VOA慢速英语2014 奥巴马加入关于运动脑损伤的辩论

 

Obama Joins Head Injury Debate 奥巴马加入关于运动脑损伤的辩论

From VOA Learning¹ English, this is the Health Report.

A debate has continued for years in the United States about sports-related brain injuries, or concussions³. Conflicting studies add fuel to arguments on both sides.

Now the U.S. President has stepped into the middle of the debate.  Barack Obama held an informational meeting on the subject last month at the White House.  He gathered representatives of professional sports groups, coaches, parents, young athletes and medical professionals to discuss the issue.

American football is the sport often at the center of the concussion² debate.  But, a high school soccer player opened the meeting.  Tori Bellucci is a skilled⁴ athlete.  But she had to reject a college scholarship to play soccer after experiencing five concussions.

“The reason we’re here today though is, all across the country parents are also having a more troubling conversation and that’s about the risks of concussions.  There’s a lot of concern but there’s a lot of uncertainty⁵.  And as Tori’s story suggests, concussions are not just a football issue.  Every season you’ve got boys and girls who are getting concussions in lacrosse and soccer and wrestling and ice hockey as well as football.”

Mr. Obama notes that sports-related head injuries are increasing each year among young people.  He suggests that one reason for the rise could be that parents, teachers and coaches now better recognize the signs of a concussion.  These signs include lack of balance, unclear thinking, head pain and problems with eyesight.

The president says he does not want young people to avoid sports.  Instead he is calling for more research. 

“We want our kids participating in sports.  I’d be much more troubled if young people were shying away from sports.  As parents though, we want to keep them safe and that means we have to have better information.  The fact is, we don’t have solid numbers.  And that tells me that at every level we’re still trying to fully⁶ grasp what’s going on with this issue.”

Mr. Obama says that there is one thing all sides can agree on -- the fact that sports are very important, or vital, to American culture, identity⁷ and economy.  But, he warns that sports need to be as safe as possible for young people to play.  

“The one thing we can agree on is that sports are vital to this country.  And it’s a responsibility for us to make sure that young, talented kids like Tori and able to participate as safely as possible.  And that we are doing our job both as parents, school administrators⁸, coaches ... to look after them.”

To help reach that goal, he announced a joint⁹ effort from the National Collegiate Athletic¹⁰ Association¹¹ and the Department of Defense¹².  He said the $30 million project will carry out the widest study ever of concussions.

And that’s the Health Report.  I’m Anna Matteo.

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 concussion   

n.脑震荡；震动

参考例句：

• He was carried off the field with slight concussion.他因轻微脑震荡给抬离了现场。
• She suffers from brain concussion.她得了脑震荡。

3 concussions   

n.震荡( concussion的名词复数 )；脑震荡；冲击；震动

参考例句：

• People who have concussions often trouble thinking or remembering. 患脑震荡的人通常存在思考和记忆障碍。 来自互联网
• Concussions also make a person feel very tired or angry. 脑震荡也会使人感觉疲倦或愤怒。 来自互联网

4 skilled   

adj.(in)熟练的，有技能的；需要技能的

参考例句：

• Unskilled workers usually earn less money than skilled workers.无技能的工人通常比有技能的工人挣钱少。
• She was skilled enough in French to translate a novel.她法语娴熟，足以翻译小说。

5 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 identity   

n.身份，本体，特征；同一(性)，一致

参考例句：

• He never revealed his identity.他从未暴露过自己的身份。
• He showed his identity card and went in.他把工作证亮了一下就进去了。

8 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

9 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

10 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。

11 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。

12 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。