CET4-04 JIM THORPE

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Text

Jim Thorpe, an American Indian, is generally
accepted as the greatest all-round athlete of the first
half of the 20th century. Yet the man, who brought
glory to his natian, had a heartbreaking life. What
caused his sadness and poverty?

JIM THORPE

Steve Gelman
The railroad station was jammed. Students from Lafayette College
were crowding onto the train platform eagerly awaiting the arrival of the
Carlisle Indian School's track and field squad. No one would have believed
it a few months earlier. A school that nobody had heard of was suddenly
5 beating big, famous colleges in track meets. Surely these Carlisle athletes
would cotne charging off the train, one after another, like a Marine
battalion.
The train finally arrived and two young men - one big and broad, the
other small and slight -- stepped anto the platform.
10 "Where's the track team?" a Lafayette student asked.
"This is the team, " replied the big fellow.
"Just the two of you?"
"Nope, just me, " said the big fellow. "This little guy is the manag-
er. "
15 The Lafayette students shook their heads in wonder. Somebody must
be playing a joke on them. If this big fellow was the whole Carlisle track
team, he would be competing against an entire Lafayette squad.
He did. He ran sprints, he ran hurdles, he ran distance races. He
high-jumped, he broad--jumped. He threw the javelin and the shot.Finishing
20 first in eight events, the big fellow beat the whole Lafayette team.
The big fellow was Jim Thorpe, the greatest American athlete of mod-
ern times. He was born on May 28, 1888, in a two-room farmhouse near
Prague, Oklahoma. His parents were members of the Sac and Fox Indian
tribe and he was a direct descendant of the famous warrior chief , Black
25 Hawk.
As a Sac and Fox, Jim had the colorful Indian name Wa-Tho-Huck,
which, translated, means Bright Path. But being born an Indian, his path
was not so bright. Although he had the opportunity to hunt and fish with
great Indian outdoorsmen, he was denied opportunity in other ways. The
30 United States government controlled the lives of American Indians and, un-
like other people, Indians did not automatically become citizens. It was al
most impossible for an Indian to gain even a fair education and extrernely
difficult, as a result, for an Indian to rise high in life.
Young Bright Path seemed destined to spend his life in the Oklahoma
35 farmland. But when he was in his teens, the government gave him the
chance to attend the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. Soon Carlisle
was racing along its own bright path to athletic prominence. In whatever
sport Jim Thorpe played, he excelled. He was a star in baseball, track and
field, wrestling, lacrosse, basketball and football. He was so good in foot-
40 ball, in fact, that most other small schools refused to play Carlisle. The In-
dianschool's football schedule soon listed such major powers of the early
twentieth century as Pittsburgh, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Penn State and
Army.
Thorpe was a halfback. He was six feet one inch tall, weighed 185
45 pounds and had incredible speed and power. He built upon these natural
gifts daily. He would watch a coach or player demonstrate a difficult
maneuver, then he would tr it himself . Inevitably, he would master the
maneuver within minutes.
During every game, opponents piled on Thorpe, trampled him, kicked
50 him and punched him, trying to put him out of action. They were never
successful. Years later someone asked hini if he had ever been hurt on the
field. "Hurt?" Thorpe said. "How coul anyone get hurt playing football?"
But Jim never played his best when he felt he would have no fun play-
ing. "What's the fun of playing in the rain?" he once said. And his Carlisle
55 coach, Pop Warner, once said, "There's no doubt that Jim had more talent
than anybody who ever played football, but you could never tell when he
felt like giving his best. "
Football, though, did not; provide Thorpe with his finest hour. He was
selected for the United States Olympic track team in 1912, and went to
60 Sweden with the team for the Games. On the ship, while the other athletes
limbered up, Thoxpe slept in his bunk. In Sweden, while other athletes
trained, Thorpe relaxed in a hamrrwck. He never strained when he didn't
feel it necessary.
Thorpe came out of his hammock when the Games began, to take part in
65 the two most demanding Olympic events.He entered the pentathlon competi-
tion, a test of skill in five events: 200--meter run, 150Q--meter run,broad
jump, discus and javelin; and the decathlon competition, a series of ten
events: 100-meter run, 400--meter run, 1500--meter run, high hurdles,broad
jump, high jump, pole vault, discus, javelin and shot put. Though most
70 athletes were utterly exhausted by the decathlon atone, Thorpe breezed
through both events, his dark hair flopping, his smile flashing, his muscled
body gliding along the track. He finished first in both the pentathlon and
decathlon, one of the great feats in Olympic history.
"You sir, " King Gustav V of Sweden told Thorpe as he presented him
75 with two gold medals," are the. greatest athlete in the world." And William
Howard Taft, the President of the United States, said, "Jim Thorpe is the
highest type of citizen. "
King Gustav V was correct, but President Taft was not. Though Jim
Thorpe had brought great glory to his nation, though thousands of people
80 cheered him upon his return to the United States and attended banquets and
a New York parade in his honar, he was not a citizen. He did not become
one until 1916. Even then, it took a special government ruling because he
was an Indian.
Jim Thorpe was a hero after the Olympics and a sad, bewildered man not
85 too much later. Someone discovered that two years before the Olympics he
had been paid a few dollars to play semiprofessional baseball. Though many
amateur athletes had ; played for pay under false names, Thorpe had used
his own name. As a result, he was not technically an amateur when he
competed at Stockholm as all Olympic athletes must be.His Olympic medals
90 and trophies were taken away from him and given to the runnersup.
After this heartbreaking experience, Thorpe turned to professional
sports. He played major league baseball for six years and did fairly well.
Then he played professional football for six years with spectacular success.
His last professional football season was in 1926. After that, his youthful
95 indifference to studies and his unwillingness to think of a nonsports career
caught up with him. He had trouble finding a job, and his friends deserted
him. He periodically asked for, but never was given back, his Olympic
prizes. From 1926 until his death in 1953; he lived a poor, lonely, unhap-
py life.
100 But in 1950 the Associated Press held a poll to determine the outstand-
ing athlete of the half-century. Despite his loss of the Olympic gold medals
and a sad decline in fortune during his later years, Thorpe was almost unan
imously chosen the greatest athlete of modern times.

