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Barry Bonds: The Sky Is the Limit 巨炮邦兹轰出一片天

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Although Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants has spent most of his career skyrocketing towards baseball immortality, in August 2003, he was brought down to earth by a personal tragedy. Bobby Bonds, Barry’s father and lifetime baseball coach, lost his battle with cancer. During spring training in 2004, Barry broke down and cried because it was the first time his coach wasn’t with him at the start of a baseball season.

虽然旧金山巨人队的贝瑞邦兹终其大半职棒生涯致力于创造棒球界的不朽传奇，但在2003年八月，他因一场个人悲剧而陷入谷底。巴比邦兹──贝瑞的父亲兼其一生的棒球教练──因不敌癌症病魔而病逝。而2004年的春训中，贝瑞情绪崩溃哭了出来，因为那是第一次在球季开始没有教练陪在身旁。

In spite of his grief, Barry went on to have a fantastic year. He finished the season with a career total of 703 home runs, 32 more than Willie Mays – his godfather and baseball idol – putting Barry third on the list of all-time great home run hitters. While Mays’s record may have been surpassed, Barry will always appreciate this baseball legend. During a post-game interview, Barry said, “[Mays] will always be my mentor. He will always be the one I look up to. He will always be the best baseball player of all time.”

尽管悲伤不已，贝瑞仍挥出亮丽的一年，2004年球季结束后，他的职业生涯全垒打数累积到703支，比其教父暨棒球偶像威利梅斯还多出32支，让贝瑞名列史上全垒打数第三多的打者。尽管贝瑞超越了梅斯的纪录，他永远都会感谢梅斯这位棒球界的传奇人物。在一次赛后的访问中，贝瑞说：「（梅兹）永远是我的恩师，永远是我敬重的人，也永远是史上最佳的棒球选手。」

Barry first met Mays at a Giants game when he was barely old enough to lift a bat. Bobby, Barry’s dad, played alongside Mays for the Giants in the 1960s. While Mays was in the twilight of arguably the greatest baseball career ever, Bobby Bonds was just getting started with his own impressive career.

贝瑞第一次见到梅兹是在巨人队的比赛上，当时他年纪小得连球棒都拿不起来。1960年代时，贝瑞的父亲巴比与梅斯并肩作战。当梅斯处于可说是史上最伟大职业棒球生涯的晚期时，巴比邦兹才正要开始其精彩的职业生涯。

Vocabulary

单词发音

skyrocket [ˋskaɪ͵rɑkɪt] v. 猛涨；突然高升

immortality [͵ɪmɔrˋtælətɪ] n. 不死，不朽，不灭 enduring fame

bring down to earth  使某人从幻想中清醒过来  to help someone face reality; to help someone who is euphoric become more realistic

break down 崩溃; 瓦解 to have a physical or mental collapse

grief [grif] n. 悲痛，悲伤

surpass [sɚˋpæs] v. 超过; 胜过

mentor [ˋmɛntɚ] n. 良师益友 a wise and trusted counselor or teacher

look up to  敬佩; 尊敬 to admire

twilight [ˋtwaɪ͵laɪt] n. 晚期 a period in which strength, importance, etc., are waning

arguably [ˋɑrgjʊəblɪ] adv. 可论证地；可以认为

Sentence of the Day

When it comes to Bobby and Barry Bonds, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

提及巴比邦兹及贝瑞邦兹，真可谓虎父无犬子啊！

课文讲解

Barry Bonds inherited his father’s athletic talent, especially his rare combination of power and speed. Both the elder and the younger Bonds are members of baseball’s elite 30-30 club: they have stolen more than 30 bases and hit more than 30 home runs in the same season. But one of Barry’s greatest feats as a baseball player came in 2001 when he pounded a total of 73 homers over the fence, smashing Mark McGwire’s seemingly untouchable record of 70 home runs in one season. The following year, he led the league with an astounding .370 batting average and batted in another 46 homers.

贝瑞邦兹遗传了父亲的运动天份，尤其是他罕见地结合了力道与速度。邦兹父子都是棒坛顶尖的30-30俱乐部成员：他们皆在单一球季中盗垒超过三十次及挥出三十支以上的全垒打。但贝瑞这位棒球员的丰功伟业之一发生在2001年，那年他挥出了73支全垒打，打破马克麦奎尔那几乎遥不可及的单季70支全垒打纪录。2002年，他以惊人的.370打击率领先全联盟，外加46支全垒打。

Though Barry turned forty last year, old by baseball standards, he is still considered the most dangerous hitter in the game, and pitchers know that he’s a menace at the plate. Only 11 homers behind Babe Ruth’s career record of 714 and 52 behind Hank Aaron’s 755, Barry Bonds could very well finish this season as the greatest home run hitter of all time. None of this would have surprised Bobby Bonds, however. When Barry was a boy, his father would tell everyone within earshot: “My son Barry is going to be the greatest baseball player ever.” He may just have been right.

虽然去年贝瑞已迈入四十岁，这年纪以棒球界的标准来看算老的，但他仍被视为球场上最具危险性的打者，投手们都知道他只要在垒上就深具威胁。贝瑞职业生涯挥出的全垒打数只比贝比鲁斯的714支少11支，比汉克阿伦的775支少52支，他很有可能在本球季结束后成为史上第一的全垒打王。但这些并不会让巴比邦兹感到意外。当贝瑞还小时，他父亲会告诉身旁每个人：「我儿子贝瑞将会成为有史以来最伟大的棒球员」。而结果可能正如巴比所预言。

－by William F. Levings

Vocabulary

单词发音

elite [ɪˋlit] n. 精英；优秀分子

feat [fit] n. 英勇事迹

pound [paʊnd] v.（连续）猛击；（猛烈）敲打 to strike vigorous, repeated blows

homer [ˋhomɚ] n.【美﹐非正式】〔棒球〕本垒打

league [lig] n. 联盟

astounding [əˋstaʊndɪŋ] adj. 令人惊奇的，令人震惊的

menace [ˋmɛnɪs] n. 威胁，恐吓 a possible danger; a threat

within ear shot  在听力范围之内  close enough to hear it

Sentence of the Day

Barry Bond’s consistent power-hitting proves that his home runs weren’t just a lucky streak.

贝瑞邦兹持续不断的强力打击，证明了他的全垒打并非只是侥幸。