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1、美国名人运动员杰西欧文斯JesseOwens,1913-1980:HeWasOncetheFastestRunnerintheWorldplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:39repeatByBarbaraDash2008-12-20VOICEONE:ThisisGwenOuten.VOICETWO:AndthisisSteveEmberwithPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.EveryweekwetellaboutapersonwhowasimportantinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates.Todaywe
2、tellthestoryofathleteJesseOwens.Heoncewasthefastestrunnerintheworld.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:JesseOwensatthe1936OlympicGamesinGermanyInthesummerofnineteenthirty-six,peopleallovertheworldheardthenameofJesseOwens.Thatsummer,OwensjoinedthebestathletesfromfiftynationstocompeteintheOlympicgames.TheymetinBerlin,Ge
3、rmany.TherewasspecialinterestintheOlympicgamesthatyear.AdolfHitlerwastheleaderofGermany.HitlerandhisNazipartybelievedthatwhitepeople一especiallyGermanpeople-werethebestraceofpeopleonEarth.Theybelievedthatotherracesofpeople-especiallythosewithdarkskin-werealmostlessthanhuman.Inthesummerofnineteenthirt
4、y-sixzHitlerwantedtoprovehisbeliefstotheworld.HewantedtoshowthatGermanathletescouldwineveryimportantcompetition.AfterallzonlyafewweeksbeforetheOlympics,GermanboxerMaxSchmelinghaddefeatedthegreatAmericanheavyweightJoeLouiszablackman.VOICETWO:JesseOwenswasblack,too.Untilnineteenthirty-six,veryfewblack
5、athleteshadcompetedintheOlympicsfortheUnitedStates.Owenswasproudtobeontheteam.Hewasverysureofhisability.OwensspentoneweekcompetinginfourdifferentOlympictrackandfieldeventsinBerlin.Duringthattime,hedidnotthinkmuchaboutthecolorofhisskin,oraboutAdolfHitler.Owenssaidlater:Iwaslookingonlyatthefinishline.
6、Ithoughtofalltheyearsofpracticeandcompetition,andofallwhobelievedinme.VOICEONE:WedonotknowwhatHitlerthoughtofJesseOwens.NoonerecordedwhathesaidaboutthisblackmanwhoranfasterandjumpedfartherthananymanofanycolorattheOlympicgames.ButWecanstillseeJesseOwensasHitlersawhim.ForatHitlersrequest,motionpicture
7、sweremadeoftheBerlinOlympicgames.JesseOwensatthemedalceremonyforthelongjumpcompetitionatthe1936gamesThefilmsshowJesseOwensasathinzbutpowerfully-builtyoungmanwithsmoothbrownskinandshorthair.Whenheran,heseemedtomovewithouteffort.Whenhejumped,asoneobserversaidzheseemedtojumpclearoutofGermany.JesseOwens
8、wonthehighestaward-theGoldMedal-inallfouroftheOlympiccompetitionsheentered.Intheone-hundredmeterrun,heequaledthefastesttimeeverruninthatOlympicevent.IntheIongjumpandthetwo-hundredmeterrun,hesetnewOlympicrecords.Andaspartofafour-manteam,hehelpedsetanewworldrecordforthefour-hundredmeterrelayrace.Hewas
9、thefirstAmericaninthehistoryofOlympictrackandfieldeventstowinfourGoldMedalsinasingleOlympics.VOICETWO:OwenssOlympicvictoriesmadehimahero.HereturnedhometoparadesinNewYorkCityandColumbus,Ohio,whereheattendedthestateuniversity.Businessmenpaidhimfortherighttousehisnameontheirstores.Noone,however,offered
10、himapermanentjob.Formanyyearsafterthenineteenthirty-sixOlympicgames,JesseOwenssurvivedasbesthecould.Heworkedatsmalljobs.Heevenusedhisathleticabilities,butinasadway.Heearnedmoneybyrunningracesagainstpeople,motorcyclesandhorses.Heandhiswifeandthreedaughterssawbothgoodtimesandbadtimes.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:P
11、overtywasnotnewtoJamesClevelandOwens.HewasborninnineteenthirteenonafarminthesouthernstateofAlabama.HewastheyoungestOfthirteenchildren.Hisparentsdidnotownthefarm,andearnedlittlemoney.Jesserememberedthattherewasrarelyenoughfoodtoeat.Andtherewasnotenoughfueltoheatthehouseinwinter.SomeofJessesbrothersan
