A Guide to the FIFA World Cup
—Past, Present and Future
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For some, the FIFA World Cup needs no introduction; Brazilian flair (天赋，资质), German resilience and Spanish tiki-taka dominance. Most of the globe is getting excited for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil this summer, but for those of you who haven’t yet felt the magic of the World Cup, here’s a look through some of its history, so you can start feeling the magic, too.
对某些人来说，国际足联世界杯无需介绍。巴西人的天赋、德国人的坚忍，还有西班牙人tiki-taka战术(一种由前巴萨队教练克鲁伊夫发明并被多任教练采用的足球战术，以精准短传为基础来追求极致控球，曾在巴萨队和西班牙国家队取得巨大成功并被其他一些球队借鉴。)的优势，他们都如数家珍。今年夏天，国际足联世界杯将在巴西举行(编注：原文发表于2014年3月)，这令全球各地的大多数人兴奋不已。但对于你们这些还未曾感受过世界杯魅力的人，请随本文简要回顾其历史，以便你们也能开始感受世界杯的神奇魔力。
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The world’s first international football competition was staged at the 1920 Summer Olympics, held in and won by, Belgium. The competition continued within the Olympics during 1924 and 1928, and due to its success, FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) decided to stage its own international football competition outside of the Olympics. Uruguay were currently two-time world champions having won the Olympic competition in 1924 and 1928, and to celebrate their centenary of independence, FIFA named Uruguay as the host for the first inaugural (首次的) World Cup tournament in 1930. In the final match, Uruguay defeated Argentina 4-2 in front of a crowd of 93,000 people in Montevideo, becoming the first nation to win the FIFA World Cup.
世界上的首场国际足球比赛在1920年的夏季奥运会上登场，举办国和夺冠国均为比利时。在1924年和1928年的奥运会上，该项比赛继续举办。鉴于比赛获得的成功，国际足联(即国际足球联合会)决定脱离奥运会，举办自己的国际性足球比赛。当时，在1924年和1928年的奥运会比赛中，乌拉圭曾两次获得世界冠军，再加上要庆祝乌拉圭独立一百周年，国际足联选定乌拉圭为1930年首届世界杯锦标赛的主办国。在蒙得维的亚市举行的决赛中，在9.3万名观众面前，乌拉圭以4比2击败阿根廷，成为首个夺得国际足联世界杯冠军的国家。
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The most successful country in World Cup history is Brazil, having claimed the trophy five times in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. Brazil is widely held as the greatest nation to ever play the game, and as the saying goes, “England invented it; Brazil perfected it.”
Italy has won the second highest number of World Cup titles with four, in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006, the most of any European country. Next is Germany with three titles, in 1954, 1974 and 1990. Uruguay (1930 and 1950) and Argentina (1978 and 1986) have won two each. Traditionally competitive at football on a world stage, England (1966), France (1998) and Spain (2010) have all claimed only one each.
Countries who have won the FIFA World Cup display their success with a gold star for each World Cup title, placed proudly above their nations badge on their international football shirt.
在世界杯历史上，夺得冠军次数最多的国家是巴西，曾先后五次赢得世界杯，分别是在1958、1962、1970、1994和2002年。人们普遍认为巴西是有史以来最伟大的足球国家，有句话说得好：“英国发明足球，巴西将足球玩到极致。”
意大利赢得的世界杯冠军头衔次数是第二多的，共四次，分别是在1934、1938、1982和2006年，是欧洲国家中赢得冠军次数最多的。接下来是德国，曾三次夺冠，分别是在1954、1974和1990年。乌拉圭和阿根廷各夺冠两次，前者是在1930年和1950年，后者是在1978年和1986年。作为世界足坛的传统劲旅，英格兰、法国和西班牙都仅夺冠一次，分别是在1966、1998和2010年。
曾经荣获国际足联世界杯冠军的国家会骄傲地将金星绣在其国际足球队服的队徽上方以彰显其成就，一颗金星就代表一次夺冠。
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Since the 1930 FIFA World Cup the competition continued to grow, extended to 24 teams in 1982 and then to 32 in 1998. A record 204 teams entered the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds, all vying for (争夺) a place in the biggest football competition on earth and for a chance to win the coveted Jules Rimet trophy (即“雷米特杯”Jules Rimet Cup，是第1届至第9届世界杯的冠军奖杯，其造型为希腊神话中的胜利女神。). Named after the French football administrator and third president of FIFA, the Jules Rimet World Cup Trophy has its own rich vein of history and myth.
