VOA标准英语2010年-South Africa's Long Road to 2010 World

South African President Jacob Zuma, right, laughs as he hands over the trophy¹ to FIFA President Joseph Blatter, left, during the briefing to local and international media on the 2010 Soccer World Cup at the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria, South Africa, Sunday June 6, 2010. South Africa is hosting the upcoming Soccer World Cup, which gets underway on June 11.

The road to the first football (soccer) World Cup in Africa has been long  for host South Africa, filled with frustrations² and challenges. For the country's 45 million people, it is widely seen as an important step in nation building after years of oppression and inequality.

Six years ago, South Africa won its bid to become the first African nation to host a football World Cup.

"The 2010 World Cup will be organized in South Africa," said the head of football's governing body, FIFA's Sepp Blatter, who made the announcement in Zurich.

The country's first post-apartheid president, Nelson Mandela, campaigned hard for the prestigious³ tournament because he saw it as a way to further reconciliation⁴ after decades of racial separation and conflict.

The head of the South African Organizing Committee, Danny Jordaan, a former football player and anti-apartheid activist⁵, was there from the start.

"After 1990, when Mandela walked out of that prison, we saw it as a beginning of the creation of a new South Africa," he said. "After the elections of 1994, we then had to deal with building a new democratic, non-sexist South Africa."

Jordaan and other officials met during the 1994 World Cup in the United States and decided⁶ to bid on hosting the next available World Cup, in 2006.

South Africa lost this first bid to Germany by one vote, but Jordaan says that only strengthened the team's resolve.

"It is been a tough journey, first, just to convince people that we should be regarded as serious candidates.  It is only after, and ironically, when we lost to Germany 12 to 11 [votes], that the world started sitting back and saying, 'South Africa is a worthy⁷ cause,'" Jordaan said.

After winning its bid to host the 2010 tournament, the South African government launched a massive effort to build the needed infrastructure⁸.

It invested billions of dollars in stadiums, transportation hubs, security and communications.

But along the way organizers constantly faced those who doubted South Africa's ability to organize the tournament, complete the stadiums and transportation links on time and provide adequate security for thousands of foreign fans.

But their confidence never wavered as Blatter remarked during the team draw in Cape⁹ Town six months ago. "You are ready.  I am ready.  Africa is ready.  South Africa is ready," Blatter said.

Jordaan says despite the challenges and frustrations the effort has been worth it, given the history of apartheid.

"We are a nation that comes from divided past, a past of conflict, almost of war.  And so the building of new single non-racial South Africa is a critical part of sustainable economic growth," he states, "Of deepening and strengthening democracy in our country."

He says the World Cup, like other major sporting events, has helped foster reconciliation. "This World Cup is beginning to plant the seeds, serving as a glue to bind¹⁰ the nation," he added. "And nation building, social cohesion¹¹, is an important outcome for us in this World Cup.  And we are quite happy with what we have seen thus far."

The World Cup will also leave a legacy¹² of new infrastructure to buoy¹³ economic expansion in the future, football clubs in impoverished¹⁴ communities and world-class stadiums across the country.

And it leaves a sense of accomplishment¹⁵ among a people who never faltered¹⁶ in their belief that Africa deserved a place on the world stage.

 

1 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。

2 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

3 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。

4 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

5 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

6 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。

7 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

8 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

9 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

10 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

11 cohesion   

n.团结，凝结力

参考例句：

• I had to bring some cohesion into the company.我得使整个公司恢复凝聚力。
• The power of culture is deeply rooted in the vitality,creativity and cohesion of a nation. 文化的力量，深深熔铸在民族的生命力、创造力和凝聚力之中。

12 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

13 buoy   

n.浮标；救生圈；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The party did little to buoy up her spirits.这次聚会并没有让她振作多少。
• The buoy floated back and forth in the shallow water.这个浮标在浅水里漂来漂去。

14 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 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。

16 faltered   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
• "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”