评论
打印
The beautiful game’s ugly side
美丽的比赛也有丑陋的一面
By Ken Bensinger
文/肯·本辛格
JUST OVER THREE YEARS AGO,
就在三年前，
THE U.S. Department of Justice shocked the world by initiating a predawn raid in Zurich, arresting several international soccer officials.
美国司法部在某日黎明前突袭苏黎世，逮捕了数名国际足联官员，一举震惊了全世界。
To date, nearly four dozen people have been indicted in the case for exchanging hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes.
到目前为止，已经有近40多人因收受贿赂，金额高达数亿美元被起诉。
Many once untouchable administrators have been banned from the sport, including longtime FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
许多曾经铁面无私的管理层，包括长期担任国际足联主席的塞普·布拉特都已被禁退出足坛。
And countless fans have had to confront the grim knowledge that rampant corruption has seeped into the game they loved.
无数的球迷不得不面对猖獗的腐败已经渗入了他们热爱的足球运动这一残酷的事实。
Their stomachs will not be settled this summer.
今夏，他们不会好受。
Take the fact that the World Cup is being held in Russia.
就拿俄罗斯举办世界杯一事来说。
Many questions hang over the 2010 decision to award the tournament to the nation—ones that may remain unanswered,
2010年，国际足联将世界杯主办权授予了俄罗斯，这一决定本就还有许多问题悬而未决——即便是现在，那些问题依然有待解决，原因在于俄罗斯申办团队声称，
as FIFA’s attempt to investigate the choice was stymied when Russia’s bid team claimed that all its computers were destroyed after the vote.
投票结束后他们所有的电脑都已被毁，国际足联试图调查这一决定的努力已经无疾而终。
FIFA, working on the dubious principle that if there are no records, there is no crime,
国际足联秉承着没有记录，就没有罪行这一不乏争议的原则，
cleared Russia of any wrongdoing.
辩明俄罗斯不存在任何不当举措。
As if to thumb his nose at critics,
去年秋天，俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京
Vladimir Putin last fall made a public show of inviting Blatter to attend the tournament in person—
公开邀请布拉特亲自出席世界杯——尽管早在2016年，国际足联就已经对布拉特下达了
even though FIFA gave Blatter a six-year ban in 2016 from attending any event.
为期6年禁止参加任何活动的禁令，此举疑为有意向批评人士示威。
Blatter wasted little time in accepting the Russian leader’s offer,
布拉特很快便接受了俄罗斯领导人的邀请，
and it will be interesting to see where he will be seated at critical matches.
届时，我们倒要看看举行关键比赛时他究竟会落座在怎样的位置。
Putin is expected to occupy a box with new FIFA president Gianni Infantino,
预计普京将与国际足联新任主席詹尼·因凡蒂诺同坐一个包厢，
who has already been subject to two ethics complaints.
后者已经两度受到道德投诉。
While FIFA has implemented a number of reforms,
尽管国际足联已经实施了一系列改革，
its changes have been derided as half measures in combatting a deep-seated culture of corruption.
改革还是遭到了外界的嘲笑，被称为是在根深蒂固的足坛腐败文化面前隔靴挠痒的改革。
Its June 13 decision to award the 2026 World Cup to Mexico, Canada and the U.S. over Morocco may have averted another public relations disaster.
6月13日，足联决定将2026年世界杯的主办权授予墨西哥、加拿大和美国，而不是摩洛哥，这一举措或许避免了一场公关灾难。
But three years after the Zurich arrests,
苏黎世逮捕事件已经过去三年，
there’s still plenty to suggest it’s largely the same old FIFA.
但仍然有诸多证据表明国际足联基本依然如故。
While it may not offer the joy of a beautiful run by Lionel Messi,
尽管观众或将不复拥有梅西在球场上风驰电掣那种赏心悦目之感，
the ongoing scandal adds another dose of drama to the spectacle, and a measure of shame.
持续不断的丑闻依然为国际足坛蒙上了又一层戏剧的面纱，还有一抹羞耻感。
译文由可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载。
