(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Welcome to PEOPLE IN AMERICA, a program in Special English on the Voice of America. Today Shirley Griffith and Rich Kleinfeldt tell about a man who changed professional baseball in the United States. Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was the first black man to play in modern major league baseball.
After World War Two, many Americans still believed that people of different races should not mix.
In some parts of the country, blacks and whites lived in separate areas and went to separate schools. Blacks who tried to change the system risked being beaten or killed.
Blacks were not permitted to play on professional baseball teams or in any other major league sport. No black man had played for a major league baseball team since eighteen eighty-four. In that year, American baseball organizations agreed to bar blacks. That began changing when Jackie Robinson played his first game for New York's Brooklyn Dodgers on April fifteenth, nineteen forty-seven.
Jackie Robinson grew up in a family of five children in Pasadena, California, near Los Angeles. His father had left. His mother did not earn much money, so Jackie Robinson learned to make his own way in life. It was in California that Jackie Robinson first learned the ugliness of racial hatred. White families who did not want to live near them repeatedly tried to force them to move away.
Jackie Robinson established himself early as an athlete. He was a star player while attending the University of California at Los Angeles.
Jackie won honors in baseball, basketball, football and track. He was named to the All-American football team. He was considered the best athlete on America's west coast.
Jackie Robinson left college early because of financial problems. He joined the United States Army in nineteen forty-one, during the Second World War. He became a lieutenant after boxing champion Joe Louis pushed for Robinson to be trained as an officer. However, after three years, Robinson was dismissed from the army because he objected to a racial order. He refused to move to the back of a bus.
In nineteen forty-five, there were not many jobs open to a black man, even someone who had attended college. Robinson wanted to play professional baseball. Blacks, however, were not permitted to play in the major leagues. So, he decided to play with the Negro Baseball League. The Negro League teams were started in the nineteen twenties to give black people a place to play baseball.
Many of the best baseball players in the United States played in the Negro Leagues before white professional teams began accepting black players. The skills and records of black ball players were as good as major league white players. It was a hard life for Negro League players. They took long trips by bus. They changed clothes in farmhouses and shared bath water with teammates.
Many eating places did not serve food to blacks. They had to eat outside or on the road. And they were not permitted to sleep at hotels for whites. Many players slept on the bus.
Jackie Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs. It was one of the most famous baseball teams in the Negro League. But, he was unhappy in the Negro League because of the difficult life there. In a statement from the book "The History of Baseball, Nineteen-Oh-Seven," actor Ossie Davis expresses hope for change in the sport.
"Baseball should be taken seriously by the colored player -- and in this effort of his great ability will open the avenue in the near future wherein he may walk hand in hand with the opposite race in the greatest of all American games -- baseball."
In nineteen forty-five, Jackie Robinson signed an agreement with Branch Rickey to play for the Dodgers. Rickey was president of the team. He wanted to find a black player who could deal with the insults and racial pressure he would face in the league.
He wanted a black player who would show restraint at all times. Rickey thought Jackie Robinson was good enough as a player and strong enough as a person to succeed. He made Robinson promise that he would never show his anger on the baseball field. Jackie Robinson accepted that condition. He said:
"I knew that I was going to be somewhat out front and perhaps, I would have to take a lot of abuse. I knew that this was bigger than any one individual and I would have to do whatever I possibly could to control myself."
Some observers said that Jackie Robinson was not the best player in the Negro Leagues. Others said that he was chosen for his communications skills and educational level and because he was an established sports star.
David Faulkner wrote a book about Robinson's life. It is called "Great Time Coming: The Life of Jackie Robinson from Baseball to Birmingham." In it, he talks about the end of racial divisions in baseball.
"For many years, there had been an active campaign against segregated baseball led by Negro newspaper editors and, strangely enough, by the Communist party, which from the middle nineteen thirties on, had actively campaigned against segregated baseball. There were a number of pending bills in different legislatures challenging fair employment practices. By nineteen forty-five, there was a lot of heat in a lot of different areas -- professional baseball was certainly feeling that. Robinson in a sense was the right person at the right time."
Shortly after Jackie Robinson signed the agreement with the Dodgers, he married Rachel Isum. They had three children. It was important to Branch Rickey that Jackie Robinson be married. He thought that the public would accept Robinson more quickly if he was married. He thought that it would lessen the fears of white men that white women would find Robinson desirable.
In nineteen forty-six, Jackie Robinson began playing for the Dodgers' minor league Canadian team, the Montreal Royals. During that time, Branch Rickey tested Robinson's ability to deal with racial pressure he would face in the major league.
