[ti:American Women Soccer Players Reach Deal over Equal Pay] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Professional soccer players in the United States [00:03.72]have reached an historic agreement with the sport's governing body. [00:08.72]The deal marks the end of a six-year legal battle [00:13.76]over equal pay for male and female players. [00:19.04]The deal promises female players $24 million plus bonuses [00:26.12]that are equal to what male soccer players receive. [00:31.08]A "bonus" is extra money given to players [00:34.72]for doing well at major competitions. [00:37.96]The U.S. Soccer Federation, or USSF, [00:43.16]and the women announced the deal Tuesday. [00:47.16]The women will divide $22 million, [00:51.64]about one-third of what they had sought in damages. [00:56.08]The USSF also agreed to establish a separate fund of $2 million. [01:03.64]The money will be used to support players after their careers end [01:09.04]as well as help grow the sport of women's soccer. [01:13.24]The USSF promised to provide an equal rate of pay [01:18.84]for the women's and men's national teams [01:22.60]— including World Cup bonuses. [01:25.48]"For our generation, knowing that we're going to leave the game [01:30.44]in an exponentially better place than when we found it [01:34.52]is everything," soccer player Megan Rapinoe told The Associated Press. [01:40.32]"That's what it's all about because, to be honest, there is no justice [01:45.60]in all of this if we don't make sure it never happens again." [01:50.40]USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone said: "This is just one step [01:58.00]towards rebuilding the relationship with the women's team." [02:02.08]Cone became head of the federation in March 2020. [02:06.84]She replaced Carlos Cordeiro as president. [02:10.92]He resigned after the federation claimed in court [02:14.64]that women players had less physical ability [02:18.48]and responsibilities than male players. [02:22.04]The USSF was fighting a sex discrimination case brought [02:27.08]by members of the U.S. national women's team. [02:31.32]Cone is a two-time champion of Olympic soccer. [02:35.28]She is the USSF's first female president. [02:39.28]The U.S. women's team entered play in 1985. [02:44.08]It has won four World Cups since. [02:47.96]The U.S. men's soccer team has been far less successful. [02:53.20]The men have not reached a semifinal match since 1930. [03:00.64]Five American soccer stars, [03:03.40]led by Alex Morgan and Rapinoe, began the legal action. [03:08.80]Their efforts started with a complaint to the federal [03:13.04]Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in April 2016. [03:18.44]Women sued three years later, [03:20.88]seeking damages under the federal Equal Pay Act [03:24.68]and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. [03:28.20]Morgan called the agreement "gratifying," or pleasing. [03:33.36]She expressed hope for healing the relationship [03:36.72]between the women's team and USSF. [03:40.08]"To finally get to this moment feels like [03:43.64]we can almost sigh a breath of relief," she said. [03:47.72]The $22 million will be divided [03:50.72]into individual amounts proposed by the players. [03:54.80]Cone said the federation's method of equalizing World Cup bonuses [04:00.08]is yet to be decided. [04:01.96]The federation has until now based bonuses [04:06.08]on payments from soccer's international governing body, FIFA. [04:11.04]The group set aside $400 million for the 2018 men's tournament, [04:17.80]including $38 million to the winning team from France. [04:23.88]By comparison, it set aside $30 million [04:27.76]for the 2019 women's tournament, [04:30.36]including $4 million to the winning U.S. team. [04:34.84]I'm Ashley Thompson. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM