VOA标准英语2009年-Dynasties Ruled US Sports in 2009

The past year has seen several dynasties reassert their dominance in U.S. sports. In this look back at 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins¹, the New York Yankees and top college teams added more trophies² to their collections.

David Byrd | Washington 22 December 2009

 
Photo: AP
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) looks to hand ball off in front of Arizona Cardinals³ defensive⁴ end Chike Okeafor (56) during third quarter of NFL Super Bowl XLIII , 1 Feb 2009

 

The Pittsburgh Steelers made history when they won last February's National Football League Super Bowl game played in Tampa, Florida.  Their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals gave the Steelers a record sixth Super Bowl championship, one more than the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers have won in the 43 seasons the game has been played.

Pittsburgh had finished the regular season with the second best record in the AFC at 12-4 while the Cardinals squeaked⁶ into the post-season from the NFC at 9-7. 

The Cardinals looked on the verge⁷ of winning their first Super Bowl title when Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger organized a drive capped by a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes to win the game in the waning⁸ seconds.

Steelers' coach Mike Tomlin said after the win that his team was prepared for whatever the Cardinals threw at them.

"So many times, football teams get caught up with the game not unfolding the way they envisioned it unfolding," Tomlin said.  "Or the way the media tells them it is going to unfold leading to the football game.  We go into games with no preconceived notions."

Gators clinch⁹ another title

In U.S. college football, the University of Florida Gators won the title for the second year in a row and the fourth since 1996 when they beat Oklahoma in the Bowl Championship Series game January 9.

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow completed 18 of 30 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns in the 24-14 victory.  The Gators were 13-1 for the season, with only a loss to Mississippi preventing them from going undefeated.

Carolina wins another NCAA crown

In college basketball, the University of North Carolina won its fifth NCAA men's Division One title by beating Michigan State, 89-72, in Detroit.  The win was UNC Coach Roy Williams' second national crown in five seasons at the university he attended as a student.

"Winning the second national championship for our Alma Mater is even sweeter," Williams said.  "They [the players] have been on a magical run and, as I said last night, they took me for a fantastic ride."

U Conn trounces Louisville in Women's NCAA finals

In women's college basketball, the University of Connecticut went undefeated (39-0) and won the NCAA title with a 76-54 win over Louisville.  The victory gave Huskies' coach Geno Auriemma his sixth national title and his fifth since 2000.

Auriemma said he was glad he did not have to face the disappointment of losing after his team played so well during the regular season and the tournament.

"These kids deserve it, even if I don't, which I don't care if I do or not. But all I kept thinking about was 'Man, I do not want to get up tomorrow morning with that feeling,'" he said.

Meanwhile, Pat Summit, the University of Tennessee women's coach, won her 1,000th victory in 2009.  In 35 seasons in Knoxville, Summit has amassed¹⁰ 1,005 wins, eight national titles and 14 Southeast Conference titles.

Lakers capture 15th title

In National Basketball Association play, the Los Angeles Lakers captured their 15th title in 2009, beating the Orlando Magic in the best-of-seven finals in five games.  The Lakers' win gave Coach Phil Jackson his 10th NBA title, including four with Los Angeles and six with the Chicago Bulls.  Jackson said his players deserved all the credit.

"I've always felt as a coach that you have to push your team," Jackson said. "And they pushed themselves and I really feel strongly that this is about them.  However, having won 10 championships is a remarkable¹¹ accomplishment¹², there's no doubt about it."

 

 
AP
LA Lakers' Kobe Bryant holds Larry O'Brien championship trophy¹³ and finals MVP trophy, 14 Jun 2009

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant took home his fourth NBA crown and was voted the finals Most Valuable Player.  Bryant said winning his first title without former teammate Shaquille O'Neal was a great relief.

"It felt like a big-ole monkey was off my back," Bryant said. "It just felt so good to be able to have this moment.  You know for this moment to finally be here and to reflect back on the series and the season and everything that you've been through, - it's top of the list, man."

Basketball Hall of Fame inducts Jordan

One of the men who contributed to Phil Jackson reaching his milestone¹⁴ - former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan - was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. 

