美国名人 棒球运动员 罗伯托-克莱门特.docx

美国名人棒球运动员罗伯托克莱门特RobertoClemente:ThefirstLatinoPlayerHonoredintheBaseballHallofFameplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:25repeatByBriannaBlake2006-8-26VOICEONE:mSteveEmber.VOICETWO:AndmFaithLapiduswithPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.Today,wetellaboutRobertoClemente.Hewasoneofthemosthonoredbaseballplayersinhistory.HebecamethefirstLatinobaseballplayertobeincludedintheBaseballHallofFame.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Mostsportsplayersareknownforhowgreattheyplayagame,orhowmanyrecordstheybreak.ButRobertoClementewaslovednotonlyforhisabilityinsportszbutalsoforthekindofpersonthathewas.ClementewasoneofthefirstprofessionalLatinobaseballplayersintheUnitedStates.Hebecameoneofthebest.Healsoworkedtochangethewaybaseball,andthecountry,treatedracialminoritiesinthenineteenfiftiesandsixties.Hestoodupagainstracismanddidnotpermitanyonetobetreateddifferentlyinhispresence.Today'sLatinobaseballplayerssayRobertoClementeopeneddoorsforthemtoreachtheirgoalsinasportthathadnotalwaystreatedthemequally.VOICETWO:RobertoClementeWalkerwasborninnineteenthirty-fourinCarolina,PuertoRico.Roberto'sfamilystruggledfinancially.Asayoungboyzhehelpedhisfather,whoworkedonasugarfarmandalsomanagedastorethatsoldfood.Inschool,Robertowasanexcellentrunner.Healsowonawardsforthrowingthejavelin.Butmorethananything,helovedplayingbaseball.PuertoRico'swarmislandclimatemadeiteasyfortheyoungboytoplaybaseballallyear.Hehadmanyskills.Buthisstrongestqualitywashispowerfulrightarmthatcouldthrowaballagreatdistance.Whileinhighschool,RobertosignedacontracttoplaybaseballfortheSanturceCrabbersinthePuertoRicanwinterleague.Attheageofeighteen,RobertowasalreadyhittingabaseballbetterthanmanyprofessionalplayersintheUnitedStates.VOICEONE:Thisabilitywasrecognizedthefollowingyear.AnofficialfromtheBrooklynDodgersteaminNewYorkCitycametoPuertoRicolookingfornew,youngplayers.Theofficial,AlCampanis,waspleasedwithRoberto'sskill.HeofferedtogivehimatenthousanddollargifttoplayfortheBrooklynDodgers.ButRobertowasunabletojointhemajorleagueteambecausehewasstillinhighschool.TheyoungbaseballplayertoldMisterCampanisthathewouldjointheBrooklynteamassoonashefinishedschool.Bythetimehefinishedhighschool,RobertohadreceivedseveralotheroffersfrommajorleagueteamsintheUnitedStates.Oneteamofferedhimathirtythousanddollargiftjusttosignacontractagreement.AlthoughClementehadnotsignedacontractwiththeBrooklynDodgers,hekepthiswordtotheteam.HerefusedtheotheroffersandsignedontoplayforBrooklyn.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:TheDodgersputRobertoClementeononeoftheirminorleagueteamswhereyoungplayersoftenbegin.Butsoonafterhisfirstseason,thePittsburghPiratestookClementefortheirteam.ClementebeganplayingforthePittsburghPiratesinnineteenfifty-five.Atthetime,ClementewasstilllearningtospeakEnglish.InthenineteenfiftiestheUnitedStateswasstillverymuchdividedbetweenraciallines.PittsburghdidnothaveaLatinAmericancommunityatthetime.Clemente,ablackPuertoRican,wasshockedwhenheexperiencedracisminAmerica.VOICEONE:Inthespring,baseballplayersattendedtrainingcampsinthesouthernstateofFlorida.Manyeating-placesintheSouthatthattimedidnotserveblackpeople.Sotheblackplayersontheteamwereforcedtoasktheirwhiteteammatestobuyfoodforthem.Theblackplayerswouldtheneatonthebusthatdrovethemtothegames.RobertoClementehadaverystrongsenseofself-worth.Hewouldnotletotherstreathimunequally.Clementefeltthathavingtoaskhisteammatesforfoodwasinsulting.HelaterbecameastrongbelieverinthemessagesofcivilrightsleaderMartinLutherKingJunior.Clemente'sworkhelpingpoorpeople,especiallythoseinPuertoRico,becameaveryimportantpartofhislife.