Countdown starts in Beijing

It's just two weeks until Beijing, China, becomes the focus of the sporting world.

Sports stars don’t come bigger than this man and all simply because he is seven-foot-six. Yao Ming is the symbol of China’s lofty Olympic ambitions, and in a country now /is/ searching for new heroes. You might say that Yao is far bigger than Mao.

Yao Ming is the first of a(n) new breed, an international icon from a communism nation where individual success has never been so richly rewarded.

He is every inch made in China-the child of two basketball players whose union was encouraged by the government. He is adored by millions and playing in America. He earns millions. Now it is time to give his country something back.

How much pressure do you feel that you and /an/other Chinese athletes are under to deliver success? It’s a big challenge. We have huge pressure and possible glory. One can’t come without the other. I will try to enjoy it.

Shi Qingyu is only four but knows the same pressures. Hours each week she spent in training. Hours that would become years. Success would mean a childhood sacrifice but the reward---an escape from this that backbreaking life. Her family have known for generations.

Life here is very tough, her step-father tells me. If she can be a champion, it'll change everything for us.

Late at night in the remote mountain village, Qingyu and her team entertain the locals. The Olympics are uniting a diverse nation. But they have separated this mother from her daughter. Since Xiao Sha left to join the national squad, there have been nine years of newspaper cuttings but barely any personal contact.

I feel sorry that I couldn’t give her a mother’s love but I believe she is doing the right thing. She is winning /the/ glory for the country.

Shi Qingyu’s quest for Olympics glory is a decade away. Yao Ming starts in two weeks and the nation expects big things.

John Ray, ITV News, China.

参考中文翻译：

任何体育明星都不会比这个人更有名气，就是因为他身高7.6英尺。姚明在这个寻找新的英雄的国家里是奥运梦想的象征。你 或许会说姚明比毛泽东地位都高。

姚明是NBA里的第一个新的人种，来自社会主义国家的国际形象，在那里，个人的成功收到前所未有的尊重。

他是土生土长的中国人——他的父母是都是政府篮球队的篮球运动员，他受到数百万人的敬仰，在美国打篮球。他每年赚数百万美元。现在是回报祖国的时候。

你和其他中国运动员在追求成功的路上感到压力大吗？这是一个很大的挑战。我们可能获得荣耀，但是压力也非常大。荣耀和压力是相辅相成的。我会试着去享受。

Shi Qingyu 才四岁，但是她也感受到了同样的压力。她每周要花费几小时的时间来训练。每周几个小时，可能要坚持几年。成功意味着要牺牲掉童年的美好时光，但是回报是——摆脱掉累人的生活。这是她的家人世世代代都知道的。

这里的生活非常艰苦。她的继父告诉我们。如果她能赢得冠军，就会为我们改变一切。

晚上晚些时候，在这个偏远的小山村里，Qingyu和其他队员与当地民众一起娱乐。奥林匹克把不同民族的人团结在一起，但是也让母女分离。自从Xiao Sha 离开家人参加国家队以后已经9年了，但是一直没有跟家里见面。

不能给她母爱我感到很遗憾，但是我相信她在做正确的事情。她在为国家荣誉而战。

Qingyu追求奥运会的荣誉已经十年了。姚明两周后就要上场，中国期待着这一刻。