VOA标准英语2012--Americans Support Darfur Refugee Soccer Team

 

Americans Support Darfur Refugee Soccer Team

"Darfur United draws its players from 12 refugee camps in Chad -- where it was created and is still based." The players have had only weeks to get into shape for the "VIVA Cup," a competition for nations and groups not affiliated¹ with the International Football Federation², FIFA. But their British-born coach Mark Hodson, who lives in California, says he has a high opinion of their talent.

“Technically, pretty strong. They can do a lot of things with the ball. Physically³, I was really impressed. I was surprised how big and strong they were and really athletic,” Hodson said.

As the team gets into shape in Chad, supporters in suburban⁴ Los Angeles are raising funds to pay for the trip to the Kurdish region of Iraq.

The LA Galaxy⁵ professional soccer team and its star British player David Beckham donated jerseys⁶ for a charity auction⁷, and the players in Chad signed a commemorative ball. 

The refugees fled violence in their country after civil war broke out in 2003.

Gabriel Stauring, founder⁸ the charity i-ACT, for “interactive activism,” spearheaded the drive to create the soccer team.

“Every single one of our players has the story of having their village attacked, of seeing family and friends being killed, mothers, sisters being raped⁹ in front of them, and then having to walk across the desert to survive and make it to one of these camps,” Stauring said.

Stauring says soccer has been an important diversion for the refugees.

“They just make balls out of anything. So some socks or some rubber that they put together, and they play,” Stauring said.

Despite their soccer skills, the refugee athletes will face physical as well as competitive challenges in the VIVA Cup, says physical therapist Alexandra Nuttall-Smith.

“Gastro-intestinal problems, stomach upsets, because they have not traveled outside the country. This is an issue for any athlete traveling internationally. Another thing I'm concerned about is blisters,” Nuttall-Smith said.

Nevertheless the team's supporters say that taking part in the competition is itself an accomplishment¹⁰, one that will draw attention to the plight¹¹ of the refugees. 

1 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

2 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

3 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。

4 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

5 galaxy   

n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物)

参考例句：

• The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy.地球是银河系中的星球之一。
• The company has a galaxy of talent.该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。

6 jerseys   

n.运动衫( jersey的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The maximum quantity of cotton jerseys this year is about DM25,000. 平方米的羊毛地毯超过了以往的订货。 来自口语例句
• The NBA is mulling the prospect of stitching advertising logos onto jerseys. 大意：NBA官方正在酝酿一个大煞风景的计划——把广告标志绣上球服！ 来自互联网

7 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

8 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

9 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

10 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

11 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。