Hoop Dreams: The Global Rise of Basketball 篮球梦：全球篮球热
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2003年12月29日
- 最后更新于 2024年5月25日
- 发布于 2011年6月13日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：499
课文朗读
课文讲解
Soccer maybe the world’s most popular spectator sport, but basketball is hot on its heels. Professional basketball leagues around the globe are increasing the game’s international profile, yet one league clearly stands head and shoulders above the rest. Featuring the world’s best players and raking in the most cash, we speak of none other than the National Basketball Association (NBA).
足球或许是世界上观众最多的运动，但篮球颇有后来居上之势。全球的职篮联盟都在为球赛增添国际化的色彩，而其中一个职篮联盟很明显地鹤立鸡群。既打出世界最佳球员的名号，又大赚其钱，说的正是国家篮球协会(NBA)。
The NBA’s “global game plan” is about rounding up more foreign fans by drafting more foreign players. These days, most NBA teams have scouts on three or four continents, looking not for the next Jordan, but for the next Yao Ming or Nowitzki. This past season, a record one-third of newly drafted players came from outside the U.S., and the trend shows no signs of abating. In fact, to retain local talent, some coaches will not play their stars when NBA scouts are visiting.
NBA的「全球战略计划」是藉由征召更多的外籍球员来抓住更多的外国球迷。现在，大部份的NBA球队会派出球探到三或四大洲去，寻找的不是下一个乔丹，而是下一个姚明或诺威兹基。上一个球季，创下新记录的三分之一新进球员不是出自美国本土，而这个趋势没有减弱的迹象。事实上，为了想留住当地的人才，有些教练在NBA球探来访时不会让明星球员上场。
International marketing and merchandising are likewise part of the global game plan, with approximately 20 percent of all NBA merchandise currently sold outside the U.S. Furthermore, there are plans to hold preseason games this year in Europe, Latin America, and China.
鉴于目前所有NBA商品有百分之二十在美国本土之外贩卖，国际营销及商品贩卖也成为全球战略计划的一环。而且，今年有计划在欧洲、拉丁美洲、以及中国举办季前赛。
Indeed, the NBA has proven that basketball is an international language. Nowadays, people the world over are saying, “I love this game!”
的确，NBA已经证明了篮球是一种国际语言。今日，全球的球迷都会说，「我爱篮球赛！」
Vocabulary
单词发音
spectator [spɛkˋtetɚ] n.（比赛等的）观众
hot on someone’s heels 紧随其后 very near to it in rank
profile [ˋprofaɪl] n. 外观；形象; 概况
head and shoulders above 大大胜过; 远远超出…; 鹤立鸡群 to be considerably superior to
rake [rek] in 大量地敛集(钱财)
none other than 不是别的, 正是
round up 〔把某类人或动物强行〕集拢﹐ 聚集 to herd (cattle) together from various places
draft [dræft] v.【非正式】征兵﹐ 征募
abate [əˋbet] v. 减少，减弱，减轻
retain [rɪˋten] v. 留住；挡住，拦住
merchandising [ˋmɝtʃən͵daɪzɪŋ] n. 推销规划
Latin America 拉丁美洲
Sentence of the Day
With so many international players, it's a whole new ball game for the NBA.
加入了许多外籍球员之后，NBA将会有全新的局面。
课文讲解
Sally finds Juan in the middle of watching a basketball game on television: 莎莉找到璜，他正在看着电视上的一场篮球赛：
S: What are you watching? The Dallas Mavericks versus the San Antonio Spurs?
你在看什么？达拉斯小牛队对抗圣安东尼马刺队？
J: You got it. When these two teams play it’s like an NBA meeting of the United Nations. They’ve got players on their rosters from Germany, Mexico, Canada, France, Turkey, Slovenia, Argentina, and the Virgin Islands.
答对了。当这两支队伍交手时，好像是一场NBA的联合国会议。在他们的球员名册中，国籍就包括德国、墨西哥、加拿大、法国、土耳其、斯洛文尼亚、阿根廷、以及维京群岛。
S: What about Yao Ming? Doesn’t he play for a Texas-based team too – the Houston Rockets, right?
姚明呢？他不也为德州的球队效劳──休斯敦火箭队，是吗？
J: A slam dunk guess for you. Yep, he’s yet another international player.
你猜得像灌篮一样准。没错，他也是一名外籍球员。
S: So, why are there suddenly so many foreign players in the NBA?
为什么突然间有这么多外籍球员在打NBA？
J: Those foreigners play the game as it was meant to be played – as a team!
这些外国人打球遵循正统打法──以团队为重。
S: Right. While many young American players, on the other hand, often have a “me-first” attitude.
是的。相反的，很多年轻美国球员打球的态度常常很自我。
J: Which, all too often, fails to get the “W.”
这样反而十之八九不会赢球【注】。
S: Maybe that’s why the U.S. could only manage sixth place in last year’s World Basketball Championships.
或许这也是为什么美国队只能在去年的世界杯篮球赛中得到第六名。
J: What an upset that was! A U.S. team comprised of NBA stars was outplayed and totally embarrassed by a bunch of guys whose names I can’t even pronounce!
多令人扫兴啊！以NBA明星球员成军的美国队竟然输球，被一些我连名字都念不出来的人搞得无地自容！
S: Well, I think it’s exciting that the NBA now features players from around the world.
我觉得NBA现在以来自世界各地的球员为号召是很令人兴奋的。
J: I think basketball fans around the world would wholeheartedly agree!
我想全世界的篮球迷都会全心全意地赞同。
【注】：W代表赛程记录为赢的缩写。
－by Timothy Higgins
Vocabulary
单词发音
maverick [ˋmævərɪk] n. 未烙印的小牛（或其他牲口）
spur [spɝ] n. 踢马刺，靴刺
roster [ˋrɑstɚ] n. 值勤表﹐ 勤务表; 执勤人员表
Slovenia [sloˋvinɪə] n. 斯洛维尼亚共和国（南斯拉夫联邦原六个组成共和国之一，1991年宣布独立，首都流布里雅那Ljubljana，位于欧洲）
slam dunk【篮】扣篮，塞投
upset [ʌpˋsɛt] n.〔比赛﹑竞选等中〕意外的击败; 意外的挫折
outplay [aʊtˋple] v. 胜过；打败
wholeheartedly [͵holˋhɑrtɪdlɪ] adv. 全心全意地；全神贯注地
Sentence of the Day
International players are doing a world of good for the NBA.
外籍球员让NBA更为健康且娱人。
do something a world of good 对...非常有用; 对..大有好处.