VOA标准英语2013--Texas Rodeo Seeks to Minimize Injuries in Dangerous Sport

 

Texas Rodeo Seeks to Minimize Injuries in Dangerous Sport

At the annual Houston Livestock¹ Show and Rodeo, the biggest event of its kind in the world, safety is a chief concern. During the three-week rodeo, both riders and animals can count on expert medical teams. The humans find care at this clinic inside the stadium.

The medical team includes several doctors as well as licensed² medical therapists, massage³ therapists, athletic⁴ trainers and radiology technicians - all under the direction of Dr. Kelly Larkin.

"We cover all the bases of the medical care for the cowboys. e do preventative medicine beforehand, and then we are here with medical care down on the floor when they have injuries,” said Larkin.

The preventive care mostly consists of taping limbs and parts of the body that have suffered previous injury.

“A lot of times the cowboys know what works best for them and, historically, they have been taping their knee for a long time from a prior injury,” said Larkin.

Dr. Lesha Roberts said bruises⁵ and strains are the most common problems she sees.

“Mostly soft tissue injury. We have not seen a lot of fractures. We had a fracture Tuesday night of the thumb, but not anything real severe,” said Roberts.

Doctors say preventive measures and the use of protective apparel, like helmets, have reduced serious injuries, but they still are more common than in any other sport.

Roberts has ordered an X-ray for Bull rider Sean Coleman from South Dakota. He may have a fractured rib⁶, but plans to compete for the prize money anyway.

“It's going to hurt, that's obvious, but they give $50,000 away, so you just have to fight through that,” said Coleman.

Animals also can suffer injuries at these events, but at a much lower rate than the cowboys who compete with them.

Rodeo Houston's chief veterinarian Dr. Gregg Knape said participating animals are highly prized.

“These are very valuable animals. They are worth thousands of dollars. And we take care of the animals, and the owners take good care of these animals, because they mean a lot to them. And their concern is for their health as much as their ability to perform,” said Knape.

Although some animal rights groups have complained about exploitation of rodeo animals, Knape said he thinks horses and bulls enjoy the competition.

“For eight seconds they are going to do their best to get that rider off. And then after the eight seconds, they are going to run right back to their pen and go right back to eating hay,” he said.

Knape said there are about 26,000 animals here at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and when it ends March 17, almost all of them will leave here as healthy as they were when they arrived. 

1 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

2 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

3 massage   

n.按摩，揉；vt.按摩，揉，美化，奉承，篡改数据

参考例句：

• He is really quite skilled in doing massage.他的按摩技术确实不错。
• Massage helps relieve the tension in one's muscles.按摩可使僵硬的肌肉松弛。

4 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

5 bruises   

n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was covered with bruises after falling off his bicycle. 他从自行车上摔了下来，摔得浑身伤痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pear had bruises of dark spots. 这个梨子有碰伤的黑斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 rib   

n.肋骨，肋状物

参考例句：

• He broke a rib when he fell off his horse.他从马上摔下来折断了一根肋骨。
• He has broken a rib and the doctor has strapped it up.他断了一根肋骨，医生已包扎好了。