美国国家公共电台 NPR--Major League Baseball's lockout ends after both sides reach a deal

Major League Baseball's lockout ends after both sides reach a deal

Transcript¹

Major League Baseball owners and the players union have reached a labor² agreement ending the longest work stoppage in the league's history. Opening day is April 7 and a full schedule will be played.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

In this country, the second-longest work stoppage in Major League Baseball history is over. NPR's Tom Goldman reports.

TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE³: If I had a dollar for every time a newscaster, podcaster, whatever caster said this yesterday...

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED CASTER #1: Baseball is back. Oh, my god. Baseball is back.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED CASTER #2: We begin with breaking news. Major League Baseball is back.

GOLDMAN: The excitement was understandable, and it beats the anger most felt for the 99 days it took to bring baseball back. The lockout by owners against players started last December and seemed certain to continue this week. But yesterday, enough compromise happened. Players accepted an owners proposal, and that was it. At a press conference after the owners unanimously ratified⁴ the deal, Manfred made it sound like his side did most of that compromising.

(SOUNDBITE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)

ROB MANFRED: I hope that the players appreciate that we worked very hard to address the key concerns that they brought to the table.

GOLDMAN: The union wanted better pay for younger players. Owners agreed to boost the minimum salary from about 570,000 to 700,000 this season. Also, a new $50 million bonus pool will go to the best young players who haven't been in the league long enough to reach salary arbitration⁵. Owners, Manfred said, even budged⁶ on postseason expansion.

(SOUNDBITE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)

MANFRED: We wanted a 14-team playoff. We thought it was the best one. We compromised in order to try to address their concerns.

GOLDMAN: There will be 12 teams in the playoffs, up from 10. In a statement, the union did not sound especially grateful for what baseball sees as its largesse⁷. Executive Director Tony Clark talked about enduring the second-longest work stoppage in baseball history and how players reenergized their fraternity during the difficult process. There was more than the hint of a chill. Manfred admitted he hasn't been successful forging a good relationship with players. Perhaps it'll be easier now that baseball is back fully⁸. By agreeing yesterday, the two sides preserved the 162-game schedule with no cancellations. Spring training starts this weekend. Opening day is April 7, only a week after it was originally scheduled and after 99 days of a hard slog. Tom Goldman, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF LOS STRAITJACKETS' "TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME")

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 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。

3 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。

4 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

5 arbitration   

n.调停，仲裁

参考例句：

• The wage disagreement is under arbitration.工资纠纷正在仲裁中。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding.双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

6 budged   

v.（使）稍微移动( budge的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）改变主意，（使）让步

参考例句：

• Old Bosc had never budged an inch--he was totally indifferent. 老包斯克一直连动也没有动，他全然无所谓。 来自辞典例句
• Nobody budged you an inch. 别人一丁点儿都算计不了你。 来自辞典例句

7 largesse   

n.慷慨援助，施舍

参考例句：

• She is not noted for her largesse.没人听说过她出手大方。
• Our people are in no need of richer nations' largesse.我国人民不需要富国的施舍。

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。