语音讲解：
　　　(点击右键“另存为”可下载语音)

　　The Lord of the Ring

　　Cassius Clay was born on Jan. 17, 1942, in racially segregated Louisville, Kentucky Though from a poor black family, he went on to become arguably1 the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.

　　Clay developed a radical style which appalled boxing aficionados.2 The heavyweight danced around the ring like a lightweight. With arms lowered, he evaded punches by bending backwards at the waist --- a defensive move that at the time was seen as sheer lunacy.

　　He was considered cocky,3 predicting the round in which his opponents would fall and waxing4 lyrical about his abilities in the ring. For a black man to be so brash was unique at the time. Clay’s boastful rhymes, composed spontaneously, defined him as a forerunner of rap music.

　　After winning a gold medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics, Clay turned professional. He boldly proclaimed,“I am the greatest!”and bragged that he would capture the world heavyweight crown from mob-controlled fighter Sonny Liston. Liston had been world champion for two years, and was deemed by many to be invincible.

　　“Clay will not last two rounds”, they said. Liston would“Wipe the floor”with the young contender. On Feb. 26, 1964, Clay defeated the“undefeatable”Liston by a technical knockout in the seventh round. He became the world heavyweight champion --- an achievement that, in Clay’s own words,“shook up the world”.