英超掀起金元足球大战

 　　English Premier¹ League football clubs have broken all previous records to sign players this summer and the big spending will not stop until the transfer window shuts tonight.

　　英超(English Premier League)足球俱乐部今年夏季打破了之前所有的转会费纪录，大手笔的支出直至周三晚转会窗口关闭才结束。

　　The three-month summer period when clubs can purchase players closes at 11pm BST, with the rush to acquire players expected to reach its zenith on the final day.

　　俱乐部可以购买球员的3个月夏季转会窗在英国夏令时时间周三晚11点关闭，各俱乐部竞相购买球员的努力有望在最后一天达到顶峰。

　　According to Deloitte, the sum splashed out on players by 9am yesterday was ￡925m, already exceeding the previous peak of ￡870m spent during the same period last season.

　　德勤(Deloitte)数据显示，截至周二上午9时，球员转会费总额达到9.25亿英镑，已经超出上一赛季同期创出的8.7亿英镑的纪录。

　　The sales have been fuelled by bumper² broadcasting revenues, stiff competition at the top of the league and a host of new coaches urging club owners to spend to secure success.

　　助推今夏转会狂潮的是丰厚的转播权收入、英超顶级球队的激烈竞争以及众多新教练敦促俱乐部老板砸钱确保成功。

　　These factors led to the world record signing of Paul Pogba, worth up to Euro110m, by Manchester United from Italy’s Juventus earlier this month.

　　这些因素导致8月上旬曼联(Manchester United)以高达1.1亿英镑的价格从意大利的尤文图斯(Juventus)买下保罗?博格巴(Paul Pogba)，创出全球最高的转会费纪录。

　　According to people familiar with the process, the French midfielder was the subject of a bidding war between Spain’s Real Madrid and the English club.

　　知情人士表示，西班牙的皇家马德里(Real Madrid)曾和曼联争抢这位法国中场球员。

　　Real Madrid boasted of its on-field success in attempting to entice³ the player to join them, having just won the Champions League for the second time in three years, while Man United had failed to qualify for European football’s most prestigious⁴ club tournament for the second time in three years.

　　皇家马德里曾夸口其球场战绩将吸引博格巴加盟，该俱乐部刚刚在三年时间里第二次赢得欧冠联赛冠军，而曼联在三年时间里第二次未能获得参加这个欧洲足球最负盛名的俱乐部联赛的资格。

　　But off-field riches counted for more in Pogba’s decision to return to theEnglish club where he had developed as a youth player.

　　但在博格巴重返曼联的决定中——博格巴曾在曼联青年队效力——球场外的财富占据了上风。

　　Madrid were interested in Pogba, but [Manchester United] are delighted he came back, says a person close to the deal.

　　一位知情人士表示：皇家马德里对博格巴感兴趣，但（曼联）对他回来非常高兴。

　　It is the largest acquisition by a Premier League club during a bumper summer transfer window.

　　这是英超俱乐部在火爆的夏季转会窗口进行的最大手笔购买。

　　Yesterday, Arsenal⁵ signed striker Lucas Pérez and is expected to complete the transfer of defender⁶ Shkodran Mustafi today, for fees of more than ￡50m in total.

　　周二，阿森纳(Arsenal)签约前锋球员卢卡斯?佩雷斯(Lucas Pérez)，并有望于周三完成后卫球员施科德兰?穆斯塔菲(Shkodran Mustafi)的转会，总计费用超过5000万英镑。

　　Asked at a press conference last week how much English clubs would spend this summer, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger said: A billion? Higher than that.

　　在上周记者招待会上被问及英格兰俱乐部今年夏季将会花多少钱的时候，阿森纳主教练阿尔赛纳?温格(Arsène Wenger)表示：10亿？比这高。

　　I don’t know the final level but I’m convinced there are many, many clubs in England who have a big amount of money available who have not spent yet?.?.?.?you will be amazed.

　　我不知道最终的水平，但我确信英格兰有许多、许多俱乐部有大量资金可以动用，而且迄今还没有花出去……你将会感到震惊。

　　Pogba’s transfer fee prompted renewed outcry over the vast sums football clubs spend on players, but when viewed relative to operating income, clubs are spending less on these signings than was recently the case.

　　博格巴的转会费再次引发人们对足球俱乐部大手笔购买球员的不满，但相对于营业收入，俱乐部的签约费用比之前低。

　　Manchester United’s outlay⁷ on Pogba represents 20.2 per cent of its operating income for 2015 — the latest figures available — and could fall to less than 18 per cent if expected earnings⁸ for 2016 are realised.

　　曼联为博格巴支付的转会费相当于该俱乐部2015年营业收入（最新可获得数据）的20.2%，如果2016年能够实现预计收入的话，这一比例可能降至不足18%。

　　Either of these figures would be far down on the profligacy⁹ shown by Europe’s elite¹⁰ clubs at the turn of the millennium¹¹, when Real Madrid spent more than 50 per cent of their income in signing each of Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane.

　　无论哪一个数字，都远低于欧洲顶级俱乐部在本世纪之交展现出的挥霍水平，当时皇家马德里签约路易斯?菲戈(Luis Figo)和齐内丁?齐达内 (Zinedine Zidane)的费用都超过收入的50%。

　　Clubs are able to spend lavishly¹² as all 20 Premier League teams have a guaranteed ￡100m in television rights revenues from a new ￡5.1bn deal with Sky and BT that came into effect this season.

