环球英语 — 141：Zinedine Zidane in Bangladesh

　　Voice 1
Hello, I’m Liz Waid.
Voice 2
And I’m Rebekah Schipper. Welcome to Spotlight¹. This programme 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 was the ninth of July, 2006. The night was warm. The Olympic Stadium² in Berlin was full. Everyone was excited. Sixty-nine thousand [69,000] football fans were there. They had been shouting and waving all night. But why? It was the Football World Cup Final. Italy were playing France. But the game was almost over. The teams were now playing in extra time. And the score remained one goal each. Suddenly, one of the Italian players fell to the ground. What had happened to him?
Voice 2
No one watching that game will forget that event. They will remember the Italian player, Marco Materazzi. He said something unkind³ to a French player. So the French player then hit Materazzi in the chest⁴. But he did not hit him with his hand. He hit Materazzi with his head. And that was not the only surprise. The French player who did this was Zinedine Zidane. He was the world’s best footballer. People were very shocked. This seemed strange behaviour from Zidane. Zidane got a red card. He was sent off the field. He could not play the rest of the game. The French team struggled without Zidane. And finally, they lost.
Voice 1
Most people blamed Zidane for France’s defeat. If he had not hit Materazzi, he would have stayed on the field. France may have won. Instead, Zidane’s anger caused him to attack a player. After this event, many supporters⁵ lost respect for Zidane. He may have been the world’s best footballer once. But today, this is not what people remember most about him. They only seem to remember his bad behaviour.
Voice 2
But this is not true everywhere. In Bangladesh, people still think that Zidane is great. They think that he is a great footballer, and a great man. In November 2006 Zidane travelled to Bangladesh. He went to attend the opening of a factory there. This factory was a new business. Two different companies started this business together. One of them was Danone, a French food company. Its general aim is to “bring health through food to the majority of people.” The other company was the Grameen Bank. This bank operates a small loan⁶ system. It has helped many poor people in Bangladesh to escape from their poverty⁷. Together, the two companies formed a new business - the Grameen Danone Foods Company. This new company has the aim of producing healthy food products. They want to help poorer people with bad diets. So, they decided⁸ to open a yoghurt making factory in Northern Bangladesh.
Voice 1
But why make yoghurt? Well, yoghurt is a very popular food in Bangladesh. People like this thick, milky⁹ liquid. And it is not costly¹⁰ to produce. So people only need a little money to buy it. The Grameen Danone Foods Company plans to add extra vitamins¹¹ to the yoghurt. These healthy substances¹² aid bodily growth¹³. And they help fight diseases¹⁴. This is important as many people in Bangladesh are very poor. They cannot buy the healthy foods that their bodies need. Emmanuel Faber is vice-president of Danone in Asia. He says:
Voice 4
“The yoghurt will be a healthy food that people can buy every day if they want.”
Voice 2
This project is also creating employment¹⁵ in the area. Local farmers will provide the milk to make the yoghurt. And the yoghurt will have cane¹⁶ sugar added¹⁷. This, too, will come from local producers. People from the village can work in the factory. They can also help to sell the yoghurt. It is a truly local business. And the company does not plan to keep any of the profits. Instead, it plans to use the money to open fifty [50] more yoghurt factories across Bangladesh.
Voice 1
The French food company, Danone, is one of Zinedine Zidane’s sponsors¹⁸. They pay him money to present their products to the public. That is why they invited Zidane to attend the opening of the new factory in Bangladesh. Mohammed Yunus is the head of the Grameen Bank. He also invited Zidane to be there. He knew of the footballer’s desire to support projects that fight poverty.
Voice 2
So Zinedine Zidane took part in the official opening ceremony of the yoghurt factory. Then, he demonstrated¹⁹ some of his footballing skills to the crowd. They were very pleased. And so was Zidane. He said:
Voice 3
“I was completely²⁰ surprised. I never thought people living thousands of miles away in small villages in Bangladesh would know who I am.”
Voice 2
But why would such a famous footballer support such a project? Is there more to Zidane than football? He says there is:
Voice 3
“I know what poverty is. I, too, have lived in difficult places. My family did not have everything. And today I want to help. There are things in this world that are more important than football.”
Voice 1
Zidane knows what he is talking about. He grew up in the city of Marseille, in southern France. He was the youngest of five [5] children. His parents came from a small village in Algeria, North Africa. They lived there during the nineteen fifties. At that time, Algeria had many political²¹ and economic problems. Many families moved to France for a better way of life. Zidane’s family was one of them.
Voice 2
They moved to la Castellane, in north Marseille. The French authorities²² housed many north African families here. They lived in huge blocks of flats. These apartments were very crowded. It was especially difficult for parents with young children. Everyone considered la Castellane to be a difficult place to live. But Zidane says,
Voice 3
“I am proud of where I come from. I was lucky to come from a difficult area. It teaches you not just about football but also life. There were lots of children from different races and poor families. People had to struggle to get through the day. I never forget the people I grew up with. Wherever I go, la Castellane is where I want to go back to. It is still my home.”
Voice 1
So, football is not all that Zinedine Zidane cares about. He values his friends and family. He is proud of his roots. He is concerned about the poor of this world. So now may be the time to forget about Zidane’s behaviour at the World Cup. Let us remember instead what he has been through - and his commitment²³ to help people wherever he can.
 

