英語名人堂：姚明

　　姚明，1980年生于上海市徐匯區(qū)，祖籍江蘇省蘇州市吳江區(qū)震澤鎮(zhèn)，前中國職業(yè)籃球運(yùn)動員，司職中鋒，中職聯(lián)公司董事長兼總經(jīng)理[1] 。

　　1998年4月，姚明入選王非執(zhí)教的國家隊(duì)，開始籃球生涯。2002年，他以狀元秀身份被NBA的休斯敦火箭隊(duì)選中。2003年至2008年連續(xù)六個賽季入選NBA西部全明星陣容。2009年，姚明收購上海男籃，成為上海大鯊魚籃球俱樂部老板。

　　2011年7月20日，姚明正式宣布退役。

　　2013年，姚明當(dāng)選為第十二屆全國政協(xié)委員。2014年6月，參加湖南衛(wèi)視《爸爸去哪兒》客串嘉賓。

　　2015年2月10日，姚明正式成為北京申辦冬奧會形象大使之一。[2]

　　2016年4月4日，姚明正式入選2016年奈·史密斯籃球名人紀(jì)念堂，成為首位獲此殊榮的中國人。[3]

　　Yao Ming is probably China’s most famous sports star. He plays basketball for the China national team and for the Houston Rockets in America. He is currently the tallest player in the NBA, measuring 2.29 metres. His mother and father stand at 1.90 and 2.01 metres. Yao has been China’s richest celebrity for over five years and has helped Chinese-US relations.

　　Yao started playing basketball when he was nine and joined the Shanghai Sharks at 13. He played on their senior team for five years and won the Chinese championship. In 2002, he became the first international player ever to be selected as the number one pick of rookies. China gave permission for Yao to play in the USA on the morning of the draft.

　　He is a huge success in America and has signed many major sponsorship deals. He has played in the NBA All-Star Game in all of his seasons with Houston. In 2007, Yao played against his fellow Chinese player Yi Jianlian for the first time. Over 200 million people in China tuned in, making it one of the most-watched basketball games ever.

　　Yao is married to Ye Li, a former player for China's national team. In 2004, he carried the Chinese flag during the opening ceremony of the Olympics, which he said was a “long dream come true”. He also does a great deal for charity. After the 2008 China earthquake, he donated $2 million dollars and created a foundation to help rebuild schools.