VOA标准英语2010年-Senegalese Basketball Legend Helps Mot

Senegalese basketball legend Anne Marie Dioh is helping¹ to train the next generation of women basketball players in her country.  Dioh is making a difference through her after-school program that also encourages young people to stay in school.

Anne Marie Dioh captained Senegal's women's basketball team to two African championships in the early 1990s.  The retired² shooting guard now helps girls learn the game she loves in a country where women's athletics³ are overshadowed by men's teams.

Dioh says that everything she knows about sports and basketball she must pass on to young people.  And that is what pushed her to create this school.

Players from across Dakar come to Dioh's after-school program three times a week for basketball and the structure of organized athletics.

 

Dioh says that helps her draw in the children, so they can stay in school, learn and play basketball.

Renata Maniaci is a Fulbright scholar from the United States who has spent the last year studying women's basketball in Senegal.

"This teaches them discipline," said Maniaci.  "A lot of the ex-national team players say that the most important thing that they learned playing basketball was discipline, hard work and respect for each other, respect for the people they play against...  And I see a lot of the girls learning that here every day with Anne Marie."

With girls from six to 18 years of age, the program builds camaraderie⁴ among teammates who often play together in neighborhood tournaments season after season.

Abibatou Diallo is a point guard on the school's cadet team.

Diallo says the program has changed her life.  She says she could not play basketball before; now she can.  She says she started when she was six years old and that she is now one of the best players at the school.

Dioh says that a successful career on and off the court shows her players that women have the power to create their own opportunities.

Dioh says these girls are not necessarily going to play basketball for a living; they can be other things.  She says they can be referees⁵.  They can be coaches or even international players who represent their country.

Renata Maniaci says Anne Marie Dioh is a role model for a generation of young Senegalese women.

"They see Anne Marie and they see what she has become and how much she has given back to the women who play basketball.  So it really gives them something to strive⁶ for," added Maniaci.

Student Abibatou Diallo says she has learned what it takes to succeed.  Dioh, she says, is her idol⁷.  She wants to be like her, do what she did and play like her.

Diallo was one of Dioh's first players.  But when her father died, Diallo's family could no longer afford the program's fees.  Dioh kept her on the team because she says this time in her life is not about making money.

Anne Marie Dioh uses her university salary to subsidize the cost of insurance and uniforms for the team.  She says the children who cannot pay are often the players who work the hardest and that she does not want to hold them back simply because of money.

 

1 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。

2 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

3 athletics   

n.运动，体育，田径运动

参考例句：

• When I was at school I was always hopeless at athletics.我上学的时候体育十分糟糕。
• Our team tied with theirs in athletics.在田径比赛中，我们队与他们队旗鼓相当。

4 camaraderie   

n.同志之爱，友情

参考例句：

• The camaraderie among fellow employees made the tedious work just bearable.同事之间的情谊使枯燥乏味的工作变得还能忍受。
• Some bosses are formal and have occasional interactions,while others prefer continual camaraderie.有些老板很刻板，偶尔才和下属互动一下；有些则喜欢和下属打成一片。

5 referees   

n.裁判员( referee的名词复数 )；证明人；公断人；（专业性强的文章的）审阅人

参考例句：

• The fiery player has had numerous run-ins with referees. 这位脾气暴躁的队员曾和裁判员发生过无数次争吵。
• If you want to appeal, the Court of Referees will decide. 如果你要上诉，可以由仲裁法庭去判决。 来自辞典例句

6 strive   

vi.努力，奋斗，力争

参考例句：

• Don't strive merely for quantity of production.在生产中不要单纯地追求数量。
• The scientists strive for a breakthrough in cancer research.科学家们力争在癌症研究方面有个突破。

7 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。