听播客学英语 189 贝克汉姆

 　　David Beckham is a famous football player. He played for Manchester United in the years when Manchester United won everything they could possibly win. And he was captain of the England football team.

　　But in the past few years his football career has gone downhill. In 2003, he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid, but Real Madrid have not been a succesful team in the last few years. Last summer, he captained the England team at the World Cup, but again England were not successful. He has now been dropped as England captain, and plays only irrregularly for Real Madrid. As a footballer, David Beckham is past his best.

　　Other footballers who find that their finest playing days are over do something like this:

　　they move to a smaller club;

　　or they make a new career in football, perhaps coaching younger players, or managing a club, or writing about football for the newspapers;

　　or they retire from football and run a pub in a quiet village in the country, or a night club in Spain.

　　But David Beckham is not going to do any of these things. He is going to move to America later this year to play for Los Angeles Galaxy¹. He will become one of the highest paid sportsmen in the world; over the next 5 years, he may earn as much as $250 million. This is remarkable² because football is not a top sport in the United States. Indeed, when Americans talk about “football” they mean a completely different game in which very big men try to knock each other to the ground while kicking or throwing a ball shaped like an egg. In America, you have to say “soccer” if you mean the game that the rest of the world calls football.

　　So how has this happened? There are rich people and rich companies in the United States who think that soccer could become a lot more popular in America than it is now. They see an opportunity to make money – lots of money. But they need a superstar – someone who is fabulously³ famous – to raise the profile of soccer in America, and bring in advertising⁴ and sponsorship. And David Beckham is a superstar. He is – or was – a brilliant football player. He is very good looking (or so my wife tells me). His wife is a former pop singer with the Spice Girls, where she was known as “Posh Spice”. Posh and Becks love the glamorous⁵ celebrity⁶ lifestyle – the lavish⁷ parties, the beautiful people, the fast cars, the big houses and swimming pools. They will love Hollywood. And Hollywood will love them.

　　There is another famous Englishman whose career has gone downhill in the past few years, in fact ever since he made a bad decision to invade Iraq. Yes, I mean Tony Blair, our Prime Minister. Like David Beckham, he is expected to leave his present job this year. Like David Beckham, he enjoys expensive holidays in exotic places, and the company of wealthy people. Like David Beckham, he is liked and admired in America. After he retires, he will probably spend a lot of time in that country, giving lectures and speaking at dinners. In five years time, which of the two will be the more succesful – the former football star, or the former Prime Minister? What do you think?

1 galaxy   

n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物)

参考例句：

• The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy.地球是银河系中的星球之一。
• The company has a galaxy of talent.该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。

2 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

3 fabulously   

难以置信地，惊人地

参考例句：

• The couple are said to be fabulously wealthy. 据说这对夫妇家财万贯。
• I should say this shirt matches your trousers fabulously. 我得说这衬衫同你的裤子非常相配。

4 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

5 glamorous   

adj.富有魅力的；美丽动人的；令人向往的

参考例句：

• The south coast is less glamorous but full of clean and attractive hotels.南海岸魅力稍逊，但却有很多干净漂亮的宾馆。
• It is hard work and not a glamorous job as portrayed by the media.这是份苦差，并非像媒体描绘的那般令人向往。

6 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

7 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。