Jordan said at his induction¹⁵ ceremony that he loves basketball, and his love for the game propelled him to his amazing career achievements.

"I don't look at this moment as the defining end to my relationship with the game of basketball," Jordan said.  "It is simply a continuation of something I started a long time ago.  One day you might look up and see me playing the game at 50, because limits like fears are often just an illusion."

In other honors, Cleveland Cavaliers guard LeBron James was named the regular season Most Valuable Player for 2009.

Yankees win world series

 
AP
New York Yankees' Derek Jeter, left, and Mariano Rivera look at the championship trophy after winning the Major League Baseball World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, 5 Nov 2009

In Major League Baseball, the year started poorly for Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees.  Before spring training, Rodriguez admitted to using steroids while he played with the Texas Rangers¹⁶ in 2001-2003.  Then a hip⁵ injury hindered the Yankees' third baseman, but later he would emerge as one of the team's leaders.

The Yankees won their 27th World Series title in November with a four games to two win over the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies.  The title came in the first year of the Yankees' new $1.6 billion ballpark. 

Japan's Hideki Matsui was voted the Series' Most Valuable Player after he hit .615 (8 for 13) with three home runs and eight runs batted in (RBI), including a World Series record-tying 6-RBI performance in Game 6.  He then became a free agent, and after seven years with the Yankees signed with the Los Angeles Angels.

The Yankees' cross-town rivals, the New York Mets, also opened a new ballpark in 2009, the $900 million Citi Field. 

Buehrle pitches perfect game

Elsewhere in the Major Leagues, Chicago White Sox left-handed pitcher¹⁷ Mark Buehrle threw the 18th perfect game in Major League history against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 23.  Buehrle threw 116 pitches and had six strike outs in the 5-0 victory, the first perfect game since Randy Johnson threw one for Arizona in 2004.

The Chicago left hander said that he had a tough time grasping the significance of his achievement.

"Any time your name gets up there with some of the greats in the game, it obviously means a lot," Buehrle admitted.  "I think it's another thing when you sit back and retire and you see how many perfect games have been thrown in history and your name is in there, I think that's when I will sit back and kind of be surprised."

Penguins win NHL title

The Pittsburgh Penguins won the National (ice) Hockey League title by beating perennial¹⁸ favorites the Detroit Red Wings in seven games.  Sidney Crosby led the Penguins with 15 playoff goals, even though he had to sit out most of the deciding game with a knee injury.  It was the Penguins' third Stanley Cup and their first since 1992.

In U.S. auto¹⁹ racing²⁰, stock car driver Jimmie Johnson won the NASCAR Sprint²¹ Car Championship for a record fourth straight year.  At the Indy 500 race in May, Helio Castroneves of Brazil took the checkered²² flag for the third time in his career, just weeks after a jury had cleared him of U.S. tax evasion²³ charges.

No triple crown winner

In U.S. horse racing, there was no Triple Crown winner - again.  Jockey Calvin Borel rode two of the three Triple Crown champions, but missed a personal Triple Crown at the Belmont.

Aboard 50-1 long shot "Mine That Bird," Borel won the Kentucky Derby May second. 

Tom Dirkin shared the amazement²⁴ of others watching the race as Borel rode to victory.

"Mine That Bird has come now to take the lead as they come down to the finish.  And a spectacular upset!  Mine That Bird has won the Kentucky Derby.  An impossible result here!" the announcer exclaimed.

Borel then made the unprecedented²⁵ move of changing mounts to ride "Rachel Alexandra" to the Preakness title two weeks later.  However, in June's Belmont Stakes, Borel missed a personal Triple Crown when "Summer Bird" won the New York race.

Untimely deaths

Tragedy also marked the past year in U.S. sports, as 22-year-old Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart died in a car crash April 9, just hours after he threw six scoreless innings against the Oakland A's.
 
Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair was killed in a bizarre murder-suicide in July.  The 36-year-old McNair was found dead in his apartment next to the body of his alleged²⁶ mistress.
 
