小貝入鄉隨俗 改稱足球爲soccer
Beckham embraces new challenge - and vocabulary
English superstar David Beckham, seen here being introduced the Los Angeles Galaxy fans, was wowed the first time he set eyes on his new 22 million dollar California home, which he says will make putting down roots in Los Angeles that much easier.
English superstar David Beckham, brought to the Los Angeles Galaxy to preach the gospel of football to US sports fans, may have to overcome a language barrier to get the message across.
Beckham, who acquired a smattering of Spanish in four years with Real Madrid, told some 5,000 fans at the Galaxy's Home Depot Center that he was looking forward to the challenge of making the game "as big here as it is everywhere around the world."
"The first thing in my life is always my family," he said, adding: "The second most important thing has always been foot... soccer.
"Sorry, I'll get used to that, I promise," he added.
For most US sports fans, of course, "football" means the gridiron game of the National Football League and college teams.
Beckham's slip-up came despite his careful preparations.
The former England skipper said last month that he was trying to school himself to say "soccer" rather than football in deference to his new fans.
"Since I signed with the Galaxy, I'm trying to get myself to say soccer because I've always said football," he said in June, after filming a commercial with New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush.
"It would seem like (soccer) would be the sport you actually call football because you're kicking it with your foot," Bush said. "We call (American football) football, but we actually throw it a lot more than we kick it."
加盟洛杉磯銀河隊、將爲美國足球迷們“傳道”的英國巨星大衛·貝克漢姆可能還得克服一個語言障礙，才能把這個“道”傳好。
在皇馬待了四年的小貝對西班牙語略知一二，他在銀河“家得堡”體育中心對約五千名球迷說，他正期待着提高足球在美國的影響力、使其與在世界其它地區同樣受歡迎的挑戰。
他說：“對於我來說，家庭永遠擺在第一位，足球第二。” （小貝差點說football，剛說了foot後，立刻改口爲soccer。）
“抱歉，我還得慢慢適應，我保證！”
對於大多數美國球迷來說，football指的是國家橄欖球聯盟和大學生橄欖球隊的橄欖球運動。
儘管小貝做了不少功課，但還是犯了個口誤。
這位前英格蘭國家足球隊隊長上月表示，爲了對他的新球迷表示尊重，他一直在努力的讓自己改說football爲soccer。
他6月與新奧爾良聖徒隊的跑鋒雷吉·布什拍完一個廣告後說，“自從我與銀河隊簽了合同，我就一直在努力地讓自己改口說soccer，因爲我過去一直都是說football。”
布什則說：“感覺soccer應該是一種被稱爲football的運動，因爲你是用腳踢的。我們稱美式足球（橄欖球）爲football，但實際上我們更多的是投球，而不是踢球。”
