VOA常速英语2007-South Africans' Blood 'Runs Gold-Flecked Green'

By Delia Robertson
Johannesburg
19 October 2007

From South African President Thabo Mbeki to children playing on the streets of Soweto, South Africans are once again united in support of the national rugby team, the Springboks, ahead of their World Cup final match against England in France on Saturday. VOA's Delia Robertson sets the scene for the encounter.

The Springboks, perhaps more than anyone else, claim elder statesman Nelson Mandela as a team supporter. The players, and most other South Africans, believe he is the team's personal talisman¹ after he was credited with imbuing² the Springboks with a special magic ahead of their historic 1995 Rugby World Cup win.

Unable to attend this year's final, Mr. Mandela visited the team at their French base at the start of their World Cup campaign; and, this week sent them his best wishes on DVD.

"We know that our boys have the ability, strength and determination to be victorious³ once more," he said. "We are a winning nation."

South Africa is colored in the official Springbok colors, green and gold, from taxis and buildings festooned with the team and national flags to individuals wearing official team shirts.

What is more, says former Sport Minister and rugby enthusiast⁴ Nconde Balfour, green now flows in South African veins⁵.

"Wow, amaBokoBoko, Bokkie," said Balfour. "My blood is green, my bloed is groen [the same in Afrikaans]."

Even the formally-attired President Thabo Mbeki donned a Springbok shirt and cap as he boarded his official plane en-route to France to personally bring the country's best wishes to the team.

"I am quite certain that our team will do what the nation expects, and I want to go and convey the message to them that indeed the whole country is united behind them, that all South Africans genuinely say, 'bring the cup home.' And on Saturday all of us will be watching," he said.

And Mr. Mbeki may be right. There is hardly a bar or eatery in the country that has not provided a large TV and appropriate food for their rugby-mad patrons. One provincial⁶ government has hired a local sports stadium and is inviting⁷ citizens to come and watch the game on giant screens.

The Springboks are thus far unbeaten in their World Cup campaign, and boast both the tournament's highest point-scorer, fullback Percy Montgomery with 93 points; and, the highest try-scorer, wing and supporters' darling, Bryan Habana.

The team is widely seen as the favorite to take home the coveted⁸ Webb Ellis Cup. But, but at the pre-match briefing, Springbok coach Jake White endeavored to shift attention from the favorite tag, saying that even though his charges beat the English team 36-nil in the opening rounds, England has more World Cup experience in their side.

"I think you have got to be fair and say that a lot of these English players have won a world cup away from home [in 2003]. --- I think you have just got to look around this room to see how big this World Cup final is and when you get to a final how big the stage is; and to have all those guys who have been there and won a World Cup, I am sure it's a huge advantage," said White.

Few South Africans who watched the Springboks ignominious⁹ quarter-final departure from the 2003 World Cup dared to dream their team would be playing in the 2007 final.

Team captain John Smit, says it has taken a lot of hard work.

"We started off from absolutely nowhere after the World Cup in 2003 and here we stand four years later," said Smit. "We have gone through some real highs and some real lows, but standing¹⁰ here with an opportunity to play in the World Cup final and having a chance of perhaps winning it."

But South Africans, having seen defeat in the past, are keen to keep their hopes within realistic bounds and have turned to humor to relieve the tension. Jokes, humorous mobile phone messages, Internet videos and songs are rapidly circulating throughout the population.

1 talisman   

n.避邪物，护身符

参考例句：

• It was like a talisman worn in bosom.它就象佩在胸前的护身符一样。
• Dress was the one unfailling talisman and charm used for keeping all things in their places.冠是当作保持品位和秩序的一种万应灵符。

2 imbuing   

v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的现在分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等）

参考例句：

3 victorious   

adj.胜利的，得胜的

参考例句：

• We are certain to be victorious.我们定会胜利。
• The victorious army returned in triumph.获胜的部队凯旋而归。

4 enthusiast   

n.热心人，热衷者

参考例句：

• He is an enthusiast about politics.他是个热衷于政治的人。
• He was an enthusiast and loved to evoke enthusiasm in others.他是一个激情昂扬的人，也热中于唤起他人心中的激情。

5 veins   

n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理

参考例句：

• The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

7 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

8 coveted   

adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图

参考例句：

• He had long coveted the chance to work with a famous musician. 他一直渴望有机会与著名音乐家一起工作。
• Ther other boys coveted his new bat. 其他的男孩都想得到他的新球棒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 ignominious   

adj.可鄙的，不光彩的，耻辱的

参考例句：

• The marriage was considered especially ignominious since she was of royal descent.由于她出身王族，这门婚事被认为是奇耻大辱。
• Many thought that he was doomed to ignominious failure.许多人认为他注定会极不光彩地失败。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。