August 7, 2007: The crowd at AT&T Park2 in California roars3. San Francisco Giants player Barry Bonds has just hit a home run4. It isn’t just any homer—it’s his 756th. That magic number beats the record for career home runs set by Hank Aaron in 1976.
On that day, not everyone was cheering for Bonds, though. He has long been suspected of using steroids. Those are drugs that make muscles bigger. Using steroids in sports is illegal. Steroids also cause side effects. Those include acne5, heart and liver problems, and violent behavior. Bonds testified6 in court because people accused him of using steroids. He told a grand jury that he had used a clear substance7 and a cream that a trainer had given him.
However, he said, he didn’t know the stuff contained steroids.
Many athletes have been accused of using steroids to gain an advantage over other athletes. If an athlete uses steroids, should his or her success count?
Some people think that an athlete’s achievements should count even if he or she is caught using steroids. They say that steroid use alone doesn’t make a star player. One bad choice shouldn’t blot out8 a lifetime of achievement.
Others don’t believe that an athlete should be rewarded for using steroids. They say that it is cheating because steroids give the player an unfair advantage. Hank Aaron recently told reporters, “Let me say this. Any way you look at it, it’s wrong.”
★YES!They should count despite steroid use.
Sometimes athletes don’t realize they are taking steroids. Their trainers give them the stuff. The trainers are to blame. The athletes shouldn’t be punished.
Even if players do enhance their abilities, they wouldn’t be able to break records if they didn’t have some natural talent.
In some cases, steroid use cannot be proved. Therefore, a suspected athlete should be considered innocent.
★NO! They shouldn’t count if there’s steroid use.
Using steroids gives a player an unfair advantage over other players.
An athlete who was not using steroids probably set the record. Therefore, that record should stand.
An athlete who uses steroids is breaking the law and shouldn’t get any credit. After all, a thief isn’t allowed to keep a television he or she stole.
2007年8月7日：加州的AT&T棒球场沸腾了。旧金山巨人队队员贝瑞·邦兹完成了一个全垒打。这可不是一般的全垒打，它是邦兹的第756次全垒打。这一惊人的数字打破了1976年由汉克·阿伦创下的职业棒球全垒打记录。
不过这一天并不是所有人都在为邦兹欢呼。早就有人怀疑他使用类固醇，这是种可使肌肉变得更加结实的药物。使用类固醇在体育界是违法的。类固醇也有副作用，包括生痤疮、引发心脏、肝脏疾病以及引发暴力行为。邦兹在法庭上证实了对他使用类固醇的指控。他告诉大陪审团，他曾使用过一位教练给他的一种透明物质及一种药膏。
不过，他说自己不知道那些东西含有类固醇。
许多运动员都曾被指控使用类固醇来战胜对手。那么如果一个运动员使用了类固醇，他的胜出还算数吗？
有人说即使一个运动员被发现使用了类固醇他/她的成绩也应有效。他们认为仅靠类固醇是造就不出一位体育明星的，一次过失不应该抹杀一生的成就。
另一些人认为不应让运动员使用了类固醇还得到奖赏，说这是在作弊。因为类固醇让他占了优势，这样不公平。汉克·阿伦最近告诉记者：“让我说的话，无论从哪个角度看这样做都不对。”
☆正方：即使使用了类固醇取得的成绩也应有效。
有时运动员并不知道他们在使用类固醇，那东西是教练给他们的。该责备的是那些教练，而不应该惩罚运动员。
就算运动员真的因此增加了竞争力，但如果他们本身没能力，也不会打破记录。
有些情况下是否使用类固醇是无法被证实的，所以涉嫌的运动员应视为无辜。
☆反方：使用了类固醇取得的成绩不能算数。
使用类固醇而胜出的手段是不正当的。
记录可能是没有使用类固醇的运动员创下的，所以那个记录应该维持不变。
使用类固醇的运动员违犯了法律，不应得到任何荣誉。毕竟，小偷是不允许保留他/她偷到的电视的。
1. steroid n. 类固醇
2. AT&T Park是位于美国旧金山的露天棒球球场。
3. roar v. 吼叫, 怒号
4. home run [棒球]本垒打
5. acne n. 痤疮, 粉刺
6. testify v. 证实, 作证
7. substance n. 物质
8. blot out 抹去；遮盖