❷Hardship creates heroes

◆语篇导读

失去父亲，生活艰辛，颠沛流离，因个头太高而受人欺凌！上天好像把一切的苦难都施加到了年幼的凯文·杜兰特身上！他是就此跌倒，还是奋发拼搏？在母亲的关爱和鼓舞下，他选择了与天斗，与地斗。最终，凯文·杜兰特从贫民窟一路奋斗成为美国职业篮球联赛（NBA）最有价值的球员。

Kevin Durant is one of the best players to ever p lay the game of basketball.He has wonchampionshipsin the National Basketball Association(NBA),and he has won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award,too.But it is not just his facts on the court that make him special.It is also where he came from and what he had to overcome that make him so.

Kevin grew up in Washington,D.C.His father left the family when he was very young.So,his mother raised him as a single parent since then.They moved from apartment to apartment.Times were tough.And because he was very tall,Kevin was different from everyone else of his age.Sometimes,he wasbulliedby his classmates.

Despitethe challenges,he always got a lot of love and support from his mother.She wrote a note that hung over Kevin’s bed,“Always believe that anything is possible.”So when he was about 10 years old and told his mother that he dreamed of being an NBA player,his mother did everything she could to help him.

He worked very hard at improving himself.He failed many times but kept getting up.“For 6 years straight,he practiced basketball 8 hours a day!This was on top of his homework and playing for his school team s!”said his coach.

From his mother,he learned to be kind and humble.Now that Kevin has achieved so much success on the court,he has focused a lot of his time on giving back.He helps the homeless and poor children go to college.

◆词语积淀

championship/΄tʃæmpiənʃɪp/n.冠军地位

association/əˌsəʊʃi΄eɪʃn/n.协会；社团

court/kɔːt/n.球场

bully/΄bʊli/v.恐吓；伤害

despite/dɪ΄spaɪt/prep.即使；尽管

on top of除……之外；在……之上

humble/΄hʌmbl/adj.谦逊的

now that既然；因为

◆典句赏析

1.So when he was about 10 years old and told his mother that he dreamed of being an NBA player,his mother did everything she could to help him.因此，当他在10岁左右对母亲说他梦想成为NBA球员时，他母亲竭尽全力地帮助他实现梦想。

and连接两个由when引导的时间状语从句。在第二个时间状语从句中，that引导宾语从句；she could是定语从句，修饰先行词everything。

【即时尝试】当他说他会信守承诺按时给我钱的时候，我有点怀疑。

2.Now that Kevin h as achieved so much success on the court,he has focused a lot of his time on giving back.因为凯文在球场上已经取得了很多的成就，于是他便将大量时间花在了回馈社会上。

now that是一个从属连词，引导原因状语从句，意思和since(既然；由于)接近，但now that必须引出一个新的情况，否则需要由别的相关连词替代；give back是由“动词+副词”构成的固定短语，意为“归还；回馈”，如果其后的宾语为人称代词，代词则要放在give和back之间。

【即时尝试】既然你已经制定好了你的计划，那就努力去做吧！

译文助读

凯文·杜兰特是篮球运动有史以来的最佳运动员之一。他曾多次获得NBA联赛冠军，还获得过“NBA最有价值球员”奖。但这不仅仅是因为他在球场上的突出表现使得他与众不同。他的出身，他所需要克服的艰难更使得他脱颖而出。

凯文在华盛顿长大，当他还在幼年时期，他的父亲就离开了。所以，从那时起他的母亲作为单亲妈妈抚养他长大。他们搬了一次又一次的家，日子过得很艰难。因为他的个头很高，显得与同龄人都不一样，所以有时候还会因此被同学欺凌。

尽管挑战重重，但他的母亲却总是对他充满爱和支持。她给他写了张纸条挂在床头：“永远相信一切皆有可能。”因此，当他在10岁左右对母亲说他梦想成为NBA球员时，他母亲竭尽全力地帮助他实现梦想。

凯文用勤奋训练来提升自己。尽管他失败了很多次，但却一直坚持不懈。“连续6年，他每天都练习8个小时！这是他在完成作业和为校队打球之外仍然会做到的！”他的教练说。

从他母亲的身上，凯文学会了善良和谦逊。因为他在球场上已经取得了很多的成就，于是他便将大量时间花在了回馈社会上。他资助无家可归的人，也帮助贫穷孩子成就大学梦。