VOA标准英语2010-South African Soccer Grannies Aim for Tou

Mariama Diallo 28 April 2010

As South Africa prepares to host the first World Cup ever on the African continent, a group of South African women over 50 are playing in a local tournament, hoping to raise funds¹ for an upcoming tournament in America - the Veteran's Cup. The games will be played in the east coast state of Massachusetts this July.

Vakhegula Vakhegula means "Grannies Grannies" in a South African dialect² but it's not your typical football team.

The women in this group range from 50 to 84 years old.

They are playing to raise funds for an upcoming trip to the United States and this year's Veteran's Cup tournament, a six-day event with about 100 adult soccer teams.

Just outside Johannesburg, they face the Metro³ Rails Eagles whose players are in their mid-30s. Although the competition is fierce, they are not intimidated⁴. 

Although the crowd cheered them on, the Grannies lost 3 to 1 to their younger opponents⁵. But with or without victory, the women say they enjoy the exercise and prefer it to chores at home or working in the fields.

Onica Ndzovela is 77 and a defender⁶ on the team. Before joining, she suffered from back pain and sore knees. But now she feels like a new person. "I am fresh, I don't feel any pain in my body. I can run," she said. "At home I do all the house work by myself. I paint the walls and fit in tiles….a granny of 77 years."

Beka Ntsan'wisi formed the team five years ago as a way to help older women exercise and have fun at the same time. 

The players buy their own equipment, but they need funding to participate in competitions.

Ntsan'wisi says the team needs about $70,000 to make it to the United States. "We have been invited to play in America for the Veteran's Cup where the grannies come together and play soccer. Not only the grannies but everyone who's old," she explained. "So my problem now is, the challenge I have is that I don't even have money."

So far only $18,000 have been raised.

As South Africa prepares to host the first World Cup on the African continent, the grannies are also getting ready for their own first cup in America.  The Veteran's Cup will be played from July 13 to 18. 
 

1 funds   

n.pl.资金

参考例句：

• He absconded with the company funds. 他卷走公司的资金潜逃了。
• They held a harambee meeting to raise funds for a new classroom. 他们为筹款建新教室而办了个募捐会。

2 dialect   

n.方言，土语，地方话

参考例句：

• He wrote a play in a local dialect.他用当地方言写了一个剧本。
• They began to speak rapidly in dialect.他们开始叽里呱啦地说起地方话来。

3 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

4 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 opponents   

n.对手，敌手( opponent的名词复数 )；反对者

参考例句：

• Somehow he always manages to outwit his opponents. 他反正总能设法智胜对手。
• to use strong-arm tactics against your political opponents 用强制手段对付政敌

6 defender   

n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人

参考例句：

• He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员，然后射门。
• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。