英语听力—环球英语 1111 Teammates

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Liz Waid.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　And I'm Joshua Leo. 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

 

　　Two men stand together on a baseball field. They both play this sport. They are facing a crowd of people - people who have come to watch the game. But this crowd is angry. They are shouting terrible words. As the men stand together, the crowd becomes quiet. Just by standing² together, the two men change the crowd. And by standing together, the men also help change history.

 

　　Today's Spotlight is on these two men, and their surprising story.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The United States has a sad and difficult history of problems between people of different races. When the country began, slavery was legal in most of the United States. White people were permitted to own black people as slaves. Slavery was most common in the southern half of the United States. This stopped when the American Civil War ended in 1865. Still, all people did not have equal rights.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　For many years, people of different colors were separated by both law and custom in the United States. In some parts of the country, black people could not eat or live in the same place as white people. It was not until the 1960s that laws were passed giving full rights to people of all races, in every part of the country. Separating races like this was also true in most sports - including baseball.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Before 1947, there were separate organizations for black and white baseball players. White players played in the major leagues. They had the most followers⁴ and the most money. Black players played in the Negro⁵ leagues. But that began to change in 1947. That was when Jackie Robinson became the first person with black skin to play major league baseball.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Jackie Robinson had been a sports star at the University of California in Los Angeles. He earned awards there for many sports including football, baseball and basketball, and for running. After he finished school he served in the army. Then he played in the all-black Negro baseball league. This is what he was doing when he became the first person with black skin to play baseball in the white leagues. He joined a white team called the Brooklyn Dodgers⁶.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers was a man named Branch Rickey. He knew black players were as good as white players and could help his team win games. He also believed it was wrong to separate people because of their skin color. He decided⁷ to bring a black player on to his Brooklyn team. After carefully researching the Negro league players, he chose Jackie Robinson.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Rickey understood putting a black player in the major leagues would be very difficult. He knew many people would hate Jackie Robinson because he was black. He knew they would say and do hate-filled things to him. He also knew Jackie could be rejected if he fought back.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Branch Rickey was a Christian⁹ - a follower³ of Jesus Christ⁸. So he asked Jackie Robinson to follow these teachings¹⁰. Jesus taught that when a person was attacked, that person should not answer with more violence. When Rickey explained this to him, Robinson asked,

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　"Do you want a ball player who is afraid to fight back?"

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Rickey answered,

 

　　Voice 4

 

　　"I want a ball player with the courage not to fight back."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Robinson understood this would be very difficult. But he also knew that this was an opportunity. He could make history. He could change people's opinions about black people. So he agreed to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. And he agreed not to fight back when people attacked him.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　At first, several members of the Brooklyn Dodgers refused to play baseball with Robinson. They did not want to be on the same team with a black person. Many of them had never spent any time with a black person before.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　But some players welcomed Robinson. One of these was Harold "Pee Wee" Reese. Pee Wee was the best player on the team. His support of Jackie Robinson was very important. He told the other players that Robinson could help their team win the league championship. He encouraged other team members to accept Robinson as an equal member of the team.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Many people remember Pee Wee's support in one particular game. In this game, the Dodgers were preparing to play in the city of Cincinnati. This city is close to the southern part of the United States. In this area, white people were more opposed to black players. The people who came to the game that day were very loud. They shouted bad things at Robinson. He tried not to listen but he could not stop hearing what they said. Later, Robinson said that each bad word hit him like a bullet¹¹ from a machine gun. The players from the Cincinnati team were also saying mean things to Robinson's teammates. They asked how the Dodgers could play with a black person.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　As the noise grew, Pee Wee Reese walked over to Jackie Robinson. He looked at the crowd. Then Pee Wee gently placed his hand on Jackie's shoulder. Jackie and Pee Wee remained side by side for a few minutes. Without saying any words, Pee Wee was telling the people that Jackie was his friend and teammate. He did not want them to say the things they were saying.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Almost immediately, the crowd became quiet. The simple act of standing next to his teammate changed a bad situation. Robinson later said,

 

　　Voice 4

 

　　"I will never forget what Pee Wee did for me that day."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Others have not forgotten that day, either. More than sixty years later, people still remember Pee Wee Reese standing next to Jackie Robinson and putting his hand on him. Like Branch Rickey, Pee Wee Reese believed all people were equal.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Pee Wee also understood the promise that Robinson had made not to fight back. He knew Robinson would not say anything to the people saying bad things to him. So he took a stand next to Robinson, to tell everyone that Robinson was not alone. Years later, another black player on the Dodgers said, "When Pee Wee touched Jackie, he touched black people everywhere."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Sometimes simple acts help change history. Today, people of every race, from all over the world, play American major league baseball. And this sport helped lead the way in the United States for all people to have equal rights.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The writer of today's program was Jeff Munroe. The producer was Joshua Leo. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom and the United States. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. Computer users¹² can visit our website at http://www.radioenglish.net This .program is called "Teammates."

 

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

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 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 follower   

n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒

参考例句：

• He is a faithful follower of his home football team.他是他家乡足球队的忠实拥护者。
• Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。

4 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

5 Negro   

n./adj.黑人；黑人的

参考例句：

• It's impolite to call the black people Negro.称呼黑人为Negro是不礼貌的。
• He was the first Negro ever to enroll there.他是学院招收的第一个黑人学生。

6 dodgers   

n.躲闪者，欺瞒者( dodger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a crackdown on fare dodgers on trains 对火车逃票者的严厉打击
• But Twain, Howells, and James were jeeringly described by Mencken as "draft-dodgers". 不过吐温、豪威尔斯和詹姆斯都是被门肯讥诮地叫做“逃避兵役的人。” 来自辞典例句

7 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。

8 Christ   

n.基督，救世主，耶稣

参考例句：

• I regarded him as the Christ.我把他当作救世主。
• Christ preached that we should love each other.基督在布道中说人们应该互爱。

9 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。

10 teachings   

n.教学( teaching的名词复数 )；教学工作；教诲；学说

参考例句：

• We must never be unworthy of our teachers' untiring and sincere teachings. 我们决不要辜负老师的谆谆教导。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The Party's teachings were ringing in her ears. 党的教导在她耳边回响。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 bullet   

n.枪弹，子弹

参考例句：

• The bullet wound in his shoulder was opened up for treatment.切开他肩上的枪伤进行治疗。
• The bullet missed me by a hair's s breadth.那颗子弹差一点就打中了我。

12 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。