No other sporting event captures the world's imagination like the FIFA World Cup. Ever since the first tentative competition in Uruguay in 1930, FIFA's flagship has constantly grown in popularity and prestige.
没有任何一项赛事可以像FIFA世界杯这样神奇。自从第一届比赛于1930年在乌拉圭举办之后，国际足联的受欢迎程度和威望便与日俱增。
A group of visionary French football administrators, led in the 1920s by the innovative Jules Rimet, are credited with the original idea of bringing the world's strongest national football teams together to compete for the title of World Champions. The original gold trophy bore Jules Rimet's name and was contested three times in the 1930s, before the Second World War put a 12-year stop to the competition.
19世纪20年代创新主义者雷米特领导了一群充满幻想的法国足球管理员，提出了将世界最强的国家队聚集到一起争夺世界足球冠军的想法。最初的冠军金杯由雷米特·朱尔斯的名字命名，并在19世纪30年代举行了三次。二战之前，此赛事被停办了12年。
When it resumed, the FIFA World Cup rapidly advanced to its undisputed status as the greatest single sporting event of the modern world. Held since 1958 alternately in Europe and the Americas, the World Cup broke new ground with the Executive Committee's decision in May 1996 to select Korea and Japan as co-hosts for the 2002 edition.
当世界杯赛事再次举办时，FIFA世界杯就迅猛地以其无可异议的地位成为了当今世界最专业的单项体育赛事。自从1958年在欧洲和美洲交替举办后，1996年5月，国际足联执行委员会选择韩国和日本作为2002年世界杯的联合东道主。
Since 1930, the 16 tournaments have seen only seven different winners. However, the FIFA World Cup has also been punctuated by dramatic upsets that have helped create footballing history - the United States defeating England in 1950, North Korea's defeat of Italy in 1966, Cameroon's emergence in the 1980s and their opening match defeat of the Argentinean cup-holders in 1990....
自从1930年以来，16届世界杯的冠军得主只有7支国家队。但世界杯赛程中出现的一个又一个戏剧性奇迹也不断改写着世界杯的历史。1950年，美国打败英格兰；1966年，朝鲜战胜意大利，20世纪80年代，喀麦隆的崛起更是开创了新的篇章。1990年，喀麦隆在开幕战中打败世界冠军得主阿根廷队……
Today, the FIFA World Cup holds the entire global public under its spell. An accumulated audience of over 37 billion people watched the France 98 tournament, including approximately 1.3 billion for the final alone, while over 2.7 million people flocked to watch the 64 matches in the French stadia.
现在，FIFA世界杯以其魅力吸引了全球所有观众。1998年法国世界杯赛事总共吸引了超过了370亿人次观看，仅决赛就大约有13亿，同时有超过270万人聚集在法国体育馆观看了64场比赛。
After all these years and so many changes, however, the main focus of the FIFA World Cup remains the same - the glistening golden trophy, which is the embodiment of every footballer's ambition.
在经历了这么多年的发展和变革后，FIFA世界杯的焦点仍然没有改变，那就是每位球员雄心的化身——闪耀的大力神杯。
“世界杯”四大“生死之战”猜想
历届世界杯吉祥物集锦
日本申办2022年世界杯 许诺提供3D直播
英球迷为看世界杯买礼物安抚女友
（来源：沪江英语 编辑：Julie）
