阿根廷人在NBA全明星赛上的处女秀

Argentine to Make First NBA All-Star Appearance

阿根廷人在NBA全明星赛上的处女秀

 

The National Basketball Association's mid-season All-Star game is set for this Sunday in Denver, Colorado. Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs will be the first player from Argentina to appear in the game.

 

It has been an impressive run for Manu Ginobili. Last year at the Athens Olympics he led Argentina's national team to an upset win over the United States in the men's basketball semifinal. Argentina then beat Italy in the final to win the gold medal, which was the first-ever medal for Argentina in Olympic basketball.

 

Ginobili plays professionally for the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs and the shooting guard has helped guide them to the best record in the league so far this season. He was rewarded by being named a reserve to this year's All-Star team. He told VOA Sports it's a great honor.

 

Manu Ginobili: I'm so proud. I can't believe it. I'm trying to make it sink in, but it's really hard. Because of, well, especially with my background, where I come from, already playing in the NBA is huge for me. So the fact of being chosen as one of the top 24 players in the league and being able to be in that show is enormous.

 

The 27-year-old Ginobili has a huge following in his home country and fans in Argentina are equally excited.

 

Manu Ginobili: If you would have asked that [if he could have made the All-Star team] three years ago it was impossible, and I'm talking seriously impossible, so that's why they are very happy with it, a little emotional too, because they saw me playing when I was 17, 18, making my first steps in professional basketball. So it's a big step for our country, for basketball in our country, so it's going to help a lot.

 

Manu Ginobili said he has improved his overall game from last season, playing more solid. The 1.98-meter-tall guard is incredibly athletic¹ and versatile². He is capable of hitting long jump shots, attacking the basket and making a nuisance of himself on the defensive³ end of the court. He is enough of a threat when he has the ball that it takes some of the pressure off fellow-Spurs All-Star Tim Duncan.

 

While he knows it will be great to play with Duncan in Sunday's All-Star game, they have high hopes for an NBA championship this season.

 

Manu Ginobili: This [being named an All-Star] is a gift. I mean this is a bonus. My goal is in season of the first day. By the beginning of the season I wasn't even thinking of the All-Star game, but I was really thinking about getting another ring. So that's what we're all thinking here [on the Spurs team], try to, to make it to the end and go home with a big smile.

 

Last year Manu Ginobili had a big smile when he signed a new six-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs for $52 million. He would like nothing better than to have the team's fans feel he earned the big money deal by helping⁴ the Spurs win the NBA title.

 

I’m Parke Brewer⁵, VOA Sports.

 

注释：

league [li:^] n. 同盟，联盟，盟约，联合会，社团

sink in 被了解

solid [5sClid] adj. 结实的，可靠的，一致的，纯粹的

versatile [5vE:sEtail] adj. 万能的，多才多艺的，多面手的

nuisance [5nju:sns] n. 讨厌的人或东西，麻烦事，损害

1 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

2 versatile   

adj.通用的，万用的；多才多艺的，多方面的

参考例句：

• A versatile person is often good at a number of different things.多才多艺的人通常擅长许多种不同的事情。
• He had been one of the game's most versatile athletes.他是这项运动中技术最全面的运动员之一。

3 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 brewer   

n. 啤酒制造者

参考例句：

• Brewer is a very interesting man. 布鲁尔是一个很有趣的人。
• I decided to quit my job to become a brewer. 我决定辞职，做一名酿酒人。