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:RobertoClementestoodoutamongtheotherplayersonhisteam.Hewasastrongrightfielderwhoquicklybecameknownforhispowerfulthrowingandnear-perfectaim.Clementehadanunusualwayofhittingthebaseball.Hestoodfartherawayfromthepitcherthanmostplayers,andusedaheavierbatthanmostplayers.Hewasalsoknownasaveryaggressivehitterzswinginghardandfastatalmostanyball.ThePittsburghPiratesdidnotdowellthefirstfewyearsClementeplayedontheteam.Butbynineteensixt½allthatchanged.Thatyear,heplayedinthefirstofhistwelveAll-Stargames.Everyyear,thebestplayersfromtheNationalandAmericanleaguescompeteinanAll-Stargame.Thatsameyear,ClementehelpedhisteambeattheNewYorkYankeestowintheWorldSeries-thenationalbaseballchampionship.VOICEONE:Clementecontinuedtoimprove.Hehadsufferedforyearsfrompaincausedbyanautomobileaccident.YetevenwithhishealthproblemsClementerarelymissedagame.BynineteenSiXty-One,hewasfeelingbetteranditshowed.Hehitextremelywellthatyearandwonhisfirstbattingaward.RobertoClementewasoneofthebestbaseballplayersatthetime.ButhedidnotreceiveasmuchinterestfromthenationalmediaasothertopplayerslikeMickeyMantleandWillieMays.Manypeoplebelievethatwasbecauseheplayedforateaminasmallercity.However,Clemente'spopularitybegantogrowduringthenineteenseventy-oneWorldSeries.ThePittsburghPirateswontheseriesagainsttheBaltimoreOrioles.ClementewasvotedtheMostValuablePlayerofthatyear'sWorldSeries.OnesportswriterlaterdescribedClemente'sthrowing,runningandhittingduringtheWorldSeriesasclosetothelevelofperfection.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:RobertoClementewasalsoalovinghusbandandfather.HehadmarriedVeraCristinaZabalainnineteensixty-four.Togethertheyhadthreesons.ClementeneverforgothisPuertoRicanroots.Hemadesureallofhissonswerebornontheisland.Duringhiseighteenyearsinthemajorleagues,ClementewonmanyawardsandhelpedhisteamwintwoWorldSerieschampionships.Innineteenseventy-twoClementemadehisthreethousandthhitinthelastgameoftheregularseason.Atthattime,nooneknewthatitwouldbehisfinalbaseballseason.VOICEONE:Duringthewinterofthatyear,ClementereturnedtoPuertoRicowiththisfamily.Hebegantoworkononeofhislong-timedreams-openingasportscenterfortheyoungpeopleofSanJuan.Then,onDecembertwenty-third,amajorearthquakestruckManagua,Nicaragua.Thousandsofpeoplewerekilled.Clementequicklyorganizedanaidefforttohelpthousandsofhomelessearthquakevictims.ButhewasangeredbyreportsfromtheareathattheNicaraguangovernmentwasnotgettingthesuppliestothevictims.SoClementepaidforasmallplaneandapilottotakesuppliestoNicaragua.ClementeandfourotherswereonthatplaneonDecemberthirty-first,nineteenseventy-two.ButtheplanecrashedintotheAtlanticOceanshortlyaftertake-off.Everyoneontheplanewaskilled.Clemente'sbodywasneverfound.Hewasthirty-eightyearsold.VOICETWO:TheBaseballWritersAssociationofAmericaheldaspecialelection.Theusualfive-yearwaitingperiodforentranceintotheBaseballHallofFamewassuspended.Soonafterhisdeath,RobertoClementebecamethefirstLatinoplayertobeincludedintheBaseballHallofFame.ThePittsburghPiratesalsohonoredhiminnineteenseventy-three.TheyremovedClemente'snumber-twenty-one-fromtheirteam.Thatmeantnootherplayerontheteamcouldeverwearthatnumber.RobertoClementeoncesaid:"Anytimeyouhaveanopportunitytomakethingsbetterandyoudon't,thenyouarewastingyourtimeonEarth."Clementetrulylived,anddied,bythosewords.Someexpertshavecalledhimbaseball'sgreatesthero.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThisprogramwaswrittenbyBriannaBlake.ItwasproducedbyLawanDavis.mSteveEmber.VOICETWO:AndmFaithLapidus.YoucandownloadtranscriptsandarchivesofourshowsatWWW.51VOA.COM.JoinusnextweekforanotherPEOPLEINAMERICAinVOASpecialEnglish.