But what colour were cricket balls originally?

Cricket¹ balls have been made from the same materials since the 1700s. But what colour were they originally?
自18世纪以来，板球的材质一直都没有变，但是板球最原始的颜色是什么呢？
Aboriginal²（土著的，原始的） Cricketer³
 
Yvonne: Hello - this is '6 minute English' and I'm Yvonne Archer⁴. And with me today is the lovely William Kremer. Hello William!
William: Oh hello Yvonne!
Yvonne: Today – a sporting programme as we hear the story of an extraordinary Australian cricketer. Sadly, he's only just been recognised -thirty years after his death. But before we find out more, let's get out today's big question! William, cricket balls have been made from the same materials since the 1700s. But what colour were they originally? a) white b) light brown or c) cherry red （樱桃红）
William: Err… as always, I don't know but I'm gonna go for b) light brown because -cricket balls are made from leather（皮革） and lots of leather things are light brown. So that's my guess – light brown.
Yvonne: Great answer, but are you right or wrong? We'll find out later on. But now, let's look at some of the language we'll hear in today's report. First, William - what is meant by 'indigenous⁵（土著的，国产的） Australians'?
William: Well, 'indigenous' people are the original people or native people of a country or land. So 'indigenous Australians' – who are also known as aboriginals⁶ or aborigines – have always been in Australia. And they were there thousands of years before Europeans arrived.
 
Yvonne:Can you explain 'indignities⁷'…
William: Yes, 'an indignity(侮辱)' is something that makes us feel embarrassed or humiliates（使。。。丢脸，蒙羞）us and (makes us feel) of little importance. So to give you an example: prisoners usually have to shower in front of everyone else – and that's one of the 'indignities' that they have to live with.
Yvonne: And 'slights' or 'a slight' – what's that?
William: 'A slight' is a bit of an old fashioned word and it means a quiet kind of insult（侮辱）. So, if I give you an example: if I say hello to you Yvonne and you turn your back and start talking to someone else, well that's a bit of a slight – and in fact, I can say that you've 'slighted' me.
Yvonne: But of course, I'd never slight you, William. Now in today's report from the BBC's Nick Bryant, we'll hear about a very talented Australian cricketer who played many years ago. As you listen, try to find out what two things he usually needed before he could go and play against white cricketers…
NICK BRYANT
Eddie Gilbert played in the 1930s, when indigenous Australians were confronted⁸ with all kinds of indignities and slights. Even to make the journey to play cricket against white players, he needed written permission to leave his Aboriginal settlement and was normally chaperoned.（陪伴，伴随）
Yvonne:William, what two things did Eddie Gilbert need as an aboriginal cricketer before he could go and play against white cricketers?
William: Well, he needed to have something in writing – he needed 'written permission' to say that he was allowed to travel to the cricket match. And he was usually 'chaperoned' – so someone with authority had to go with Eddie even though he was an adult. And so in Eddie's case, the chaperone would have been a white man.
Yvonne:As we heard, aborigines like Eddie, lived in 'settlements' – areas where they were forced to stay by the Australian government of the time. But Australian aborigines during the 1930s were demanding equal rights and to be treated with dignity.
Now Eddie once bowled and hit the bat right out of the hands of one of the world's best cricketers -Sir Donald Bradman. So Eddie was the fastest bowler⁹ of the era, but as we'll hear, he never entered the 'pantheon（万神殿） of cricket'. William, can you explain that term for us?
William: Yes, 'a pantheon' here refers to a special group made up of the world's best cricketers in this example. And Eddie was never included in that 'pantheon' – that group of admired and honoured cricketers.
Yvonne:Yeah -it's believed that Eddie's many years of throwing a boomerang – an Australian type of hunting weapon – was the reason why he could bowl so fast. And there's another story about Eddie's skills but it might not be true...
 
NICK BRYANT
Had Eddie Gilbert been born white, he might well have entered the pantheon of cricket but he never represented his nation. Folklore¹⁰ has it that one of his deliveries burst through a picket¹¹ fence and struck a dog with such force that the animal was killed.
William: Oh no – that poor dog!
Yvonne: Yes, but remember William, it's only folklore so perhaps the story about the dog isn't actually true. But thirty years after his death, what we do know to be true is that Eddie Gilbert was one of the world's greatest cricketers. So at least they're going to put up a life-size bronze statue（青铜像） in Eddie's home state of Queensland in his honour.
William: Ahh – so maybe Eddie Gilbert will be remembered in sporting history after all.
Yvonne: Let's hope so. Sadly, Eddie was buried in an unmarked grave so his statue is very important -especially to aborigines. And now, more people will know the name Eddie Gilbert.
William: Right William, today's big question: Cricket balls have been made from the same materials since the 1700s - but what colour were they originally? And your answer was… …My answer was light brown – and…
Yvonne: And you were right!
William: Yeah! (本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑) 

1 cricket   

n.蟋蟀，板球运动；adj.公平的

参考例句：

• The England cricket team scored quite a useful total.英格兰板球队得分总数令人满意。
• We could hear the shrill of the midsummer cricket.我们可以听到仲夏时节蟋蟀的尖叫声。
• Your behaviour isn't cricket.你的行为不光彩。

2 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。

3 cricketer   

n.板球运动员

参考例句：

• As a cricketer, gymnastics is out of his domain. 他是个板球运动员，体操非其所长。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He is not much of a cricketer. 他算不上好板球手。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 archer   

n.射手，弓箭手

参考例句：

• The archer strung his bow and aimed an arrow at the target.弓箭手拉紧弓弦将箭瞄准靶子。
• The archer's shot was a perfect bull's-eye.射手的那一箭正中靶心。

5 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

6 aboriginals   

（某国的）公民( aboriginal的名词复数 )； 土著人特征； 土生动物（或植物）

参考例句：

• He remained fascinated by the Aboriginals' tales. 他一直对澳大利亚土著居民的传说极感兴趣。
• They drove the aboriginals out of their lands at sword point. 他们以武力将土著人赶出他们的家园。

7 indignities   

n.侮辱，轻蔑( indignity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The soldiers who were captured suffered many indignities at the hands of the enemy. 被俘的士兵在敌人手中受尽侮辱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• What sort of indignities would he be forced to endure? 他会被迫忍受什么样的侮辱呢？ 来自辞典例句

8 confronted   

面对( confront的过去式和过去分词 )； 使面对； 使对质； 处理

参考例句：

• When we confronted him, he denied everything. 我们与他当面对质时，他什么都不承认。
• The writer confronted his pile of work with determination. 那作家下决心面对成堆的工作。

9 bowler   

n.打保龄球的人，（板球的）投（球）手

参考例句：

• The bowler judged it well,timing the ball to perfection.投球手判断准确，对球速的掌握恰到好处。
• The captain decided to take Snow off and try a slower bowler.队长决定把斯诺撤下，换一个动作慢一点的投球手试一试。

10 folklore   

n.民间信仰，民间传说，民俗

参考例句：

• Zhuge Liang is a synonym for wisdom in folklore.诸葛亮在民间传说中成了智慧的代名词。
• In Chinese folklore the bat is an emblem of good fortune.在中国的民间传说中蝙蝠是好运的象征。

11 picket   

n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫

参考例句：

• They marched to the factory and formed a picket.他们向工厂前进,并组成了纠察队。
• Some of the union members did not want to picket.工会的一些会员不想担任罢工纠察员。