BBC Learning English6 Minute EnglishAboriginal Cricketer6 Minute English ? Yvonne: Hello - this is '6 minute English' and I'm Yvonne Archer. And with me today isthe lovely William Kremer. Hello William!
William: Oh hello Yvonne!
Yvonne: Today – a sporting programme as we hear the story of an extraordinaryAustralian cricketer. Sadly, he's only just been recognised - thirty years afterhis death. But before we find out more, let's get out today's big question!
William, cricket balls have been made from the same materials since the 1700s.
But what colour were they originally?
a) whiteb) light brown orc) cherry redWilliam: Err… as always, I don't know but I'm gonna go for b) light brown because -cricket balls are made from leather and lots of leather things are light brown.
So that's my guess – light brown.
Yvonne: Great answer, but are you right or wrong? We'll find out later on. But now,let's look at some of the language we'll hear in today's report. First, William -what is meant by 'indigenous Australians'?
William: Well, 'indigenous' people are the original people or native people of a countryor land. So 'indigenous Australians' – who are also known as aboriginals oraborigines – have always been in Australia. And they were there thousands ofyears before Europeans arrived.
Yvonne: Can you explain 'indignities'…William: Yes, 'an indignity' is something that makes us feel embarrassed（尴尬） or humiliatesus and (makes us feel) of little importance. So to give you an example:
prisoners（囚犯） usually have to shower in front of everyone else – and that's one ofthe 'indignities' that they have to live with.
Yvonne: And 'slights' or 'a slight' – what's that?
William: 'A slight' is a bit of an old fashioned word and it means a quiet kind of insult.
So, if I give you an example: if I say hello to you Yvonne and you turn yourback and start talking to someone else, well that's a bit of a slight – and in fact,I can say that you've 'slighted' me.
Yvonne: But of course, I'd never slight you, William. Now in today's report from theBBC's Nick Bryant, we'll hear about a very talented Australian cricketer whoplayed many years ago. As you listen, try to find out what two things heusually needed before he could go and play against white cricketers…NICK BRYANTEddie Gilbert played in the 1930s, when indigenous Australians were confronted with allkinds of indignities and slights. Even to make the journey to play cricket against white players,he needed written permission to leave his Aboriginal settlement and was normally chaperoned.
Yvonne: William, what two things did Eddie Gilbert need as an aboriginal cricketerbefore he could go and play against white cricketers?
William: Well, he needed to have something in writing – he needed 'written permission'
to say that he was allowed to travel to the cricket match. And he was usually'chaperoned' – so someone with authority had to go with Eddie even though hewas an adult. And so in Eddie's case, the chaperone would have been a whiteman.
Yvonne: As we heard, aborigines like Eddie, lived in 'settlements' – areas where theywere forced to stay by the Australian government of the time. But Australianaborigines during the 1930s were demanding equal rights and to be treatedwith dignity（尊严）.
Now Eddie once bowled and hit the bat right out of the hands of one of theworld's best cricketers - Sir Donald Bradman. So Eddie was the fastest bowlerof the era, but as we'll hear, he never entered the 'pantheon of cricket'. William,can you explain that term for us?
William: Yes, 'a pantheon' here refers to a special group made up of the world's bestcricketers in this example. And Eddie was never included in that 'pantheon' –that group of admired and honoured cricketers.
Yvonne: Yeah - it's believed that Eddie's many years of throwing a boomerang – an Australian type of hunting weapon （核武器）– was the reason why he could bowl so fast.
And there's another story about Eddie's skills but it might not be true...
NICK BRYANTHad Eddie Gilbert been born white, he might well have entered the pantheon of cricket but henever represented his nation. Folklore has it that one of his deliveries burst through a picketfence and struck a dog with such force that the animal was killed.
William: Oh no – that poor dog!
Yvonne: Yes, but remember William, it's only folklore so perhaps the story about thedog isn't actually true. But thirty years after his death, what we do know to betrue is that Eddie Gilbert was one of the world's greatest cricketers. So at leastthey're going to put up a life-size bronze statue in Eddie's home state of Queensland（昆士兰州） in his honour.
William: Ahh – so maybe Eddie Gilbert will be remembered in sporting history after all.
Yvonne: Let's hope so. Sadly, Eddie was buried in an unmarked grave so his statue isvery important - especially to aborigines. And now, more people will know thename Eddie Gilbert.
Right William, today's big question: Cricket balls have been made from thesame materials since the 1700s - but what colour were they originally? Andyour answer was…William: …My answer was light brown – and…Yvonne: And you were right!
William: Yeah!
Y…. Well done to you. But that's we've got time for in today's "6 Minute English"from BBC Learning English.
W/Y: Goodbye!(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑) |