美国国家公共电台 NPR Opinion: For Washington's Nats, A Long And Winding Road To The World Series

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

The World Series begins next week - the Washington Nationals against the Astros or Yankees. When was the last World Series with a team from Washington, D.C.? Like most everything in the town these days, it's a matter of debate. 1933 is one answer. The Washington Senators, one of the charter franchises¹ of the American League, lost the World Series that year. The team had some fine players over the decades but mostly led the league in players with entertaining names, like Goose Goslin, Muddy Ruel and Heinie Manush. Those Senators finished so far down so often sportswriters said, Washington - first in war, first in peace and last in the American League.

The Homestead Grays of the old Negro Leagues were probably the best baseball team to ever call Washington, D.C. home, with lineups that included Buck² Leonard, Cool Papa Bell, and Josh Gibson. They won the Negro League World Series in 1948, but Major League Baseball had begun to integrate. The Grays in the Negro Leagues soon disbanded.

The Washington Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961 and became the Twins. After leaving the nation's capital for America's lutefisk capital, the team that used to be Washington's won the World Series in 1987 and 1991. A new edition of Washington Senators was created in 1961 aptly to avoid an antitrust lawsuit³. They never reached the World Series. But after those Senators moved to Arlington, Texas in 1972 and became the Texas Rangers⁴, they reached the World Series in 2010 and 2011.

Baseball returned to D.C. in 2005 when the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals. But for years, Washington fans had a reputation for small, quiet crowds in button-down shirts who missed home runs because they were always looking down at their Blackberries. An executive with another team once told me they called a fan who stood up to leave in the seventh inning because they wanted to hear NPR the next day a D.C. standing⁵ O.

But today's Washington Nationals now seem to have fans as devoted⁶, loud and loutish⁷ as any other winning team. I believe the last time a World Series came to Washington was 1955. A musical opened on Broadway where an agent of the devil appears to a despondent⁸ middle-aged⁹ Senators fan to offer him a chance to become Joe Hardy¹⁰, a strapping¹¹, young home-run hitter who can help Washington finally beat those damn Yankees.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSICAL, "DAMN YANKEES")

RUSS BROWN: (As Van Buren) Now, listen to me, you guys. This game of baseball is only one-half skill. The other half is something else, something bigger. (Singing) You got to have heart. All you really need is heart. When the odds¹² are saying you'll never win, that's when the grin should start. You got to have hope...

SIMON: "Damn Yankees" - the original cast.

1 franchises   

n.（尤指选举议员的）选举权( franchise的名词复数 )；参政权；获特许权的商业机构（或服务）；（公司授予的）特许经销权v.给…以特许权，出售特许权( franchise的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• TV franchises will be auctioned to the highest bidder. 电视特许经营权将拍卖给出价最高的投标人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ford dealerships operated as independent franchises. 福特汽车公司的代销商都是独立的联营商。 来自辞典例句

2 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

3 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

4 rangers   

护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员

参考例句：

• Do you know where the Rangers Stadium is? 你知道Rangers体育场在哪吗？ 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• Now I'm a Rangers' fan, so I like to be near the stadium. 现在我是Rangers的爱好者，所以我想离体育场近一点。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

5 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。

6 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。

7 loutish   

adj.粗鲁的

参考例句：

• He was not as loutish as his manner suggested.他举止粗野，但人不是那样的。
• I was appalled by the loutish behaviour.这种粗野行为令我大为震惊。

8 despondent   

adj.失望的，沮丧的，泄气的

参考例句：

• He was up for a time and then，without warning,despondent again.他一度兴高采烈，但忽然又情绪低落下来。
• I feel despondent when my work is rejected.作品被拒后我感到很沮丧。

9 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

10 hardy   

adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的

参考例句：

• The kind of plant is a hardy annual.这种植物是耐寒的一年生植物。
• He is a hardy person.他是一个能吃苦耐劳的人。

11 strapping   

adj. 魁伟的, 身材高大健壮的 n. 皮绳或皮带的材料, 裹伤胶带, 皮鞭 动词strap的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• He's a strapping lad—already bigger than his father. 他是一个魁梧的小伙子——已经比他父亲高了。
• He was a tall strapping boy. 他是一个高大健壮的小伙子。

12 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？