VOA慢速英语2015 美国体育迷的大日子

A Big Day for US Sports Fans 美国体育迷的大日子

Millions of Americans will attend opening day of Major League Baseball, a league of professional baseball players, on April 6. Then, at night, millions of people will watch on television as Duke University and the University of Wisconsin battle for the National Collegiate Athletic¹ Association² (NCAA) basketball championship.

And the coaches and the professional baseball players will make millions of dollars to play the games.

NCAA basketball championship

Duke has won the NCAA basketball championship four times. If it wins again, it will tie the University of North Carolina and Indiana University for the most championships. Wisconsin was national champion once, in 1941. Monday’s game is being played in Indianapolis, Indiana.

College basketball is a big money maker³ and a winning coach can earn huge amounts. According to USA Today newspapers, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski makes the second highest salary in college basketball --- more than six million dollars a year. Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan is the tenth highest earner, at about three million. The coach of the team that wins the championship will get a bonus, or prize pay.

Major League Baseball opening day

Professional baseball players also make a lot of money. The website Spotrac estimates⁴ the Los Angeles Dodgers⁵ with the highest salary record for 2015. The team’s total pay adds up to more than $270 million. Almost $44 million will be paid to players who are no longer playing for the team.

The highest paid player in all of baseball is on the Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw will earn a base salary of about $30 million a year until his contract ends in 2021.

The New York Yankees held the highest payroll⁶ for fifteen years. Now, the team is second to the Dodgers, with a total for salaries at about $216 million.

The Associated Press says pay is up generally. It reports the average baseball salary on opening day this year increased more than six percent at $4.2 million dollars.

The Dodgers make big money and their fans reportedly make big messes. The team opens its season today at home in a game against the San Diego Padres.

Los Angeles police have already warned people about holding “tailgate parties” before the game in public parks near the baseball center. Apparently⁷ people who live in the area complained last year about baseball fans. They said baseball fans made a lot of noise, drank alcohol⁸ and ate in nearby parks before games. Then, the neighbors said, they left their trash behind.

In the midwestern state of Illinois, the Chicago Cubs⁹ opened the season Sunday night at home in a game against the St Louis Cardinals¹⁰. The Cubs lost the game but the real disaster was the famous Wrigley Field. It is undergoing¹¹ repair, which made for long lines at the bathrooms and other services.

Things are a little less wild in Washington, DC. The new Commissioner¹² of Major League Baseball, Rob Manfred, threw out the first pitch at that game. The Nationals are playing the New York Mets.

Baseball has a long season. Regular season play will end on October 4. The championship, called the World Series, follows soon after. Last year, the San Francisco Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals in the Major League Baseball championship.

Words in This Story

salary – n. an amount of money that an employee is paid each year

bonus – n. an extra amount of money that is given to an employee

complain – v. to say or write that you are unhappy, sick, uncomfortable, etc., or that you do not like something

regular – adj. normal or usual

1 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

2 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

3 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

4 estimates   

估计

参考例句：

• Unofficial estimates put the figure at over two million. 非官方的估计数字为200万以上。
• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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

6 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

7 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

8 alcohol   

n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
• The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。

9 cubs   

n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮
• Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 cardinals   

红衣主教( cardinal的名词复数 )； 红衣凤头鸟（见于北美，雄鸟为鲜红色）； 基数

参考例句：

• cardinals in scarlet robes 身披红袍的枢机主教
• A conclave of cardinals was held to elect the new Pope. 红衣主教团举行了秘密会议来选举新教皇。

11 undergoing   

v.经历，承受( undergo的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The runway of this airport is undergoing expansion to accommodate large planes. 这个机场的跑道正在扩建以适应大型飞机起落。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• This new plane is undergoing safety tests. 这架新型飞机正在接受安全试验。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。