"Shaq" O'Neal announces retirement

     WASHINGTON, June 1 (Xinhua) -- NBA legendary¹ center Shaquille O'Neal announced his retirement² on Wednesday on Twitter to end his 19-year professional career.

    "I'm retiring," O'Neal said on his Twitter, and the three-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player as well as four-time champion also posted a video link in which he thanked his fans.

    The 39-year-old O'Neal, also known as the "Shaq", won three consecutive³ titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and then a fourth with the Miami Heat in 2004.

    However, the "Shaq" was often forced to remain on the bench due to a nagging⁴ right Achilles tendon injury during his spells in Phoenix⁵, Cleveland alongside LeBron James and the Boston Celtics this season.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

2 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

3 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

4 nagging   

adj.唠叨的，挑剔的；使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的现在分词 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责

参考例句：

• Stop nagging—I'll do it as soon as I can. 别唠叨了—我会尽快做的。
• I've got a nagging pain in my lower back. 我后背下方老是疼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。