In nineteen forty-seven, Jackie Robinson became the first black to play modern major league baseball. He played for the Dodger's major league team, New York's Brooklyn Dodgers. In doing so, the pressure increased. He received death threats on and off the field. During games, pitchers threw the ball at his head. Several teams threatened not to play against the Dodgers. And, some of his own team members tried to have him banned from the team.
It was not easy for Robinson on road trips, either. He was never permitted to stay at the same hotels or eat in the same places as his white team members.
Jackie Robinson had difficulty on and off the baseball field, but he did not let that interfere with his game. He was a great player and leader, winning the National League's Most Valuable Player award in nineteen forty-nine. He also led the Brooklyn Dodgers to six league championships and to baseball's World Series Championship in nineteen fifty-five.
Jackie Robinson helped show that blacks and whites could live, work and play together. He became a national hero to both black and white Americans because of his skill, bravery and restraint. Robinson's success opened the door for other black athletes to play on all-white professional teams. Soon, other blacks began to appear on major-league teams. By the end of the nineteen fifties, every major league team had black and Hispanic players.
Jackie Robinson retired from baseball in nineteen fifty-six at the age of thirty-seven. He became a businessman, a political activist and a strong supporter of civil rights. In nineteen sixty-two, Jackie Robinson was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame, an honor given only to baseball's best players. He died in nineteen seventy-two. He was fifty-three years old.
重点解析
1.move away离开；搬走
Scientists spray fire hoses towards the whales and they seem to move away from the water.
科学家们使用消防水带向这对鲸鱼喷射，它们似乎离开了这片水域。
2.object to反对
I object to doing things that computers can do.
我反对去做那些计算机可以做的事情。
3.in a sense在某种意义上
The western individualism and its values, in a sense, have internal connection with the western market economy.
西方的个人主义及其价值观，在一定意义上与西方的市场经济有内在联系。
4.interfere with干扰；干涉
I turned down the radio lest it should interfere with his lessons.
我把收音机音量调低以免妨碍他做功课。
5.by the end of到...结束时
You should present your dissertation by the end of next month.
你应该在下月底之前提交你的学术论文。
6.deal with处理；涉及
As the school student, how will you deal with this issue?
