VOA慢速英语--年轻的塞内加尔人在法国追逐赛马的梦想

Young Senegalese Man Chases¹ Dream of Racing² Horses in France

One Senegalese man is close to fulfilling³ a dream of becoming a professional horse rider in France.

Fallou Diop is a 19-year-old horse jockey. Diop is from Niaga, a Senegalese village in the West of the country. He weighs just 36 kilograms. He is shorter than most young men his age. But his height is a good thing for the sport of horse racing.

Diop is one of Senegal's most skilled⁴ jockeys. At the age of 17, he won the country's top racing prize. His goal is to start racing horses in France by next year.

"When I start riding I get a bit stressed, but after a moment, it's over," Diop says. "At the time of the race, I'm only thinking of victory."

Diop's village is similar to many rural⁵ villages in Senegal where horses are an important part of the culture. "It's a passion in my family," Diop says. "Since my grandfather, we've supported horses, then my father after him."

Over the past 50 years, competitive⁶ horse racing has developed into a national sport in Senegal. Diop can earn up to $600 dollars after a victory. The average monthly⁷ pay in Senegal was estimated⁸ to be around $180 at the end of 2019.

Diop's success is a matter of pride for his father, who spent much of his life driving a horse-drawn vehicle called a buggy around Niaga.

"It's the elders who taught us everything since we were young, and that's how I became passionate⁹ about horses," Diop said.

Diop stopped attending school at the age of 12. He first studied to become a tailor but later became a jockey. His father said he was so determined¹⁰ that he walked 10 miles to sign-up for the nearest training program.

Adama Bao is Diop's trainer. Bao and his family have raised male horses for professional racing near an area known as Lac Rose for three generations. "Diop is very gifted," Bao said. "He could compete up to 50 years with his weight and size."

Bao plans to send Diop to France to race with a French-Senegalese horse breeder for three months in early 2022. He would have traveled last year, if not for the COVID-19 health crisis¹¹, Bao said.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, Diop's horse racing skills were tested at the racetrack in Thiès, Senegal's third-largest city. Diop calmly got onto his horse in preparation for the competition. He went on to finish first in three of his five races that day and won nearly $1,000.

Diop lives in a home with 12 other family members. He plans to buy a new roof to put on top of his home with the money he won.

"I want to be the best jockey in a country other than mine," Diop said, adding, "In Morocco or France, anywhere there is horse racing."

Words in This Story

passion –n. a strong feeling of enthusiasm¹² or excitement for something or about doing something

pride – adj. a feeling of happiness that you get when you or someone you know does something good, difficult,

elders – n. (pl.) persons who have influence because of their age and experience

tailor – n. a person who makes men's clothes (such as suits and jackets) that are measured to fit a particular person

breeder – n. to keep and take care of animals in order to produce more animals of a particular kind

1 chases   

n.打猎( chase的名词复数 )；猎物 （指鸟兽等）；槽

参考例句：

• When Bull and his men rob the payroll, Gene chases them down. 当公牛和他手下抢夺工资后，基尔追踪他们。 来自互联网
• It was one of these boring films with endless police chases. 这是那种乏味的电影，尽是没完没了的警察追击的场面。 来自互联网

2 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

3 fulfilling   

adj.使人满足的，令人愉快的v.履行（诺言等）( fulfill的现在分词 )；执行（命令等）；达到（目的）；使结束；满足( fulfil的现在分词 )；执行；尽到；应验

参考例句：

• If you expect to fail, you will fail. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy . 你如果预期失败，就会失败。这是一种自我应验的预测。
• Nursing is hard work, but it can be very fulfilling. 护士工作很艰苦；但可以使人感到满足。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 skilled   

adj.(in)熟练的，有技能的；需要技能的

参考例句：

• Unskilled workers usually earn less money than skilled workers.无技能的工人通常比有技能的工人挣钱少。
• She was skilled enough in French to translate a novel.她法语娴熟，足以翻译小说。

5 rural   

adj.乡下的，田园的，乡村风味的

参考例句：

• He lived a rural life.他过着田园生活。
• We left the city for a rural home.我们离开城市，去农村安家。

6 competitive   

adj.竞争的，比赛的，好竞争的，有竞争力的

参考例句：

• Some kinds of business are competitive.有些商业是要竞争的。
• These businessmen are both competitive and honourable.这些商人既有竞争性又很诚实。

7 monthly   

adj.每月的，持续一个月的，每月发生的；adv.每月，按月； n.月刊；(复数）monthlies:月经

参考例句：

• The rent on his apartment was his biggest monthly expense.他的房租是每个月最大的开支。
• The monthly rent is $15,inclusive of light and water.每月租金15美元，包括水电费在内。

8 estimated   

adj．根据估计的

参考例句：

• She estimated the breadth of the lake to be 500 metres. 她估计湖面大约有500米宽。
• The man estimated for the repair of the car. 那人估算了修理汽车的费用。

9 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

11 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。

12 enthusiasm   

n.热情，激情；巨大兴趣；热衷的事物

参考例句：

• We set about our task at once with great enthusiasm.我们立刻兴致勃勃地干起来。
• A team which is full of enthusiasm is more likely to win.情绪高涨的球队更可能获胜。