Межъязыковая лакунарность в текстах прессы

BP spill work on hold as storm enters Gulf

HOUSTON, July 24 (Reuters) - The approach of a major storm today forced BP to halt efforts to permanently plug its gushing oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

Two rigs stopped drilling the relief wells intended to halt the leak for good and prepared on Friday to move out of the storm's path.

Tropical Storm Bonnie weakened to a tropical depression after moving across Florida on Friday, but could strengthen over Gulf waters and was on track to bring heavy seas and rain to the spill area by Saturday afternoon, adding to the sense of urgency.

"Bonnie could regain tropical storm strength as it moves across the Gulf of Mexico," the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Iran aims to put man in space by 2019

TEHRAN (Reuters) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday that Iran would send its first manned shuttle into space by 2019, Iran's English-language Press TV reported.

In February Iran test-fired its domestically made satellite carrying rocketKavoshgar-3 (Explorer-3) and Ahmadinejad said Tehran hoped to send astronauts into space soon.

The will to succeed!

The Cricket world is ours...thank you Murali, an achievement that is impossible to contemplate, impossible to imagine ever being broken or bettered and a summary of excellence beyond all norms. It is tempting and most appropriate for me to run off a whole appreciation of the lad, but I will resist and reserve that for a more rational occasion, once I have spoken with the 'wizard of spin.'

Greetings sports citizens of my paradise island. It's been a week of incredible fortune for our cricketers, winning the test opener against the fancied Indians in Galle...setting themselves up for the Colombo test with tons of confidence and bundles of belief. Let's wish them good solid focus and more determination to win the series...a feat that will ring loudly around the world.

I have always believed that we need to share the cricket blood example and look to breed true international class with our tennis, squash, badminton, netball, hockey, rowing, swimming etc...sports that we can genuinely have an impact in Asia for starters. Athletics is the brightest if we get it right… and the darkest if we get it wrong.

The Commonwealth Games is looming large and I am triple curious to see how our athletes are shaping up...are there any real medal prospects and any magical possibilities?

Rugby 7s is perhaps our toughest assignment at the games, with the absolute best in the world lining up from England, New Zealand, Fiji, Kenya, Wales, South Africa....spare a thought for our island boys that weekend ...courage, guts, belief, pride and an incredible sense of nervous energy will command their attention and dictate their thoughts from now till October .

The Asian squash tournament just wrapped up, was a defining moment for the game in our country, and a matter of huge achievement for the federation ..top stuff and well done to Oliver Guruge and his able team, for surprising the Asian parent body with a splendidly run operation.

Significant and harsh reality, the stupendous improvement by team India.. is a lesson in basic hard work and sharp planning. The big secret for kids in our country , whatever your chosen discipline, individual or team sport...is about your performance level, your own fitness, how much you stretch, your flexibility, reaction time, endurance, nutrition and attitude. Natural skills are measured and can be your asset, if you are working on all the simple needs after you have got fit.

Parents , coaches, trainers, masters in charge must be aware of this cardinal rule...do not push the kids into competitive sport, unless and until they are fit to play the game...it's dangerous to trust that luck will play a part in the way ahead...luck is useless and a myth...hard work and fitness craft the possibility of luck.

Let's look forward to a new reality of grading , so all active children are required to maintain a basic level of performance fitness...start them on the right path from the outset , then the Sri Lankan , a fit islander is a matter of planning, breeding, careful direction and big hearts that will not stop.

The future is knowledge and how well we learn to enjoy our skill and have the will to defy the odds…it's hardly anything if you truly believe....ask Murali, and the answer will stun you into silence .

A cricketer and gentleman

By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya

If only politicians could play the game the way Sri Lanka's cricketers do. Sadly, it is futile to entertain the faintest hope that our political leaders would ever aspire to the heights of a Muttiah Muralitharan.

Described by his captain as the greatest bowler to play the game, Murali gracefully retired at the height of a stellar career on Thursday at Galle, dramatically snatching his 800th test wicket with his last ball in a victorious final match against India.

Those magical Murali performances will be missed by cricket fans as much as that trademark fiendish expression, while making lethal deliveries and the disarming grin, on or off the pitch. Apart from his iconic status as a sportsman, fellow cricketers and commentators seem to agree that Murali's humility and unassuming nature made him everybody's hero. His departure from test cricket may be regretted by admirers, but the example he set will inspire generations to come.

The cricketing legend is respected all the more, for having bowed out at the peak of his popularity. One commentator congratulated him for calling it a day “when people may still be asking him “why are you going?” rather than “why not?”

Now is there the remotest possibility that leaders of Sri Lanka's ruling coalition or the leader of the opposition would think along those lines? We have on the contrary a president who sought changes that would allow him to contest the post indefinitely, and an opposition leader who demonstrates incredible tenacity of purpose in refusing to step down from the party's top spot, despite 16 electoral defeats in a row and near-mutiny within party ranks.

Whatever the noble objectives of our leaders may be, giving the other chaps a chance is obviously not one of them. Compare this attitude with that of Murali, who matter-of-factly explained to a reporter that there were “three spinners and only two can play. So if I am there I am blocking some 25-year-old. There is nothing more for me to achieve, so I thought this should be the end."

In a country riven by a war that heightened ethnic polarization in society, cricket was one thing that drew Sri Lankans together irrespective of race or religion, and Murali in some way epitomized that blurring of difference. Neither his fans nor the public in general ever thought of him in terms of race, but as “our Murali.” It was one of those things that was beyond the comprehension of the “Badly Biased Corporation,” whose interviewer a couple of weeks ago asked him what it felt like to be a Tamil playing for Sri Lanka.

“Did you feel you were playing for ALL Tamils?” ventured the TV host. Murali was probably as puzzled by the question as the interviewer was by his reply. He simply said that he played for Sri Lanka, adding that he was from Kandy, he lived among members of other communities and he felt no differences.The moral of Murali's story is perhaps that unlike the political leaders who scheme and plot to extend their moment of glory, thereby courting their own downfall, the wise bow out while they are still winning.

The leader of the ruling party, reluctant to leave high office when the time is up, may argue (not very convincingly) that he has the `mandate of the people.' But the leader of the opposition has neither that kind of mandate - with people having voted with their feet to prove the point - nor the solid support of party insiders. And still he shows not the tiniest bit of intention of calling it a day. It's just not cricket.