During World War II, the trophy was held by Italy, winner in 1938. Ottorino Barassi, the Italian vice-president of FIFA, secretly transported the trophy from a bank in Rome and hid it in a shoe box under his bed to prevent it from being stolen by the Nazis.
However, the trophy was stolen from Westminster Central Hall in England where it was being exhibited prior to the 1966 World Cup there. Although heavily guarded around the clock (连续一整天), the trophy was lifted from its cabinet and discovered missing by a security guard on his circuit on 20th March. It was later found by an unexpected duo—local civilian David Corbett and his dog “Pickles” on March 27th, when the dog sniffed it out under a suburban hedge outside Corbett’s house.
The Jules Rimet was replaced with the FIFA World Cup Trophy (指大力神杯) in 1974 after Brazil won the right to keep the trophy outright (完全地) in 1970. It was later stolen again in 1983 and has never been recovered, widely believed to have been melted down and sold.
自1930年首届国际足联世界杯以来，这项赛事的规模不断扩大。1982年有24支球队参赛，到1998年参赛球队已增至32支。2010年的国际足联世界杯预选赛更是创下纪录，共有204支球队参赛，每支球队都想在全球最盛大的足球比赛中夺得一席之地，以便有机会赢取梦寐以求的“雷米特杯”。“雷米特杯”以时任法国足协主席、国际足联第三任主席儒勒斯·雷米特的名字命名，奖杯本身有着悠久的历史和神秘的传奇色彩。
在第二次世界大战期间，“雷米特杯”的持有者是1938年的世界杯冠军意大利。时任国际足联副主席、意大利人奥特里诺·巴莱西将“雷米特杯”从罗马的一家银行偷运出去，并将其藏在自己床下的一个鞋盒里，以防纳粹将其偷走。
然而， 在1966 年世界杯在英格兰举办之前，“雷米特杯”在该地的威斯敏斯特中央大厅展出时被盗。尽管24小时严密防护，展柜中的“雷米特杯”还是被偷走了。3月20日，一名保安在巡查时发现奖杯失窃。后来，在3月27日，一对不可思议的搭档——当地居民大卫·科比特和他的小狗“泡菜”发现了奖杯。在科比特位于郊区的房子外面，这只小狗嗅到了埋在树篱下的“雷米特杯”。
在1970年巴西赢得永久保留“雷米特杯”的权利之后，“大力神杯”于1974年取代了“雷米特杯”。后来，在1983年，“雷米特杯”再度失窃，至今仍未被找到。人们普遍认为“雷米特杯”已经被熔化并被卖掉了。
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The FIFA World Cup occurs every four years and nations bid as to where it will be held and this year Brazil is the host. Bidding and selection is a controversial process, seen by many as very corrupt. This discord was most recently brought to light (揭露) by the controversial bids FIFA accepted from Russia for World Cup 2018 and Qatar for World Cup 2022 during the 2007 bidding process, claiming the honour over countries like England, Spain and Portugal, seen by most as preferable choices due to their high standard of stadium, transport and hospitality.
Accepting Qatar could also see a change to the traditional months in which the tournament has always been played, between June and July. Due to Qatar’s overwhelmingly hot summers, there’s speculation that it will have to take place between November and January, while all of Europe’s top leagues are still in contention.
The FIFA World Cup is sought after and contested because it brings an influx of millions of pounds to the host country’s economy. During the build-up (宣传，造势) to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the projected total direct economic value for GDP (gross domestic product) was approximately $21.3 billion. 159,000 new jobs were also predicted, including full and part-time, both permanent and temporary.
