纽约棒球项目改善贫困孩子们的生活

New York City Baseball Program Improves Children's Lives 纽约棒球项目改善贫困孩子们的生活

A baseball program in New York City continues to help East Harlem children escape poverty.

The program is named Harlem RBI. The program was founded in 1991. The community is now celebrating the 25th anniversary¹ of Harlem RBI. Close to 2,000 boys and girls have become a part of Harlem RBI’s success.

In 1991, East Harlem was filled with public housing² and parks covered with asphalt. East Harlem was a neighborhood filled with minorities. The community had a high poverty rate. Students had trouble reading and understanding mathematics in school.

Marilyn Morales is a former resident³ of East Harlem. She said East Harlem “was very scary” in 1991. The neighborhood was filled with homeless people, drug addicts⁵, and buildings destroyed by fire.

Morales now lives in Westchester County⁶, New York. Westchester County is close to 40 kilometers from East Harlem. She is now a mother who drives to New York City every day. Her son plays in Harlem RBI's summer league.

The children are now part of a success rate instead of a poverty rate.

Harlem RBI added a charter⁷-school program of its own, called DREAM in 2008. DREAM students perform better than students in the state, city and school districts. DREAM teaches a high number of special-needs students and English-language learners.

Almost all Harlem RBI students graduate from high school. Nearly all Harlem RBI players have been able to enter college over the past 11 years.

Richard Berlin is the executive⁸ director of Harlem RBI. He started with Harlem RBI as a volunteer coach in 1994. He said the charter school fills "every one of our seats ... with a deserving⁹ child who wants to be here."

Berlin said lessons on a baseball field can lead to a life of success.

"Baseball is a game of failure,” he said. “If you fail seven out of 10 times [in baseball], you are wildly successful in this game."

Morales said the program and ball games help her son stay focused in life.

"It keeps him off drugs, hopefully, and it just helps keep him you know motivated and focus in life."

Taina Figueroa is an eighth grader and a shortstop and pitcher¹⁰ in the league. She has been with Harlem RBI for six years. Figueroa said the program is built on the life skills that baseball teaches: confidence, perseverance¹¹ and sportsmanship¹².

"When people are on your side and they are rooting for you, it gives me motivation to hit the ball harder or pitch harder or run faster," Figueroa said.

The program just received $85 million to improve the school building. And many former East Harlem residents¹³ would like to move back home. But the neighborhood is not the same.

Morales says she wishes she could move back today. But it's not that simple. "It's too expensive, I can't live here!" she said, laughing.

Words in This Story

baseball – n. a game played on a large field by two teams of nine players who try to score runs by hitting a small ball with a bat and then running to each of the four bases without being put out

asphalt – n. a black substance that is used for making roads

scary – adj. causing fear

drug addict⁴ – n. a person who cannot stop taking an illegal drug

charter school – n. a school that is established by a charter, is run by teachers and parents and uses tax money but does not have to be run according to the rules of a city or state

special-needs student – n. students suffering from any of a wide range of physical or mental disabilities or medical conditions

shortstop – n. a baseball player who defends the area between second and third base

pitcher – n. the player who throws the ball to the batter¹⁴ in baseball

perseverance – n. the quality that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult

sportsmanship – n. fair play, respect for opponents and polite behavior by someone who is competing in a sport or other competition

1 anniversary   

n.周年(纪念日)

参考例句：

• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。
• Today is my parents'30th wedding anniversary.今天是我父母结婚30周年纪念日。

2 housing   

n.房屋，住宅；住房建筑；外壳，外罩

参考例句：

• Do you think our housing sales will turn around during this year?你认为今年我们的住宅销路会好转吗？
• The housing sales have been turning down since the summer.入夏以来，房屋的销售量日趋减少。

3 resident   

a.居住的，居留的；住校的，住院的

参考例句：

• I've been resident in this place for five years. 我已经在这个地方住了五年。
• They engaged a resident tutor. 他们聘用了一名住家的家庭教师。

4 addict   

v.使沉溺；使上瘾；n.沉溺于不良嗜好的人

参考例句：

• He became gambling addict,and lost all his possessions.他习染上了赌博，最终输掉了全部家产。
• He assisted a drug addict to escape from drug but failed firstly.一开始他帮助一个吸毒者戒毒但失败了。

5 addicts   

有…瘾的人( addict的名词复数 )； 入迷的人

参考例句：

• a unit for rehabilitating drug addicts 帮助吸毒者恢复正常生活的机构
• There is counseling to help Internet addicts?even online. 有咨询机构帮助网络沉迷者。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

6 county   

n.县，郡

参考例句：

• When the good news reached there,the whole county rejoiced.喜讯传到那里时，全县的人都欢欣鼓舞起来。
• In that year county after county fell to the enemy.那一年一个又一个的县城沦入敌人手中。

7 charter   

n.特许状，执照，宪章；v.特许，发给特许执照

参考例句：

• This new law amounts to a tax evader's charter.这项新法律简直成了为逃税者开的许可证。
• We will charter a steamer to convey the goods.我们将租一艘船运送这批货物。

8 executive   

adj.执行的，行政的；n.执行者，行政官，经理

参考例句：

• A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
• He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。

9 deserving   

adj.值得的；应得的；有功的；值得帮助的v.应得；值得；应得报酬；应得赔偿

参考例句：

• to give money to a deserving cause 把钱捐给值得赞助的事业
• All the causes seem equally deserving. 看来所有的这些事业都同样值得投身。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 pitcher   

n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手

参考例句：

• He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
• Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。

11 perseverance   

n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• It may take some perseverance to find the right people.要找到合适的人也许需要有点锲而不舍的精神。
• Perseverance leads to success.有恒心就能胜利。

12 sportsmanship   

n.体育道德

参考例句：

• We identify sportsmanship with good character. 我们认为体育道德与良好品质是一致的。
• He told Shane that they were going to learn about good sportsmanship. 他告诉夏恩他们要来学学何谓良好的运动家精神。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年5月号

13 residents   

n.居民( resident的名词复数 )；（旅馆的）住宿者

参考例句：

• Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。
• Local residents have reacted angrily to the news. 当地居民对这一消息表示愤怒。

14 batter   

v.接连重击；磨损；n.牛奶面糊；击球员

参考例句：

• The batter skied to the center fielder.击球手打出一个高飞球到中外野手。
• Put a small quantity of sugar into the batter.在面糊里放少量的糖。