VOA标准英语2010年-Under-Performing Dallas Cowboys Sack C

The National Football League's Dallas Cowboys have fired head coach Wade¹ Phillips after the team lost its fifth consecutive² game for a mid-season record of one win and seven losses. The Cowboys performance is especially disappointing considering they hoped to follow last season's strong performance by becoming the first team in NFL history to play in the Super Bowl in its home stadium.
As the Dallas Cowboys continued to lose games this season, observers believed it was only a matter of time before team owner Jerry Jones made a change. That change came late Monday, one day after the Cowboys suffered their second worse loss in franchise³ history, a 45-7 trouncing by the Green Bay Packers in a nationally televised game.
Jones named Cowboys' offensive coordinator⁴ Jason Garrett to take over for the remaining eight games of 16-game 2010-2011 NFL regular season. "A decision has been made to move forward with a new person in the head coaching position with the Dallas Cowboys," said Jones. "Jason Garrett has been named interim⁵ head coach and he will replace Wade Phillips effective immediately." Phillips was in his fourth season with Dallas, which is languishing⁶ at the bottom of its division and conference standings. The Cowboys share the second-worst record in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, ahead only of the winless Buffalo⁷ Bills. The 44-year-old Garrett said he is excited to be the new Dallas Cowboys head coach, but acknowledged there is much work to be done by all.
"We have to put the first eight games of the season behind us," said Garrett. "We need to learn from them, and we need to go forward. One of the things that I talk to the players about all the time is embracing the moment, embracing the day - being great today, and that's what I'm going to ask the coaching staff to do, that's what I'm going to ask the players to do, and everyone involved in this organization to do - be great today." It is the first time since buying the Cowboys in 1989 that Jones has made a coaching change during the season. The Dallas owner said the players failed their head coach, whom he called a "vivid example of accountability." Jones said firing Phillips was a difficult decision. "We're grateful to Wade, and his contributions to the Cowboys, leading us to two division titles in his first three seasons with the club." Phillips was both head coach and the Cowboys defensive⁸ coordinator. Jones handed over Phillips' coordinator duties to defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni for the rest of the season. Phillips leaves the Cowboys with a regular season record of 34 wins against 22 losses. He has a career record of 82 wins and 61 losses. Phillips also held coaching positions with the NFL's Buffalo Bills, the Denver Broncos, the Atlanta Falcons⁹ and the New Orleans Saints. Garrett said it was an honor and a privilege to be an assistant to Phillips over the last three-and-a-half years.
"He's a fine a person as you'll meet in or out of football," said Garrett. "I think his track record as a coach, as an assistant coach, as a coordinator and as a head coach in the NFL speaks for itself."Garrett is the first former Dallas player to be named Cowboys' head coach. The former quarterback is the seventh Cowboys head coach since 1989, when the legendary¹⁰ Tom Landry retired¹¹ after coaching the team for its entire 29-year history up to that point. Garrett played the first seven of 12 NFL seasons in Dallas, where he primarily was a back-up to Cowboys' Super Bowl-winning quarterback Troy Aikmen. He also played on the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before ending his playing days in 2004 with the Miami Dolphins. Garrett is a graduate of prestigious¹² Princeton University, one of the top universities in the United States. Garrett's first test as head coach is this Sunday when the Cowboys go on the road to take on the division-leading New York Giants, who have a 6-2 mark so far this season.

1 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

2 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

3 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。

4 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

5 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

6 languishing   

a. 衰弱下去的

参考例句：

• He is languishing for home. 他苦思家乡。
• How long will she go on languishing for her red-haired boy? 为想见到她的红头发的儿子，她还将为此烦恼多久呢？

7 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

8 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。

9 falcons   

n.猎鹰( falcon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Peregrine falcons usually pluck the feathers and strip the flesh off their bird prey. 游隼捕到鸟类猎物时，通常是先拔掉它们的羽毛，再把肉撕下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Though he doubted the wisdom of using falcons, Dr. de la Fuente undertook the project. 虽然德·拉·富恩特博士怀疑使用游隼是否明智，但他还是执行了这项计划。 来自辞典例句

10 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

11 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

12 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。