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The World Cup kicked off in Brazil on June 12 amid fanfare, but also local protests and international condemnation of organizer FIFA’s corruption and problematic inner workings.
当地时间6月12日，巴西世界杯在一片欢腾中拉开了帷幕，而喧嚣之下则是对世界杯组织者国际足联腐败的谴责，对其内部运营的质疑和抗议。
FIFA was founded in 1904 in Paris as a simple rule-making committee that aimed to regulate the guidelines for a new, rapidly expanding sport when played between nations. But as a New York Times article points out, from its humble start, FIFA has changed over time into one of the most profitable and disreputable organizations in the history of sports.
国际足联于1904年成立于巴黎，当时它只是一个制定规则的委员会，为当时迅速崛起的国家间比赛的新型运动提供规则指导。但是，正如《纽约时报》报道所言，国际足联虽然出身卑微，但随着时间的变迁，它已经成为运动史上盈利最多，却名声最差的组织。
FIFA claims itself a non-profit organization. But the fact is, it is extremely profitable. FIFA has its headquarters in the tax haven of Switzerland. According to a Guardian article, the group stands to rake in $4.5 billion (27.96 billion yuan) from this World Cup alone. The Guardian article says this is how FIFA operates: “Helicopter into a country, enjoy tax-exempt status, wrack up revenue from corporate sponsors and broadcasters, then take off to the next destination.”
国际足联自称是一个非营利性组织，但事实上它却赚的盆满钵满。国际足联的总部就设在避税天堂瑞士。据《卫报》报道，仅此次世界杯，国际足联就可入账45亿美元（约合人民币279.6亿元）。《卫报》报道中称其运营方式为“坐着直升机到一个国家，享受免税身份，从赞助商和广播公司那里大捞一笔，然后转战下一个地方。”
A Salon article offers further explanation. FIFA requires countries to protect their windfall at the people’s expense. Take this year’s World Cup as an example. At FIFA’s request, the Brazilian congress passed a law that gave FIFA and its sponsors exclusive commercial control over zones surrounding the stadiums. It also exempts World Cup sponsors – multinational corporations like Budweiser and McDonald’s – from Brazilian income, industrial and import taxes until the end of 2015.
《沙龙》杂志则给出了更为详尽的描述：国际足联要求举办国牺牲本国人民利益来维护它的权益。以本届世界杯为例，根据国际足联要求，巴西国会通过法案给予足联及其赞助商场馆周围区域独家商业控制权，并免去其赞助商，如百威和麦当劳，在2015年之前的所得税，工业税以及进口税。
Dark side
黑暗的事实
FIFA goes to extreme lengths to protect its interests. According to a CNN report, alcoholic drinks used to be banned in Brazilian stadiums because of the high death rate among fans. But because Budweiser is one of the key sponsors of FIFA, the organization forced Brazil to change the potentially life-saving law to allow Budweiser to sell beer.
为了保护自己的利益，国际足联可谓绞尽脑汁。CNN报道称，巴西原本禁止在体育馆内饮酒，因为其球迷（饮酒）死亡率很高。但鉴于百威是国际足联主要赞助商之一，国际足联要求巴西方面修改这条旨在保护生命的法律，允许百威出售啤酒。
FIFA’s officials travel in private jets and put on pompous airs. But they are not doing their job well. One of FIFA’s responsibilities is to police match-fixing, the practice of arranging games to be played with a pre-determined result. But according to a New York Times investigation, only six people on its staff of 350 are responsible for such duties. FIFA is supposed to monitor corruption, but its officials are being accused of constantly involved in bribery scandals. There have long been allegations that bribes secured the 2022 World Cup for Qatar.
国际足联官员乘坐私人飞机旅行，颐指气使。但工作起来却马马虎虎。其责任之一就是调查打假球，即在比赛前内定比赛结果。但据《纽约时报》调查显示，国际足联350名工作人员中，只有6人负责这一工作。此外，国际足联应该负责监管腐败，但其官员却频频爆出受贿丑闻。已有指控称其受贿以确保2022年世界杯于卡塔尔举办。
Many Brazilian people have been protesting to the government and FIFA over a game they can ill afford. Dave Zirin, writing in The New York Times, says for the first time the world is seeing FIFA for what it is: A stateless corporation that takes bribes while working with world leaders who want to use the majesty of the World Cup to push through their development agendas at great human cost.
许多巴西人都对巴西政府和足联抗议，称他们不堪世界杯的重负。戴夫•齐林在《纽约时报》文章中指出，全世界人第一次看到了国际足联的本来面目：它就是一个无国籍公司，受贿敛财的同时与世界各国领导一起，利用世界杯的盛事，耗费大量人力成本，推动各自国家或组织的发展。
“The World Cup can be staged in countries with existing stadiums and infrastructure. Moreover, the secret bidding process for host countries must end so that soccer isn’t abused for economic and political ends,” Zirin writes.
齐林说“世界杯可以在那些已有场馆和基础设施建设的国家举办。此外，必须停止不公开的举办国竞标流程，这样才能让足球比赛少一些经济与政治目的。”