New Words

jam / u. fill or block up (the way) by crowding; (cause
to) be packed, pressed, or crushed tightly
into a stnall 堵塞;(使)塞满
platform / n. a raised flat slarface built along the side of the
track at a railway station for travellers getting
on or off train 月台
await /vt. wait for; look forward to
trark / n. a course for running or racing; track-and-field
sports, esp. those performed on a running
track 跑道;径赛运动; 田径运动
fleld n. an area, esp. circled by a track where contests
such as in jumping or thxowing are held;the
sports contested in this area 田赛场地; 田赛运动
squad / n. a small group of persons working, training, or
acting together; the smallest military unit
leader 小队；班
charge vi. rush in or as if in an attack 向前冲;冲锋
Marine / n. a member of the U.S.Marine Corps (美国)海军
陆战队士兵或军官
battalion / n. military unit made up of several companies 营
broad/ a. wide, large acxoss 宽的, 广阔的
nope ad. (AmE sl. ) no
compete / vi. take part in a race, contest, etc. ; try to win
sth. in competition with sb. else 比赛; 竞争
sprint / n. short race; dash 短跑
vi. run at one's fastest speed, esp. for a short dis-
tance
hurdle / n. a light frame for people or horses to jump over
in a race 栏; 跳栏
broad (-)jump n. & vi. (AmE) (do) a long jump 跳远
javelin / n. light spear for throwing (usu.in sport)标枪
shot n. the heavy metal ball used in the shot put 铅球
tribe/ n. 部落
descendant/ n. a person descended from another or from a com-
mon stock 子孙; 后裔
warrior / n. a man who fights for his tribe; a soldier or expe-
rienced fighter 斗士, 勇士; (老)战士
colorful a. full of color; exciting the senses or imagination
艳丽的;丰富多彩的
hont v. go after (wild animals) for food or sport; search
(for) 追猎;打猎;搜寻
outdoorsman n. a man, such as a hunter, fisherman, or camper,
who spends much time outdoors for pleasure
deny / vt. say that (sth. ) is not true; refuse to give 否认;
拒绝给予
destine / vt. (usu. passive) intend or decide by fate; intend
for some special purpose 命中注定; 预定
farmland n. land used or suitable for farming 农田
teens n. the period of one's life between and including the
ages of 13 and 19
promfnence / n. the quality or fact of being prominent or distin-
guished 凸出; 杰出
prominent a.
excel/ vi. be very good (in or at sth. ) 突出 , 超常
wrestling / n. a sport or contest in which each of two oppo-
nents tries to throw or force the other to the
ground 摔跤(运动)
wrestle v.
lacrosse / n. 长曲棍球(运动)
football n. 橄榄球(运动)
power n. a pexson, gi~p or nation that has autharity or influ
enoe 握有大权的人物;有影响的机构;强国
halfback n. (橄榄球，足球等)前卫
incredible/ a. too extraordinary to be believed, unbelievable 难
以置信的
coach / n. a person who trains sportsmen for games, com-
petitions, etc. 教练
demonstrate/vt. explain by carrying out experiments or by show-
ing examples 用实验或实例说明; 演示
maneuver / n. a skillful move or trick, intended to deceive, to
gain sth., to escape, or to do sth. 机动动作;
策略, 花招
opponent / n. a person who is on the other side in a fight,
game, or discussion 对手; 反对者
trample / vt. step heavily with the feet on; crush under the
feet 踩; 践踏
punch vt. strike (sb. or sth. ) hard with the fist 用拳猛击
Olympic / a. of or connected with the Olympic Games
limber v. make or become flexible (使)变得柔软灵活
bunk n. a narrow bed fixed on the wall, e. g. of a cabin
in a ship or in a train 床铺, 铺位
hammock / n. a hangimg bed of canvas or rope network,e.g.
as used by sailors，or in gardens (帆布或网
状)吊床
strain / vi. make violent efforts;strive hard 尽力,使劲
demanding a. making severe demands 要求高的; 苛求的
pentathlon / n. an athletic contest in which each contestant takes
part in f ive events 五项运动
competition / n. competing; contest; match
discus/ n. a heavy, circular plate of rubber, plastic or wood
with a metal rim 铁饼
decathlon/ n. an athletic contest consisting of ten events 十项
运动
shot put n. a competition to throw a heavy metal ball the
furthest distance 推铅球
utterly / ad. completely; totally
utter a.
breeze vi. move or go quickly and in a carelessly confident
way 轻快地行动
flop / vi. move or bounce loosely 扑动
flash/vi. give out a sudden, bridf light or flame; shine or
gleam 闪光; 闪烁
glide vi. move in a smooth continuous manner which
seems easy and without effort 滑动, 滑行
feat/ n. an act showing great skill, strength, or daring;
a remarkable deed, notable esp. for courage
武功;技艺;功绩
glory/ n. high fame and honour won by great achieve-
ments; sth. deserving respect and honour 光
荣, 荣誉; 荣誉的事
banquet / n. a dinner for many people, at which speeches are
made, in honour of a special person or occa
sion 宴会
ruling / n. an official decision 裁决
Olympics n. Olympic Games 奥林匹克运动会
professional a. done by, played by,or made up of people who
are paid 职业
n. a person who lives on the money he earns by
practising a particular skill or sport 以特定职
业谋生的人
amateur/ n. a person playing a game, taking part in sports,
etc. without receiving payment 业余爱好者
a. of, by, or with amateurs; not paid; lacking
skill 业余的
technically/ ad. in technical terms; in a technical sense; accord-
ing to fixed rules 技术上;按规则
trophy / n. a prize given for winning a race, oompetjtion, or
test of skill 奖品
runner-up n. a player or team that comes second in a contest
亚军
heartbreaking a. causing great sorrow or grief; extremely dis-
tressing 令人心碎的
league / n. a group of sports clubs or teams that play match-
es among themselves 联赛协会
spectacular /a. strikingly grand or unusual 壮观的;惊人的
season n. the period of time during which a sport is played
赛季
youthful a. young; having the qualities of young people
indifference/ n. absence of interest or feeling 不关心,冷漠
indifferent a.
periodically /ad. at regular intervals, every now and then
outstanding a. much better than most others; very good 杰出的
despite / prep. in spite of
decline / n. losing of power, strength, wealth, or besuty;
falling to a lower level 衰落; 下降
unanimously /a. with complete agreement; without a single op-
posing vote 一致地; 无异议地

