出国留学首选一诺留学

　　Second, big-time corruption isn't victimless; nor does it end when a host country is chosen. For shady regimes—the type that bribe football officials—a major sporting event is also a chance to defraud state coffers, for example by awarding fat contracts to cronies. Tournaments that ought to be national celebrations risk becoming festivals of graft.

　　第二，腐败的肆虐并不是无害的，这种腐败行为也不会在承办国确定以后就不复存在。对于阴暗的体制来说(比如对足球裁判行贿的体制)，重要的足球盛会同样也可以成为骗取政府财政的机会，比如可以为同伙签订利益丰厚的合约。这使得本应该是举国欢庆的比赛盛世可能会沦为为贪污腐败者的节日。

　　Finally, there is a great opportunity cost. Football is not as global as it might be (see article). The game has failed to conquer the world's three biggest countries: China, India and America. In the United States soccer, as they call it, is played but not watched. In China and India the opposite is true. The latter two will not be playing in Brazil (indeed, they have played in the World Cup finals just once between them).

　　最后，这样做会付出高昂的机会成本。足球并不像它能够的那样那么全球化(另见文)。这项运动没能征服世界上三个最大的国家：中国，印度和美国。在美国，美式足球，正如人们说所的那样，是用来参与的而不是观赏的。而在中国和印度，足球却是用来观赏而不是参与的。中国和印度并不会参加巴西世界杯(实际上，只有中国对参加过世界杯决赛阶段的比赛)。

　　In FIFA's defence, the big three's reticence owes much to their respective histories and cultures and the strength of existing sports, notably cricket in India. And football is slowly gaining ground: in the United States the first cohort of American parents to grow up with the game are now passing it on to their children. But that only underlines the madness of FIFA giving the cup to Qatar, not America. And the foul air from FIFA's headquarters in Switzerland will hardly reassure young fans in China who are heartily sick of the corruption and match-fixing in their domestic soccer leagues.

　　国际足联辩称，这三个国家在足球方面的沉默源自于历史文化和其它体育运动的强势，尤其是印度的板球。但是足球已经逐渐站稳脚跟。在美国，第一代踢足球长大的家长已经把习惯传承给了他们自己的孩子。然而，这只能更加说明国际足联拒绝美国而把世界杯承办权授予卡塔尔是多么的愚蠢。而弥漫着位于瑞士的国际足联总部的污浊之气也不能使中国的年轻球迷感到安心，他们正为中国国家足球队的腐败和比赛造假而倍感痛心。

　　It would be good to get rid of Mr Blatter, but that would not solve FIFA's structural problem. Though legally incorporated as a Swiss non-profit organisation, FIFA has no master. Those who might hold it to account, such as national or regional football organisations, depend on its cash. High barriers to entry make it unlikely that a rival will emerge, so FIFA has a natural monopoly over international football. An entity like this should be regulated, but FIFA answers to no government.

　　如果能让布拉特下台自然不错，但也不能解决国际足联的组织结构问题。尽管国际足联是在瑞士合法注册的非盈利机构，但是没有人对它进行管控。那些可能对其进行管控的机构，比如国家或者地区足球组织，却又都依赖于国际足联的资金。高门槛准入导致很难产生竞争对手，于是国际足联垄断了国际足球运动。像这样的组织本应接受监管，但是国际足联却不受任何政府的管控。

　　All the same, more could be done. The Swiss should demand a clean-up or withdraw FIFA's favourable tax status. Sponsors should also weigh in on graft and on the need to push forward with new technology: an immediate video review of every penalty and goal awarded would be a start.

　　即使这样，也并非无可作为。瑞士方面可以要求清理或者撤回对国际足联的税收优惠政策。赞助方也可以权衡腐败问题并从推行新技术入手。这一技术可以对点球和进球判罚进行及时影像回放。

　　The hardest bit of the puzzle is the host-selection process. One option would be to stick the World Cup in one country and leave it there; but that nation's home team would have a big advantage, and tournaments benefit from moving between different time zones. An economically rational option would be to give this year's winner, and each successive champion, the option of either hosting the tournament in eight years' time or auctioning off that right to the highest bidder. That would favour football's powerhouses. But as most of them already have the stadiums, there would be less waste—and it would provide even more of an incentive to win.

　　问题的难点在于承办权的竞选过程。一种选择是把世界杯举办权授予某个特定国家，让它一直作为承办国：但是这个国家的主场球队就会大占优势，在比赛中也不用受时差的影响。经济合理的选择是，把权利授予每届杯赛冠军，他可以决定八年举办一次杯赛，或者把承办权授予出价最高的投标者。这样的话，足球强国就会占优。不过因为他们大都已经拥有足球场，这样也不会产生过多的浪费，而且会激励更多的国家去争夺冠军。

　　Sadly, soccer fans are romantic nationalists, not logical economists—so our proposal stands less chance of winning than England does. One small step towards sanity would be formally to rotate the tournament, so it went, say, from Europe to Africa to Asia to the Americas, which would at least stop intercontinental corruption. But very little of this will happen without change at the top in Zurich.

　　遗憾的是，球迷们都是浪漫的国际主义者，而不是理性的经济学家，所以我们的建议比不过英国人的。赛事轮换举办可以是走向理智的一小步，比如可以按照从欧洲到非洲到亚洲再到美洲的顺序进行，这样至少可以阻止洲内腐败。但是如果国际足联苏黎世总部没有改变的话，所有这些设想都不会付诸实践。

　　重点讲解

　　1.kick off 开始干某事;开赛

　　例句:The shows kick off on October 24th.

　　演出10月24日开始。

　　2.lead to 导致;引起;通往

　　例句:The bell-boy led us to our rooms.

　　旅馆服务员把我们带到了我们的房间。

　　3.attempt to 试图;企图;尝试

　　例句:The proposals are an attempt to rid the country of political corruption.

　　这些提议试图使这个国家摆脱政治腐败。

　　4.ought to 应该;应当

　　例句:I felt I ought to show my face at her father's funeral.

　　我觉得我应该去参加她父亲的葬礼。

　　如需了解更多留学考试的相关信息，那么欢迎拨打【一诺留学】的免费咨询热线400-003-6508或010-62680991进行咨询，或者点击页面的【在线咨询】与顾问老师直接对话。

　　更多热点资讯欢迎关注：

　　新浪官方微博：@北京诚品一诺教育咨询

　　http://weibo.com/yinuoedu

　　微信订阅号：留学圈 (微信帐号：yinuoliuxue )