我等が＜なでしこ＞がサッカー女子ワールドカップで優勝しました。今回の題材はその「なでしこジャパン初優勝」を俎上に載せた二つの英文記事です。今回もTOEICパート7の後半問題に見たてて、ご自分がTOEICの出題者ならこの2パッセージからどんな設問を作るか。そう考えながら読んでいただければと思います。
そして、もう一つ。そう、ある英文テクストを読んだり聞いたりするときに、そのテクストの背景となる知識がいかに重要かということを体感していただきたいこと。
・出題者になったつもりで設問と選択肢を考えながら読む
・テクストの背景的な知識の重要性を＜痛感＞しながら読む
これらは、TOEIC対策にも重要なことだと思います。だって、プロ野球でも、バッターは次に来る球の球種やコースを予想しながら打席にたっている。ならば、「ボール」ならぬ「ボイス」や「ボキャブラリー」を用いてする言語コミュニケーション（speech communication）にも、この「予想」やその「予想」の前提となる「背景的知識」が重要ではないわけはありませんから。
ということで、早速、「背景的知識」のおまけ。＜なでしこ＞の決勝の相手、アメリカチームのゴールキーパー、Solo選手の試合直後のコメントです。
Solo has admitted that she believes this force of energy played a big part in the Japanese success. "We lost to a great team, we really did," Solo told USA team website.
"I truly believe that something bigger was pulling for this team," she added. "As much as I've always wanted this, if there were any other team I could give this to it would have to be Japan. I'm happy for them and they do deserve it."
（Solo選手は、日本の優勝の背景には、チームのパフォーマンスを引き上げるこの力がかなりの程度に与して力あったと思うと率直に語ってくれた。「私達は偉大なチームに負けたということでしょう。心底そう思いますよ」と、彼女はアメリカ代表チームのホームページにコメントを寄せている。
「何か人智を超える大きなものが日本チームを応援していたのかもしれない、とね。それが実感ですかね」と彼女は言葉を続けている。 「私はいつも可能な限り目一杯そんな力を味方につけたいと思ってきた。そして、もし私がアメリカ以外のどこかのチームにそれをあげられるとしたら、そんなことができたとすればですけどね、そうなると、やっぱ、日本チームにあげることになったんだろうな、って。ということで、日本が優勝したのは喜ばしいことだし、彼等は優勝に値するチームであることは間違いないです」とも）
*ちなみに、「pull for」は「～を声援／応援する／励ます」という意味です。
蓋し、このメントと、本題のテクストに出てくる、
Solo選手が決勝の前に語っていたという言葉、
“They are playing for something bigger and better than the game and when you’re playing with so much emotion, and so much heart, that’s hard to play against,” U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo said before the match.
は表裏一体のもの、鴨。と、そう私は感じました。
ということで、本題のテクスト行きましょう。ちなみに、字数の関係もあり、
このブログ記事「前編」は以下テキストのみの搭載、次の「中編」は、語彙と語法・文法、
そして、最後の「後編」が和訳と「おまけ」という構成になります。
ご了承ください。
Japan edge USA for maiden title
Japan are FIFA Women’s World Cup™ champions for the first time after a penalty shootout victory over USA, following a drama-charged 2-2 draw in Frankfurt.
Defender Saki Kumagai had the honour of hitting home the decisive spot kick as Japan triumphed 3-1 in the shootout. USA were twice pegged back but it took Homare Sawa to equalise three minutes from the end of extra time to force penalties.
USA created numerous goalscoring opportunities throughout the match but Aya Miyama’s goal nine minutes from the end of the 90 minutes forced extra time, after Alex Morgan had given the Stars and Stripes the lead on 69 minutes. Abby Wambach seemed set to have scored the winner on 104 minutes until Sawa’s late intervention.
The tone was set for a strong USA performance with the two-time world champions showing their intent from the opening whistle. Lauren Cheney forced a save from Ayumi Kaihori with a shot from a highly acute angle, after the forward had outmuscled Azusa Iwashimizu just 25 second into the contest. ・・・
Japan finally displayed some of their semi-final form just past the half hour mark as Ohno threaded a pass behind the defence, but Kozue Ando was unable to get power on her effort from a good shooting position. ・・・
Finally USA secured reward for their dominance with the opening goal on 69 minutes as Morgan broke the deadlock with her second of the tournament. A quick counter attack saw Rapinoe play an excellent ball through for Morgan to use her strength to hold off a defender, before hitting a perfect finish past Kaihori. The 22-year-old Morgan again proved herself as a player for the big occasion, having hit the winner for USA against Korea DPR in the final of the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Japan equalised somewhat against the run of play 12 minutes later as a cross from the right caused chaos in the USA defence, with Miyama taking full advantage to push the ball past Hope Solo from close range. ・・・
For the fourth time in six FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals, 90 minutes proved not enough to find a winner.
