美国国家公共电台 NPR--Serena Williams has left an indelible mark on tennis

Serena Williams has left an indelible mark on tennis

Transcript¹

NPR's A Martinez speaks with The Atlantic's Jemele Hill about the legacy² of tennis phenom Serena Williams.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Serena Williams is a cultural icon³. Our co-host, A Martinez, spoke⁴ with The Atlantic's Jemele Hill. He began the conversation by asking about Williams' legacy on the tennis court.

JEMELE HILL: I think Serena's contribution to tennis, I mean, it's just such a broad spectrum⁵. I mean, one, I think her game being one that was so power based, having such a dominant⁶ serve, the level of athleticism⁷, you know, these are all elements that really changed how the game was played, and for that matter, not just allowed her to dominate, but allowed her to influence other athletes in terms of how they were constructing their own games. I mean, her ability to cover so much territory on the court, the power in which she not only served, but just that passion and that will that she always played with, I mean, she showed that - she never asked permission for exhibiting the same level of competitiveness, passion that we often laud⁸ male athletes for showing those same things. And so Serena brought a fierceness to tennis that while, you know, you would see it in pockets, but that really became, you know, kind of the undercurrent and lifeblood of the game.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

And I think that made her product, her tennis product, better on television, I think, than anyone else. I mean, she occupied every single part of that screen.

HILL: Yeah. I mean, she's been must see TV for a while. And even though, obviously, in the last couple of years, she hasn't been able to play as much because of injuries - and I think it's reasonable to say that she's probably been begrudgingly⁹ looking at this moment of having to finally walk away from the sport. But, you know, what she - she single-handedly has carried women's tennis for probably the last 20 years.

MART?NEZ: Is it fair to say that Serena brought her Blackness to a white sport, and that is one of her biggest accomplishments¹⁰ as well?

HILL: I think that's more than fair to say because the one thing among the many things that made Serena special is that during her rise, she never compromised her Blackness. She never changed for the sport. You know, she wore her hair beautifully and naturally, starting from the time when she had beads¹¹ and she had braids. She didn't apologize for having a curvaceous body. She didn't apologize for the power she exhibited. And through her unapologetic way that she took over the sport, that was very inspirational, especially to the Black community.

And even as she was becoming this outstanding icon, she also used her voice at the same time to speak up and about Black issues. I mean, she spoke up when Philando Castile and Alton Sterling¹² were killed a day apart. She's been very vocal¹³ about the complications from her pregnancy¹⁴ because right now in America, as Serena knows and, certainly, again, brought to light, Black women are three times more likely than white women to die in childbirth. And she talked about racial disparities. So she's never shied away from speaking about these things and what she's experienced as a Black woman.

MART?NEZ: How do you think Serena Williams will deal with post-tennis life?

HILL: I'm very curious as to how this is going to go for her, because in her first-person essay where she announced that she was - excuse me, not retiring but evolving away from tennis. And the fact that she has a hard time even saying the word lets you know that this is difficult. And when you read her essay, it was very clear that she was torn. It's probably an intersection¹⁵ of her wanting to expand other areas of her life, specifically wanting to have more children, which she discussed, continuing to dive deeper in her businesses, but also realizing that her body's starting to betray her a little bit. She's going to be 41 years old in September. And it's really astounding¹⁶ she's played at the level she's played at for this long.

MART?NEZ: How do you think she deserves to be remembered? I mean, 23 Grand Slams, the Olympic medals. It just feels like, Jemele, calling her one of the all-time tennis greats or even just one of the all-time greatest athletes is just not enough.

HILL: No, you're absolutely right. And in fact, it feels confining to refer to her as the greatest female tennis player ever. It feels confining to call her one of the greatest athletes ever. It feels even confining to look at her and her sister, where they're from, what they became and call them one of the greatest American sports stories of all time. Those don't feel like it does it justice what we witnessed. I mean, for her to have really entrenched¹⁷ herself as a cultural icon - not just a sports icon, but as a cultural icon - for as long as she has, I don't know if we can ever properly celebrate her or properly put her legacy into definitive¹⁸ terms.

MART?NEZ: That's Jemele Hill, staff writer for The Atlantic. Jemele, thanks.

HILL: Thank you, appreciate you.

(SOUNDBITE OF LUMIPA BEATS' "IMPETUOSO (INSTRUMENTAL BEAT)")

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 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。

3 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

6 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。

7 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

8 laud   

n.颂歌；v.赞美

参考例句：

• Kathy was very pleased to have graduated cum laud in her class.凯西在班上以优等成绩毕业，她为此而非常高兴。
• We laud him a warmhearted man.我们称赞他是个热心人。

9 begrudgingly   

小气地，吝啬地

参考例句：

• Then, begrudgingly, I clean up – which doesn't really take that much time. 于是，为了省钱，我打扫干净－－那也不需要花很多时间。
• His terrible directness made me feel peeved, and begrudgingly I conceded that he was right. 他的坦率让我恼火。我承认他是对的，但十分不甘心。

10 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

11 beads   

n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链

参考例句：

• a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
• Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

12 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。

13 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

14 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

15 intersection   

n.交集，十字路口，交叉点；[计算机] 交集

参考例句：

• There is a stop sign at an intersection.在交叉路口处有停车标志。
• Bridges are used to avoid the intersection of a railway and a highway.桥用来避免铁路和公路直接交叉。

16 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》

17 entrenched   

adj.确立的，不容易改的(风俗习惯)

参考例句：

• Television seems to be firmly entrenched as the number one medium for national advertising.电视看来要在全国广告媒介中牢固地占据头等位置。
• If the enemy dares to attack us in these entrenched positions,we will make short work of them.如果敌人胆敢进攻我们固守的阵地，我们就消灭他们。

18 definitive   

adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• No one has come up with a definitive answer as to why this should be so.至于为什么该这样，还没有人给出明确的答复。