Asked if she could alter her technique to reduce the noise she makes, the world number one said: 'Certainly not now' |
Maria Sharapova, the former Wimbledon champion dubbed the Queen of Screams, claimed yesterday that she was too old to stop grunting on court. After cementing a place in the third round of the tournament, the 25-year-old admitted that she had been screeching since the moment she first picked up a racquet. But despite being one of the worst offenders, she said the plan to introduce maximum noise levels and to penalise those who exceed them was a "smart idea". Asked if she could alter her technique to reduce the noise she makes, the world number one said: "Certainly not now, not since I've been doing it since I was four years old. "It's definitely tough and impossible to do when you've played this sport for over 20 years." Heather Watson, the new golden girl of British tennis who will today (FRI) play for a place in the final 16, defended grunting and claimed that for some spectators, it added to the experience. "I think some that watch tennis, some not all, actually enjoy it," she said. "Though there are a few who go way over the top." Watson, 20, rolled her eyes when told about proposals to start teaching junior players how to breathe differently, stating incredulously: "There's an educational program?" The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has confirmed that off-putting wails will no longer be tolerated and that umpires will in the future be equipped with grunt-ometers to ensure the maximum levels are not breached. The loudest known grunt came from Sharapova, who in 2009 was recorded at 105 decibels, equivalent to standing 3ft from a chainsaw. (Read by Brian Salter. Brian Salter is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies) |
前溫網(wǎng)女單冠軍瑪利亞?莎拉波娃綽號是“尖叫女王”,她昨天表示自己年紀(jì)太大,已經(jīng)改不掉場上尖叫的習(xí)慣。 在2012溫布爾登網(wǎng)球錦標(biāo)賽第三輪中奪得一席之地后,這位25歲的女運動員承認(rèn)自己一拿起球拍就開始不斷尖叫。 不過,盡管莎拉波娃是場上叫聲最恐怖的人之一,但是她認(rèn)為,規(guī)定場上尖叫最大音量并對尖叫聲超標(biāo)者予以處罰的辦法是個“好主意”。 在被問及她是否會改變技巧、降低她的叫聲時,這位世界冠軍答道:“現(xiàn)在當(dāng)然不會,因為我從四歲起就一直這么尖叫?!?/p> “這肯定非常難,如果你從事這項體育運動已長達(dá)20多年,要改掉是不可能的?!?/p> 英國網(wǎng)球新星希瑟?沃森周五將挑戰(zhàn)16進(jìn)8決賽,她為尖叫做辯護(hù)說,對某些觀眾而言,尖叫能帶來更刺激的看球體驗。 她說:“我認(rèn)為有一部分觀眾是來看網(wǎng)球的,還有一部分其實很喜歡聽這種尖叫。不過也有個別尖叫聲太過分了?!?/p> 20歲的沃森在聽到教年輕網(wǎng)球選手學(xué)習(xí)如何調(diào)整呼吸的提議時,她翻了個白眼表示難以置信。她說道:“居然還有這樣的培訓(xùn)項目?” 女子網(wǎng)球聯(lián)合會已證實,將不再容忍令人厭惡的尖叫,將來裁判員會配備“尖叫測量計”,確保運動員的尖叫聲不超過最大限定音量。 已知的最響亮的尖叫聲來自莎拉波娃,據(jù)記載,她2009年在場上的尖叫達(dá)到了105分貝,相當(dāng)于在3英尺外聽到電鋸的聲音。 相關(guān)閱讀 (中國日報網(wǎng)英語點津 陳丹妮 編輯:Helen) |
Vocabulary: cement: 鞏固 incredulously: 難以置信地;懷疑地 off-putting: 令人厭惡的 decibel: 分貝(聲音強度單位) |