Cheerleader Carnival

Cheerleader Carnival 1

In Texas, cheerleading is serious business, and Dallas is at the center of it all. Cheerleading gyms are as common as shopping malls, and none is more feared than the cheerleading 1)powerhouse, Cheer Athletics 2, home to 15 all-star teams and a lot of 2)trophies. Each year, hundreds of kids try out for the 25 spots on each team, hoping for a chance to work with coaches like Gianni DeNegri, coach of the 3)Panthers. 

All-star cheerleading is not about high schools or 4)pom-poms. It’s not tied to a school at all. It’s a sport with its own rules and its own competitive world, in which all-star squads 4 5)face off against each other. In order to win, 25 girls must learn to look and move as one. 

Blair Teeter (World Cup): It’s hard getting prepared for a national championship. The hardest thing at this point is keeping everybody well – mentally and physically 5. 

All year, teams practice and perfect a two-and-a-half-minute routine 6)choreographed to bits and pieces of music strung together with sound effects. Although the focus in cheerleading is on athletics, it’s an unwritten rule that appearance counts. 

The Dallas Convention Center is 7)prepping for the arrival of ten thousand cheerleader moms. Cheerleading today is not only about the thrill of competition and the excitement of over-applying make-up, it’s equally about the other great American 8)pastime, spending money. By hosting these national championships, companies like the National Cheerleading Association have created a 9)frenzy 7 for competition and a need for their more 10)lucrative 8 goods and services – summer camps and 11)apparel. 

Friends and family of over 250 teams line up early to 12)stake their claim to the best seats in the arena 9. The convention center halls are jammed with anxious teams and 13)toddlers. Everywhere, skirts, colors, make-up, bows – it’s cheerleading 14)nirvana! But the glory won’t last for most.  More than half the teams never make it past preliminaries and spend finals day in the 15)stands. 

Even the most confident teams 16)hedge their bets in the doubt-inducing moments before they 17)hit the mat. The 18)credo in 19)preliminaries is, “Make it clean, save a little for finals, and don’t get hurt”. 

On top of third place, the Jersey 10 team wins the special coach’s award for best 20)choreography. The Kentucky squad 3 has pulled it together now to collect their fifth place trophy 11. For now, the Cheer Athletics’ Wildcats can 21)bask 12 in the glow of a year well-spent. For the thousands of other hopefuls, there’s always next year.                                                             

注释：
1) powerhouse [5pauE7haus] n. 发电站；有影响力的人，组织或团体
2) trophy [5trEufi] n. 战利品
3) panther [5pAnWE] n. 豹，黑豹
4) pom-pom [5pCm 5pCm] n. 啦啦队员手中挥舞的彩球
5) face off （美）勇敢地面对，对抗
6) choreograph 6 [5kC:riE^rB:f] v. 设计舞蹈动作 
7) prep [prep] v. 准备功课，预习
8) pastime [5pB:staim] n. 消遣，娱乐
9) frenzy [5frenzi] n. 极度的激动
10) lucrative [5lju:krEtiv] a. 有利的，赚钱的
11) apparel [E5pArEl] n. 衣服，服饰
12) stake [steik] v. 拥有、要求或保留对（土地）的所有权
13) toddler [5tCdlE] n. 初学走路的孩子
14) nirvana [nE:5vB:nE] n. 天堂  
15) stand [stAnd] n. 看台
16) hedge one’s bets [口语，比喻]努力使自己做到万无一失以避免可能的损失（尤指不把钱只投在一种生意上），这里指啦啦队员们在做祷告，以求比赛成功。
17) hit the mat （美国俚语）被打倒，源自拳击运动，在拳击比赛中，败方倒在地毯上起不来。
18) credo [5kri:dEu] n. 信条
19) preliminary [pri5liminEri] n. 初赛
20) choreography [7kC:ri5C^rEfi] n. 舞蹈术
21) bask [bB:sk] v. 晒太阳；处于某种适意情况中。这里指“野猫队”赢得锦标赛冠军。

啦啦队嘉年华

在得克萨斯州，啦啦队竞赛是一桩正经大事，而达拉斯城正是这项活动的大本营。在这里，啦啦队训练中心就像购物商场一样普及，而其中最负盛名的就是“啦啦运动” 训练中心，它拥有15支全明星队，战绩赫赫。每年都有许多少年参加每队25名队员的选拔，希望有机会能拜在像吉阿尼·德尼格里这样的教练门下，吉阿尼执教于“豹”队。
全明星啦啦队竞赛并不仅仅是一群中学生在蹦蹦跳跳或舞动彩球那么简单，实际上它并不是一项学校活动。它是一项体育运动，有着自身独特的规则和竞争世界，在这个世界里，各全明星啦啦队一比高低。要想胜出，队中的25个女孩就必须学会行动整齐划一。

布莱尔·蒂特（“世界杯”队）：备战全国锦标赛是非常艰苦的。而最困难的事情就是要让队里所有的人一直在精神和体能上都保持良好的状态。
整整一年，啦啦队员们就一直在练习一套两分半钟的固定舞蹈动作，使其与音乐节拍结合得天衣无缝，并伴以音效，力求一切完美。虽然啦啦队的焦点在于竞技，但是也有个不成文的规定，就是外表也很重要。
达拉斯会议中心正准备迎接一万名啦啦队员的妈妈们的到来。今天，啦啦队竞赛已不仅仅意味着激动人心的赛事和花枝招展的打扮，它同时也成为美国人民另一种主要的休闲活动：消费。通过举办这些全国锦标赛，一些例如像“全国啦啦队协会”的公司组织已经掀起了比赛的热潮，并带动利润颇丰的相关产品和服务的需求，如夏令营和服饰等。
250多支啦啦队的队员们的朋友和家人早早就排起了长队，以期能买到赛场中最好的座位票。会议中心大厅挤满了焦急的队员，甚至还有正蹒跚学步的孩子。到处都是短裙、五彩缤纷、浓妆艳沫，蝴蝶结——这里简直就是啦啦队的天堂。对多数人来说，这种表面的风光不会持续多久。超过一半的队伍在初赛中就将被淘汰下来，而在决赛那一天只能坐在看台上观看比赛。
即使是最自信的啦啦队在决出胜负之前都会在这个赛果未卜的时刻祷告以求万全。初赛的信条是：“动作干脆，为决赛积蓄力量，切忌受伤。”
带着第三名的殊荣，泽西队凭着最出色的动作设计赢得了特别教练奖。肯塔基州队竭尽全力终获第五名。现在，“啦啦运动” 训练中心的野猫队经过一年的苦练后，可以尽情地沉浸在胜利的喜悦中。而对于其他数千个潜力队员们，永远都有充满希望的下一年。