美国国家公共电台 NPR--The U.S. begins its World Cup action against Wales

The U.S. begins its World Cup action against Wales

Transcript¹

Monday's game is a bit of redemption for the U.S. men's soccer team which failed to qualify² for the tournament four years ago.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

U.S. soccer fans have been waiting eight years to cheer on the men's national team at a World Cup, and that day has finally arrived.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

After missing the last World Cup, the U.S. men play Wales today in their opening match of the 2022 tournament. It's happening in Qatar. There's a whole lot of excitement but a lot of questions, too, about a young, talented, yet inexperienced American team.

MART?NEZ: NPR's Tom Goldman is in Doha, Qatar, covering all things World Cup. Tom, this would have been a field interview I would have gladly joined you on, but since I'm not there, you are. U.S. versus³ Wales - what are we expecting from both teams today?

TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE⁴: I have no idea.

MART?NEZ: (Laughter).

GOLDMAN: I have traveled all this way to tell you that. And anyone who tells you they do, they're lying, OK? Because both these teams are so new to this, we really don't know what's going to happen. Wales is in its first World Cup since 1958, although this current team has done well in recent years at the European Championships, so it is battle tested in major events. For the U.S., only one player of the 26 on the roster⁵ has played in a World Cup. That's defender⁶ DeAndre Yedlin. America is the second-youngest team in this tournament, although a number of players play for top European clubs and have international experience.

One among many questions, A, marks who scores the goals up front. Usually it's the task of a forward striker, such as Wales' best player and top scorer, veteran Gareth Bale. But throughout U.S. World Cup qualifying⁷, of the 18 goals scored in 14 matches, only four of those goals were from a forward-slash-striker. Will star Christian⁸ Pulisic assert⁹ himself - Haji Wright, Gio Reyna to name a few? Of course, the U.S. wants goals scored regardless of where they come from.

MART?NEZ: You must score to win. Now, it's being said the group that the U.S. and Wales are in is the toughest of the eight four-team groups in this tournament. Does that make this first match even more important?

GOLDMAN: Yeah, it's considered the toughest because the average FIFA ranking for the four teams - U.S., Wales, England and Iran - is 15th, and that's the highest average of all the groups. There certainly are better teams in other groups, but statistically¹⁰ speaking, Group B is it. Now, England is considered the best in B. So if England beats Iran today - favored to do so - and gets the three points for victory, yes, that puts pressure on the U.S. and Wales to come out with a win today to keep up or at least the one point for a draw.

MART?NEZ: Now, this is actually Day 2 of the tournament. It started yesterday with Qatar facing the country of my parents, the country of my grandparents and their parents, Ecuador. Things have not gone well, though, for the host country on and off the pitch.

GOLDMAN: And congratulations to all of them because they beat Qatar 2-0, and Ecuador pretty much cruised¹¹. It was a disturbing scene for organizers. The number of Qatar fans who left early by the end of the match, large parts of the stadium were empty. Qatar had done so much to prepare its team because that team is very much the public face of this country's success or failure at this event.

They brought in top coaches, developed players, top training facilities, and it all went pfft (ph) in 90-plus minutes yesterday, with the criticism still being directed at Qatar and FIFA on so many fronts, from LGBTQ rights to migrant labor¹² abuses to no beer in the stadiums and the newest controversy¹³, A, Euro team captains reportedly abandoning the plan to wear rainbow armbands supporting diversity because they might receive a yellow card as punishment. With all that, the egg laid by Qatar's national team yesterday seemed to reflect the mess this World Cup is, at least at the start.

MART?NEZ: It's only Day 1. It's only Day 1 - or Day 2, I guess. NPR's Tom Goldman in Doha, Qatar. Tom, thanks.

GOLDMAN: You're welcome.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 qualify   

vt.取得资格，有资格，限定，描述；vi.取得资格，有资格

参考例句：

• I won't qualify until next year.我明年才具备资格。
• You must qualify yourself for the post.你必须使自己具备担任这一工作的资格。

3 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 roster   

n.值勤表，花名册

参考例句：

• The teacher checked the roster to see whom he would teach this year.老师查看花名册，想了解今年要教的学生。
• The next day he put himself first on the new roster for domestic chores.第二天，他把自己排在了新的家务值日表的第一位。

6 defender   

n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人

参考例句：

• He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员，然后射门。
• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。

7 qualifying   

使具有资格的

参考例句：

• players who fail at the pre-qualifying stage 在预选赛中淘汰掉的选手
• A doctoral candidate is required to pass a qualifying examination. 考博士需通过一个资格考试。

8 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

9 assert   

vt.断言，声称，维护，坚持

参考例句：

• I choose rather to hesitate my opinion than to assert it roundly.我宁可犹疑地表示我的意见而不愿直率地断言这件事。
• You must assert yourself or they will continue to bully you.你必须维护自己的权利，否则他们还会欺负你。

10 statistically   

ad.根据统计数据来看，从统计学的观点来看

参考例句：

• The sample of building permits is larger and therefore, statistically satisfying. 建筑许可数的样本比较大，所以统计数据更令人满意。
• The results of each test would have to be statistically independent. 每次试验的结果在统计上必须是独立的。

11 cruised   

v.乘船巡游( cruise的过去式和过去分词 )；以快而平稳的速度长距离行驶；巡航；轻而易举赢得（或获得）

参考例句：

• They cruised along in top gear . 他们驾车高速行驶。
• The coastguard cutter cruised along the coast looking for smugglers. 水上警察缉私船沿海巡逻搜寻走私犯。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

13 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。