英语听力—环球英语 1031 Team Rwanda: Riding for Hope

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Robin² Basselin.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　And I’m Ryan Geerstma. 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

 

　　It is August of 2009.  Hundreds of expert bicycle riders are racing³ in the Tour of Ireland.  Adrien Niyonshuti is pushing his legs as fast as he can.  He is pedalling his two wheeled bicycle quickly.  Adrien rides toward⁵ a hill.  He stands up to pedal⁴ even faster.  He climbs the hill and passes many of the riders around him.  Adrien is riding well. On this day, he will not win the Tour of Ireland.  However, he has achieved a major record just by making it to the race!

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Adrien Niyonshuti was the first black African to ever compete in a professional European cycling race!  Adrien is from the African country of Rwandan.  Riding a bicycle is his job.  He is part of Rwanda’s first ever expert cycling team - Team Rwanda.  The members of Team Rwanda have survived great personal and social tragedy.  But their struggles have not kept them from success.  Together, the members of Team Rwanda ride to win.  And their example shows the amazing power of the human spirit!  Today’s Spotlight is on Team Rwanda.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　In 1994, the country of Rwanda experienced⁶ an unthinkable tragedy. For years, there had been political disputes⁷ between Rwanda’s two major tribes⁹ - the Hutu and the Tutsi. Sometimes there was violence. But starting in April, members of the Hutu tribe⁸ began killing¹⁰ Tutsis.  Their goal was to kill all the Tutsis in Rwandans. It was genocide. The killing lasted 100 days. In this short time, over 800,000 Rwandans died.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Twenty percent of the Rwandan population died during this genocide. Every Rwandan knew someone that died. Many people lost their whole families and communities. This is exactly what happened to Team Rwanda rider Adrien Niyonshuti.  Adrien was only seven when the genocide happened.  He told the news organization Sports Illustrated¹¹,

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　“I lost my family.  I lost my grandmother.  I lost six of my brothers.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Another member of Team Rwanda lost family in the genocide - but in a different way. This member is Rafiki Jean de Dieu Uwimana. At the age of 6, he escaped from his town during the genocide.  He left to live with his grandmother.  He was safe, but he was separated from the rest of his family.  He did not see his parents, brothers or sisters again for five years!

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The genocide destroyed many families and communities.  It also had other terrible effects.  It damaged Rwanda’s growing economy.  After the genocide, it was difficult for many families to earn money.  Some of the Team Rwanda riders, like Gasore Hategeka, lived as street children.  They had no homes.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Many of the Team Rwanda riders first began riding bicycles to earn money.  Rafiki used his bicycle to carry bottles of water around the village.  He told the news organization Global Post,

 

　　Voice 4

 

　　“I started this when I was 13...The business was not bad but I never thought I would become a professional rider.”

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Gasore also started bicycling for work.  At first, he worked for a potato farmer.  He moved potatoes from place to place using a simple wood bicycle.  As Gasore grew older, he saved his money.  He used his money to learn how to ride a professional bicycle.  Gasore told The New Yorker magazine,

 

　　Voice 5

 

　　“There were men who had bicycles you could rent by the hour.  This way, you could learn to ride.  When I had a little money, I went, and the man who owned the bicycle would run behind and push me.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Over time, Gasore became a very good rider.  And when he saved enough money, he bought his own bicycle.  He joined a bicycle taxi group.  He began to use his own bicycle to pull people or goods from village to village.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　In 2006, a man named Jock Boyer came to Rwanda for the first time.  Jock is a famous bicycle rider from the United States of America.  He came to Rwanda to help organize a bicycle race.  Jock had an idea to build Rwanda’s first professional bicycling team.  From that first race, Jock identified five riders for the team - including both Rafiki and Adrien.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Over the years, the team has grown.  There are now 9 riders.  And Jock is always looking for new skilled¹² riders. For example, in December of 2009, Jock was riding a motorbike on a Rwandan street.  As he rode up a long hill, he passed a young man pedalling a bicycle.  Jock noticed that the man was riding with great power and speed.  So, he stopped the young man.  Jock asked the young man if he had ever thought about riding professionally.  The young man’s name was Innocent¹³ “Rocky” Uwamugu.  After completing many riding tests, Rocky also became a member of Team Rwanda.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Training for Team Rwanda is not easy.  Together, the team rides many kilometres to prepare for local and international races.  The riders are getting better and better.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　For many of the riders, bicycling is a way to forget the past.  It is a way to move forward in life.  Adrien told the London Evening Standard newspaper,

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　“Cycling is my job and I have to give it all of my concentration¹⁴.  It is the thing that helps me forget my problems.  In my case, the problem is genocide and it helps me forget what happened.”