Phrases & Expressions

track and field the sports or athletic events,such as running,jumping
and weight throFwing performed on a running track
and on the adjacent field 田径运动
play a joke on sb. do sth. to make other people laugh at someone 同某人
开玩笑
put...out of action stop...working, make...unfit for a typical activity
使停止工作;使不再起作用;使失去战斗力
limber up make the muscles stretch easily by exercise, esp.
before violent exercise (比赛等前)做准备活动
take part in have a share or part in; join in 参加
breeze through proceed with effortlessly in a carefree manner 轻而易
举地完成
in one's hono(u)r/in 向…表示敬意;为庆祝…;为纪念…?
hono(u)r of
catcb up with have the expected ill effect or result on 对…产生预
期的恶果

Proper Names

Thorpe 索普
Lafayette College 拉斐德学院
Carlisle Indian School 卡莱尔印第安人学校
Prague 布拉格(文中指美国地名)
Oklahoma 俄克拉何马(美国州名)
Sac and Fox 印地安人部落之一
Black Hawk 黑隼(印地安人首领名)
Pennsylvania 宾夕法尼亚(美国州名)
Pittsburgh 匹兹堡(美国城市)
Penn (short for) Pennsylvania
Pop Warner 波伯·沃纳
Sweden 瑞典
Gustav V 古斯塔夫五世
William Howard Taft 威廉·霍华德·塔夫脱
Stockholm 斯德哥尔摩(瑞典首都)
the Associated Press 联合通讯社(简称美联社)(美国通讯
社名)

　

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