Former Detroit Pistons²⁷ coach Chuck Daly also died in 2009.  The 78-year-old Daly led Detroit to two NBA titles and coached the 1992 U.S. Olympic men's "Dream Team" in Barcelona. 

Other deaths of note in 2009 included Special Olympics founder²⁸ Eunice Kennedy Shriver, former Boston Red Sox outfielder Dom DiMaggio and Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster Harry²⁹ Kalas. 

The past year brought the first decade of the new millennium³⁰ to a close with several long-time champions reasserting themselves.  As the so-called 20-aughts (years with zeros) end, the Yankees, Lakers, Steelers and other perennial powers hope to continue their tradition of winning.
 

1 penguins   

n.企鹅( penguin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why can penguins live in cold environment? 为什么企鹅能生活在寒冷的环境中？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Whales, seals, penguins, and turtles have flippers. 鲸、海豹，企鹅和海龟均有鳍形肢。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 trophies   

n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖

参考例句：

• His football trophies were prominently displayed in the kitchen. 他的足球奖杯陈列在厨房里显眼的位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hunter kept the lion's skin and head as trophies. 这猎人保存狮子的皮和头作为纪念品。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 cardinals   

红衣主教( cardinal的名词复数 )； 红衣凤头鸟（见于北美，雄鸟为鲜红色）； 基数

参考例句：

• cardinals in scarlet robes 身披红袍的枢机主教
• A conclave of cardinals was held to elect the new Pope. 红衣主教团举行了秘密会议来选举新教皇。

4 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

5 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

6 squeaked   

v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者

参考例句：

• The radio squeaked five. 收音机里嘟嘟地发出五点钟报时讯号。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Amy's shoes squeaked on the tiles as she walked down the corridor. 埃米走过走廊时，鞋子踩在地砖上嘎吱作响。 来自辞典例句

7 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

8 waning   

adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡

参考例句：

• Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly. 她对整个想法的热情迅速冷淡了下来。
• The day is waning and the road is ending. 日暮途穷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 clinch   

v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench

参考例句：

• Clinch the boards together.用钉子把木板钉牢在一起。
• We don't accept us dollars,please Swiss francs to clinch a deal business.我方不收美元，请最好用瑞士法郎来成交生意。

10 amassed   

v.积累，积聚( amass的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He amassed a fortune from silver mining. 他靠开采银矿积累了一笔财富。
• They have amassed a fortune in just a few years. 他们在几年的时间里就聚集了一笔财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

12 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。

13 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

14 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

15 induction   

n.感应，感应现象

参考例句：

• His induction as a teacher was a turning point in his life.他就任教师工作是他一生的转折点。
• The magnetic signals are sensed by induction coils.磁信号由感应线圈所检测。

16 rangers   

护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员

参考例句：

• Do you know where the Rangers Stadium is? 你知道Rangers体育场在哪吗？ 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• Now I'm a Rangers' fan, so I like to be near the stadium. 现在我是Rangers的爱好者，所以我想离体育场近一点。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

17 pitcher   

n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手

参考例句：

• He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
• Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。

18 perennial   

adj.终年的；长久的

参考例句：

• I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
• There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。

19 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

20 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

21 sprint   

n.短距离赛跑；vi. 奋力而跑，冲刺；vt.全速跑过

参考例句：

• He put on a sprint to catch the bus.他全速奔跑以赶上公共汽车。
• The runner seemed to be rallied for a final sprint.这名赛跑者似乎在振作精神作最后的冲刺。

22 checkered   

adj.有方格图案的

参考例句：

• The ground under the trees was checkered with sunlight and shade.林地光影交错。
• He’d had a checkered past in the government.他过去在政界浮沉。

23 evasion   

n.逃避，偷漏(税)

参考例句：

• The movie star is in prison for tax evasion.那位影星因为逃税而坐牢。
• The act was passed as a safeguard against tax evasion.这项法案旨在防止逃税行为。

24 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

25 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

26 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

27 pistons   

活塞( piston的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some pistons have seating rings of metal or leather. 有些活塞上有金属或皮革的密封环。
• A pump uses valves and pistons. 泵使用阀和活塞。

28 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。

29 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

30 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。