VOA慢速英语2010年-Education Report - How the Great Coach

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

John Wooden died last Friday at the age of ninety-nine. He was one of the greatest twentieth-century Americans in sports. He was an excellent college basketball player. He led Purdue University to a national championship in nineteen thirty-two. After college he was a high school coach. He also taught English for nine years.

But where he really made his mark was at the University of California, Los Angeles. He was head coach of men's basketball for twenty-seven years.

His teams won a record ten national championships. These included seven in a row during the late nineteen sixties and early seventies. The Bruins have won just one other championship since then.

An announcer¹ described him in nineteen seventy-five after his final championship victory, which was also his final game.

ANNOUNCER: "As Wooden enters the playing court, he receives a standing² ovation³ from an overflow⁴ crowd and true to the Wooden tradition, on the outside everything appears calm."

He coached famous players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, known then as Lew Alcindor, and Bill Walton.

John Wooden speaks at a press conference in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2004

Several years ago, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spoke⁵ at a ceremony honoring⁶ John Wooden. He said many top athletes worry they will be exploited⁷ for their skills by their coach.

KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR: "That never, ever had a possibility of happening in my experience at U.C.L.A. because of this man here. He really wanted myself and all of us who participated in the program to get our degrees and learn what it meant to be a good citizen, and to be good parents and husbands and responsible human beings. And that was the most important thing for him."

John Wooden was praised for how he taught the basics of the game, like passing, defense⁸ and moving without the ball. But he also offered life lessons as a speaker and author. His books included the self-improvement guide "Pyramid of Success."

At a speaking event when he was already in his nineties, he explained that his father had taught him a few things about success.

JOHN WOODEN: "I was raised on a small farm in southern Indiana and Dad tried to teach me and my brothers that you should never try to be better than someone else. Always learn from others and never cease⁹ trying to be the best you could be. That's under your control."

Those words later helped him with his own definition¹⁰ of success.

JOHN WOODEN: "Peace of mind attained¹¹ only through self-satisfaction and knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable¹². I believe that is true. If you make the effort to do the best of what you are capable, trying to improve the situation that exists for you, I think that is success and I do not think others can judge that."

His wife of fifty-three years, Nell, died in nineteen eighty-five.

At U.C.L.A. the man known simply as "Coach" had a record of six hundred twenty wins and one hundred forty-seven losses. Current coach Ben Howland calls John Wooden "the greatest coach in the history of basketball."

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, with reporting by Nico Colombant and Jim Stevenson. I'm Jim Tedder¹³.

 

1 announcer   

n.宣布者；电(视)台播音员，报幕员

参考例句：

• The radio announcer said it was nine o'clock.电台播音员报时9点整。
• The announcer tells the listeners what programme comes next.广播员告诉听众下一个是什么节目。

2 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。

3 ovation   

n.欢呼，热烈欢迎，热烈鼓掌

参考例句：

• The hero received a great ovation from the crowd. 那位英雄受到人群的热烈欢迎。
• The show won a standing ovation. 这场演出赢得全场起立鼓掌。

4 overflow   

v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出

参考例句：

• The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
• After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后，河水可能溢出岸来。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 honoring   

v.尊敬，给以荣誉( honor的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They sat in silence, honoring the clan Jordache for a moment. 他们默默地坐了一会儿，对乔达虚家族表示了一番敬意。 来自辞典例句
• Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check. 美国没有履行这项神圣的义务，只是给黑人开了一张空头支票。 来自辞典例句

7 exploited   

开采( exploit的过去式和过去分词 )； 利用（…为自己谋利）； 运用； 剥削

参考例句：

• He exploited his father's name to get himself a job. 他利用他父亲的名声为自己找到一份工作。
• The company exploited its workers with long hours and low pay. 该公司用工时长工资低的方法来剥削工人。

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

9 cease   

n.停止，终止；v.停止

参考例句：

• The two parties made a bargain to cease fire.双方达成了停火协议。
• You will never cease to learn as long as you live.活到老，学到老。

10 definition   

n.定义；限定，确定；清晰度

参考例句：

• The book attempts a definition of his role in world politics.该书要阐明的是他在世界政局中的作用。
• I made a definition for this word.我给这个字下了定义。

11 attained   

（通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）

参考例句：

• She has attained the degree of Master of Arts. 她已获得文学硕士学位。
• Lu Hsun attained a high position in the republic of letters. 鲁迅在文坛上获得崇高的地位。

12 capable   

adj.有能力的，有才能的

参考例句：

• The new woman secretary was extremely clever and capable.这位新来的女秘书很是精明强干。
• Jim is capable at sports.吉姆擅长运动。

13 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网