VOA慢速英语--2020年美国网球公开赛:一个与众不同的网球锦标赛

In 2020, a year unlike any other, get ready for a US Open unlike any other.

Ask American tennis great Serena Williams. She spoke¹ with reporters about playing during a pandemic. "In the beginning, I was like: There is no way these tournaments can even happen," she said.

Professional tennis returned recently after a break of nearly six months because of the coronavirus health crisis². The sport will return to one of its biggest stages Monday, when Flushing³ Meadows⁴ in New York begins holding the first Grand Slam events since the Australian Open ended in February.

"There are going to be a lot of people around the world who think we should not play tennis, that no public gathering⁵ should happen. I understand that fully⁶. I really do," said Novak Djokovic, the sport's top-rated men's player. "But, you know," he added, "I think there also is going to be quite a lot of people that are going to be happy to see tennis keep going."

Djokovic caught COVID-19 in June during a series of tennis matches he organized in Serbia and Croatia.

The United States Tennis Association set up what it calls a "controlled environment" for the 2020 US Open. Nearly all players and people traveling with them are staying in two hotels on New York's Long Island. They are not permitted to enter Manhattan.

The players are tested often for the coronavirus. One player said she was tested just after sunrise, four hours before she was to play at the Western & Southern Open. Usually played in Ohio, the Western and Southern Open is now being played on the same grounds as the US Open.

There are more than 20 "social distancing ambassadors⁷" who keep their eyes on the players at all times to make sure they are covering their mouths and noses and staying far apart.

Serena Williams noted⁸ that the rules are very strong, but added, "it definitely helps me to feel safe."

The US Open traditionally ends the Grand Slam season. This year the event is going second because the French Open was postponed⁹ from May until late September, and Wimbledon was canceled for the first time since World War II.

"It's been so long," said American player Taylor Fritz, speaking of the nearly six-month delay. He added that everyone is pleased "to be back out there."

Well, not quite everyone will be back out there.

No one will be watching from the seats. Last year, more than 700,000 people attended the US Open. And several top players, including both 2019 winners -- Rafael Nadal and Bianca Andreescu -- will not be there.

Roger Federer is not playing. He has had two knee operations. The number-one ranked woman, Ash Barty, chose not to play because of the coronavirus. Six of the top eight women will not play.

The competition is "a little weaker than normal," Fritz said, "so there's always an opportunity for a couple of people to step up."

Williams is hoping to win a 24th Grand Slam singles championship, which would tie the record. The woman who beat her in the final two years ago, Naomi Osaka, is also playing this year.

Djokovic decided¹⁰ to play about a week before flying to New York. He has won five of the past seven Grand Slam finals to get to a total of 17 wins.

"It is definitely strange not to have Federer and Nadal -- at least one of them," Djokovic said. "They will be missed, without a doubt."

I'm Caty Weaver¹¹.

Words in This Story

tournament – n. a competition with several players

pandemic – n. a contagious¹² disease that crosses into several countries

professional – adj. those that are paid for their efforts, not amateur¹³

stage – n. a platform for all to view

Grand Slam – n. the Grand Slam tournaments, also called majors, are the four most important annual tennis events.

match – n. a tennis game

ranked – v. one's level of skill

opportunity – n. a chance to accomplish something

doubt – n. being uncertain something will succeed

1 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。

2 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

3 flushing   

脸红

参考例句：

• The police succeeded in flushing the criminal from their secret meeting place. 警察成功地把这名罪犯从秘密据点赶出来。
• He turned away embarrassed, his face flushing red. 他难为情地扭过头去，羞红了脸。

4 meadows   

草地，牧场， （河边的）低洼地( meadow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The trail wends its way through leafy woodland and sunny meadows. 这条小径穿过葱郁的林区和洒满阳光的草地。
• They have railed the meadows off from the new railway cutting. 他们已用栏杆把草地和新铁道的路堑隔离开来。

5 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 ambassadors   

大使( ambassador的名词复数 )； （派驻联合国等国际组织的）代表； 特使； [比喻]使者

参考例句：

• Kennedy, greatly admiring, rated him very high among his ambassadors. 肯尼迪十分赏识他，在所有大使中对他评价很高。
• Many countries were represented by their ambassadors at the Independence Day celebrations. 庆祝美国独立纪念日时，许多国家都派其大使代表参加。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

12 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

13 amateur   

adj.业余的，非专业的；n.业余爱好者

参考例句：

• He made an amateur attempt to build a cupboard.他很外行地试做了一个碗柜。
• Although Tom's only an amateur he's a first-class player.虽然汤姆只是个业余爱好者，但却是一流的高手。