Neymar rejects Barca talk

 　　RIO DE JANEIRO, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Neymar has rejected the latest reports linking him with a move to Barcelona by insisting he has still not considered leaving Brazilian club Santos.

　　Last week Barcelona defender¹ and Neymar's Brazil teammate Daniel Alves claimed the striker had already agreed to join the Catalan outfit² after next year's World Cup.

　　"Daniel Alves is a good friend but if I say that (Lionel) Messi is coming to Santos, would you believe me?" Neymar said. "I appreciate what Daniel is saying but I am happy here."

　　According to Spanish media, Barcelona has made a down payment of 10 million euros for the starlet, whose contract with Santos expires³ in July next year.

　　Among the clubs jostling with Barcelona for the 21-year-old's signature are Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City.

　　In a thinly-veiled swipe at Alves, Neymar called for an end to speculation⁴ about his future.

　　"Those who say that I am ready to leave don't know anything about my life," he said. "When I feel ready to leave I will leave. It's my decision to make and nobody else's. I am happy at Santos."

　　Earlier on Monday, Barcelona president Sandro Rosell confirmed the club's interest in signing the Brazil forward this European summer.

　　"It's true that we are interested in him and he is on the list of possible signings for the future," Rosell said during a press conference.

　　Neymar has scored 54 goals from 102 appearances for Santos and led the side to the 2011 Copa Libertadores title - South America's most prestigious⁵ club trophy⁶. He has also won 28 international caps for Brazil and scored 17 times.

1 defender   

n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人

参考例句：

• He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员，然后射门。
• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。

2 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

3 expires   

期满( expire的第三人称单数 )； 文件、协议等（因到期而）失效； 断气； 逝世

参考例句：

• Copyright expires 50 years after the death of the author. 版权在作者死后50年即行终止。
• You must obtain a new automobile license when your old one expires. 当旧的汽车牌照满期，你得领取新的。

4 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

5 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

6 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。