姚明婚後打算：備戰奧運第一
Yao says "Games first, babies second"
Chinese basketball superstar Yao Ming marries his 7-year girlfriend Ye Li
China's newly wed basketball sensation, Yao Ming, said babies would take a back-seat to Olympic preparations as the host country began the one-year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Games.
The 7ft 6in (2.26 meter) Houston Rockets centre, who wed his 6ft 2in basketballer girlfriend Ye Li at a private ceremony in Shanghai on Monday, was briefly caught off guard when China's Olympic hurdling champion, Liu Xiang, asked about his family plans on Tuesday.
"Having e's no plan at present. I will be concentrating on preparing for the NBA season and next year's Olympics," Yao said in comments published on on Wednesday.
"To participate in the Olympics in your home country, it's an opportunity I will really cherish," Yao said.
Yao also revealed that his wedding ceremony, at which dozens of security guards kept a massive media throng at bay outside a Shanghai hotel, was deliberately timed.
"Getting married on August 6 was to use the focus of the Olympics to divert attention away from my wedding," he said, keeping tight-lipped about honeymoon plans.
On Wednesday, China marked the one-year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympics which will start 8.08 p.m. local time on the eighth day of the eighth month. Eight, unsurprisingly, is a lucky number in China.
在中國迎來2008年北京奧運會倒計時一週年之際，剛步入婚姻殿堂的籃球巨星姚明表示，備戰奧運第一，生孩子暫不考慮。
本週一，這位身高2米26的NBA火箭隊中鋒與他身高1米90的女友、女籃隊員葉莉在上海舉行了一個家庭式婚禮。週二，我國跨欄奧運冠軍劉翔問起了姚明的“婚後計劃”，把他弄了個措手不及。
據中國新聞網週三報道，姚明說：“要孩子……目前還沒這個打算。我要集中精力備戰NBA新賽季和明年的奧運會。”
姚明說：“有機會在自己的祖國參加奧運會，我會非常珍惜。”
姚明在上海舉行婚禮當天，一大羣媒體記者被保安擋在了酒店門外。據姚明透露，他的婚禮選在那天舉行是有意的。
“選在今年8月6日結婚，是想借奧運的光，分散各界對我結婚的注意力。”姚明沒有透露他們的蜜月計劃。
昨天，中國舉行了2008年北京奧運會倒計時一週年的慶祝活動。北京奧運會將於北京時間2008年8月8日晚8時零8分開幕。無疑，“8”在中國是個幸運數字。
take a back seat to:位於……之後，處於次要地位
catch off one's guard:把某人弄了個措手不及