The match continued in an open fashion and at a high tempo following the recommencement. Morgan carved out the first opening of extra time only to be askew after getting the better of two defenders.
USA again took the lead one minute prior to the end of the opening period of extra time. Wambach powering home a bullet header from close range following Morgan’s powerful cross. It was Wambach’s fourth of the tournament, all from headers.
With five minutes remaining Kinga pushed the ball past the onrushing Solo with only a clearance from retreating captain Christie Rampone denying an equaliser. However from the ensuing corner, captain Sawa equalised by diverting Miyama’s corner with just three minutes remaining. The goal not only ensured the match would be decided by penalties but lifted Sawa into outright lead as top goalscorer with five goals.
Shannon Boxx, Carli Lloyd and Tobin Heath failed to convert USA' opening three penalties, and while Yuki Nagasato had her effort saved Japan were not to be denied as Asia claimed the title for the first time.
（533 words）
【出典：FIFA.COM, July 17, 2011】
Japan upsets U.S. in a penalty kick shootout to win the championship
It was a storybook ending, just not the one the U.S. women’s soccer team wanted.
In a shocking upset, Japan won the Women’s World Cup title on Sunday after it defeated the United States, 3-1, in a penalty kick shootout after the teams played to a 2-2 tie in regulation and extra time.
Japan twice erased one-goal deficits in the second half, the final time on a goal by Homare Sawa with about three minutes left in extra time. In the penalty kick shootout, Shannon Boxx, Carli Lloyd and Tobin Heath failed to convert for the U.S. women. With her team needing just one goal for the title, Saki Kumagai converted for Japan, whose players sprinted onto the field in celebration.
“Soccer is a funny game; unfortunately you can’t win everything,” said Ali Krieger, a Dumfries native and U.S. starting defender. “I think we played really good and I didn’t think they were going to tie it up on the second goal, I thought we would win 2-1, but that’s how it is.”
Ranked No. 4 in the world entering the tournament, Japan was arguably the sentimental favorite against the top-ranked Americans. It provided a feel-good story to a nation devastated by a March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
“They are playing for something bigger and better than the game and when you’re playing with so much emotion, and so much heart, that’s hard to play against,” U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo said before the match.
But it was still a heartbreaking blow to the U.S. squad, which had captured the imagination of millions back home and was aiming for its first World Cup championship since 1999.
Before the first whistle, fans ranging from President Obama to Lance Armstrong tweeted their support. Meantime, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ended a news conference in Athens by yelling, “Go USA!”
If there were one thing that characterized the U.S. team, it was its never-say-die attitude that helped it win a thrilling quarterfinal even after it fell behind Brazil in extra time — and down a player, no less.
But it was not enough on Sunday night even though the Americans dominated the first half of the match with powerful, possession-style play that created several scoring opportunities against what seemed like a lackluster Japanese attack.
Despite dominating in the first half, the United States only landed on the scoreboard in the second. The opening goal came after 22-year-old Alex Morgan, the youngest player on the team, collected the ball off a sterling pass from Megan Rapinoe and kicked it past Japanese goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori in the 69th minute.
Japan equalized in the 81st minute, after Rachel Buehler and Krieger did not clear the ball out of the penalty area, which allowed Japan’s Aya Miyama to chip it past Solo. The goal gave Japan momentum, and it started to look a little more like the team that in the quarterfinals defeated Germany, the two-time defending World Cup champion and tournament favorite.・・・
Frankfurt proved it was a soccer-mad city, regardless of who was in the final, with thunderous applause repeatedly erupting from the sold-out crowd of 48,817 at Commerzbank-Arena, a stadium nestled in a forest area on the outskirts of the city.
The crowd gave Japan a standing ovation after the match.
It was an emotional victory for Japan, which carried a banner reading: “To our Friends Around the World: Thank You for Your Support” after it clinched the title.
For the U.S. women, it was a decidedly different sort of emotion.
“I think we gave the crowd a good game today . . . it has to be a final to remember,” said U.S. Coach Pia Sundhage, who praised her team for its style of play in the first half. “We won a silver medal. I hope I can feel that after a couple of weeks.”
（644 words）
【出典：Washington Post, July 18, 2011】
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