Waking from the Dream 大梦方觉醒（七）

Yet when the other international squads that followed the '92 team were put together, we did hear grumbling, we did hear players complain about playing time, shots and lack of exposure.

That first Dream Team was one of a kind, which is why the NBA and USA Basketball and anyone else with a microphone, notepad or laptop should show great restraint, promising to never apply that title to any other Olympic Team until further ordered.

Laptop：便携式电脑（我也想有一台品味独特的笔记本电脑呀！）。apply在这里是 give wholly to; devote的意思；还有其他义项，请体会如下例子：This does not apply to you.这与你无关。He applies to the consul for a visa.他向领事申请签证。apply theory to practice把理论运用到实践中去。He applied himself to his study.他集中精力学习。

他们对奥运冠军志在必得。

In another decade or so, they should all be in the Hall of Fame, together again for eternity. For now, however, we see them all fading away, we see their skills slowly diminishing. Ewing, Mullin and Olajuwon are losing the inevitable battle with time and old age. Some may wonder why we mention Olajuwon here, when it's obvious he was not on the original Dream Team roster. It was only by a quirk of birth that the Nigerian-born Hakeem the Dream was not on that first squad. There is no denying that he was a significant contributor to the Dream Team Generation, and with two NBA championship rings, surpassed Ewing as the premier center of his time. And when he gained U.S. citizenship, USA Basketball quickly made him a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team.

Eternity：永远,永恒;不朽。给你两句＂大话＂尝尝：through all eternity永恒,万古千秋。between this life and eternity在今世与来世间,在生死之间。BOYS可能都会有以下体会吧--It seemed an eternity before she appeared.她出现之前那段时间长得似乎无穷无尽。
Surpass超过,胜过。看看下列例子＂超过＂了你的理解＂surpass (one's) comprehension＂了吗？surpass description非言语所能形容The result surpasses our hopes [expectations].结果超出我们的希望 [预料] 。

以后，他们会列入名人堂，融入历史。尼日利亚的伊斯兰学者＂大梦＂奥拉朱旺当年叱咤风云，但现已老迈。

Pippen, Robinson, Stockton and Malone are not the tormenters they used to be either, but they are still among the NBA elite. They all know the clock is ticking. But most have orchestrated the timing of their departures on their own terms, some choosing to leave with a little left in the tank (Jordan, Magic, Drexler), others on dead empty (Bird).

Elite：精华,精锐,中坚分子。诸位也想成为＂the elite of society社会名流,名士a new elite新锐集团＂的一员吧。

Pippen, Robinson, Stockton和Malone虽不像他们那样光彩夺目，但也是中坚力量。

But at least that was their choice. Charles Barkley wasn't so lucky, and that just doesn't seem fair. This was supposed to be Sir Charles' farewell tour. He had announced after 16 NBA seasons that this would be his last. But his knee betrayed him only 20 games into his final season, ending his wondrous basketball career several months - and a thousand laughs - too short.

The best snapshots of Barkley, oddly enough, are mostly away from the court. His career statistics are a monument to the fact that he is a physical aberration. No one 6 feet 4 1/2 should have been able to compile 23,755 points, and 12,545 rebounds in 16 seasons on NBA courts. But Sir Charles did that and so much more. He was an outrageous man with a wit that saw no boundaries. He was outlandish and abrasive, comical and controversial, poignant and impolite. But most of all, he was the damnedest life of the party I've ever known.

Aberration：离开正道,脱离常轨;过失,犯规。这可是一个GRE词汇呀。Compile这里表示＂搜集＂。"But his knee betrayed him only 20 games into his final season"意为他的膝伤使他只参赛20场。 从try [do] one's damnedest尽最大的努力,尽全力、the damnedest story最没道理的话你就可以品出damnedest的含义吧！

巴克利是NBA中最朴实、也是最有特点的球星，尽管他的职业生涯以悲剧结束，但他却无疑是最潇洒的一位了（另一位我想应该是罗德曼吧！）。