2014年世界杯八大必看足球名将

Many call Messi one of the best soccer players of all time， and he's only 26 years old. Despite immense success on world-beating1) Barcelona in the Spanish professional league and a host of trophies on his shelf， \"The Atomic Flea\" has never even made it past the quarterfinals2) of the World Cup. This go around may be his best chance， as Argentina's squad3) is loaded with international stars all over the pitch4)， and Messi is at the top of his game5) and in full health after a hamstring6) injury last year. The only question is how well Argentina can play together behind their dynamo7) forward8).许多人把梅西称为史上最优秀的足球运动员之一，而他只有26岁(编注：本文写于2014年4月)。虽然他作为世界一流的巴塞罗那队的一员在西班牙足球联盟中取得了巨大成功，并为自己赢得许多奖杯，但这位绰号“原子跳蚤”的球星还从未使球队在世界杯的四分之一决赛中胜出。这届世界杯也许是他最好的机会，因为阿根廷队云集了众多国际巨星，他们遍布场上各个位置，而梅西正处于巅峰时期，而且他在去年的一次肌腱受伤后现已完全康复。唯一的问题就是，在这位精力充沛的前锋身后，阿根廷队的整体表现能有多好了。Cristiano Ronaldo

克里斯蒂亚诺·罗纳尔多The most recent winner of FIFA's Ballon d'Or9) for being the best soccer player on the planet， Ronaldo has for now gotten the upper hand10) over the \"Who's the best?\" debate that has been raging11) over him and Messi for the last several years. The Real Madrid star's performance in the 2014 World Cup will go a long way towards12) quieting any remaining doubters， and Portugal's national team will desperately need his other-worldly13) play if they're going to stand a chance of14) making it out of this Cup's \"Group of Death15)\" that includes Germany， the U.S.， and Ghana. 在过去几年来，人们一直围绕罗纳尔多和梅西展开 “谁是最佳球员”的争论，现在罗纳尔多作为金球奖(国际足联颁给全球最佳球员的奖项)的新近得主，在这场争论中暂时占据了上风。这位皇家马德里队的球星在2014年世界杯上的表现将十分有助于平息任何余下的质疑者的声音，而葡萄牙国家队如果想要有机会从这届世界杯的“死亡之组”(包括德国、美国和加纳)中出线，就迫切需要他发挥出超凡脱俗的球技。

1.world-beating: 世界一流的

2.quarterfinal [#712;kw#596;#720;t#601;#716;fa#618;n#601;l] n. 四分之一决赛

3.squad [skw#594;d] n. 队

4.pitch [p#618;t#643;] n. (足球等的)场地

5.at the top of one's game: 表现极为出色

6.hamstring [#712;h#230;mstr#618;#331;] n. 肌腱

7.dynamo [#712;da#618;n#601;m#601;#650;] n. 精力充沛的人

8.forward [#712;f#596;#720;w#601;d] n. 前锋

9.Ballon d'Or: 金球奖，是国际足联每年颁发给上一年度表现最佳的球员的奖项，由足球教练、国际上各球队队长以及世界各地的体育记者投票选出，因其奖杯由一个金色的足球加底座构成而得名。

10.get the upper hand: 占上风

11.rage [re#618;d#658;] vi. 肆虐

12.go a long way towards (doing sth.): 对(达成某事)大有帮助

13.other-worldly [#712;#652;e#601;#712;w#604;#720;ldl#618;] adj. 超俗的；世外的

14.stand a chance of (doing sth.): 有(做某事)的机会(或可能)

15.Group of Death: 死亡之组，指的是强队云集、内部竞争力很强的比赛小组，组内的强队数量远比晋级名额多。由于强强相遇，竞争十分惨烈，其中一组或多组强队都会惨遭淘汰。Neymar

内马尔If Brazilians hope to take home their sixth World Cup trophy， Barcelona star Neymar's slender16) frame will have to bear much of the burden. The 22-year-old， 5-foot-9-inch winger17)/forward may be one of many stars on this young team， but none of them make anywhere near the $20 million he does every year between salary and endorsements18). The biggest knock19) against Neymar may be his size， but he has silenced many doubters after his move to Barcelona last year with lightning fast speed and acceleration， a top-class ability to finish off both feet， and the same doggedness20) on the pitch that his professional teammate Messi is known for.如果巴西队想把第六个世界杯奖杯捧回家，巴塞罗那足球俱乐部的球星内马尔那纤瘦的肩头就必须要担起很大一部分重任。这位身高5英尺9英寸(编注：约1.75米)的22岁边锋/前锋也许只是这支年轻队伍中的众多球星之一，但他每年共计2000万美元的工资和广告代言收入却令其他队员望尘莫及。内马尔最不利的地方或许就是他的体格，不过自从他去年转会巴塞罗那足球俱乐部之后，他已经用闪电般的速度和加速度、一流的双脚均可射门的能力，以及在场上拥有与以顽强著称的队友梅西同样的顽强作风，令许多质疑他的人闭上了嘴。Andres Iniesta

