Chien-Ming Wang, born in Tainan city, Taiwan, is a starting pitcher2 for the New York Yankees3 in Major League Baseball4 since 2005. Ever since then, watching Wang's excellent games becomes Taiwanese people's national pride.
王建民出生於台灣台南市,在二○○五年成為美國職棒大聯盟洋基隊的先發投手。從此以後,看王建民的精采球賽便成了台灣人民的民族驕傲。
Wang throws a fastball5 and a slider. However, his sinker is his most powerful weapon. A sinker6 or sinkerball7 is a pitched ball that sinks sharply as it reaches the plate. When in trouble, Wang usually goes to his strength-the sinker. Most of the time, it helps Yankees to win the games.
王建民會投快速球和外角球,不過下墜球才是他的看家本領。所謂的下墜球指的是投出的球在到達時本壘板突然下墜。當遇到難關,王建民便祭出下墜球;這多半可以幫助洋基隊獲勝。
Wang is only 26 years old, but his splendid8 performance does not look like a rookie9 at all. Yankees' manager, Joe Torre, used to say: "You have to pinch10 yourself and continue to try to treat him as a newcomer who's still learning instead of a seasoned11 pro who's pitching the way he's pitching."
王建民才二十六歲,但是他的優異表現卻完全不像是個菜鳥。洋基隊的經理喬托瑞便曾說:「他經驗老道的投球技巧完全不像個新人,你得捏自己一把提醒自己他是個還在學習的新人。」
Chien-Ming Wang has been idolized12 in his native country. In Taiwan, all his games are televised nationwide through Public Television. People can also watch his games on big screens in the street. Taiwanese people may watch games through different media, but they are all rooting for Chien-Ming Wang.
在台灣,王建民被視為偶像。透過公共電視,全國都可以看到他所有的比賽;民眾也可以藉由街上的大型銀幕觀看球賽。台灣人也許收看球賽的管道不同,但是他們都在為王建民加油。
單字精解
1.root for 加油
2.starting pitcher 先發投手
3.Yankees n. 洋基隊
4.Major League Baseball 職棒大聯盟
5.fastball 快速球
6.slider 外角旋轉球
7.sinker (sinkerball) 下墜球
8.splendid 傑出的,了不起的
9.rookie 新手,菜鳥
10.pinch 捏,擰
11.seasoned 經驗豐富的
12.idolize 視…為偶像