酷兔英语


Tyson Ross ducked into the dugout for an interview and apologized. The Oakland Athletics pitcher was late, he said, because he had to drop off his brother's lunch at school.


森•罗斯(Tyson Ross)急匆匆地来到休息室接受采访,嘴里说着抱歉。这位奥克兰运动家队(Oakland Athletics)的投手迟到了,他说,因为他必须要把弟弟的午餐送到学校去。



Such is the life of a 23-year-old Major League Baseball player who still lives at home with his mom and dad.


这就是一位23岁的职业棒球手过的生活,他现在仍然和父母住在一起。



There are perks to that, of course. The Oakland native gets to eat home-cooked meals, sleep in his own bed and hang out with high-school buddies. He also saves on rent, meaning he can devote more of his league-minimum $400,000 salary to video games.


当然,这么做也不无益处。这个土生土长的奥克兰人可以吃到家里的饭,睡在自己的床上,和中学时代的玩伴混在一起。他还省下了房租,这意味着他可以把自己相当于大联盟最低标准的40万美元薪资更多地用在电玩游戏上。



'This cuts out all the hard stuff, like setting up cable and getting furniture,' he says.


"这就省去了很多麻烦事,比如布置线缆和买家具,"他说。



Mr. Ross can enjoy the delights of living at home during the season because he is one of the few ballplayers playing for a hometown team. These days, the 30 MLB teams recruit and sign players from all over the world.


罗斯整个赛季都能够享受到住在家里的乐趣,这是因为他是少数几个为家乡的棒球队效力的球员之一。如今,美国职业棒球大联盟的30支球队在全球范围内举行选秀活动,签约新球员。



League officials say many players head home over the winter, but they believe that only Mr. Ross and Neil Walker, of the Pittsburgh Pirates, return to the nest during the season.


大联盟官员说,许多球员会在冬季返回家乡,但是他们相信,只有罗斯和匹兹堡海盗队(Pittsburgh Pirates)的尼尔•沃克(Neil Walker)能在赛季当中回家。



That gives Mr. Ross a unique understanding of what it's like to throw 95-mile-per-hour fastballs in front of 20,000 cheering fans and then go see the movie 'Toy Story 3' with his mother, as he did last month.


这让罗斯对于下面的情形有了独特的体会,他先是当着两万名欢呼喝彩的球迷投出时速95英里的快速球,然后再去和妈妈一起看电影"玩具总动员3"(Toy Story 3),他上个月就是这么过的。



It also leaves him open to ribbing. Mr. Ross's teammates say they make a point of telling him after games that they are going home -- to their own home.


这也成了人们取笑他的理由。罗斯的队友说,他们故意在比赛结束后告诉他,他们就要回家了──自己的家。



'He's up in that elusive tax bracket, and he's still with mom and dad?' says fellow A's pitcher Dallas Braden, 26, who hails from nearby Stockton, Calif., but has his own house. 'I would tell him to utilize these things we call banks,' says Mr. Braden, who pitched a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 9. Mr. Ross says he doesn't mind the infrequent teasing.


"他的税级已经上升到了少有人及的标准,还在和父母一起住?"26岁的奥克兰运动家队队友、投手达拉斯•布莱登(Dallas Braden)说。布莱登来自邻近的加利福尼亚斯托克顿(Stockton),但是他有自己的房子。"我会告诉他使用我们称之为银行的东西,"布莱登说。布莱登在5月9日那天面对坦帕湾光芒队(Tampa Bay Rays)投出一场完美的比赛。罗斯说,他对这种偶尔的取笑并不在意。



The hometown player was common until 1965, when baseball instituted a draft to let teams pick the best players nationwide, says sports historian Rick Obrand.


本土球员在1965年之前是很普遍的。运动历史学家瑞克•奥布兰德(Rick Obrand)说,当时,棒球联盟出台了一条规定,要求各支球队在国内选拔最好的球员。



Before, 'most kids grew up liking the Yankees, or whoever it was, so unless they were offered a tremendousamount of money somewhere else, which no one was doing in those days, they signed with their hometown team,' he says. Hometown heroes of yore include Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees and Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds.


在那之前,"大多数孩子在小时候都喜欢洋基队(Yankees),或者不管他们喜欢谁,除非别的地方愿意出一大笔钱──那时候没有人会那么做,他们都会签约家乡的球队,"他说。过去的本土英雄包括纽约洋基队的鲁•贾里格(Lou Gehrig)和辛辛那提红人队(Cincinnati Reds)的皮特•罗斯(Pete Rose)。



The historian says 'it's great' Mr. Ross lives at home, and it's easy to understand why a fledgling ballplayer would want to.


这位历史学家认为,罗斯和家人在一起生活"很不错",他非常理解一位初出茅庐的球员为什么会选择这种生活方式。



Unproven youngsters like Mr. Ross, who had a poor earned run average of 5.79 as of Monday, are routinely sent down to the minor leagues for seasoning, so it might not make sense for them invest in real estate. And players move around a lot anyway. Big-league teams play 81 away games, so the athletes are gone for three months a year. It's nice to have a home to go home to.


