VOA慢速英语--“最伟大”的拳王阿里去世 享年74岁

AS IT IS 2016-06-05 'The Greatest' Muhammad Ali Dies at 74 “最伟大”的拳王阿里去世 享年74岁

Muhammad Ali, “The Greatest” boxer¹ in history, died on Friday at the age of 74.

The former world heavyweight boxing champion died at a hospital near Phoenix², Arizona, according to his family. He had trouble with breathing and was admitted to the hospital earlier in the week.

For over 30 years, Ali was ill with Parkinson’s disease. Doctors said it was likely caused by the punches Ali took during his career as a boxer.

Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 17, 1942. He was given the name Cassius Clay. He learned to box at 12 after someone stole his new bicycle. Six years later, Clay won the light heavyweight Olympic gold medal, in 1960.

Fists and words

In 1964, Clay said that he would “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” to fight world heavyweight champion Sonny Liston.

Before the fight, Clay told reporters that “I am the greatest.” He then shocked the world by beating Sonny Liston to win the first of his three world heavyweight titles.

The Washington Post sports columnist³ Mike Wise said "He was probably the first guy, the first athlete in America, to brag⁴ about something and back it up. Nobody boasted in those days.”

After the fight, Clay, who had joined the Nation of Islam, said he rejected his “slave name” and changed his name to Muhammad Ali.

Three years later, he was criticized for refusing the draft to join the U.S. military during the height of the Vietnam War. Ali said the draft was against his religious beliefs and his opposition⁵ to war.

Ali said, “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong.”

Ali was convicted of draft evasion⁶ and stripped of his title. The conviction kept him from boxing for three years until the Supreme⁷ Court overturned his conviction in 1970.

Just months after returning to boxing, Ali lost to the new heavyweight champ, Smokin' Joe Frazier. But Ali later won his second fight against Frazier.

Classic boxing matches

Ali fought a classic boxing match against George Foreman in 1974. The fight was in a remote part of central Africa then known as Zaire. The match was called the "Rumble⁸ in the Jungle."

In this Oct. 30, 1974, file photo, challenger Muhammad Ali watches as defending world champion George Foreman goes down to the canvas in the eighth round of their WBA/WBC championship match in Kinshasa, Zaire.

Ali started the fight with his words, "I have wrestled⁹ with an alligator¹⁰. I have tussled with a whale, handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail.”

Against the younger and bigger George Foreman, Ali acted like he was tired as Foreman kept throwing punches.

The Post's Wise said that “was one of the most amazing [boxing] strategies -- act like you're tired, let the big guy punch himself out -- and then all of a sudden galvanize yourself and find a way to knock him out in the eighth round. That was still probably the most triumphant¹² moment in boxing history."

In 1975, Ali fought against Frazier in their third and final match, in the Philippines. It was called "The Thrilla in Manila." Ali won after surviving 14 rounds.

The athlete retired¹³ from boxing in 1981 with a 56-5 record, including 37 knockouts.

Ali held the world’s attention again at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The boxer who once "floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee" trembled to light the torch.

Ali had kept a low profile recently, and had not spoken in public for years. However, he spoke¹⁴ out when presidential candidate Donald Trump¹⁵ called for a ban of all Muslims from entering the United States.

He said in a statement, "We as Muslims have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda."

Don King was a promoter of many of Ali’s fights. With the news of Ali’s death, King said to the Associated Press, “Ali will never die. Like Martin Luther King, his spirit will live on. He stood for the world.”

Words in This Story

brag - v. to talk about yourself, your achievements, your family, etc., in a way that shows too much pride

boast - v. to express too much pride in yourself or in something you have, have done, or are connected to in some way

quarrel - n. a reason to disagree with or argue about something

tussle¹¹ - v. fight

galvanize - v. to cause (a force that is capable of causing change) to become active

1 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

2 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

3 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

4 brag   

v./n.吹牛，自夸；adj.第一流的

参考例句：

• He made brag of his skill.他夸耀自己技术高明。
• His wealth is his brag.他夸张他的财富。

5 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

6 evasion   

n.逃避，偷漏(税)

参考例句：

• The movie star is in prison for tax evasion.那位影星因为逃税而坐牢。
• The act was passed as a safeguard against tax evasion.这项法案旨在防止逃税行为。

7 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

8 rumble   

n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说

参考例句：

• I hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.我听到远处雷声隆隆。
• We could tell from the rumble of the thunder that rain was coming.我们根据雷的轰隆声可断定，天要下雨了。

9 wrestled   

v.（与某人）搏斗( wrestle的过去式和过去分词 )；扭成一团；扭打；（与…）摔跤

参考例句：

• As a boy he had boxed and wrestled. 他小的时候又是打拳又是摔跤。
• Armed guards wrestled with the intruder. 武装警卫和闯入者扭打起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 alligator   

n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼)

参考例句：

• She wandered off to play with her toy alligator.她开始玩鳄鱼玩具。
• Alligator skin is five times more costlier than leather.鳄鱼皮比通常的皮革要贵5倍。

11 tussle   

n.&v.扭打，搏斗，争辩

参考例句：

• They began to tussle with each other for the handgun.他们互相扭打起来，抢夺那支手枪。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

12 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

13 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。

14 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。

15 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。