Lesson 10－Part 3
The atmosphere gradually changed /
as the team achieved one victory after another. //
Black people /
who did not even know the rules of rugby /
before the World Cup /
became interested in playing it /
with white people. //
The better the Springboks played, /
the more black people began playing. //
At last, /
the whole nation was following the games /
and supporting the Springboks. //
More and more people /
began to wave their new national flag, /
which meant the real end of apartheid. //
The team finally met the All Blacks from New Zealand /
in the final. //
Five minutes before the game, /
Nelson Mandela stepped out onto the field /
to shake hands with the players. //
He was wearing the green Springbok cap and uniform. //
When the people saw him, /
they went dead still. //
Then the chant began, /
low at first, /
but rising quickly in volume and intensity. //
The crowd of white people, /
as one, /
as one nation, /
began chanting, /
“Nel-son! /
Nel-son! /
Nel-son!” /
over and over again. //
It was a moment of magic. //
