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词汇提示

1.association 协会

2.lacrosse 曲棍球

3.estimate 估算

4.prestigious 有声望的

5.advent 到来

6.franchises 特许经营权

7.dominated 主导

8.audience 观众

9.urban 城市的

10.component 组成部分

11.reinforce 加强

12.sought-after 受欢迎的

13.sovereignty 主权

14.separate 独立的

15.entity 实体

原文

Professional Sport in Canada

Canada is relatively a young country，existing as a separate national and political entity only since 1967.

As a result，its sporting traditions are relatively young as well.

Most of the professional teams and leagues in Canada developed only in the last 30 years or so.

However，athletes playing their respective sports for money date back to the late-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Canada has six National Hockey League（NHL）teams，eight Canadian Football League（CFL）clubs，two Major League Baseball（MLB）clubs，and one National Basketball Association（NBA）team.

There are also smaller professional soccer and lacrosse leagues in Canada.

It is estimated that professional sports and leagues throughout the country contribute over 600 million dollars in value to the country's economy，and account for over 23000 jobs.

Of the professional sports，hockey has the longest history and the greatest cultural influence on Canadians.

The NHL has been in existence since 1917，however，organized professional and amateur leagues existed in Canada long before then.

Many small-town teams competed for local or provincial championships，and had a strong influence on those Canadians who had little access to，or knowledge of，big-city teams in Toronto or Montreal.

In fact，it was not until NHL games were broadcast on Canadian national radio“Hockey Night in Canada”radio broadcasts that many Canadians had experienced an NHL games.

In deed，despite the fact that NHL was considered as Canada's most prestigious league，it was not until the advent of television in the 1950s that the most Canadian had even seen an NHL game.

Today，all professional sport in Canada is in one way or another effected by the more powerful American leagues.

In the sports of baseball and basketball，Canada has no professional league of its own.

Instead，Canadian teams play in the American-dominated leagues.

The leagues require a large concentrated audience in order to generate revenues for the team and，in turn，the leagues in general.

As a result，the major team franchises exist in the large urban centers：Toronto，Montreal，Vancouver.

Even between these cities，the teams are even not spread.

Probably the most famous team in American-dominated leagues are both Toronto teams：the“Blue Jays”in Major Baseball League and the“Raptors”in the National Basketball Association.

Many Canadians worry that American dominance of professional sport is a threat to Canadian independence.

As an important component of national culture，sport reflects and reinforces the norms and values of Canada.

However，the most sought-after and visible team in Canada are ones in American-dominated leagues.

Even the National Hockey Leagues-once considered a secure of Canadian sports icon-has its corporate offices in New York.

Debates about the threat of American-dominated professional sport to Canadian sovereignty will undoubtedly continue in the future.