“姚小明”牵动万千球迷

爱思英语编者按：姚明即将升级为“奶爸”的消息被证实后，全国的球迷可是坐不住了。各大论坛及门户网站上，关于“姚小明(Yao Junior)”名字，性别以及国籍的揣测持续升温——“姚小明”这个牵动万千球迷心思的虎宝宝，注定还未出生就已经成为众人的焦点。 
 

 
尽管YY这个字母组合目前还没有什么特殊的含义，但中国的篮球迷们希望这两个字母能够预示着国家篮球队辉煌时刻的到来。 YY: they don"t mean much right now, but Chinese basketball fans hope these two initials could herald future victories for the national team.
休斯顿火箭队篮球明星姚明第一个孩子的小名可能叫“YY”。本周一，在中国的一档电视节目上，姚明妻子叶莉的好友苗立杰透露了这个小家伙即将降临的消息。 "YY" looks certain to be the nickname of Houston Rockets star Yao Ming"s first child, whose imminent arrival was broken on Chinese television on Monday by Miao Lijie, a friend of Yao"s wife, Ye Li.

这两个字母是姚明和叶莉二人名字的开头字母，苗立杰在上海的一档直播电视节目中解释到。 The letters are the twinned initials of Yao and Ye, explained Miao on a live TV show in Shanghai.

作为同在中国女篮的队友，苗立杰表示叶莉正在家里静静等待第一个宝宝的到来。 Miao, who plays alongside Ye on the Chinese women"s basketball team, said Ye was quietly expecting the couple"s first baby at home.

晚些时候，姚明的发言人张弛在上海证实了这一消息，这也引发了网络上对于宝宝名字的激烈讨论，随之而来的是人们关于宝宝身高，性别以及国籍的种种猜测。 The news, which was later confirmed by Zhang Chi, Yao"s spokesman in Shanghai, triggered a barrage of baby names on the Internet, as well as predictions about its height, gender and nationality.

在各大论坛及门户网站上，人们纷纷为小宝宝起名字。最受欢迎的还要数根据全民歌唱比赛“超级女声”冠军李宇春得来的名字——“姚宇春”。 Suggested names for the child are found in every major forum and portal. The most popular suggestion was Yao Yuchun in reference to Li Yuchun, winner of Super Girl, a nationwide singing contest.

在中国的门户网站上，姚明与李宇春长相十分相似是一则由来已久的笑话了。 The facial resemblance of Yao Ming and Li Yuchun has long been a running joke on Chinese portals.

相对传统的，寓意吉祥的中文名字以及那些根据篮球巨星创造出来的名字，如“姚尼尔”，“姚科比”，“姚宇春”这个名字更受到网友的追捧。 The name took the lead over traditional and auspicious Chinese names and those coined with basketball big names like Yao"neal, Yao Kobe.

来自新浪网的知情人士透露，宝宝可能要到五六月份才能降生；尽管如此，球迷们已经开始纷纷预测宝宝的身高了。 Although sources of sina.com, one of China"s largest portals, said the baby would not be born until May or June, fans have already made predictions on its eventual height.

一位自称医生的在线评论员李某表示，通过一个遗传公式可以得出：要是男孩，那么身高应在2.075到2.215米之间；女孩则身高应在1.945到2.085米之间。 According to on-line commentator "Li," who claims to be a doctor, a genetic equation show the height of a son would range from 2.075 to 2.215 meters and that of a daughter from 1.945 to 2.085 meters.

但他还表示“姚小明”可能要比父亲还高。在新浪网发起的一个投票活动中，29000位用户认为“姚小明”的身高将会超过2.05米，另外还有12592位用户确信宝宝的身高将会超过2.2米。 But he added that it was possible that Yao junior could outgrow the father. In a vote held by sina.com, 29,000 Internet users agreed that Yao junior will be taller than 2.05 meters while 12,592 others believed that the child"s height could exceed 2.2 meters.

姚明和叶莉都是国家篮球队的中锋。姚明身高2.26米，叶莉身高1.9米。 Yao Ming and Ye Li both played center in China"s national men"s and women"s basketball teams. Yao is 2.26 meters tall and Ye 1.9 meters.

苗立杰表示，姚明夫妇希望宝宝是男孩，他们担心如果是女孩的话，可能会在同龄人中显得太高了。但新浪网的一则新闻称，一位匿名人士表示宝宝很有可能是女孩。 Miao said the couple had wanted a boy, fearing that a girl might be too tall among her peers. A story on sina.com, however, quoted an anonymous source as saying the baby would be a girl.

对于出生地点人们也是议论纷纷，因为这关系到宝宝的国籍。很多人担心宝宝可能会降生在美国，成为美国公民。 The place of the delivery also drew speculation as it would decide the child"s nationality. Many feared the baby could be born in the United States, making it an American citizen.

叶莉现正在上海的家中，夫妇俩还没有确定宝宝的出生地点，张弛说。“这是一件私人的事情，请大家尊重他们的决定。” Ye is currently at the couple"s home in Shanghai and the couple were yet to decide where the child would be born, said Zhang Chi. "It"s a personal matter. Please respect their decision."

关于宝宝的性别及预产期，张弛拒绝透露也不愿多做评论。 Zhang declined to reveal or comment on the gender of the baby and its expected date of birth.

“请给姚明和叶莉更多的私人空间，使他们轻松面对这一人生中的重大转折。”张弛向媒体及公众呼吁。 "Please give Yao and Ye more room for privacy to face this significant transition in their lives," Zhang requested of the media and the public.更多信息请访问：http://www.24en.com/

姚明现年29岁，叶莉28岁；双方都是独生子女，于2007年结婚。 Yao, 29, and Ye, 28, both single children, were married in 2007.