密歇根新闻广播 横跨底特律河的新桥将以冰球运动员的名字命名

 

I have to say, I never thought they would name the new Detroit River bridge after hockey legend Gordie Howe.

We've been calling it the New International Trade Crossing so long it was at first hard to think of it as anything else.

Originally, planners called it the DRIC, for Detroit River International Crossing, a dreadful name that sounded like post-nasal drip.

If you had asked me a week ago if the bridge should be named after a sports figure, I'm sure I would have said no. But naming it after a cultural icon¹ does make sense.

And there's no man who better symbolizes² the best of the partnership³ between the U.S. and Canada than Gordie Howe, the greatest hockey player of his time, if not ever.

Howe was born in Saskatchewan , but began playing for the Detroit Red Wings when he was 18, right after World War II. He played professional hockey for more years and in more decades than any other player in history.

He had many qualities one hopes the new bridge will have: Longevity⁴, endurance, resilience. He was an extremely graceful⁵ player who could fight with the best of them, and was never above taking an opponent out with a hard check into the boards.

There were many times when it seemed as if Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun was on the brink⁶ of killing⁷ the new bridge to preserve his monopoly over heavy trade.

Howe, too, had his share of problems.

Early in his career, in 1950, his skull⁸ was badly fractured during a playoff game with Toronto. They had to operate to relieve pressure on his brain, and he very nearly died. But he returned to lead the league in scoring the next year.

After a quarter century with the Red Wings, he retired⁹ due to a wrist injury.

Later, he had surgery, joined a newly formed team, and played alongside his son Mark, who became an NHL star in his own right. Recent years have been difficult for Gordie Howe.

His beloved wife Colleen died six years ago after a long struggle with a disease that was something like dementia. Gordie, now 87, and a veteran of many injuries, has dementia himself.

Seven months ago, he suffered a major stroke, and we were told to expect the worst. But he went to Mexico for experimental stem cell treatment, and it seems to have worked amazingly.

We're told he has gained twenty pounds, can play "driveway hockey" with his grandkids, and has at least some flashes of lucidity¹⁰.

Anne Jarvis of the Windsor Star reports that when his son Murray told him the new bridge would be named for him, Gordie Howe reportedly said "that sounds pretty good to me." Actually, it seems to sound pretty good to everyone.

Well, maybe not to Matty Moroun, who is still fighting a last-ditch effort to stop the bridge. His job, however, just got harder. After all, you can take on an anonymous¹¹ concept called "DRIC" or even New International Trade Crossing.

Fighting Gordie Howe, however, is something else again. It always was. Here's hoping he is with us long enough to be in the first car driven over the new bridge. Somehow, that would just seem right.

Jack¹² Lessenberry is Michigan Radio's political analyst¹³. Views expressed in his essays are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Radio, its management or the station licensee, The University of Michigan.

1 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

2 symbolizes   

v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The use of light and dark symbolizes good and evil. 用光明与黑暗来象征善与恶。
• She likes olive because It'symbolizes peace. 她喜欢橄榄色因为它象征着和平。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

4 longevity   

n.长命；长寿

参考例句：

• Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
• Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。

5 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

6 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

7 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

8 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

9 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

10 lucidity   

n.明朗，清晰，透明

参考例句：

• His writings were marked by an extraordinary lucidity and elegance of style.他的作品简洁明晰，文风典雅。
• The pain had lessened in the night, but so had his lucidity.夜里他的痛苦是减轻了，但人也不那么清醒了。

11 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

12 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

13 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。