英语听力—环球英语 524 Prayer and the World Cup

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Adam Navis.
Voice 2
And I'm Liz Waid. Spotlight 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 June, the World Cup 2010 will be held in South Africa. It will be historic². It is the first time an African country has held the World Cup of football.
Voice 2
Teams will try to prove that they are the best in the world. Players will raise their levels of play. People will cheer for their country's team. The teams that lose will feel shame. The team that wins will get glory. But there is one group at the World Cup that no one likes: the referees⁴. These people make sure the players follow the rules of the game.
Voice 1
Being a football referee³ is difficult. They have to decide things quickly. Often, players and coaches argue with them. People watching the game shout at them. Referees must work strange hours. They must be physically⁵ strong. They do not become famous or rich like players. So why would anyone want to be a referee? Eddy⁶ Maillet has a good answer to that question.
Voice 2
Today's Spotlight is on Eddy Maillet. Eddy Maillet is one of the most experienced⁷ football referees in the world. He does this difficult job because he loves football. And his faith in God gives him strength. It helps him deal with the difficult parts of his job.
Voice 1
Eddy Maillet is from Seychelles. The nation of Seychelles is a series of 115 islands. They are off the east coast of Africa. The population of Seychelles is around 85,000 people.
Voice 2
Though Maillet is from a small country, he is not frightened by the large crowds at football games. Maillet has been an international referee since 2001. He has refereed⁸ at two U-17 World Cup matches. He refereed three CAF Africa Cup of Nations, and the 2007 Asian Cup. And now he prepares for the 2010 World Cup.
Voice 1
At a football game, some people like one team. Other people like the other team. But everyone hates the referee. This hatred⁹ can grow and grow. Eddy Maillet knows all about this. There is even a webpage on Facebook called, "I Hate Eddy Maillet." But Maillet works¹⁰ in these conditions because he likes the challenge. Maillet explained to reporter Adrian Barnard:
Voice 3
"When I played football, I used to get many red cards. So when I stopped playing I decided¹¹ to go into refereeing¹². So I could understand the rules more. I thought about going into coaching. But I thought that if I was going to have any success, it was going to depend on my players. On the effort they put in. As a referee it is an individual effort. So I decided to put in my individual effort because I will push to the limit. I knew I could go far."
Voice 2
A webpage called "I Hate Eddy Maillet" is one thing. But football games can be dangerous for a referee. Sometimes they need police to guard them. Sometimes people support their football teams to the point of violence. In 2001, in the country of Ghana, 125 people died when a football game got out of control. During World Cup games, the situation can get even more dangerous. Simon Haydon is a writer for the Guardian¹³ newspaper. He explains:
Voice 4
"The referees at the World Cup will be all alone. People watching on television get to see slow motion¹⁴ from many different television cameras. They will see any mistakes. At other World Cups, people have made death threats at referees who made decisions against their teams. Some referees have even quit. The World Cup is the biggest test a referee will ever face, both in his job and life."
Voice 1
But Maillet is not going to quit. He knows that being a referee is a difficult job. But he loves the game. And he is a Christian¹⁵. He gets strength from his faith in God. He says:
Voice 3
"I love the game. I want to give something back to football. I was a player before and now I am a referee. I love it so much when I am on the field of play. I am a strong believer in God. I always pray and ask God to give me strength. Refereeing has given me a lot. I have travelled all over the world. I am not rich in terms of money, but I am rich in terms of experience. I have visited many different countries, seen different cultures, and eaten different foods."
Voice 2
Some people may think it is strange for someone to talk about faith like this. Many people will pray that their team wins the game. But Maillet does not pray this way. He recognizes that his success is gift from God. He knows that the World Cup is important to many people. He knows how important his job is. He explains the place of prayer when he is refereeing:
Voice 3
"My faith is very important. I am from a very small country with very few people. To be able to reach this level of play; I think it is a miracle¹⁶. When I go out on the field of play for a big, big game, I ask myself how I can referee these games. I feel that my faith is very helpful for my refereeing. I ask God to help me in decision making. Refereeing is all about decision making, to be quick and to make good decisions."
Voice 1
In an interview with Adrian Barnard, Maillet explained a bit more about the importance of prayer in his work,
Voice 3
"I pray before every match, every game, even if it is a small game. It is not a long prayer, but I always ask God to help me. I am a strong believer. I think you need his support, you need his strength. I think that with God, there is nothing that is impossible. If you believe, if you love him, everything is possible."
 

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 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

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 referees   

n.裁判员( referee的名词复数 )；证明人；公断人；（专业性强的文章的）审阅人

参考例句：

• The fiery player has had numerous run-ins with referees. 这位脾气暴躁的队员曾和裁判员发生过无数次争吵。
• If you want to appeal, the Court of Referees will decide. 如果你要上诉，可以由仲裁法庭去判决。 来自辞典例句

5 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

6 eddy   

n.漩涡，涡流

参考例句：

• The motor car disappeared in eddy of dust.汽车在一片扬尘的涡流中不见了。
• In Taylor's picture,the eddy is the basic element of turbulence.在泰勒的描述里，旋涡是湍流的基本要素。

7 experienced   

adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。

8 refereed   

vi.担任裁判（referee的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Your focus should be on getting papers published in refereed journals. 首要的就是发表文章，而且是在匿名审稿的杂志上。 来自互联网
• It was a national judge who refereed the game. 执法这场比赛的是国家裁判。 来自互联网

9 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

10 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

12 refereeing   

[计]仲裁，审稿工作，稿件评审

参考例句：

• I've spent too much time in my career refereeing staff/line disputes. 办事人员和第一线人员常常发生争执，我为解决这种争执花费了许多时间。 来自辞典例句
• Unfair refereeing in yesterday's match made the news again. 昨天的比赛中又爆出了“黑哨”丑闻！ 来自互联网

13 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

14 motion   

n.打手势，示意，移动，动作，提议，大便；v.运动，向...打手势，示意

参考例句：

• She could feel the rolling motion of the ship under her feet.她能感觉到脚下船在晃动。
• Don't open the door while the train is in motion.列车运行时，请勿打开车门。

15 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

16 miracle   

n.奇迹，令人惊奇的人或事

参考例句：

• The doctors said that his recovery was a miracle. 医生们说他的复原是件奇事。
• It is simply a miracle that rice should grow in such a place.稻子竟能在这样的地方生长，这实在是个奇迹。