美国名人运动员杰西·欧文斯.docx

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.TodaywetellthestoryofathleteJesseOwens.Heoncewasthefastestrunnerintheworld.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:JesseOwensatthe1936OlympicGamesinGermanyInthesummerofnineteenthirty-six,peopleallovertheworldheardthenameofJesseOwens.Thatsummer,OwensjoinedthebestathletesfromfiftynationstocompeteintheOlympicgames.TheymetinBerlin,Germany.TherewasspecialinterestintheOlympicgamesthatyear.AdolfHitlerwastheleaderofGermany.HitlerandhisNazipartybelievedthatwhitepeople一especiallyGermanpeople-werethebestraceofpeopleonEarth.Theybelievedthatotherracesofpeople-especiallythosewithdarkskin-werealmostlessthanhuman.Inthesummerofnineteenthirty-sixzHitlerwantedtoprovehisbeliefstotheworld.HewantedtoshowthatGermanathletescouldwineveryimportantcompetition.AfterallzonlyafewweeksbeforetheOlympics,GermanboxerMaxSchmelinghaddefeatedthegreatAmericanheavyweightJoeLouiszablackman.VOICETWO:JesseOwenswasblack,too.Untilnineteenthirty-six,veryfewblackathleteshadcompetedintheOlympicsfortheUnitedStates.Owenswasproudtobeontheteam.Hewasverysureofhisability.OwensspentoneweekcompetinginfourdifferentOlympictrackandfieldeventsinBerlin.Duringthattime,hedidnotthinkmuchaboutthecolorofhisskin,oraboutAdolfHitler.Owenssaidlater:"Iwaslookingonlyatthefinishline.Ithoughtofalltheyearsofpracticeandcompetition,andofallwhobelievedinme."VOICEONE:WedonotknowwhatHitlerthoughtofJesseOwens.NoonerecordedwhathesaidaboutthisblackmanwhoranfasterandjumpedfartherthananymanofanycolorattheOlympicgames.ButWecanstillseeJesseOwensasHitlersawhim.ForatHitler'srequest,motionpicturesweremadeoftheBerlinOlympicgames.JesseOwensatthemedalceremonyforthelongjumpcompetitionatthe1936gamesThefilmsshowJesseOwensasathinzbutpowerfully-builtyoungmanwithsmoothbrownskinandshorthair.Whenheran,heseemedtomovewithouteffort.Whenhejumped,asoneobserversaidzheseemedtojumpclearoutofGermany.JesseOwenswonthehighestaward-theGoldMedal-inallfouroftheOlympiccompetitionsheentered.Intheone-hundredmeterrun,heequaledthefastesttimeeverruninthatOlympicevent.IntheIongjumpandthetwo-hundredmeterrun,hesetnewOlympicrecords.Andaspartofafour-manteam,hehelpedsetanewworldrecordforthefour-hundredmeterrelayrace.HewasthefirstAmericaninthehistoryofOlympictrackandfieldeventstowinfourGoldMedalsinasingleOlympics.VOICETWO:Owens'sOlympicvictoriesmadehimahero.HereturnedhometoparadesinNewYorkCityandColumbus,Ohio,whereheattendedthestateuniversity.Businessmenpaidhimfortherighttousehisnameontheirstores.Noone,however,offeredhimapermanentjob.Formanyyearsafterthenineteenthirty-sixOlympicgames,JesseOwenssurvivedasbesthecould.Heworkedatsmalljobs.Heevenusedhisathleticabilities,butinasadway.Heearnedmoneybyrunningracesagainstpeople,motorcyclesandhorses.Heandhiswifeandthreedaughterssawbothgoodtimesandbadtimes.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:PovertywasnotnewtoJamesClevelandOwens.HewasborninnineteenthirteenonafarminthesouthernstateofAlabama.HewastheyoungestOfthirteenchildren.Hisparentsdidnotownthefarm,andearnedlittlemoney.Jesserememberedthattherewasrarelyenoughfoodtoeat.Andtherewasnotenoughfueltoheatthehouseinwinter.SomeofJesse'sbrothersandsistersdiedwhilestillyoung.Jessewasasicklychild.Partlybecauseofthis,andpartlybecauseoftheracialhatredtheysawaroundthemzJesse'sparentsdecidedtoleavetheSouth.Theymovednorth,toCleveland,Ohio,whenJessewaseightyearsold.Thelargefamilylivedinafewsmallroomsinapartofthecitythatwasneitherfriendlynorpleasanttolookat.Jesse'sfatherwasnolongeryoungorstrong.Hewasunabletofindagoodjob.Mostofthetime,noonewouldgivehimanyworkatall.ButJesse'solderbrotherswereabletogetjobsinfactories.SolifewasalittlebetterthanithadbeenintheSouth.VOICETWO:Jesse,especially,waslucky.HeenteredaschoolwhereonewhiteteacherzCharlesRiley,tookaspecialinterestinhim.Jesselookedthinandunhealthy,andRileywantedtomakehimstronger.ThroughtheyearsthatJessewasinschool,Rileybroughthimfoodinthemorning.Rileyofteninvitedtheboytoeatwithhisfamilyintheevening.Andeverydaybeforeschool,hetaughtOwenshowtorunlikeanathlete.Atfirst,theideawasonlytomaketheboystronger.ButsoonRileysawthatJessewasachampion.BythetimeJessehadcompletedhighschool,hisnamewasknownacrossthenation.OhioStateUniversitywantedhimtoattendcollegethere.WhileatOhioState,hesetnewworldrecordsinseveraltrackandfieldevents.AndhewasacceptedasamemberoftheUnitedStatesOlympicteam.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Owensalwaysrememberedthewhitemanwhohelpedchangehislife.CharlesRileydidnotseemtocarewhatcoloraperson'sskinwas.Owenslearnedtothinkthesameway.1.aterinlife,Owensputallhisenergyintoworkingwithyoungpeople.Hewantedtotellthemsomeofthethingshehadlearnedaboutlife,workandsuccess:Thatitisimportanttochooseagoalandalwaysworktowardit.Thattherearegoodpeopleintheworldwhowillhelpyoutoreachyourgoal.Thatifyoutryagainandagain,youwillsucceed.PeoplewhoheardOwens'sspeechessaidhespokealmostaswellasheran.Owensreceivedawardsforhisworkwithboysandgirls.TheUnitedStatesgovernmentsenthimaroundtheworldasakindofsportsambassador.TheInternationalOlympicCommitteeaskedforhisadvice.VOICETWO:Inaboutnineteenseventy,JesseOwenswroteabookinwhichhetoldabouthislife.Itwascalled"Blackthink."Inthebook,Owensdenouncedyoungblackmilitantswhoblamedsocietyfortheirtroubles.HesaidyoungblackpeoplehadthesamechancetosucceedintheUnitedStatesaswhitepeople.Manyblackcivilrightsactivistsreactedangrilytothesestatements.TheysaidwhatOwenshadwrittenwasnottrueforeveryone.Owenslateradmittedthathehadbeenwrong.Hesawthatnotallblacksweregiventhesamechancesandhelpthathehadbeengiven.Inasecondbook,Owenstriedtoexplainwhathehadmeantinhisfirstbook.Hecalledit"IHaveChanged."Owenssaidthat,inhisearlierbook,hedidnotwriteaboutlifeasitwasforeveryone,butaboutlifeasitwasforhim.Hesaidhetrulywantedtobelievethatifyouthinkyoucansucceed-andyoureallytry-thenyouhaveachance.Ifyoudonotthinkyouhaveachance,thenyouprobablywillfail.Hesaidthesebeliefshadworkedforhim.Andhewantedallyoungpeopletobelievethemztoo.VOICEONE:JesseOwensshowinghisfourOlympicgoldmedalsThesewerethesamebeliefshetriedtoexpresswhenhespokearoundtheworldaboutbeinganOlympicathlete."TheroadtotheOlympics,"hesaid,"leadstonocity,nocountry.ItgoesfarbeyondNewYorkorMoscow,ancientGreeceorNaziGermany.TheroadtotheOlympicsleads一intheend-tothebestwithinus."Innineteenseventy-six,PresidentGeraldFordawardedJesseOwenstheMedalofFreedom.ThisisthehighesthonoranAmericanciviliancanreceive.JesseOwensdiedofcancerinnineteeneighty.HisfamilymembersoperatetheJesseOwensFoundation.Itprovidesfinancialaidandsupportforyoungpeopletohelpthemreachtheirgoalsinlife.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ThisprogramwaswrittenbyBarbaraDash.ItwasproducedbyLawanDavis.ThisisSteveEmber.VOICEONE:AndthisisGwenOuten.ListenagainnextweekforPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.