VOA常速英语2008年-Nationals Baseball Team Inaugurates New Stadium

Baseball's Nationals Move Into New Stadium
By Jim Stevenson
Washington
31 March 2008

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Nationals Baseball Team Inaugurates New Stadium With Win
By Jim Stevenson
Washington
31 March 2008

Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals have defeated the visiting Atlanta Braves, 3-2, to open their 2008 season with a win. As VOA's Jim Stevenson reports, the victory capped an exciting opening day at the brand new $611 million Nationals Park.

Baseball fans in Washington were thrilled late Sunday with the opening of the long-awaited Nationals Park. Almost 42,000 fans packed the sold-out venue¹ for the inaugural² game between the host Nationals and the Atlanta Braves.

And they were treated to a dramatic ending. With the score tied at 2-2 in the ninth inning, Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman smacked³ a home run to left center field. He talks about his game-winning hit.

"The first pitch was a little low," Zimmerman said. "I kinda guessed he would just come back because he did not want to walk me. (He threw) a fast ball up. And I put a good swing on it."

The game opened with a ceremonial first pitch thrown by President Bush. Manager Manny Acta caught the ball and says the visit by Mr. Bush made the day special.

"Sitting there in the clubhouse and seeing the President of the United States walk in. He talked to all of us. And he made everybody feel real good," Acta said.

A former Major League baseball team owner, Mr. Bush has showed interest in the construction of Nationals Park. He seemed at ease in the clubhouse, an oval dressing⁴ facility in the shape of the President's office at the White House.

After a nearly 35-year absence in Washington, professional baseball returned in 2005 when Major League Baseball's Montreal Expos relocated and became the Washington Nationals.  As VOA's Jim Stevenson reports, the team has moved again for the 75th baseball season in Washington -- this time into a new $611 million stadium.

The change of venue from the 46-year-old RFK Stadium to Nationals Park is stunning⁵.  The new facility, which is designed to compliment the many national monuments in the city, is filled with state-of-the-art features. Inside the gleaming glass, steel and stone structure are 41,888 comfortable seats, a huge high-definition screen in center field measuring about 30 meters by 15 meters for replays and game information, and 49 concession⁶ stands with nearly 200 points of sale.

Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman says the Major League Baseball venue is unique.

"When I came out, I tried to kind of compare it to another park," Zimmerman said. "There is really no other park.  It looks like there is not a bad seat in the whole place.  You know the TV [hi-def screen] is really unbelievable.  It is just really, really nice."

Compared to RFK, the seats are much closer to the field and the concourses are about twice as wide.  Almost 4,600 square meters of space behind the scoreboard is devoted⁷ to batting cages for fans and video games for kids.

Team members get plenty of amenities⁸ too.  A huge oval clubhouse is said to be larger than many of the players' homes.  They also have access to a modern sauna and training facilities. 

Zimmerman was amazed when he first walked into the clubhouse.

"This is special.  This is like a [art] gallery," Zimmerman said. "I do not even want to touch anything.  There are so many things I can use.  We're in the weight room.  How cool is the weight room?  And when you are done with the weight room you can grab a bite to eat.  You can hop⁹ in the sauna.  You go into the hot tub. Before [at RFK Stadium] there was down time.  Now there is something to do. It is unbelievable."

The stadium also has an intricate recycling system to conserve¹⁰ water used for maintaining the grass field.

Nationals Park sits in an impoverished¹¹ area of South East Washington along the Anacostia River.  While it may not seem to be a desirable location, city officials are hoping the stadium will be the centerpiece for revitalizing the neighborhood.  And they have a precedent¹². 

Built 10 years ago in similar circumstances, the Verizon Center indoor arena¹³ transformed Washington's Chinatown neighborhood.  The Verizon Center is home to the National Basketball Association's Washington Wizards and the National (ice) Hockey League's Washington Capitols.

1 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

2 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

3 smacked   

拍，打，掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He smacked his lips but did not utter a word. 他吧嗒两下嘴，一声也不言语。
• She smacked a child's bottom. 她打孩子的屁股。

4 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

5 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

6 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

7 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

8 amenities   

n.令人愉快的事物；礼仪；礼节；便利设施；礼仪( amenity的名词复数 )；便利设施；（环境等的）舒适；（性情等的）愉快

参考例句：

• The campsite is close to all local amenities. 营地紧靠当地所有的便利设施。
• Parks and a theatre are just some of the town's local amenities. 公园和戏院只是市镇娱乐设施的一部分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 hop   

n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过

参考例句：

• The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛，看谁单足跳跃最快。
• How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远？

10 conserve   

vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭

参考例句：

• He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
• Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你会用得着的！

11 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 precedent   

n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的

参考例句：

• Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
• This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

13 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。