阅读训练

Jordan Retirement

I am here to announce my retirement from the game of basketball. It won't be another announcement to baseball or anything to that nature1.

Mentally, I'm exhausted; I don't feel I have a challenge. Physically, I feel great. The last time in 1993 I had other agendas. I felt that I wanted to play baseball and I felt that at my age, it was a good opportunity and time to do it. And with the death of my father, and I was basically trying to deal with that.

Actually I talked to Jerry last year once the season ended and I told Jerry at that time, mentally, I was a little exhausted. I didn't know if I would play next year. I wanted to put him on awareness so that he could possibly prepare going into next season. And Jerry, once we had our conversation, wanted me to take time as I did in 1993 to make sure that it was the right decision because it was going to be the final decision.

I retired the first time when Phil Jackson was the coach. And I think that even with Phil being the coach I would have had a tough time, mentally finding the challenge for myself. Although he can somehow present challenges for me. I don't know if he could have presented the challenge for me to continue on to this season. Even though middle way of this season I wanted to continue to play a couple more years, but at the end of this season I was mentally drained and tired. So I can't say that he would have restored that.

I will support the Chicago Bulls2. I think the game itself is a lot bigger than Michael Jordan. I've been given an opportunity by people before me, to name a few, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Doctor J, Jerry West. These guys played the game way before Michael Jordan was born and Michael Jordan came on the heels of3 all that activity. Mr Stern and what he's done for the league, gave me an opportunity to play the game of basketball. I played it to the best I could play it; I tried to enhance the game itself. I've tried to be the best basketball player that I could be.

练习题：

Ⅰ. Fill in each blank with proper choice(s):

1. Before Michael Jordan are famous basketball players.

A. Kareem Abdul Jabbar B. Doctor J

C. Jerry West D. Yao Ming

2. Lillian tried to that no one in this world could live forever.

A. put him on awareness B. awareness

C. awared D. make aware

3. Physically, he is strong; , he is weak.

A. bodily B. mentally C. secretly D. quickly

Ⅱ. Question:

Who is the coach when Jordan wanted to retire the first time?

参考答案

Ⅰ. 1. A. B. C 2. A 3 . B

Ⅱ. Phil Jackson.

参考译文

乔丹退役演说

我在这里宣布从篮球场上退役, 而且这次退役后不会再去从事棒球或其他类似的运动。

由于精神上很疲惫, 我感到自己缺乏挑战力, 体力倒还不错。1993年那次退役时我有其他计划: 想打棒球, 我那个年纪正是从事棒球事业的极佳时机。父亲刚好去世了, 我只想尽力去面对这一切。

事实上, 去年赛季刚结束时, 我和杰里谈过一次。我告诉他我精神上有些疲惫, 不知下一年还能不能打。我想让他意识到这一点, 以便为下一赛季做准备。有一次我们谈到这个问题时, 杰里让我像1993 年那样慎重考虑, 以便做出明智的决定, 因为这将是最后决定。 第一次退役时的教练是费尔· 杰克逊。但我觉得即使本赛季他还担任教练, 我也会很困难, 我从内心已感受到了挑战。当然无论如何, 他都会给我一些应对方法的。我不知道他是否还有办法使我打完这一赛季。在本赛季中我还想着再打几年呢, 但当赛季结束时, 我却感觉精神枯竭, 疲惫。因此, 我确实不能说他会使我恢复精力。

我将支持芝加哥公牛队, 我认为比赛本身比迈克尔· 乔丹重要得多。我的很多机会都是篮球前辈们给的: 贾巴尔, J 博士, 韦思特等等。这些人早在乔丹出生前就在赛场龙腾虎跃了。迈克尔· 乔丹只不过是继承了他们的传统。斯特恩先生以及他为联盟做出的贡献给了我打篮球的机会。我已尽我最大能力打球, 我想努力推动运动本身的发展。我一直在努力, 尽我所能成为最好的球员。

阅读解释

1. nature n. 本性, 天性, 性质, 如: human nature ( 人性, 人情) ; the animal nature ( 兽性) ; the rational nature ( 理性) ; a man of good / ill nature ( 脾气好/坏的人) ; Nature will out. ( 本性难隐。) ; sanguine natures ( 性格快活的人, 乐天派的人) ; events of this nature ( 这一类事120 件) 。

2. 芝加哥公牛篮球队。在乔丹时代, 它几乎每年都是联赛的冠军, 但是自乔丹退役后就一蹶不振, 风光难再了。

3. 意思相当于follow on ( 或upon) the heels of ( 紧跟在后面) 。这个词还有个成语the heel of Achilles, 意思相当于Achilles’heel ( 致命弱点, 要害) 。希腊神话中阿基里斯被母亲提着脚跟在冥河炼得浑身刀枪不入, 但是被人用箭射中脚跟而死, 说明再强大的事物也有弱点。