Shaquille O’Neal became the first NBA star who visited “少林寺(shàolínsì)” Shao Lin Temple in Henan Province in China on July 13th, 2009. Although it was raining in that morning, he said he was extremely excited as he is always interested in Chinese martial art, so this time his dream finally came true.
After visiting Shao Lin Temple, he had a private discussion with the “主持(zhùchí)” abbot. He also said: “Eventually my dream came true. As American kids, we knew many stories about Shao Lin Temple. As to me, this trip is incredible. I am very proud that I am the first NBA player to be here.”
Actually, there are ten”少林寺(shàolínsì)”Shao Lin Temples in China. The Shao Lin Temple in Henan Province is the most famous one for its kung fu. In fact, recently, the Shao Lin Temple is not only a temple for monks to appreciate the Buddhism, it has also become a profitable entity. Under the management of recent abbot, Shao Lin Temple is taking more and more commercial activities. It sends performance team of kung fu shows all around the world. Nowadays these monks are not “传统(chuántŏng)” traditional any more, they become more and more “现代(xiàndài)” modern. They know how to use computers to search information on the Internet. They use mobile phones to communicate with people. In a word, Shao Lin Temple is “与时俱进(yŭshíjùjìn)” advancing with the current trends.
生词(shēng cí)
少林寺(shàolínsì): n Shaolin Temple (a temple that is famous for its martial art).
主持(zhùchí): n abbot ; master of a temple
现代(xiàndài): adj modern, fashionable
传统(chuántŏng): adj traditional
与时俱进(yŭshíjùjìn): v develop or advance with the times