12、dsistersdiedwhilestillyoung.Jessewasasicklychild.Partlybecauseofthis,andpartlybecauseoftheracialhatredtheysawaroundthemzJessesparentsdecidedtoleavetheSouth.Theymovednorth,toCleveland,Ohio,whenJessewaseightyearsold.Thelargefamilylivedinafewsmallroomsinapartofthecitythatwasneitherfriendlynorpleasantto
13、lookat.Jessesfatherwasnolongeryoungorstrong.Hewasunabletofindagoodjob.Mostofthetime,noonewouldgivehimanyworkatall.ButJessesolderbrotherswereabletogetjobsinfactories.SolifewasalittlebetterthanithadbeenintheSouth.VOICETWO:Jesse,especially,waslucky.HeenteredaschoolwhereonewhiteteacherzCharlesRiley,took
14、aspecialinterestinhim.Jesselookedthinandunhealthy,andRileywantedtomakehimstronger.ThroughtheyearsthatJessewasinschool,Rileybroughthimfoodinthemorning.Rileyofteninvitedtheboytoeatwithhisfamilyintheevening.Andeverydaybeforeschool,hetaughtOwenshowtorunlikeanathlete.Atfirst,theideawasonlytomaketheboystr
15、onger.ButsoonRileysawthatJessewasachampion.BythetimeJessehadcompletedhighschool,hisnamewasknownacrossthenation.OhioStateUniversitywantedhimtoattendcollegethere.WhileatOhioState,hesetnewworldrecordsinseveraltrackandfieldevents.AndhewasacceptedasamemberoftheUnitedStatesOlympicteam.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Owen
16、salwaysrememberedthewhitemanwhohelpedchangehislife.CharlesRileydidnotseemtocarewhatcolorapersonsskinwas.Owenslearnedtothinkthesameway.1.aterinlife,Owensputallhisenergyintoworkingwithyoungpeople.Hewantedtotellthemsomeofthethingshehadlearnedaboutlife,workandsuccess:Thatitisimportanttochooseagoalandalw
17、aysworktowardit.Thattherearegoodpeopleintheworldwhowillhelpyoutoreachyourgoal.Thatifyoutryagainandagain,youwillsucceed.PeoplewhoheardOwenssspeechessaidhespokealmostaswellasheran.Owensreceivedawardsforhisworkwithboysandgirls.TheUnitedStatesgovernmentsenthimaroundtheworldasakindofsportsambassador.TheI
18、nternationalOlympicCommitteeaskedforhisadvice.VOICETWO:Inaboutnineteenseventy,JesseOwenswroteabookinwhichhetoldabouthislife.ItwascalledBlackthink.Inthebook,Owensdenouncedyoungblackmilitantswhoblamedsocietyfortheirtroubles.HesaidyoungblackpeoplehadthesamechancetosucceedintheUnitedStatesaswhitepeople.
19、Manyblackcivilrightsactivistsreactedangrilytothesestatements.TheysaidwhatOwenshadwrittenwasnottrueforeveryone.Owenslateradmittedthathehadbeenwrong.Hesawthatnotallblacksweregiventhesamechancesandhelpthathehadbeengiven.Inasecondbook,Owenstriedtoexplainwhathehadmeantinhisfirstbook.HecalleditIHaveChange
20、d.Owenssaidthat,inhisearlierbook,hedidnotwriteaboutlifeasitwasforeveryone,butaboutlifeasitwasforhim.Hesaidhetrulywantedtobelievethatifyouthinkyoucansucceed-andyoureallytry-thenyouhaveachance.Ifyoudonotthinkyouhaveachance,thenyouprobablywillfail.Hesaidthesebeliefshadworkedforhim.Andhewantedallyoungpe
21、opletobelievethemztoo.VOICEONE:JesseOwensshowinghisfourOlympicgoldmedalsThesewerethesamebeliefshetriedtoexpresswhenhespokearoundtheworldaboutbeinganOlympicathlete.TheroadtotheOlympics,hesaid,leadstonocity,nocountry.ItgoesfarbeyondNewYorkorMoscow,ancientGreeceorNaziGermany.TheroadtotheOlympicsleads一i
22、ntheend-tothebestwithinus.Innineteenseventy-six,PresidentGeraldFordawardedJesseOwenstheMedalofFreedom.ThisisthehighesthonoranAmericanciviliancanreceive.JesseOwensdiedofcancerinnineteeneighty.HisfamilymembersoperatetheJesseOwensFoundation.Itprovidesfinancialaidandsupportforyoungpeopletohelpthemreachtheirgoalsinlife.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ThisprogramwaswrittenbyBarbaraDash.ItwasproducedbyLawanDavis.ThisisSteveEmber.VOICEONE:AndthisisGwenOuten.ListenagainnextweekforPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.