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Other professional teams have begun inviting¹⁵ Team Rwanada members to ride with them.  For example, Adrien Niyonshuti also rides for South Africa’s MTN–Energade.  This is the best professional bicycling team in Africa.  And through his training and racing, Adrien has had great success.  Adrien did not only compete in the Tour of Ireland.  He will now also compete in the 2012 Olympics in London.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The success of Team Rwanda has been quick.  However, they are still a very young team.  It can take years to build a strong and skilful¹⁶ team.  But Jock Boyer sees even more success in Team Rwanda’s future.  It is this positive thinking that began Team Rwanda.  But it is the spirit, hope and hard work of the Rwandan riders that keeps the team growing.  And the Team Rwanda riders give hope to everyone who hears their story!  As Adrien Niyonshuti told the London Evening Standard,

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　“I lost my family...There is nothing I can do about it now.  I have to survive this life I have been given.  I have to thank God for what I have and try to believe that anything can now happen in my life.”

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The writer of this program was Robin Basselin.  The producer was Mark Drenth. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom.  All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to and read this program again on the internet at http://www.radioenglish.net This .program is called “Team Rwanda: Riding for Hope.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!

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 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

4 pedal   

n.踏板；adj.脚的，踏脚的；v.用脚踏动，踩踏板

参考例句：

• He pressed down the accelerator pedal of his car.他踩下汽车的加速器踏板。
• I saw him pedal to school every morning.我看到他每天早晨骑自行车上学。

5 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

6 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。

7 disputes   

n.辩论( dispute的名词复数 )；争端；（劳资）纠纷；罢工v.辩论，争论( dispute的第三人称单数 )；争夺；阻止；就…进行辩论

参考例句：

• a legalistic approach to family disputes 死抠法律条文解决家庭纠纷的方法
• a party riven by internal disputes 由于内部分歧而四分五裂的政党

8 tribe   

n.部落，种族，一伙人

参考例句：

• This is a subject tribe.这是个受他人统治的部落。
• Many of the tribe's customs and rituals are as old as the hills.这部落的许多风俗、仪式都极其古老。

9 tribes   

n.部落( tribe的名词复数 )；（动、植物的）族；（一）帮；大群

参考例句：

• tribes living in remote areas of the Amazonian rainforest 居住在亚马孙河雨林偏远地区的部落
• In Africa the snake is still sacred with many tribes. 非洲许多部落仍认为蛇是不可冒犯的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

11 illustrated   

adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。
• The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。

12 skilled   

adj.(in)熟练的，有技能的；需要技能的

参考例句：

• Unskilled workers usually earn less money than skilled workers.无技能的工人通常比有技能的工人挣钱少。
• She was skilled enough in French to translate a novel.她法语娴熟，足以翻译小说。

13 innocent   

adj.无罪的，清白的；无害的；天真的，单纯的

参考例句：

• I'm not quite so innocent as to believe that.我还不至于简单到相信那种事的地步。
• I was very young,and very innocent.我那时非常年轻，幼稚无知。

14 concentration   

n.集中；专注；浓度；浓缩

参考例句：

• She wrinkled her brows in concentration.她蹙额皱眉，陷入沉思。
• If smoke is going that way,then it means the concentration here should be decreasing.如果烟雾沿着这个方向飘，这意味着，这里的浓度应该是减少的。

15 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

16 skilful   

(=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的

参考例句：

• The more you practise,the more skilful you'll become.练习的次数越多，熟练的程度越高。
• He's not very skilful with his chopsticks.他用筷子不大熟练。