像罗斯这样羽翼未丰的年轻球员通常会被送到小联盟去锻炼(罗斯截至上周一的自责分率竟然糟糕到5.79),所以让他们投资房产可能是没道理的。而且,球员们总是到处参加比赛。大联盟的球队要参加81场客场比赛,所以运动员在一年当中有三个月身在外地。有家能回是件很不错的事。



Then there's the bonus of having a mother who does laundry, says Mr. Walker, the 24-year-old Pittsburgh native whom the Pirates called up to the majors in May. His typical day involves waking up to a bacon, pepper and onion omelet cooked by mom, playing with his Australian Shepherd puppy, Brisby, and then driving off to the stadium to play second base.


还有个好处就是妈妈能帮你洗衣服,24岁的匹兹堡人沃克说。海盗队在今年5月份的时候把他调到大联盟。他典型的生活方式就是,早上起床后吃妈妈做的咸肉胡椒洋葱蛋卷,跟他的澳大利亚牧羊犬布里斯比(Brisby)玩耍,然后开车到体育场去防守二垒。



Mr. Walker insists he loves life at home. His mother, Carolyn, isn't so sure. 'He's really not thrilled about that,' she says. 'We try to give him his space.'


沃克强调说他喜欢住在家里的生活。他的妈妈卡罗林(Carolyn)却不那么肯定。"他实际上并不很喜欢这样,"她说,"我们尽量给他留出一些私人空间"。



Some young players envy Messrs. Ross and Walker. 'It's kind of tough to live by yourself,' says 24-year-old Gio Gonzalez, an A's pitcher from Florida who is a close friend of Mr. Ross.


一些年轻的球员对罗斯和沃克很是羡慕。"自己一个人生活还是有点艰难,"24岁的吉欧•冈萨雷斯(Gio Gonzalez)说。冈萨雷斯是运动家队一名来自佛罗里达州的投手,是罗斯的好友。



Mr. Ross, who played Little League ball blocks from the A's stadium before starring at the nearby University of California at Berkeley, was drafted into Oakland's minor-leaguesystem in 2008. This past spring, he unexpectedly made the A's and had little time to find a place to live. He briefly eyed a suburban condo that was 'close to the movie theater and close to Gamestop,' the video-game store, but he is happy at home for now.


在成为附近的加州大学伯克利分校(University of California at Berkeley)的闪亮新星之前,罗斯在距离运动家队体育馆不远的少年棒球联盟打球。2008年,他被选拔到奥克兰职业棒球小联盟。在过去的这个春天,他出乎意料地成了运动家队的球员,很少有时间去找住的地方。有一段时间,他曾经看上了一所"靠近电影院和Gamestop电玩游戏店"的郊区公寓,但是他现在喜欢住在家里。



His mother, Jean, is glad her son is back. Not only do they see movies together, but Mrs. Ross appreciates that Tyson mentors his 17-year-old brother, Joe. One thing she doesn't appreciate: 'I still have to clean his bathroom for him.'


罗斯的妈妈琼(Jean)很高兴儿子回来住。不仅是因为他们可以一起看电影,而且罗斯太太很乐意看到泰森指导他17岁的弟弟乔(Joe)。但是也有一件让她不喜欢的事情:"我还是得为他清洁他的浴室"。



Mr. Ross's girlfriend, Ashley Hoffman, insists she's fine with the pitcher living at home because she appreciates how comfortable he is there. She says she's comfortable there, too -- except when she sleeps over.


罗斯的女朋友阿什丽•霍夫曼(Ashley Hoffman)坚持说她同意罗斯住在家里,因为她乐见罗斯在家里过的舒适生活。她说,她在那里也感觉很舒服──除了要在那里过夜的时候。



'His dad's like, 'Good night! See you in the morning!'' says Ms. Hoffman, 23, a recent college graduate who lives with her folks, too. 'I still think that's so weird.'


"他的父亲会说,'晚安!明天早上见!'"23岁的霍夫曼说。她刚刚大学毕业,现在也和家人住在一起。"我还是觉得那样很怪异"。



On a recent Friday, Mr. Ross woke up in his boyhood room, where posters of athletes Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan and Sammy Sosa obscure the floral wallpaper.


最近的一个星期五,罗斯从他孩提时代就住在里面的房间醒来,房间的墙壁上张贴着穆罕默德•阿里(Muhammad Ali)、迈克尔•乔丹(Michael Jordan)和塞米•索萨(Sammy Sosa)等体育明星的海报,这让 上花卉图案的壁纸失色不少。



Home with mom -- his dad and brother were traveling that day -- Mr. Ross walked his pit bull, Maverick, and hung out with a high-school pal, Rashad Tucker. The two laughed as they watched a movie in which a man in a taco costume hits on two women in a bar.


那天罗斯和妈妈呆在家里──他的爸爸和弟弟外出了。他遛了他的比特犬马弗里克(Maverick)后,和中学时代的好友拉沙德•塔克(Rashad Tucker)一起出去玩。他们一起去看电影,当看到影片里一个装扮成墨西哥豆卷的男人在酒吧里与两个女人搭讪时,两人大笑不止。



Around 2 p.m., it was time to head to the office. Mr. Ross hugged his mother and kissed her on the forehead. 'You coming to the game?' he asked. 'Yes!' she replied.