　　这些足球俱乐部能够大手笔支出，是因为英超20家球队与天空电视台(Sky)和英国电信(BT)签署了51亿英镑的新合同，每家球队都可以确保1亿英镑的电视转播权收入。新合同从本赛季开始生效。

　　The clubs will further benefit from deals for overseas screening rights worth up to ￡3bn.Dan Jones, lead partner at Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, says two other factors explain the spending spree.

　　这些俱乐部还将受益于价值高达30亿英镑的海外转播协议。德勤体育事业群的主要合伙人丹?琼斯(Dan Jones)表示，这种支出狂欢还有其他两个原因。

　　The first was the surprising performances of historically less-successful Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur last season, who finished first and third in the league.

　　第一个是历史上不怎么成功的莱斯特城(Leicester City)和托特纳姆热刺(Tottenham Hotspur)在上赛季令人意外的表现，它们分获英超冠军和季军。

　　This has pushed rivals to spend to challenge once more for a top four place that secures entry to the Champions League.

　　这促使竞争对手们为再次进入英超前四名、从而确保有资格参加欧冠联赛而花钱。

　　The second factor is that some leading English clubs have hired new managers.

　　第二个原因是，一些顶级英格兰足球俱乐部聘请了新教练。

　　Data suggest new coaches push their clubs to spend additional sums to reshape a playing squad¹³ in their image.

　　数据显示，新教练促请俱乐部增加支出，以按照他们的想法重新组织战队。

　　Management changes include José Mourinho to Manchester United, Pep Guardiola joining Manchester City and Antonio Conte at Chelsea.

　　教练变动包括若泽?穆里尼奥(José Mourinho)加盟曼联，佩普?瓜迪奥拉(Pep Guardiola)加入曼城(Manchester City)，以及安东尼奥?孔蒂(Antonio Conte)加入切尔西(Chelsea)。

　　But Mr Jones concludes: The TV cash is the prime catalyst¹⁴ for the spending.

　　但琼斯总结称：电视转播带来的收入是此次支出狂欢的主要催化剂。

　　English clubs were already among the richest in the world, with the latest broadcasting deals exacerbating¹⁵ the difference in wealth between the Premier League and other European teams.

　　英格兰足球俱乐部已经进入全球最富有的足球俱乐部之列，最新的转播协议加大了英超和其他欧洲球队之间的财富差距。

　　Before Pogba, the previous two most expensive signings — Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale — both involved Real Madrid buying the stars from English clubs.

　　在博格巴之前的两次最贵转会——克里斯蒂亚诺?罗纳尔多(Cristiano Ronaldo)和加雷思?贝尔(Gareth Bale)——都是皇家马德里购买英格兰俱乐部的球星。

　　Club revenues for the 2014-15 season, the latest period for when figures are available show Real Madrid earned the most in the the world.

　　2014-2015赛季的俱乐部收入数据（可获得的最新数据）表明，皇家马德里的收入是全球最高的。

　　But from this year, Deloitte has predicted that Manchester United will take top position.

　　但德勤预计，从今年开始，曼联将登上榜首。

　　In terms of total revenues, including ticket sales, sponsorship and merchandise, 17 English clubs are already among the top 30 highest-earning clubs in the world.

　　就包括门票收入、赞助和商品销售在内的总收入来说，17家英格兰足球俱乐部已经迈入全球30家收入最高的俱乐部之列。

　　Only three teams outside England — Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus — generate more than ￡100m in broadcasting revenues.

　　英格兰以外只有3家俱乐部转播权收入超过1亿英镑——皇家马德里、巴塞罗那(Barcelona)和尤文图斯。

　　As long as there’s revenue growth, there will be bigger transfer fees and player wages, says Mr Jones.

　　琼斯表示：只要收入增长，就会有更高的转会费和球员薪资。

　　Most football clubs exist to win matches and not to make profits.

　　大多数足球俱乐部存在的目的是为了赢得比赛而不是盈利。

1 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

2 bumper   

n.(汽车上的)保险杠；adj.特大的，丰盛的

参考例句：

• The painting represents the scene of a bumper harvest.这幅画描绘了丰收的景象。
• This year we have a bumper harvest in grain.今年我们谷物丰收。

3 entice   

v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿

参考例句：

• Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
• I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白，为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。

4 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

5 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

6 defender   

n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人

参考例句：

• He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员，然后射门。
• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。

7 outlay   

n.费用，经费，支出；v.花费

参考例句：

• There was very little outlay on new machinery.添置新机器的开支微乎其微。
• The outlay seems to bear no relation to the object aimed at.这费用似乎和预期目的完全不相称。

8 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

9 profligacy   

n.放荡，不检点，肆意挥霍

参考例句：

• Subsequently, this statement was quoted widely in the colony as an evidence of profligacy. 结果这句话成为肆意挥霍的一个例证在那块领地里传开了。 来自辞典例句
• Recession, they reason, must be a penance for past profligacy. 经济衰退，他们推断，肯定是对过去大肆挥霍的赎罪。 来自互联网

10 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

11 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

12 lavishly   

adv.慷慨地，大方地

参考例句：

• His house was lavishly adorned.他的屋子装饰得很华丽。
• The book is lavishly illustrated in full colour.这本书里有大量全彩插图。

13 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

14 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

15 exacerbating   

v.使恶化，使加重( exacerbate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• This pedagogical understretch is exacerbating social inequalities. 这种教学张力不足加重了社会不平等。 来自互联网
• High fertilizer prices are exacerbating the problem. 高涨的肥料价格更加加剧了问题的恶化。 来自互联网