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The National Football League （NFL） is a professional2 American football league with 32 teams in. How does one choose which team to support？ Some people choose the team of their hometowns， or where they now live， or the team that their parents or their friends follow.
美国国家橄榄球联盟（NFL）是美国职业橄榄球联赛之一，共有32支球队。人们怎么选择来支持哪一个队呢？一些人选择自己家乡的球队，或者他们现在居住地的球队，或者他们的父母或朋友支持的球队。
A boy student from Oklahoma wrote a letter to each of the owners or presidents of the 32 NFL teams. He would see what answers he got， and then choose his team.
一位来自俄克拉荷马州的男学生给国家橄榄球联盟的32个球队的所有者或者会长各写了一封信。他想通过这些队的回复来选择自己支持哪一个球队。
Bill was home from school， sick. It was the week before Christmas. He was “kind of bored” and needed something to do. So he asked his parents if he could write to every professional football team. Bill wrote 32 letters by hand.
比尔从学校回家的时候，不小心生病了。这是圣诞节前的一周。他“有点无聊”，需要找点事情做。因此，他问他的父母他是否可以给每一个职业橄榄球队写一份信。接着，比尔手写了32封信。
“We weren’t quite sure what we could get back. He didn’t really have one team that he wanted to hear from.” his mother said. “He just wanted to see what kind of reply he’d get.”
他的母亲说：“我们不太确定我们能收到什么回复。他不知道他希望收到哪个队的回复，他只是想看看他会得到什么样的答复。”
A letter to the Carolina Panthers’ owner Jerry Richardson was one of those posted. Bill wrote in his letter， “My family and I love football. They are fans of different teams. But I don’t have a team to cheer for yet. I am ready to pick an NFL team to cheer for lifetime！”
写给卡罗琳娜美洲豹队的老板杰瑞·理查森的信也是寄出的信件之一。比尔在信中写道：“我的家人和我都喜欢橄榄球。他们是不同球队的球迷。但是我还没有选好一个让我为之欢呼的球队。我准备挑选一个国家橄榄球联盟的球队来让我一生为之喝彩！”
A few weeks later， Bill’s mother was pulling into her driveway when a delivery man arrived with a box from the Panthers. When Bill came home， he opened the box excitedly. Inside he found a signed Carolina Panthers helmet3 as well as a handwritten4 note from Jerry.
几周后，比尔的母亲正在路边停车的时候，一位快递员送来了一个来自卡罗琳娜美洲豹队的盒子。比尔回家后，兴奋地打开盒子。他在盒子里找到了一个有签名的卡罗琳娜美洲豹队的头盔以及杰瑞的一封亲笔信。
The team owner had written to Bill， “We would be honored if our Carolina Panthers became your team. We would make you proud of your joining us.”
这位球队的负责人给比尔回信说：“如果卡罗琳娜美洲豹队成为你支持的球队，我们将感到很荣幸。我们也会让你为你的加入而感到骄傲的。”
Bill was overjoyed with what he got. He decided that from then on he would support the Panthers. He keeps the letter from Jerry in his bedroom. His mother says， “It’s not the helmet they sent us. It’s what they told us.” That is what mattered to Bill and why he chose to become a Panthers’ fan.
比尔看到这些后欣喜若狂。他决定从此将支持卡罗琳娜美洲豹队。他把杰瑞的信一直珍藏在他的卧室里。他的妈妈说：“不是因为他们送的头盔。而是因为他们通过头盔告诉我们了些东西。”这就是比尔在乎的东西，也是他为什么选择成为卡罗琳娜美洲豹队球迷的原因。
Notes：
1. panther [] n. 豹；黑豹；美洲豹
2. professional [] adj. 专业的；职业的；职业性的
3. helmet [] n. 头盔
4. handwritten [] adj. 手写的
美国国家橄榄球联盟（NFL）是美国职业橄榄球联赛之一，共有32支球队。人们怎么选择来支持哪一个队呢？一些人选择自己家乡的球队，或者他们现在居住地的球队，或者他们的父母或朋友支持的球队。
A boy student from Oklahoma wrote a letter to each of the owners or presidents of the 32 NFL teams. He would see what answers he got， and then choose his team.
一位来自俄克拉荷马州的男学生给国家橄榄球联盟的32个球队的所有者或者会长各写了一封信。他想通过这些队的回复来选择自己支持哪一个球队。
Bill was home from school， sick. It was the week before Christmas. He was “kind of bored” and needed something to do. So he asked his parents if he could write to every professional football team. Bill wrote 32 letters by hand.
比尔从学校回家的时候，不小心生病了。这是圣诞节前的一周。他“有点无聊”，需要找点事情做。因此，他问他的父母他是否可以给每一个职业橄榄球队写一份信。接着，比尔手写了32封信。
“We weren’t quite sure what we could get back. He didn’t really have one team that he wanted to hear from.” his mother said. “He just wanted to see what kind of reply he’d get.”
他的母亲说：“我们不太确定我们能收到什么回复。他不知道他希望收到哪个队的回复，他只是想看看他会得到什么样的答复。”
A letter to the Carolina Panthers’ owner Jerry Richardson was one of those posted. Bill wrote in his letter， “My family and I love football. They are fans of different teams. But I don’t have a team to cheer for yet. I am ready to pick an NFL team to cheer for lifetime！”
写给卡罗琳娜美洲豹队的老板杰瑞·理查森的信也是寄出的信件之一。比尔在信中写道：“我的家人和我都喜欢橄榄球。他们是不同球队的球迷。但是我还没有选好一个让我为之欢呼的球队。我准备挑选一个国家橄榄球联盟的球队来让我一生为之喝彩！”
A few weeks later， Bill’s mother was pulling into her driveway when a delivery man arrived with a box from the Panthers. When Bill came home， he opened the box excitedly. Inside he found a signed Carolina Panthers helmet3 as well as a handwritten4 note from Jerry.
几周后，比尔的母亲正在路边停车的时候，一位快递员送来了一个来自卡罗琳娜美洲豹队的盒子。比尔回家后，兴奋地打开盒子。他在盒子里找到了一个有签名的卡罗琳娜美洲豹队的头盔以及杰瑞的一封亲笔信。
The team owner had written to Bill， “We would be honored if our Carolina Panthers became your team. We would make you proud of your joining us.”
这位球队的负责人给比尔回信说：“如果卡罗琳娜美洲豹队成为你支持的球队，我们将感到很荣幸。我们也会让你为你的加入而感到骄傲的。”
Bill was overjoyed with what he got. He decided that from then on he would support the Panthers. He keeps the letter from Jerry in his bedroom. His mother says， “It’s not the helmet they sent us. It’s what they told us.” That is what mattered to Bill and why he chose to become a Panthers’ fan.
比尔看到这些后欣喜若狂。他决定从此将支持卡罗琳娜美洲豹队。他把杰瑞的信一直珍藏在他的卧室里。他的妈妈说：“不是因为他们送的头盔。而是因为他们通过头盔告诉我们了些东西。”这就是比尔在乎的东西，也是他为什么选择成为卡罗琳娜美洲豹队球迷的原因。
Notes：
1. panther [
2. professional [
3. helmet [
4. handwritten [