英语名人堂：维纳斯·威廉姆斯

维纳斯·威廉姆斯（Venus Williams），1980年6月17日生于美国加利福尼亚州棕榈树城，美国女子职业网球运动员。[1] 

她是同时代女网天后塞雷娜·威廉姆斯的亲生姐姐，所以通常称呼她为“大威廉姆斯”，简称“大威”。大威廉姆斯相对于妹妹小威来说，她对关键分的把握能力较强，在一发失误的情况下依然敢打敢拼，掌握主动权。[2] 

1994年开始了自己的网球生涯，首次参加WTA职业比赛，2000年获得温网，美网冠军，2000年悉尼奥运会单打双打金牌双料得主。[1]  2002年，首度登上单打世界排名第一，截止到2014年7届女单大满贯得主，2008年成为第11位登上WTA单打排名第1的选手，2010年，完成了女双的跨年度大满贯，登上女双世界第一。2014年，在迪拜收获了第45个单打冠军。[3] 

 

Venus Ebony Starr Williams is one of the most successful women ever to play tennis. She is a former World No. 1, and always a serious threat on court. She is likely to win a tournament even if her ranking is low. She has also met with success off the court as the CEO of two companies she started.

 

Williams was born in Los Angeles in 1980. She started playing tennis from a very young age with her four sisters. Her father recognized that both Venus and little sister Serena were outstanding players.  She built up an amazing record of being unbeaten in 63 matches in girls’ tournaments, and aged¹ ten, won the Southern California girls' under-12 title.

 

Venus moved with her family to Florida to train at a tennis academy. By the time she was thirteen, major sports companies were offering her sponsorship deals. She turned pro² at 14 and nearly beat the world number 2 in her debut³ tournament. Venus made it to the final at her debut US Open in 1997 but lost in straight sets.

 

Venus won her first Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon in 2000 and her 16th in 2008. This outstanding achievement makes her one of the all-time greats. In 2006, Williams led and won a campaign for women to receive the same prize money as men at Wimbledon and was backed by the British government. Her successful interior⁴ design company and fashion lines also show she is a winner.

1 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

2 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？

3 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

4 interior   

adj.在内的，内部的，内地的，国内的；n.内部

参考例句：

• There is water in the interior of the cave.在山洞的内部有水。
• They went into the interior room.他们进了内室。