作为学校的学生，应如何处理和解决这个问题？
参考译文
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语栏目《美国人物志》。今天雪莉·格里菲斯和里奇·克莱因费尔为您特讲述一个人改变了美国职业棒球的故事。杰基·罗斯福·罗宾逊是现代职业棒球大联盟中第一个黑人球员。
二战后，许多美国人仍然认为不同种族的人不应该混在一起。
在这个国家的一些地方，黑人和白人住在不同的地区，上不同的学校。试图改变这一制度的黑人面临着被殴打或被杀害的危险。
黑人不允许在职业的棒球队或其它的大联盟打球。自1884年以来，没有黑人在大联盟棒球队打过球。那一年，美国棒球组织同意禁止黑人参赛。当杰基·罗宾逊在1947年4月15日为纽约布鲁克林道奇队打了他的第一场比赛后，这种情况开始改变。
杰基·罗宾逊生长在加利福尼亚州帕萨迪纳市的一个五口之家，靠近洛杉矶。他的父亲已经离开了。他的母亲挣的钱不多，杰基·罗宾逊学会了自己谋生。杰基·罗宾逊就是在加利福尼亚第一次意识到种族仇恨的丑陋。不想住在他们附近的白人家庭多次试图强迫他们搬走。
杰基·罗宾逊很早就成为一名运动员。他在洛杉矶的加利福尼亚大学上学时是一位明星球员。
杰基在棒球、篮球、足球和田径项目中都赢得了荣誉。他被选入全美足球队。他被认为是美国西海岸最好的运动员。
杰基·罗宾逊因经济问题很早就离开了大学。二战期间，他于1941年加入美国军队。在拳击冠军乔·路易斯要求罗宾逊接受军官训练后，他成为了一名中尉。然而，三年后，罗宾森因为反对种族秩序而被开除了。他拒绝移到公共汽车的后面。
1945年，黑人没有多少工作机会，即使上过大学也没有。罗伯逊想打职业棒球。然而黑人不被允许在大联盟中打球。所以，他决定加入黑人棒球联盟。黑人联盟球队成立于20世纪20年代，目的是给黑人一个打棒球的地方。
在白人专业球队开始接受黑人球员之前，很多美国最好的棒球运动员都在黑人联盟打球。黑人球员的技术和记录与美国职业棒球大联盟的白人球员一样好。对于黑人联盟的球员来说，这是一段艰苦的生活。他们乘坐公共汽车长途跋涉。他们在农舍里换衣服，和队友们一起洗澡。
很多的餐厅不给黑人提供食物。他们不得不在外面或路上吃。他们也不被允许睡在白人的旅馆里。很多球员在公共汽车上睡。
杰基·罗宾逊为堪萨斯城国王队效力。它是黑人联盟中最著名的棒球队之一。但是，他在黑人联盟过的不开心，因为那里生活艰难。在《棒球的历史，1917年》一书的一份声明中，演员奥西·戴维斯表达了对改变这项运动的希望。
棒球应该被有色人种球员认真对待，在不久的将来，他将以其非凡的才能开辟出一条道路，使他能够在美国最伟大的运动——棒球比赛中与对手携手并进。”
在1945年，杰基·罗宾逊与布兰奇·里奇签署了一份协议，将为道奇队效力。里奇是这支球队的总裁。
他想找一个黑人球员来处理他在联盟中所面临的侮辱和种族压力。他想要一个在任何时候都能保持克制的黑人球员。里奇认为杰基·罗宾逊作为一名球员足够优秀，作为一个人足够强大，足以取得成功。他让鲁宾逊保证他永远不会在棒球场上表现出他的愤怒。杰基·罗宾逊接受了这个条件。
他说：“我知道我会有点出风头，也许，我将不得不承受很多的辱骂。我知道这比任何一个个体都重要，我会尽我所能去控制我自己。
一些观察着认为，杰基·罗宾逊不是黑人联盟最好的球员。其他人认为，他被选中是因为他的沟通技巧和教育水平，还因为他是一位公认的体育明星。
大卫·福克纳写了一本关于罗宾逊的书。书名为：《伟大的时刻降临：杰基罗宾逊从棒球到伯明翰的生活》。”在书中，他谈到了棒球中种族分裂的结束。
“多年来，黑人报纸编辑领导了一场反对棒球种族隔离的运动，奇怪的是，从20世纪30年代中期开始，共产党就积极反对棒球种族隔离。在不同的立法机构，有许多悬而未决的挑战公平就业的做法的法案。1945年，在很多不同的领域都有很多的愤怒——职业棒球当然也有这种感觉。在某种意义上来说，罗伯逊是对的时间出现的对的人。”
杰基·罗宾森与道奇队签订协议后不久，就娶了瑞秋·伊桑。他们有三个孩子。对布兰奇·里奇来说，杰基·罗宾逊结婚是很重要的。他认为，如果罗伯逊结婚的话，公众会更快地接受他。他认为这会减少白人男性对白人女性会觉得罗伯逊有魅力的担忧。
1946年，阶级·罗宾逊开始为道奇队的加拿大小联盟球队蒙特利尔皇家队效力。在那段时间，布兰奇·里奇检验了罗伯逊应对他将在小联盟面临的种族压力的能力。
1947年，杰基·罗宾逊成为了首位为现代职业棒球大联盟打球的球员。他效力于道奇队的大联盟球队，纽约布鲁克林道奇队。在这种情况下，压力更大。他在场上场下都收到了死亡威胁。在比赛中，投手将球掷向他的头部。有几支球队威胁说不跟道奇队打比赛。而且，他的一些队员也尝试禁止他入队。
罗伯逊在路上的时候也不轻松。他从未被允许和他的白人队员住在同一个旅馆或在一块吃饭。
杰基·罗宾逊在场上和场下都有困难，但是他没有让困难干涉他的比赛。他是一名伟大的球员和领导者。1949年，他赢得了全国最有价值球员奖。他也领导布鲁克林道奇队赢得了六次联盟冠军。1955年，他赢得了世界棒球大赛冠军。
杰基·罗宾逊向人们展示了黑人和白人可以一起生活、工作和打球。由于他的技巧、勇气和克制，他成为了美国黑人和白人的民族英雄。
罗伯逊的成功为其他黑人运动员打开了在全是白人的职业球队打球的大门。很快，其他黑人运动员开始出现在大联盟球队。到20世纪50年代末，每支大联盟球队都有黑人和西班牙裔球员。
杰基·罗宾逊于1956年退役，那年他37岁。他成为了一名商人，一名政治活动家，一位民权的坚定支持者。1962年，杰基·罗伯逊入选棒球名人堂，这项荣誉只授予最好的棒球运动员。他于1972年去世。享年53岁。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
