Fundamentals are the key
Photos by Yao Fan
By Li Lichao

9月22日, 著名的NBA球星德雷克斯勒来到厦门. 当天晚上, 在他入住的索菲特酒店, 忙碌了一天后的"滑翔机"接受了厦门日报双语周刊的专访.

Common Talk(CT): What do you miss the most about the battle field of the NBA?
Clyde Drexler(CD): Nothing.

CT: Nothing at all?
CD:(smiles)Well, I enjoyed every moment of it, everything about it and now I am retired and I miss nothing about it, the action the ground, the ball...I miss absolutely nothing.

CT: But...
CD: Come on, let me ask YOU something: how do you feel about work when you are off it? Do you miss it?

CT: No, I try to forget it all.
CD: Now, you see what I mean?

There, under the shining chandelier of the Sofitel lobby, stands NBA all-time superstar Clyde "The Glide" Drexler, 2 meters tall in his neat white sports gear, with an amused now-you-see-what-I-mean smile on his face. The whole room brightened, the distance between him and the crowds of onlookers seemed to melt away. The dust and weariness of a long day seemed to be dispelled by that sharp but generous grin.

Drexler's day had been tiring, but at the same time fulfilling for him. The day was firstly all about inspiring the young to take flight, getting face to face with the university students who looked up to him. He talked excitedly about what he was doing: "Every time I am in a university with young people, I am very happy. And the reason is that university is where the opportunities are... So I encourage young people to take advantage of the university and get the best education you can get, because education is the foundation of a wonderful life... I encourage all of you students to dream big, dream big and work hard, set your goals high and accept no limitation. Because THAT is what it takes to be successful."



Secondly, his day was also about teaching the young hopefuls exactly how to fly. In the Xiamen University Mingpei Stadium he showed the school basketball team what he believes makes a great player. "It is fundamentals," he said, "fundamentals such as rebounds and shooting, dribbling, and the last one: defense. If you work on every aspect of your game or on one of these fundamentals every day, it will make you a better player, and consequently, will make your team much better because you have much more skill. When I was your age, I worked maybe 5 or 6 hours a day on every fundamental of the game, just going through, over and over. So, to raise your skill level, you have to work on every facet of the game, so that you have no weaknesses. As coaches, when we see players, we see the weaknesses rather than the strengths. Make sure when you are practicing, you practice the right way, practice just like playing a game. Work on your fundamentals..."

"Many young players today are working more on the tricks, the pass, the dribble, all the fancy stuff. But really, you can't do that before you get all the fundamentals. The key is that if you continue to improve, I think there is always a chance that you can play at the next level. Whatever that level may be, maybe CBA, maybe NBA. You have to keep working on your game to improve."

Last but not least, Drexler's day included an appreciation of the world that he glided through so effortlessly. Talking about his career as a professional NBA basketball player, he said: "I have been fortune enough to play this game for 30 years, think I will be playing this game until I die. It teaches great moral character, you have to learn to how to take a defeat, you have to learn how to get along with others, and you have to learn how to rely on other people. So it is life as a form of sport. I can see the passing of the game, working on the game when you have much to learn..."

His day in Xiamen was finally over, but Clyde Drexler will be remembered here for the inspiration he brought. He has left his mark, a glide path of young people and fans who will take his advice and strive to emulate his great achievements.

 

 

"Biggest" star ever in Sofitel
By Ricci and Lily



September 22, NBA's superstar Clyde Drexler has become the first basketball player to receive Sofitel Xiamen's VIP treatment. In recognition of Drexler's nickname Clyde "The Glide", Sofitel Xiamen Plaza specially commissioned a wooden model of a glider with his name on it. In return, the hall of fame veteran autographed a photo of himself wearing a Sofitel T-shirt as a token of his appreciation. To ensure a comfortable night's sleep for the Rockets hero, who stands at height of 2.01 meters, the considerate hotel general manager and staff managed to
extend one of their 2×2 meter beds by a meter.

Though the Sofitel is only two months into its trial and adjustment period, it has already played host to many important guests from the world of politics and entertainment, including the vice premier of Thailand and several film and TV stars. Sofitel is the first international five-star hotel in Xiamen, and as its reputation grows to match the quality of its service, Sofitel will surely become the first choice for the business elite and other important guests to our beautiful city.

 

 

Health garden

Bottled water leads to tooth decay in children
瓶装水致儿童龋齿
Scientists have warned that children are developing tooth decay because they are drinking bottled water rather than fluoridated tap water. The fluoride content of popular brands of bottled water was too low to protect children's teeth.



Men are dirtier than women
男人更不讲卫生
According to a new U.S. survey, 90 percent of women wash their hands after using a public restroom, compared with 75 percent of men. Researchers say hand washing is the single most important thing people can do to stop the spread of illness and reduce the risk of getting sick.

White collars reduce pressure through hypnotism
白领催眠减压
Hypnotism is becoming popular with white-collar workers in China as a complement to more traditional pressure-reduction methods such as exercise and entertainment. Hypnotism takes advantage of a subject's psychological suggestibility, making his or her consciousness narrow its focus. This leads the subject to ignore the problems that have been worrying her and helps to reduce extraneous thoughts, thus inducing a relaxed state.



Digital scan more effective in finding breast cancer
数码扫描更易发现乳腺癌
A landmark trial has found mammograms conducted with new digital technology are far more effective for detecting breast cancer among women under 50 than those conducted using photographic film. The new technique allows doctors to view the mammogram on a computer and to change the contrast on screen to get a clearer look at suspicious areas.

Vocabulary
decay 腐烂
fluoridated 氟化的
hypnotism 催眠术
extraneous 过多的
mammogram 乳房X线照片