Spain enter the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil as reigning champion, having claimed the trophy in 2010 by beating Netherlands 1-0 in extra time (加时赛) in Johannesburg. It later went on to win the 2012 UEFA European Championship in Poland and Ukraine, defeating Italy 4-0 in the final. However, contrary to its recent success, Spain is merely fourth favourite in the early betting stakes. Brazil,
国际足联世界杯每四年举办一次，由各国申办成为其主办国，今年的主办国是巴西。申办和遴选的过程充满争议，被很多人视为非常腐败的一件事。这一争议最近遭到曝光，是由于在2007年申办世界杯的过程中，国际足联批准了由俄罗斯主办2018年世界杯、卡塔尔主办2022年世界杯这两项备受争议的申请。(编注：在2014年3月8日，美国两位参议员上书国际足联，要求其取消俄罗斯2018年世界杯的主办权。)这一争议称这两个国家打败了英国、西班牙和葡萄牙等国赢得殊荣，而后三者以其高标准的比赛场馆、交通和款待服务而被大多数人视为更好的选择。
由卡塔尔主办还意味着世界杯的传统比赛月份(6~7月间)可能发生变化。由于卡塔尔的夏季酷热难耐，有人推测比赛将不得不在11月至次年1月间举办，而在此期间，欧洲各大顶级联赛尚处于激烈角逐之中。
各国竞相寻求举办国际足联世界杯是因为这会给主办国的经济带来数百万英镑的收入。据估算，在2010年南非世界杯筹办期间，这项赛事为该国GDP (国内生产总值)所带来的直接经济价值总和预计有约213亿美元，此外还预计新增15.9万个工作岗位，包括全职和兼职岗位，其中既有固定岗位，也有临时岗位。
西班牙以现任冠军的身份参加2014年巴西世界杯。2010年，在约翰内斯堡举行的加时赛中，西班牙以1比0击败荷兰，捧得“大力神杯”。后来，在由波兰和乌克兰承办的2012年欧洲足球锦标赛上，西班牙又在决赛中以4比0击败意大利赢得冠军。然而，尽管西班牙近来连连告捷，但在早期的赔率排行榜上，西班牙仅名列第四。主办国巴西是7月13日重新夺得“大力神杯”的最大热门，同为南美国家的竞争对手阿根廷位列第二，德国位列第三。
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The FIFA World Cup gives us the opportunity to see the greatest football players in the world compete against each other in the biggest football tournament on earth, for the most coveted prize in football history. Rivalries only seen at the FIFA World Cup—USA vs. Mexico, England vs. Germany and Brazil vs. Argentina, the Brazilian samba, the Spanish salsa and the Ghanaian spirit—all clash on one spectacular stage at the pinnacle of world football, delighting ravenous (贪求的) fans everywhere.
The passion, culture and team pride—colours of 32 different national uniforms like 32 vibrant flags, bring a flair for the beautiful game that’s unrivaled. It’s truly a sight to behold, and for football fans near and far there’s no sporting event on earth that comes close.
国际足联世界杯为我们提供了机会，让我们能欣赏世界上最优秀的足球运动员在全球最盛大的足球比赛中相互比拼，争夺足球史上最令人垂涎的奖杯。只有在国际足联世界杯上才能见到的两队对抗，如美国对墨西哥，英格兰对德国，以及巴西对阿根廷，还有巴西的桑巴舞、西班牙的萨尔萨舞以及加纳精神——都在世界足坛的巅峰盛事上激情碰撞，为世界各地翘首以盼的球迷们带来喜悦。
那种激情、文化和球队的骄傲——32个不同国家队服的颜色仿佛32面鲜艳的旗帜，为这项迷人的赛事带来一种无与伦比的魅力。这真是不容错过的盛况，对于世界各地的足球迷们而言，全世界没有哪项体育赛事能与世界杯相提并论。
发布于：北京