大利人使这个队的技术缺陷暴露无遗。
• He knows his limitations as a writer. 他知道自己作为一个作家的局限性。

18 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。