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 stadium   

n.露天大型运动场

参考例句：

• The new football stadium can hold eighty thousand people.新的足球场可以容纳八万人。
• The stadium is being used for a match.那个露天运动场正在进行一场比赛。

3 unkind   

adj.不仁慈的，不和善的

参考例句：

• He was never unkind to her.他从未亏待过她。
• Unkindness often reacts on the unkind person.恶人有恶报。

4 chest   

n.胸，大箱子，金库，资金，一箱，密封室，衣橱

参考例句：

• The bear's chest is hairy.那只熊的胸部毛茸茸的。
• Mother has a pain in her chest.母亲胸口疼.。

5 supporters   

n.支持者，拥护者，赞助者( supporter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a battalion of supporters 由支持者组成的队伍
• Thousands of supporters converged on London for the rally. 成千上万的支持者从四面八方汇聚伦敦举行集会。

6 loan   

n.贷款；借出的东西；借；vt.借出；贷予

参考例句：

• I asked the bank to help me with a loan.我请银行给我一笔贷款。
• Has the bank okayed your request for a loan?银行批准你的贷款要求了吗？

7 poverty   

n.贫穷， 贫困， 贫乏， 缺少

参考例句：

• We must continue to war against poverty and disease.我们一定要继续同贫穷和疾病作斗争。
• He showed his poverty in his knowledge of agriculture.他表现出缺乏对农业知识的了解。

8 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。

9 milky   

adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的

参考例句：

• Alexander always has milky coffee at lunchtime.亚历山大总是在午餐时喝掺奶的咖啡。
• I like a hot milky drink at bedtime.我喜欢睡前喝杯热奶饮料。

10 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

11 vitamins   

n.维生素（ vitamin的名词复数 ）

参考例句：

• essential proteins and vitamins 必不可少的蛋白质和维生素
• the vitamins that are vital for health 保持健康必不可少的维生素

12 substances   

n.物质( substance的名词复数 )；实质；物体；[哲学]1)。 本质

参考例句：

• substances with high levels of toxicity 毒性大的物质
• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry. 核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 growth   

n.生长，栽培

参考例句：

• All living things depend on the sun for their growth.万物靠太阳生长。
• Youth is the time of physical growth.青年时期是长身体的时期。

14 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

15 employment   

n.雇用；使用；工作，职业

参考例句：

• A large office requires the employment of many people.一个大办事处需要雇用好多人员。
• The state of employment in this city is improving.这个城市就业状况正在改善。

16 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

17 added   

adj.更多的，附加的，额外的

参考例句：

• They have added a new scene at the beginning.在开头他们又增加了一场戏。
• The pop music added to our enjoyment of the film.片中的流行音乐使我们对这部电影更加喜爱。

18 sponsors   

n.保人( sponsor的名词复数 )；（广播电视节目、音乐会或运动会的）赞助者；（培训或教育的）资助者；（法案等的）倡议者v.赞助( sponsor的第三人称单数 )；资助（某人的培训或教育）；为慈善活动捐资；倡议

参考例句：

• The race organizers are trying to attract sponsors. 比赛的组织者在想方设法吸引赞助者。
• They become official sponsors and put their logos on stadium walls. 他们成为正式赞助者，从而能在赛场周围的墙上挂上他们公司的广告牌。 来自辞典例句

19 demonstrated   

举行示威游行（或集会）( demonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )； 示范。展示； 显示； 论证

参考例句：

• All of those demonstrated the correctness of his analysis. 这一切都证明了他分析的正确性。
• The fireman demonstrated great courage in saving the child. 那位消防队员在抢救孩子的过程中，表现了极大的勇气。

20 completely   

adv.完全地，十分地，全然

参考例句：

• She never completely gave up hope.她从不完全放弃希望。
• I feel completely in the dark on this question.这件事使我感到茫然。

21 political   

adj.政治上的，政党的，政略性的，政治的

参考例句：

• He was forced to leave his homeland for political reasons.因为政治原因他被迫离开自己的祖国。
• In ideas those two political parties are worlds apart.那两个政党在思想上有巨大分歧。

22 authorities   

n.当局，权力，权威；权威( authority的名词复数 )；权力；学术权威；[复数]当权者

参考例句：

• They interceded with the authorities on behalf of the detainees. 他们为被拘留者向当局求情。
• At his instigation we conceal the fact from the authorities. 我们受他的怂恿向当局隐瞒了事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 commitment   

n.奉献，忠诚，辛劳，委托，实行，承担义务，赞助

参考例句：

• The builder had a commitment to finish the work on time.那个承建商答应过准时完工。
• He made a commitment to pay the rent on time.他保证按时付房租。