【英语生活】盖特纳在北京忙里偷闲打篮球

Amid the big U.S-China issues of the day--rising tensions over North Korea, the Strategic and Economic Dialogue between the two countries this week in Beijing--U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner took some time out Sunday for a half-court game of four-on-four with some students from a high school affiliated with Renmin University in the Chinese capital. Clad in rolled-up shirtsleeves, slacks and sneakers, Geithner faced some keen competition on the court, as seen in the five-minute video clip below, via Youku http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTc1Mzg3NTY4.html. (The highlight for the Treasury secretary: a loudly cheered three-pointer seen around the halfway mark at 02:35).

Geithner's game showed qualities that make a good teammate: a willingness to pass and help out on defense. But where was the killer instinct you'd expect from a man who is fifth in line of succession for the U.S. presidency?

The other players on the floor didn't seem intimidated by Geithner, so it's unclear if the occasions when he was left open for jumpers were a function of poor defense or simply their assessment that he wasn't worth defending. Geithner's decent-though-inconsistent shooting form got him a few good rolls, but too many times the ball clanged noisily off the front of the rim. More alarmingly, an ill-advised pass through traffic was intercepted and led directly to a three-pointer, suggesting some questionable decision-making: Was the secretary trying to thread the needle in an attempt to impress his hosts? And why in the world didn't he untuck his shirt?

Geithner, though not among the tallest men on the floor, wouldn't be the last man picked for a team-he's fleet of foot for a 48-year-old and, like Chinese league all-star guard Stephon Marbury, the secretary was born in Brooklyn. But his erratic decision-making indicates he may want to spend some time with Craig Robinson, head coach of men's basketball at nationally ranked Oregon State University-and President Obama's brother-in-law.

尽管中美之间有诸多大事待议──越来越紧张的朝鲜半岛局势，本周在北京举行的中美战略与经济对话──但美国财政部长盖特纳(Timothy Geithner)周日仍忙里偷闲，在北京与人民大学附属中学的学生一起进行了一场四对四的半场篮球赛。盖特纳穿着衬衫、休闲裤和运动鞋，卷起了袖子，在篮球场上遇到了激烈的竞争。

盖特纳在比赛中显示了良好的团队意识：愿意传球，协同防守。但在美国总统继任顺序中排名第五的美国财长身上应有的那股霸气哪儿去了？


场上的其他球员看来并不害怕盖特纳，因此不清楚盖特纳得到的跳投机会是由于对方防守不当造成的，还是仅仅因为对方球员认为他不值一防。盖特纳优雅但不协调的投篮姿势让他投了几个好球，但太多时间球只是砰地砸在了篮框上。更让人紧张的是，一次不明智的传球被抢断，直接导致对方投中三分，显示出他的判断有问题：盖特纳是不是勉为其难地试图给主人留下个好印象？还有，他干嘛不脱掉衬衫呢？

尽管盖特纳不是球场上最高的队员，但在球队挑人时他也不会是谁都不想要的那种包袱。对于一个48岁的人来说，他的身手堪称矫健了，而且和中国篮球联赛全明星后卫马布里(Stephon Marbury)一样，他也出生于纽约布鲁克林。但从他古怪的判断来看，他或许还得跟俄勒冈州立大学(Oregon State University)男子篮球队主教练罗宾逊(Craig Robinson)多学学──后者是奥巴马总统的大舅子。