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The beautiful game’s ugly side
美麗的比賽也有丑陋的一面
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.
美國司法部在某日黎明前突襲蘇黎世，逮捕了數名國際足聯官員，一舉震驚了全世界。
To date, nearly four dozen people have been indicted in the case for exchanging hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes.
到目前為止，已經有近40多人因收受賄賂，金額高達數億美元被起訴。
Many once untouchable administrators have been banned from the sport, including longtime FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
許多曾經鐵面無私的管理層，包括長期擔任國際足聯主席的塞普·布拉特都已被禁退出足壇。
And countless fans have had to confront the grim knowledge that rampant corruption has seeped into the game they loved.
無數的球迷不得不面對猖獗的腐敗已經滲入了他們熱愛的足球運動這一殘酷的事實。
Their stomachs will not be settled this summer.
今夏，他們不會好受。
Take the fact that the World Cup is being held in Russia.
就拿俄羅斯舉辦世界杯一事來說。
Many questions hang over the 2010 decision to award the tournament to the nation—ones that may remain unanswered,
2010年，國際足聯將世界杯主辦權授予了俄羅斯，這一決定本就還有許多問題懸而未決——即便是現在，那些問題依然有待解決，原因在于俄羅斯申辦團隊聲稱，
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.
投票結束后他們所有的電腦都已被毀，國際足聯試圖調查這一決定的努力已經無疾而終。
FIFA, working on the dubious principle that if there are no records, there is no crime,
國際足聯秉承著沒有記錄，就沒有罪行這一不乏爭議的原則，
cleared Russia of any wrongdoing.
辯明俄羅斯不存在任何不當舉措。
As if to thumb his nose at critics,
去年秋天，俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普京
Vladimir Putin last fall made a public show of inviting Blatter to attend the tournament in person—
公開邀請布拉特親自出席世界杯——盡管早在2016年，國際足聯就已經對布拉特下達了
even though FIFA gave Blatter a six-year ban in 2016 from attending any event.
為期6年禁止參加任何活動的禁令，此舉疑為有意向批評人士示威。
Blatter wasted little time in accepting the Russian leader’s offer,
布拉特很快便接受了俄羅斯領導人的邀請，
and it will be interesting to see where he will be seated at critical matches.
屆時，我們倒要看看舉行關鍵比賽時他究竟會落座在怎樣的位置。
Putin is expected to occupy a box with new FIFA president Gianni Infantino,
預計普京將與國際足聯新任主席詹尼·因凡蒂諾同坐一個包廂，
who has already been subject to two ethics complaints.
后者已經兩度受到道德投訴。
While FIFA has implemented a number of reforms,
盡管國際足聯已經實施了一系列改革，
its changes have been derided as half measures in combatting a deep-seated culture of corruption.
改革還是遭到了外界的嘲笑，被稱為是在根深蒂固的足壇腐敗文化面前隔靴撓癢的改革。
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，足聯決定將2026年世界杯的主辦權授予墨西哥、加拿大和美國，而不是摩洛哥，這一舉措或許避免了一場公關災難。
But three years after the Zurich arrests,
蘇黎世逮捕事件已經過去三年，
there’s still plenty to suggest it’s largely the same old FIFA.
但仍然有諸多證據表明國際足聯基本依然如故。
While it may not offer the joy of a beautiful run by Lionel Messi,
盡管觀眾或將不復擁有梅西在球場上風馳電掣那種賞心悅目之感，
the ongoing scandal adds another dose of drama to the spectacle, and a measure of shame.
持續不斷的丑聞依然為國際足壇蒙上了又一層戲劇的面紗，還有一抹羞恥感。
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