2006年VOA标准英语-Afghan Immigrant Becomes American Cowboy

By Bogdan Wojciechowski
Washington, DC
16 November 2006
 
watch Afghan Cowboy report

There are many cowboys in America. But Miran Fareed is unique because he comes from Afghanistan. This immigrant does not live in the western U.S. like most American cowboys, but on the east coast in the state of Virginia. VOA's Jim Bertel narrates¹ this report.

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Afghan cowboy Fareed Miran teaches roping
  
Cowboys practicing team roping is a common occurrence in Midwestern states like Texas or Oklahoma, where ranchers use these skills to catch cattle for branding or medical check-ups. But in the eastern state of Virginia, barely a one-hour drive from Washington D.C., it is somewhat unusual.

This cowboy is Fareed Miran and he was born in Afghanistan. " Well, the whole thing is a business, that is important to me because I make my livelihood² out of it, and it is fun too."

Miran came to the U.S. from Kabul in 1984 as a seven year old.  Not long after that his family bought a farm in Virginia. " When I moved here in 1984, we had horses and I rode. So my riding skills became pretty good, and it was just learning how to do the other stuff [other cowboy skills]".

Miran learned how to ride horses on his grandfather's farm in Afghanistan, but the "other stuff", like roping, he learned when he was in high school in the U.S. His teacher was an experienced Wyoming cowboy who moved to Miran's neighborhood in Virginia.

 
Fareed Miran
  
Miran's stepmother, Mimi Miran, says learning how to rope was just as natural for Miran as riding a horse. "This man, he grew up in the western state of Wyoming and he roped all his life. When he realized what a good rider Fareed was, he turned up one day with a rope in his hand, and that is how it started, and Fareed never looked back. He took to roping almost as quickly as he took to horses."

Roping is not reserved solely³ for cowboys these days. Anybody who feels that his or her place is in a saddle with a rope in their hand can call Miran and arrange for riding and roping lessons.

Miran's students range in age from young children to adults. Among them are Vanessa and Betty Ann. They read about Miran in a newspaper, and decided⁴ to learn how to swing a lasso [a rope with a noose], and do roping. 

Miran's students Vanessa and Betty Ann  
  
Vanessa is married, with three children, but still finds time for some western style excitement in the horse arena⁵. "It is very exciting, it is challenging. Not a lot of women do it around here. So it is something that is really different. It is just an exciting sport, there is a lot of speed involved and it is definitely a huge challenge."

Miran's farm and the roping lessons attract people from many different walks of life. Jackson Taylor is a technology consultant⁶. "I'm in (the) I.T. business. I work with information technology and wireless⁷ telecommunications. So, it is a good break from the daily grind of working 9 to 5 in I.T."

Rodeo sports, like roping, are growing in popularity in the U.S., especially in the eastern part of the country.

Rodeo shows and competitions are a perfect stage for ropers like Miran to show off their skills. When he is not teaching roping on his farm, Miran travels around the country taking part in roping contests. However, participating in team roping events can be expensive. But, if you are good at it, also financially rewarding.

"I go to big competitions, and I have won some and I lost some. But roping is just more fun for me and I turned this into a little business to teach people here in Virginia."

Miran has won numerous prizes including expensive saddles and cash awards. However, the horse farm business is still the main source of income for Miran's family. And the business is still expanding.

"We probably have 45 horses, 10 of my own. And then I have added additional things to it, such as riding lessons, roping lessons, training horses, buying and selling horses. This is the extra stuff I added to the business. Just like the little store here."

Fareed Miran, a cowboy born in Afghanistan is now, after over 20 years in the U.S., a fully⁸ assimilated American, a farmer and a businessman. But still, he often thinks about his native country, which he has never returned to since leaving for the United States.

"Yeah, I would like to go there to Afghanistan in my western clothes, and my western look, to show them that there is an Afghan cowboy in America".

1 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

2 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

3 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

4 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。

5 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

6 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

7 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

8 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。