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GRE阅读经济学人：世界杯承办国腐败现象泛滥

2018-05-16 17:03:43来源：网络

　　Many football fans are indifferent to all this. What matters to them is the beautiful game, not the tired old suits who run it. And FIFA's moral turpitude is hardly unique. The International Olympic Committee, after all, faced a Qatar-like scandal over the awarding of the winter games in 2002 (though it has made a much bigger attempt to clean itself up). The boss of Formula One, Bernie Ecclestone, stands accused of bribery in Germany, while American basketball has just had to sack an owner for racist remarks. Cricket, the second-most-global sport, has had its own match-fixing scandals. American football could be overwhelmed by compensation claims for injuries.

　　许多足球球迷们对这些腐败问题都漠不关心。他们关注的是精彩的比赛而不是这些无聊的穿的西装革履，又老态龙钟的管理人员们。而且不道德的行为也不仅仅发生在国际足联中。毕竟，2002年冬奥会期间，国际奥委会也出现过类似卡塔尔事件的丑闻(尽管他们为了澄清自己做出过更多的努力)。世界一级方程式锦标赛主席伯尼埃克莱斯顿也被指控曾在德国受贿，而某美国篮球队的老板也因其民族歧视言论而被迫离职。全球第二大运动板球，也有其操作比赛的丑闻。美国橄榄球也被索赔要求搞得鸡犬不宁。

　　But football fans are wrong to think there is no cost to all this. First, corruption and complacency at the top makes it harder to fight skullduggery on the pitch. Ever larger amounts of money are now being bet on each game—it may be $1 billion a match at the World Cup. Under external pressure to reform, FIFA has recently brought in some good people, including a respected ethics tsar, Mark Pieth. But who will listen to lectures about reform from an outfit whose public face is Mr. Blatter?

　　但是如果球迷们认为这些不会带来什么代价的话，那就大错特错了。第一，高层的腐败和自满使得打击球场作假变得举步维艰。每场比赛的赌注也越来越大，一场世界杯比赛的赌注可能高达10亿美元。迫于外界要求改革的压力，国际足联最近吸纳了一批公正的人，包括受人尊敬的道德模范马克皮尔斯。但是谁会相信由布拉特代表的这一机构的改革呢?

　　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 defense, 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 organization, FIFA has no master. Those who might hold it to account, such as national or regional football organizations, 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 favorable 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。

本文关键字: GRE阅读经济学人 GRE阅读 GRE

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