大约下午2点,该去上班了。罗斯给了妈妈一个拥抱,又吻了一下她的额头。"您会来看比赛吗?"他问。"是的!"妈妈回答。



The A's were playing the Pirates that day, so Messrs. Ross and Walker warmed up by stretching, jogging and playing catch. During the game, Mr. Walker had three hits. Mr. Ross, a reliefpitcher, didn't play. He spent the cool summer night on the bullpen bench as his mother and girlfriend cheered on the A's in a 14-4 victory.


那天,运动家队是和海盗队打比赛,所以罗斯和沃克伸展身体、慢跑、传接球,做一些赛前的热身运动。在比赛当中,沃克击出三支安打,罗斯作为替补投手没有上场。他在替补球员区的长凳上度过了那个清凉的夏夜,而他的妈妈和女友则在为运动家队14比4的胜利欢呼呐喊。



After the final pitch, Mr. Ross showered and helped himself to a cup of soft-serve yogurt from the clubhouse kitchen. 'You just kind of want to go home, recharge your batteries and come out again tomorrow,' he said before he walked out of the stadium.


最后一投结束后,罗斯先去冲了一个澡,然后自己去俱乐部的厨房里拿了一杯软酸奶。"这时你就是想要回家,充充电,等明天再出来,"他说着便离开了体育馆。



Stu Woo
  • interview [´intəvju:] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.&vt.接见;会见;交谈 (初中英语单词)
  • pitcher [´pitʃə] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.大水罐;投掷者 (初中英语单词)
  • league [li:g] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.同盟;社团 (初中英语单词)
  • player [´pleiə] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.游戏的人;选手 (初中英语单词)
  • pittsburgh [´pitsbə:g] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.匹兹堡 (初中英语单词)
  • tremendous [tri´mendəs] 移动到这儿单词发声 a.可怕的;巨大的 (初中英语单词)
  • amount [ə´maunt] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.总数;数量 v.合计 (初中英语单词)
  • invest [in´vest] 移动到这儿单词发声 v.投资;授予 (初中英语单词)
  • estate [i´steit] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.财产;庄园;等级 (初中英语单词)
  • pepper [´pepə] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.胡椒 vt.加胡椒 (初中英语单词)
  • shepherd [´ʃepəd] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.牧羊人 vt.带领 (初中英语单词)
  • florida [´flɔridə] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.佛罗里达 (初中英语单词)
  • california [,kæli´fɔ:njə] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.加利福尼亚 (初中英语单词)
  • system [´sistəm] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.系统,体系,制度 (初中英语单词)
  • briefly [´bri:fli] 移动到这儿单词发声 ad.简短地;简略地 (初中英语单词)
  • appreciate [ə´pri:ʃieit] 移动到这儿单词发声 v.评价;珍惜;感激 (初中英语单词)
  • costume [´kɔstju:m] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.服装(试样);女装 (初中英语单词)
  • forehead [´fɔrid] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.额,前部 (初中英语单词)
  • relief [ri´li:f] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.救济;援救;减轻 (初中英语单词)
  • baseball [´beisbɔ:l] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.棒球运动 (高中英语单词)
  • recruit [ri´kru:t] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.新兵 v.征募(新兵) (高中英语单词)
  • unique [ju:´ni:k] 移动到这儿单词发声 a.唯一的 n.独一无二 (高中英语单词)
  • historian [his´tɔ:riən] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.历史学家 (高中英语单词)
  • whoever [hu:´evə] 移动到这儿单词发声 pron.任何人,无论谁 (高中英语单词)
  • cincinnati [,sisin´næti] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.辛辛那提 (高中英语单词)
  • typical [´tipikəl] 移动到这儿单词发声 a.典型的;象征的 (高中英语单词)
  • boyhood [´bɔihud] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.少年时代(期) (高中英语单词)
  • athletics [æθ´letiks] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.体育(运动);竞技 (英语四级单词)
  • setting [´setiŋ] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.安装;排字;布景 (英语四级单词)
  • bracket [´brækit] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.托架 vt.给...装托架 (英语四级单词)
  • dallas [´dæləs] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.达拉斯 (英语四级单词)
  • utilize [´ju:tilaiz] 移动到这儿单词发声 vt.利用;使有用 (英语四级单词)
  • laundry [´lɔ:ndri] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.洗衣店;待洗的衣服 (英语四级单词)
  • unexpectedly [´ʌniks´pektidli] 移动到这儿单词发声 ad.意外地;突然地 (英语四级单词)
  • bathroom [´bɑ:θrum, -ru:m] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.浴室;盥洗室 (英语四级单词)
  • jordan [´dʒɔ:dn] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.约旦 (英语四级单词)
  • liking [´laikiŋ] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.爱好;嗜好;喜欢 (英语六级单词)
  • suburban [sə´bə:bən] 移动到这儿单词发声 a.郊区的 n.郊区居民 (英语六级单词)