美国国家公共电台 NPR--Round 1 of the NBA playoffs features games with intriguing storylines

Round 1 of the NBA playoffs features games with intriguing¹ storylines

Transcript²

So far there's been drama in nearly every series in the first round of the NBA playoffs: upsets, injuries to key players and older stars are flexing³ their aging muscles.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Tonight's pro⁴ basketball playoff games feature intriguing storylines, including an NBA series that may be altered by a broken finger. NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman is covering the story.

Hey there, Tom.

TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE⁵: Hi. Your finger expert here. Yeah.

INSKEEP: (Laughter) Exactly, exactly. Careful about which finger. But which series and whose finger?

GOLDMAN: (Laughter) It is the fractured tip of the left index finger belonging to Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox, who was launched into stardom this season and in a riveting⁶ first-round playoff series going on right now versus⁷ the defending champion Golden State Warriors⁸. Problem is, Steve, his left hand is his shooting hand, and if he plays - and he says he's determined⁹ to do so - that left finger could affect his performance. And he is the engine of a very talented Sacramento team.

INSKEEP: So we've got an all-California series here - Golden State, Sacramento. How big is Game 5 in this best-of-seven series?

GOLDMAN: Big. The series is tied 2-2. It is balanced on this symbolic¹⁰ edge between Sacramento proving it's an exciting new team to be reckoned with and Golden State's dynasty possibly faltering¹¹. The Warriors have won four NBA titles in the last eight years, but in this series, even when they've won, they've been pushed to the brink¹², especially Sunday's Game 4. It had the biggest TV audience for a first-round playoff game in more than 20 years. Golden State won by a point and survived some uncharacteristic mental mistakes near the end that almost cost them the game. Tonight's game is in Sacramento, where the Kings have been dominant¹³. Golden State has been terrible on the road this season. And they'll need to use all their championship DNA¹⁴ to get a win, which may be made easier by that broken finger.

INSKEEP: Aren't there some other injuries that are having an effect on the playoffs?

GOLDMAN: Miami lost two top players to season-ending injuries, although that hasn't slowed down the Heat, mainly because Jimmy Butler has been phenomenal. Butler had 56 points in the last Miami win.

INSKEEP: Wow - 56 points, that kind of scoring makes me think of your sportswriting, Tom Goldman. I want people to know if they don't - you're saying goodbye today. Is retirement¹⁵ the word, by the way? Or is it you're stepping back? What are you doing?

GOLDMAN: Well, like Serena Williams, I guess I'm evolving.

INSKEEP: Gotcha. OK.

GOLDMAN: I'm going to be evolving. Yeah.

INSKEEP: Well, I'm going to miss you. Tom Goldman has covered Super Bowls. He's covered soccer. He's covered women's sports of all kinds and also the stories that we're about to hear a couple of clips of. Here's the beginning of a report from the Beijing Olympics in 2008, where, Tom, you got a story out of the McDonald's in the press center cafeteria at every Olympics.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

GOLDMAN: The Mickey D's (ph) always have friendly natives to serve up a double cheeseburger and Coke, but I have never encountered a McDonald's greeter.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Hello, sir. Welcome.

GOLDMAN: Hi. Thank you.

Nor have I ever seen the counter help, a dozen strong, break into a well-rehearsed cheer.

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Clapping, singing in non-English language).

INSKEEP: (Laughter) There's also a story here of your feature with Jack¹⁶ LaLanne, the exercise guru who helped you, I guess, work off that McDonald's. You talked with him when he was, I think, 89, and he got you exercising by standing¹⁷ up from your chair.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

JACK LALANNE: Don't use your hands. Sit down. Stand up. Now, get your buttocks only about a half-inch off the chair. You feel that, don't you?

GOLDMAN: Yes, I do.

INSKEEP: Tom, do you plan to follow that routine when you step away?

GOLDMAN: (Laughter) No. I don't. I'm going to relax. OK, sure, I'll stand up and sit down every now and then, Steve. But I'm going to relax. I will say in parting, I have really enjoyed talking to you over the years. Now I'm going to shut up, and you can keep going.

INSKEEP: Thank you. Thank you for your decades of service and for making us better. Really appreciate that.

GOLDMAN: You bet.

INSKEEP: NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman.

1 intriguing   

adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心

参考例句：

• These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。
• It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 flexing   

n.挠曲，可挠性v.屈曲( flex的现在分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌

参考例句：

• Flexing particular muscles allows snakes to move in several ways. 可弯曲的特殊的肌肉使蛇可以用几种方式移动。 来自电影对白
• China has become an economic superpower and is flexing its muscles. 中国已经成为了一个经济巨人而且在展示他的肌肉。 来自互联网

4 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

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 riveting   

adj.动听的，令人着迷的，完全吸引某人注意力的；n.铆接（法）

参考例句：

• I find snooker riveting though I don't play myself.虽然我自己不打斯诺克，但是我觉得它挺令人着迷。
• To my amazement,I found it riveting.但令我惊讶的是，我发现它的吸引人处。

7 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

8 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

9 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

10 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

11 faltering   

犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的

参考例句：

• The economy shows no signs of faltering. 经济没有衰退的迹象。
• I canfeel my legs faltering. 我感到我的腿在颤抖。

12 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

13 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。

14 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

15 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。

16 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

17 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。