英语专业四级听力听写训练 第7期:全国单词拼写竞争 National Spelling Bee

National Spelling Bee

全国单词拼写竞争

Every year, the best young English language spellers from around the world gather in Washington, D.C. for the National Spelling Bee.

每年，全球单词拼写高手齐聚华盛顿参加全美拼字比赛。

They spell complex words that most English speakers have never even heard of.

参赛者需要拼写出一些甚至连大多数美国人都没有听说过的复杂词汇。

The National Spelling Bee takes place over two intense days of competition in a large hotel meeting room.

历时2天多，全美拼字的激烈比赛在一间大型酒店的会议室中上演。

The spellers sit together in front of several judges.

参赛者一齐坐在一些评委面前。

Each speller stands when it is his or her turn.

当轮到选手，他/她就会起立。

When the judge calls out the word, spellers can ask for help.

拼字比赛的基本规则是，当评委会念出一个词，参赛者可以请求帮助，

They can ask for the definition of the word or for it to be used in a sentence.

他们可以要求知道这个单词的定义或者具体使用的例句，

They can also ask which language the word came from.

也可以问这个单词的语源。

This can often help them decide how it is spelled.

这可以帮助参赛者确定单词如何拼写。

Students who spell the word correctly remain in the competition.

拼写正确的参赛者可以继续参加比赛，

But if the speller makes a mistake, a bell rings and the child must leave the group

但是只要拼错了一个词，他就会立刻被淘汰。