美国国家公共电台 NPR--Serena Williams has announced she will soon retire from tennis

Serena Williams has announced she will soon retire from tennis

Transcript¹

Serena Williams is one of the most celebrated² and accomplished³ athletes of all time. She will play in the U.S. Open later this month and then retire. Williams has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

One of the most celebrated and accomplished athletes of all time, Serena Williams says she'll be retiring soon from tennis.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

Sportico journalist Kurt Badenhausen first saw Serena and her sister Venus play in the late 1990s.

KURT BADENHAUSEN: I thought Serena and Venus were going to change the game of tennis. And they did.

MART?NEZ: Williams has won an astounding⁴ 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the second most all time. But Badenhausen says her legacy⁵ stretches beyond the tennis court.

BADENHAUSEN: Back in 1999, you still didn't have equal pay at all the Grand Slam tournaments, and even now, there's pushback on the idea.

FADEL: Serena and her sister, Venus Williams, fought to make life better for women on and off the tennis courts. The sisters thrived in a sport typically dominated by white players and inspired so many. Badenhausen says the Williams sisters also brought a new level of worldwide interest to the sport.

BADENHAUSEN: They opened up a game to a whole 'nother generation of fans and followers⁶. Tennis had traditionally been a very lily-white sport and still is to a large degree.

MART?NEZ: Serena Williams says she'll continue to support people of color and women-owned businesses through her investing group, and between prize money and endorsements⁷, she'll retire with record earnings⁸.

BADENHAUSEN: We estimate she earned $450 million from prize money and sponsorships, which is 40% more than any other female athlete ever.

MART?NEZ: And although she's stepping away from tennis, Badenhausen expects Williams to continue trailblazing.

BADENHAUSEN: I think her legacy is still being told. I think it's going to be a couple more decades before we really can write the full story of Serena Williams.

FADEL: Williams tells Vogue⁹ magazine she'll leave the sport later this summer after the U.S. Open, a tournament she's won six times. After that, Williams says she wants to focus on growing her family.

(SOUNDBITE OF CAMP LO SONG, "LUCHINI AKA THIS IT")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

3 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

4 astounding   

adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词)

参考例句：

• There was an astounding 20% increase in sales. 销售量惊人地增加了20%。
• The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath. 主席说的话令人吃惊，所以听众都屏息听他说。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

6 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

7 endorsements   

n.背书( endorsement的名词复数 )；（驾驶执照上的）违章记录；（公开的）赞同；（通常为名人在广告中对某一产品的）宣传

参考例句：

• He must make much money on those tennis shoe endorsements he does. 他替那些网球鞋珍重广告，就赚了不少钱。 来自互联网
• But celebrity endorsements remain an important promotional tool for marketers. 尽管如此，邀明星助阵仍是营销人员重要的推广手段之一。 来自互联网

8 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

9 Vogue   

n.时髦，时尚；adj.流行的

参考例句：

• Flowery carpets became the vogue.花卉地毯变成了时髦货。
• Short hair came back into vogue about ten years ago.大约十年前短发又开始流行起来了。