美国国家公共电台 NPR--Famed Lambeau Field is taken over this weekend by the 2 best teams in soccer

Famed Lambeau Field is taken over this weekend by the 2 best teams in soccer

Transcript¹

Green Bay, Wis., on Saturday hosts two top-tier European soccer teams: Manchester City and FC Bayern Munich — for the first soccer exhibition game on the Packers' Lambeau Field.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

A different kind of football is taking over the home of the Green Bay Packers this weekend, the beautiful game. For the first time, Lambeau Field welcomes two of the world's top soccer teams. Maayan Silver of member station WUWM in Milwaukee has more.

MAAYAN SILVER, BYLINE²: Goals have been put up, yard lines redrawn and Packer fans want anyone coming to Lambeau Field to know it's hallowed ground.

(SHOUTING)

SILVER: Here's Packer fan Nathan Ambrosius.

NATHAN AMBROSIUS: It's magical, it is. When you walk into that stadium...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GO PACK GO!")

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting) Go, Pack, go.

AMBROSIUS: ...November, cold, snowing, you're bundled to the gills, there's nothing you can compare it to. You can't beat it.

SILVER: This Saturday night, in markedly warmer weather, the arena⁴ opens its doors and its carefully coiffed grass turf to two of the world's top soccer teams. Taking the field are Bayern Munich, the most successful team in German history, and Manchester - or Man City for short - the reigning⁵ English Premier⁶ League champions. Fans of both teams break out into song during matches.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Singing) This is always happening and, oh (ph)...

SILVER: It's a pre-season friendly match since Lambeau isn't big enough for a regulation-sized soccer field. But the 81,000-seat stadium is expected to be at or near capacity. The Packers already have an international almost cult⁷ following. But the reach of these soccer teams is next level, says Gabrielle Dow of the Packers.

GABRIELLE DOW: Because - and no disrespect for the NFL and everything that the NFL stands for. It is a great brand. And the Packers are, you know, one of the top teams in the NFL. But when you look at Bayern and Man City and their fan base, I mean, it's worldwide.

SILVER: Bayern Munich boasts more than 33 million Instagram followers⁸ versus⁹ the Packers' cool 2.5 million. Bayern connects with fans and Twitter accounts in multiple languages, fans like Green Bay local Ethan Ahnen. On a recent July night, he and Man City fan Brian Buntman were at the classic Green Bay watering hole called the Bar. Ahnen says the exhibition game is a dream come true.

ETHAN AHNEN: It never crossed my mind ever that any soccer teams would come here from Europe. Every year, they come to the U.S. But they always hit, like, LA, Chicago, New York, like ones with, like, MLS stadiums in it.

SILVER: Fans will arrive at the game this weekend from around Wisconsin, the Midwest and the world, like Nigel Gregory from England. He's part of an elite¹⁰ group of Man City fans and has seen the team play in 39 different countries.

NIGEL GREGORY: It's great to come over to somewhere like this, see somewhere new, experience a different culture and relax and just enjoy the football.

SILVER: One thing to expect, a good tailgate. Lambeau is known for extraordinary cookouts with thousands and thousands of people. And some of those Green Bay locals will be drawn³ to the game out of curiosity, says Ahnen, the local Bayern fan.

AHNEN: My family doesn't watch soccer, but they're all coming because they just want to see, like, this big, historical event. And they're not going to know what to do (laughter). They're just going to be like, oh, yeah, he kicked the ball. Nice (laughter).

SILVER: Soccer is picking up in Green Bay. There are many leagues to choose from and a Division 1 NCAA soccer program. But in Green Bay, even the fire hydrants are green and gold. Alexander Alberts is from the city and he's fluent in German. He'll be translating for one of the Bayern delegations¹¹.

ALEXANDER ALBERTS: Put it this way, if soccer can make it in Green Bay, Wis., in the United States, it can make it anywhere in this country.

(LAUGHTER)

ALBERTS: So it's kind of a test to that.

SILVER: It's tough to kick a soccer ball in snow. But an exhibition game in July is a good start. For NPR News, I'm Maayan Silver in Green Bay.

(SOUNDBITE OF COVET'S "FALKOR")

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 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。

3 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

4 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

5 reigning   

adj.统治的，起支配作用的

参考例句：

• The sky was dark, stars were twinkling high above, night was reigning, and everything was sunk in silken silence. 天很黑，星很繁，夜阑人静。
• Led by Huang Chao, they brought down the reigning house after 300 years' rule. 在黄巢的带领下，他们推翻了统治了三百年的王朝。

6 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

7 cult   

n.异教，邪教；时尚，狂热的崇拜

参考例句：

• Her books aren't bestsellers,but they have a certain cult following.她的书算不上畅销书，但有一定的崇拜者。
• The cult of sun worship is probably the most primitive one.太阳崇拜仪式或许是最为原始的一种。

8 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

9 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。

10 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

11 delegations   

n.代表团( delegation的名词复数 )；委托，委派

参考例句：

• In the past 15 years, China has sent 280 women delegations abroad. 十五年来，中国共派280批妇女代表团出访。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• The Sun Ray decision follows the federal pattern of tolerating broad delegations but insisting on safeguards. “阳光”案的判决仿效联邦容许广泛授权的做法，但又坚持保护措施。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法