安德雷斯·伊涅斯塔It may be a fool's errand21) to pick a single player from the defending champs， whose aging squad was arguably one of the best all-time World Cup teams in 2010. From Xavi Hernandez to Cesc Fabregas to Sergio Ramos， Spain's deep roster22) has made them a favorite to repeat their South Africa triumph in Brazil. However， much of their hopes this time around will rest on the 29-year-old who scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final. The midfield wizard has made the FIFA XI23) squad the last five years in a row; even fellow superstar Xavi called him \"Spain's most complete player\".

西班牙队这支大龄球队在2010年可以说是史上最佳的世界杯球队之一(编注：西班牙队是2010年南非世界杯冠军)。想从这支卫冕冠军的球队中单单挑出一名球员可能只是徒劳无益。从哈维·埃尔南德兹到西斯科·法布雷加斯再到塞尔吉奥·拉莫斯，西班牙队阵容之强大，已经令其被人们看好有望在巴西重演其在南非夺冠的一幕。不过，他们这次获胜的希望很大程度上要寄托在29岁的球星伊涅斯塔身上，此人在2010年世界杯决赛中射出了制胜球。这位中场奇才在过去五年里已连续入选国际足联年度最佳阵容，就连队里另一位巨星哈维都称他为“西班牙队技术最全面的球员”。Wayne Rooney

韦恩·鲁尼While Rooney may not be England's best player， the 28-year-old is still one of the faces of soccer around the world， promoted heavily by both Nike and FIFA. The starting forward for the English national team has been one of the best players on a fading Manchester United squad that was the toast24) of the world not that long ago. Despite his continued top-flight play as his professional team crumbles25)， England's soccer fans fret26) continuously about whether Rooney and the England squad can make a real showing this time， after finishing 13th in South Africa in 2010. To survive an incredibly difficult group stage with Italy， Costa Rica， and Uruguay， they're going to need his superlative ability to score goals， as well as his greatly improved passing and never-say-die hustle27) when the lights shine brightest28).鲁尼或许不是英格兰队的最佳球员，但在耐克运动品牌和国际足联的大力宣传下，这位28岁的球星仍然是全球最有名的足球面孔之一。这位英格兰国家队的首发前锋一直是曼彻斯特联队(编注：简称曼联)最优秀的球员之一，尽管这支不久前还备受世人推崇的球队已经走上了下坡路。虽然鲁尼在其所属职业球队曼联衰落之后依然保持了一贯的高水准，但鉴于英格兰队在2010年南非世界杯上最终仅排名第13，英格兰球迷还是不住地担心鲁尼和英格兰队这次能否真正踢出水平。面对小组赛的对手意大利、哥斯达黎加和乌拉圭，英格兰队若想从无比难踢的小组赛阶段幸存下来，就需要鲁尼在比赛中一展其高超的射门能力以及他大有提高的传球技术和不屈不挠的进攻能力。

16.slender [#712;slend#601;(r)] adj. 修长的；苗条的

17.winger [#712;w#618;#331;#601;(r)] n. 边锋

18.endorsement [#618;n#712;d#596;#720;sm#601;nt] n. 广告代言

19.knock [n#594;k] n. 打击

20.doggedness [#712;d#594;ɡ#618;dn#601;s] n. 顽强；坚持不懈

21.fool's errand: 徒劳无益的差事。errand [#712;er#601;nd] n. (短程的)差事；跑腿

22.roster [#712;r#594;st#601;(r)] n. 运动员名册

23.FIFA XI: 国际足联年度最佳阵容。国际足联自2005年起每年从世界各地的球员中选出场地各位置上最强的11人组成最佳阵容球队。

24.toast [t#601;#650;st] n. 深受敬慕的人；最受推崇的人

25.crumble [#712;kr#652;mbl] vi. 渐渐衰败(或瓦解)

