Cape Verde’s Goalkeeper Vozinha

If you only know Vozinha as the 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper who shocked the world with his wonderful saves, you are missing the most interesting parts of his story. This ordinary-looking man has many warm and funny little secrets that make him more than just a football star.

重难点词汇：goalkeeper /ˈɡəʊlkiːpə(r)/ n. 守门员；save /seɪv/ n.（足球运动中的）扑救，救球；ordinary-looking adj. 相貌平平的

First, his nickname carries a lovely contrast. “Vozinha” means “little voice” in Portuguese. He got this name as a shy little boy, because he always spoke in a soft voice and hardly ever shouted at anyone. But the moment he stands in front of the goal, he becomes the loudest person on the pitch. He calls out clear instructions to his teammates throughout the match, and his voice can be heard even over the noisy crowd. This big change is his teammates’ favorite thing about him.

重难点词汇：nickname /ˈnɪkneɪm/ n. 绰号，昵称；contrast /ˈkɒntrɑːst/ n. 反差，对比；Portuguese /ˌpɔːtʃəˈɡiːz/ n. 葡萄牙语；pitch /pɪtʃ/ n. 足球场；instruction /ɪnˈstrʌkʃn/ n. 指令，指示；throughout /θruːˈaʊt/ prep. 自始至终，贯穿

Second, his early football days are full of down-to-earth stories. Growing up on a small island surrounded by the sea, he played beach football with bare hands as a teen, since his family could not afford professional goalkeeper gloves. Every morning before training, he helped his father sell fresh fish at the local market to save money. When he finally bought a pair of second-hand gloves, he cherished them so much that he sewed up holes himself with common thread. He still keeps that worn-out pair at home as a treasure.

重难点词汇：down-to-earth adj. 朴实的，接地气的；bare /beə(r)/ adj. 赤裸的，光秃的；afford /əˈfɔːd/ v. 买得起，负担得起；professional /prəˈfeʃənl/ adj. 专业的；cherish /ˈtʃerɪʃ/ v. 珍惜，珍视；sew /səʊ/ v. 缝，缝制；worn-out adj. 破旧的，磨损的；treasure /ˈtreʒə(r)/ n. 珍宝，珍贵之物

Third, he has a sweet pre-match habit. Before every game, he walks to each goal post and touches it gently. He says it is his way of greeting the sea of his hometown, which calms him down and gives him courage. Off the field, he is the team’s “joy maker”. He always tells silly jokes about his island life to relax his teammates before important matches.

重难点词汇：pre-match adj. 赛前的；goal post 球门柱；gently /ˈdʒentli/ adv. 轻轻地，温柔地；greet /ɡriːt/ v. 问候，迎接；courage /ˈkʌrɪdʒ/ n. 勇气，胆量

Vozinha’s story tells us that greatness does not need a fancy start. Even with small beginnings, as long as you hold on to your love and keep a warm heart, you can make your own wonder.

重难点词汇：greatness /ˈɡreɪtnəs/ n. 伟大，卓越；fancy /ˈfænsi/ adj. 华丽的，奢华的；hold on to 坚持，紧握；wonder /ˈwʌndə(r)/ n. 奇迹，奇观