2006年VOA标准英语-US Skater to Donate Bonus Money to African

By Parke Brewer¹
Turin, Italy
14 February 2006

United States Joey Cheek, from Greensboro, N.C., holds an American national flag as he makes a victory lap during the Winter Olympics men's 500 meter speedskating sprint² race in Turin, Italy, Monday, Feb. 13, 2006  
  

Olympic gold medal winners are required to meet with the press in formal news conferences after their events. Typically they are asked about how they won, how they feel and about their backgrounds. But American long track speedskater Joey Cheek, who won the men's 500 meters Monday night, had something else in mind.

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Before anyone could ask American speedskater Joey Cheek a question, he decided³ to set the tone⁴ for his post-victory news conference in the men's 500 meters. "I have a pretty unique experience and pretty unique opportunity here, so I am going to take advantage of it while I can," he said.

And with that, Cheek announced that since he has been blessed with the support of many to compete in two Olympics, he wanted to give something back. "The best way I can say thanks is to try to help somebody else," he said.

Cheek said he would donate to charity the entire $25,000 in bonus money that the U.S. Olympic Committee pays to gold medal winners. Cheek said the money will go an organization called Right to Play, a group of former Olympic, Paralympic and professional athletes worldwide who support using sport for development, health and peace.

Cheek, 26, said he got his inspiration⁵ from Norwegian Johan Olav Koss, who won three speedskating gold medals at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. Koss donated his bonus money to a charity he started called Olympic Aid. Its now known as Right to Play.

Cheek met with Koss here in Turin the morning before his race and told him he wanted to help if he was fortunate enough to earn some bonus money for winning an Olympic medal. Now I have an opportunity to do something similar. It's my hope that I can assist some people and maybe walk in his large shoes," he said.

Cheek has earmarked his $25,000 bonus money to a program to help thousands of Sudanese children who are refugees⁷ in Chad.

And Cheek plans to visit the African nation when he is told it is safe to do so. "It is my hope, as soon as it's become a little more stable, we can go in. I believe in two of the refugee⁶ villages, they have Right to Play camps set up and coaches in there who are helping⁸ with health awareness⁹ and with games and with playing," he said.

Cheek offered an invitation to those at his news conference. "If anyone wants to go to Africa with me in a couple months, I'll be happy to take any journalist interested in going, on their own dime¹⁰ of course," he said.

Cheek added that he is asking Olympic sponsors to match his donation to a Right to Play project.

And he hopes to add to what he has already pledged¹¹. Cheek will race in speedskating's 1,000 meters on Saturday. He is one of the favorites and says if he wins another medal, that bonus money will also be donated to Right to Play.

1 brewer   

n. 啤酒制造者

参考例句：

• Brewer is a very interesting man. 布鲁尔是一个很有趣的人。
• I decided to quit my job to become a brewer. 我决定辞职，做一名酿酒人。

2 sprint   

n.短距离赛跑；vi. 奋力而跑，冲刺；vt.全速跑过

参考例句：

• He put on a sprint to catch the bus.他全速奔跑以赶上公共汽车。
• The runner seemed to be rallied for a final sprint.这名赛跑者似乎在振作精神作最后的冲刺。

3 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。

4 tone   

n.语气，音调，气度，色调；vt.（up）增强

参考例句：

• There was a tone of mockery in his voice.他说话的语气含有嘲笑的意味。
• Holmes used an informal,chatty tone in his essays.霍姆斯在文章中语气轻松随便。

5 inspiration   

n.灵感，鼓励者，吸气

参考例句：

• These events provided the inspiration for his first novel.这些事件给了他创作第一部小说的灵感。
• What an inspiration she was to all around her!她对于她周围所有的人是一种多么大的鼓舞！

6 refugee   

n.难民，流亡者

参考例句：

• The refugee was condemned to a life of wandering.这个难民注定要过流浪的生活。
• The refugee is suffering for want of food and medical supplies.难民苦于缺少食物和医药用品。

7 refugees   

n.避难者，难民( refugee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The UN has begun making airdrops of food to refugees. 联合国已开始向难民空投食物。
• They claimed they were political refugees and not economic migrants. 他们宣称自己是政治难民，不是经济移民。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

10 dime   

n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角

参考例句：

• A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。
• The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。

11 pledged   

保证，许诺，发誓( pledge的过去式和过去分词 )； 典当； 保证给予（或做）； 以誓言约束

参考例句：

• They have pledged that they will always remain faithful to each other. 他们发誓他们将永远忠诚于对方。
• The government pledged to rehouse the refugees. 政府许诺给难民提供新住房。