26.fret [fret] vi. 苦恼；烦恼；发愁

27.hustle [#712;h#652;sl] n. (游戏或体育比赛中)积极进攻

28.when the lights shine brightest: 指比赛开始。Arjen Robben

阿尔扬·罗本An argument can be made that Robin van Persie is more important to international powerhouse29) the Netherlands， but the \"Oranje30)\" won't come anywhere near replicating31) their 2010 final run without the continued inspired32) play of Robben. The 30-year-old winger has been on a tear33) for professional club Bayern Munich， where he's scored at least 55 goals since joining the team in 2009， and was a crucial reason they hoisted34) the Champions League trophy last year. He has shown a penchant35) for performing his best on the biggest stages， so watch for36) \"the Flying Dutchman\" to earn his nickname in Brazil by sprinting37) down the wing past defenders.虽然有证据显示，对于世界劲旅荷兰队来说，罗宾·范佩西是更为重要的一员，但是倘若没有罗本一贯出色的表现，这支“橙色军团”将连再现2010年世界杯入围决赛的成绩都不太可能实现。这位30岁的边锋在拜仁慕尼黑职业足球俱乐部一直处于能量大爆发的状态，自从2009年加入该球队以来已至少贡献了55个进球，并对球队去年夺得欧冠联赛冠军起到了关键作用。他总是倾向于在最重大的比赛中发挥出最强的实力，因此大家就拭目以待，看这位“荷兰小飞侠”在巴西世界杯上凭借从边路迅速插上、突破对方后卫的精彩表现来印证这个绰号吧！

Mario Balotelli

马里奥·巴洛特利The enigmatic38) 23-year-old of Ghanaian heritage has done a lot of questionable things off the soccer pitch， but no one doubts his ability on it. Balotelli can finish， pass and run with the best in the world， but has been maddeningly39) inconsistent since his debut on the world stage. He hasn't shown great form in Serie A this year; this past February， Balotelli was spotted crying on the bench after being taken off the pitch late in a loss to Napoli. Whether that's a sign of his passion for the game or his immaturity is anyone's guess， but fans of \"GliAzzurri40)\" sure hope it's the former. The Italians are going to need every bit of help they can get to survive this harsh group stage， where they'll square off41) against England， Uruguay， and Costa Rica.

这位谜一般的23岁加纳裔球员在球场之外做过很多不靠谱的事，但没有人会怀疑他在场上的能力。巴洛特利在射门、传球和跑动方面能达到世界最佳水平，但从踏入世界足坛的第一天起，他的表现就极不稳定，令人抓狂。他在今年的意大利甲级联赛中表现欠佳，而且今年2月在输给那不勒斯队的那场比赛的后半场，他被换下场后，有人还看见他在替补席上哭泣。谁也说不准那是他热爱足球的表现，还是他心态不成熟的表现，但是“蓝色军团”的球迷们当然希望是前者。意大利队需要借助每一份力量才能闯过形势严峻的小组赛阶段——在小组赛中，他们将对阵英格兰、乌拉圭和哥斯达黎加。Mesut Ozil

梅苏特·厄齐尔The German national team is among the few favorites to take home the World Cup trophy in Brazil， and their star attacking midfielder will likely be the key to their success. Currently at Arsenal， the 25-year-old has been compared， perhaps not unreasonably， to French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane for his finesse42)， precision， and improvisational43) skills. Ozil suffered a hamstring injury earlier this year， but has returned to club action and will be looking to get back in form quickly. If Ozil is healthy and leading the charge44)， the Germans should have no problems making a deep run in this World Cup.德国队是本届巴西世界杯的几个夺冠热门球队之一，而他们的攻击型前卫很可能将是他们制胜的关键。这名现效力于阿森纳足球俱乐部的25岁球员因其技巧、精确度和临场应变能力而被人们拿来和法国足坛传奇名将齐内丁·齐达内比较，这样的比较也许不无道理。今年年初，厄齐尔曾经肌腱受伤，不过现已回到俱乐部参加比赛，并有望很快恢复状态。如果厄齐尔能够完全康复并在世界杯比赛中带领球队出战，那么德国队在这届世界杯上取得好成绩就不成问题了。29.powerhouse [#712;pa#650;#601;ha#650;s] n. 充满力量的人

30.oranje: [荷兰语]橙色，这里指荷兰国家足球队。橙色是荷兰的国色，荷兰国家足球队也被称为“橙色风暴荷兰队”或“橙色军团”。

31.replicate [#712;repl#618;ke#618;t] vt. 复制；使复现

32.inspired [#618;n#712;spa#618;#601;d] adj. 拥有优秀能力(或品质)的

33.on a tear: 突然爆发能量

34.hoist [h#596;#618;st] vt. 举起；抬起

35.penchant [#712;pent#643;#601;nt] n. 爱好；嗜好；偏好

36.watch for: 密切关注

37.sprint [spr#618;nt] vi. (短距离)冲刺

38.enigmatic [#716;en#618;ɡ#712;m#230;t#618;k] adj. 神秘的；谜一般的

39.maddeningly [#712;m#230;dn#618;#331;li] adv. 令人生气地；让人极为沮丧地；使人极其恼火地

40.GliAzzurri: (= the Blues)蓝色军团，指意大利国家足球队。

41.square off: 摆好(打斗的架势)，准备迎战

42.finesse [f#618;#712;nes] n. 技巧；策略

43.improvisational [#716;#618;mpr#601;va#618;#712;ze#618;#643;nl] adj. 即兴的

44.lead the charge: 带领；打头阵