World Cup Stories: Germany-2

Germany's extraordinary World Cup story begins in Switzerland in 1954.
It was the first time since the war Germany had been allowed to enter the tournament.
We were not allowed to take part in 48 at the Olympics in London, not allowed to take part in 1950 at the World Cup in Brazil. So here we were, the Germans, beaten, bruised¹ but reentering the stage for the greatest show on earth. Divided after the war into East and West, this was the first ever West German team to qualify for the World Cup.

It was against Turkey that the West Germans lined up in band for their first game of the tournament. But nobody was expecting much.

We were outsiders. I remember precisely² that one could bet on any team in the bookmakers in London except on Germany. It didn't exist. One couldn't place a single bet.

It was only 9 years after the war and Germany was consumed by poverty and guilt³. Any sense of nationalism had been deeply buried and football was well down the agenda. It was only because of one man that West Germany even had what they could call a national team. That man was Sepp Herberger. He'd been the national coach from before the war and was determined⁴ to rebuild his team.

Herberger was a great idealist. He was fanatically inspired by the reconstruction⁵ of his football team. He never got things in perspective.

Although not a Nazi⁶, Herberger had influence in high places, which he had used to keep his team alive during the war.

They would get jobs not too dangerous, postings not too dangerous. So that they would kind of be kept together and he had a master plan. He had a master plan that this German national team would make it in Europe. Herberger's captain was Fritz Walter, the unquestioned star of German football. His skill and creativity as a goal-scoring-midfielder was unrivaled. Herberger had successfully kept Walter from the front until the final stage of the war when he was captured by the Russians. A prison guard recognized him as a football legend and spared him the dreaded⁷ fate of being sent to Siberia.

Fritz Walter was the No.1 for us. He was also the team captain. He was the long arm of Sepp Herberger. And when Fritz Walter played well, we all played well. But Walter's war experiences left him scarred. Since catching⁸ malaria⁹ he found it particularly difficult playing in hot conditions. It was well known that the worse the weather, the better Fritz played.

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bookmaker: n. 赌注登记经纪人（赛马等）的接受和赔偿赌注的人
unquestioned: adj. 无疑问的
in high places: 在上层人士间

1 bruised   

[医]青肿的，瘀紫的

参考例句：

• his bruised and bloodied nose 他沾满血的青肿的鼻子
• She had slipped and badly bruised her face. 她滑了一跤，摔得鼻青脸肿。

2 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

3 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

4 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

5 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

6 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

7 dreaded   

adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The dreaded moment had finally arrived. 可怕的时刻终于来到了。
• He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. 他害怕非得在医院过圣诞节不可。 来自《用法词典》

8 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

9 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。