You are listening to a program from BBC Radio 4. Good morning. Twenty years ago football came home in Euro 96, and in the coming weeks, even fifty years of hurt will not stop medreaming that Wayne Rooney lifts the Henri Delaunay Cup in winning the European Championship. But behind what has become a media and financial juggernaut, is a story offaith and hope. While England may claim to the home of football, European and world championships have their origin in France - through Henri Delaunay and his predecessor asPresident of the French Football Federation, Jules Rimet. They were the architects of both theWorld Cup and the European Football Championship and represented a morality very different to recent reports of FIFA secret bonuses. For Rimet in particular, football was an outworkingof his faith. Inspired by catholic social teaching he took the view that sport was important to God and to the future shaping of society. In his twenties, he founded a sports club, which was distinct for two reasons. First it opposed the view that sport was the preserve of gentleman and amateurs and so his club did not discriminate on race or class. Second, it included football which at the time the French looked down upon as only for thugs, professionals and Englishmen. He believed that football could positively channel nationalism, provide healing and relieve the moral and physical suffering of the poor - but only if it was accessible to all social classes. His dream was that football would spread the Christian virtues of hard work, honesty,comradeship and fair play. This dream was not easy to achieve and had to be worked out within the harsh political realities which were costly to Rimet's time, energy and reputation.His example is a reminder of the way that faith at its best can be inspiring rather than oppressive. Further it is about the attempt to change the world for good, rather than just aprivatized comfort blanket. Indeed, in the last couple of days, within the eulogies to Muhammad Ali's greatness and human weaknesses, there is a story of faith which was foundational to the man who in the words of President Obama 'fought for what was right.... and spoke out when others wouldn't'. Sport is a key part of human experience and community and I see it as a gift from God. Its commercialization on the world stage is inevitable, and it isopen to all kinds of abuse but it still has the potential to unite us and give us glorious pictures of what humanity can achieve. Whatever England does in the coming weeks, for me in thewords of the song 'Jules Rimet will still be gleaming.'
1.For Rimet in particular, football was anoutworking of his faith.
in particular 尤其,特别,专门(相当于particularly)
例句:When we speak, that is - -entirely and exclusively and without any other motive- forcommunication, except for one thing that the Russian formalists in particular took note of.
2.He believed that football could positively channel nationalism, provide healing and relievethe moral and physical suffering of the poor - but only if it was accessible to all social classes.
social class 社会阶层,社会阶级
例句:The people who try to divide it on the basis of social class we call either populists orelitists.
而以社会阶级划分社会的人,我们则称他们为民粹主义者或精英主义者。
例句:Competition is seen as an open and fair race where success goes to the swiftest personregardless of his or her social class background.