美国国家公共电台 NPR--Serena Williams might be making her last appearance at the U.S. Open Championships

Serena Williams might be making her last appearance at the U.S. Open Championships

Transcript¹

The U.S. Open officially begins today with some notable tennis stars missing. But one is the talk of the tournament. Serena Williams is making what's expected to be her final appearance there.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

The U.S. Open Tennis Championships begin today in New York. And they're a much bigger deal than usual. It could be the last hurrah² for Serena Williams, who announced her imminent³ retirement⁴ earlier this month. Williams is one of those transcendent stars in sports. She's won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and made power tennis a standard in the women's game. Her first-round match is tonight. And NPR's Tom Goldman will be there. Good morning, Tom.

TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE⁵: Hi, Leila.

FADEL: Hi. So who does Williams play? And how do you think the match is going to go?

GOLDMAN: She plays Danka Kovinic, a 27-year-old from Montenegro with a big serve and not much experience in matches like this, with nearly every tennis and sports fan in the world watching. She's ranked 80th in the world, which doesn't sound like much. But consider Williams, who was out recovering from injury until just a couple of months ago. Her ranking has plummeted⁶ to 605th.

FADEL: Whoa.

GOLDMAN: No idea how the match will end, but a good bet both will be nervous at the start. We'll see who can shake the anxiety first.

FADEL: I'm sorry - 605th?

GOLDMAN: (Laughter) Yeah.

FADEL: I mean, that's stunning⁷ considering Williams has dominated women's tennis for so long. Even I know that. And you know how much I know about sports, Tom.

GOLDMAN: A lot. Yeah.

FADEL: A lot. What are the chances she could recapture that dominance and make a run in New York?

GOLDMAN: Well, you know, certainly, it's what her legions of fans are hoping. But really, it's a long shot. She has not played well since returning to competition in June. She's almost 41. She doesn't move around the court like she once did. And opponents aren't intimidated⁸ like they were during her reign⁹. But New York is a special place for her, where - it's where she won her first Grand Slam singles title in 1999. And she won six U.S. Opens altogether. So maybe there's some magic left. We'll see.

FADEL: We'll see. So since announcing her retirement or, as she likes to call it, evolving away from tennis, there's been so much talk about Serena Williams' legacy¹⁰. What has she meant to tennis and sports?

GOLDMAN: So very much. With her powerful serve and return of serve and athleticism¹¹, she really set that standard in the women's game. Her story of the early years in Compton, Calif., with sister Venus under the tutelage of their dad, King Richard, now of movie fame...

FADEL: Right.

GOLDMAN: You know, that all became part of her legend and paved the way for more young people of color to pursue what had traditionally been a white sport. And she brought more people of color into the stands to watch as well. Longtime tennis writer Gerry Marzorati wrote a great book called "Seeing Serena." He compares her to legendary¹² boxer¹³ Muhammad Ali, as an athlete of great consequence beyond her sport. Here he is.

GERRY MARZORATI: She brought a kind of strength and power and attitude, particularly as a Black woman, to tennis that really had not been seen before. She imposed herself on her opponents. But she also imposed herself on the culture.

FADEL: Now, you mentioned sister Venus, Venus Williams. They've been inseparable over the years. Venus and Serena became part of tennis lexicon¹⁴. They've also been a hugely successful doubles team, 14 grand slam titles. And they're going to play at the U.S. Open. Is this open going to be a celebration of Venus, too?

GOLDMAN: Yeah, I think so. It's a good point. You know, as strong and dominant¹⁵ as Serena has become, she always saw herself following in her sister's footsteps. Venus was it growing up. And Serena emulated¹⁶ her and, of course, past her. But Venus has had a fantastic career of her own, seven Grand Slam singles titles. She has hinted at age 42 she may keep going past this U.S. Open.

FADEL: NPR's Tom Goldman in New York City. Thanks, Tom.

GOLDMAN: You're welcome.

(SOUNDBITE OF ANDERSON .PAAK SONG, "WINNERS CIRCLE")

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 hurrah   

int.好哇，万岁，乌拉

参考例句：

• We hurrah when we see the soldiers go by.我们看到士兵经过时向他们欢呼。
• The assistants raised a formidable hurrah.助手们发出了一片震天的欢呼声。

3 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

4 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

8 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

10 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。

11 athleticism   

n.运动竞赛，崇尚运动，竞技热

参考例句：

• He brings defense. He brings talent. He brings athleticism. That's a lot. “他带来的防御，他带来了人才，他带来了身体，这是很多”。 来自互联网
• Each of these sports isn't won through sheer athleticism alone. 每个体育项目无法凭借纯粹的运动能力而获胜。 来自互联网

12 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

13 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

14 lexicon   

n.字典，专门词汇

参考例句：

• Chocolate equals sin in most people's lexicon.巧克力在大多数人的字典里等同于罪恶。
• Silent earthquakes are only just beginning to enter the public lexicon.无声地震才刚开始要成为众所周知的语汇。

15 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

16 emulated   

v.与…竞争( emulate的过去式和过去分词 )；努力赶上；计算机程序等仿真；模仿

参考例句：

• The havoc that months had previously wrought was now emulated by the inroads of hours. 前几个月已经使他垮下来，如今更是一小时一小时地在恶化。 来自辞典例句
• The key technology emulated by CAD and the circuit is showed. 对关键技术进行了仿真，给出了电路实现形式。 来自互联网