世界杯引發(fā)全民狂歡

After four long years of waiting, one of the best events in sports has finally returned.

經(jīng)過四年漫長的等待之后，體育界的一大盛事終于回歸了。

The 2018 World Cup kicked off in Russia on June 14.

6月14日，2018年世界杯在俄羅斯開賽。

Unlike the Olympics, the World Cup is a single-sport event, yet it still manages to attract millions of television viewers from around the world.

和奧運(yùn)會(huì)不同的是，世界杯是場(chǎng)單項(xiàng)體育賽事，但它仍吸引了全球數(shù)百萬的電視觀眾。

“Soccer is a universal language that we speak with different accents,” Brazilian soccer journalist Tim Vickery told Sportsnet. “The biggest act that most people engage in is cheering for their team during the World Cup.”

“足球是種全球通用的語言，我們都操著不同的口音，”巴西足球記者蒂姆·維克里在接受Sportsnet網(wǎng)站采訪時(shí)表示。“大多數(shù)人都參與其中的一大活動(dòng)便是在世界杯期間為各自的球隊(duì)加油喝彩。”

Just like Spring Festival or Christmas, the World Cup is about the spirit of the season.

就像春節(jié)或者圣誕節(jié)一樣，世界杯體現(xiàn)了當(dāng)賽季的精神。

Some die-hard soccer fans even travel to the host country to watch as many games as they can, despite jet lag. “I kind of pick the game of the day,” US soccer coach Nick Rogers, who’s currently in Russia for the World Cup, told The Press Democrat. “I like to watch the game with other coaches, soccer players and soccer families.”

一些鐵桿球迷甚至前往世界杯的主辦國，不顧時(shí)差反應(yīng)也要盡可能多地現(xiàn)場(chǎng)觀賽。“我會(huì)選出當(dāng)天的最佳比賽，”現(xiàn)在正在俄羅斯觀賽的美國足球教練尼克·羅杰斯在接受《民主報(bào)》采訪時(shí)表示。“我喜歡和其他教練、球員以及球迷大家庭們一起看球賽。”

Not being there to see the matches in person doesn’t stop fans from keeping up with the action, however. In fact, a recent survey done by online recruitment firm GulfTalent found that the World Cup affects work productivity. “Even if we’re at work, we can remain updated on what is going on by quickly checking the live score boards and commentary, or live streaming it on our smartphones and computers,” Rehan Tayyab, from the United Arab Emirates, told the Khaleej Times.

然而，無法親臨現(xiàn)場(chǎng)看球并不會(huì)讓球迷們錯(cuò)過賽況。事實(shí)上，在線招聘公司GulfTalent近期的一項(xiàng)調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，世界杯影響了工作效率。“就算我們?cè)诠ぷ?，也能快速掃一眼?shí)時(shí)記分牌和實(shí)況報(bào)道，或者在智能手機(jī)和電腦上在線觀看比賽，借此獲知最新賽況，”來自阿聯(lián)酋的里恩·塔亞布在接受《海灣時(shí)報(bào)》采訪時(shí)表示。

But for the players on the pitch, the World Cup isn’t just about excitement. It can be a launch pad for a great career too.

但對(duì)于球場(chǎng)上的球員而言，世界杯并不僅僅是激動(dòng)人心的賽事，也是開啟偉大職業(yè)生涯的跳板。

For younger players, the World Cup is a chance to get noticed. Put in an outstanding performance against a strong team or score a few good goals, and the greatest clubs in the world may be knocking at your front door.

對(duì)于年輕球員而言，世界杯是獲得關(guān)注的一次機(jī)會(huì)。對(duì)陣強(qiáng)隊(duì)時(shí)能表現(xiàn)出色或者踢進(jìn)幾粒好球，或許就能獲得全球頂級(jí)俱樂部的青睞。

And for veterans, the event is a great stage upon which to seek redemption for disappointments in the past. For Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, a World Cup title would be the icing on his impressive cake, as he already holds national records for international appearances and goals.

而對(duì)于老將而言，這一賽事是彌補(bǔ)過往失誤的極佳舞臺(tái)。對(duì)于葡萄牙足球巨星C羅而言，贏得世界杯能為他的輝煌成績錦上添花，因?yàn)樗呀?jīng)是葡萄牙國家隊(duì)出場(chǎng)和進(jìn)球的紀(jì)錄保持者。

For Ronaldo’s archrival, Argentina’s Lionel Messi, it’s a bit more complicated. No matter how many goals he scores, without a World Cup win he’ll always be a distant second to Diego Maradona in the hearts of fans at home.

但對(duì)于C羅的勁敵、阿根廷隊(duì)的梅西而言，情況則變得略微復(fù)雜。在阿根廷球迷的心中，不論梅西踢進(jìn)了多少粒進(jìn)球，未能贏得世界杯的他總是遠(yuǎn)不如迭戈·馬拉多納。

But whichever player performs the best this year, the true spirit of the World Cup has always been how it brings people together.

但不論今年的最佳球員是誰，世界杯的真正精神一直都是將人們團(tuán)結(jié)在一起。