Soccer

Soccer, written by Luanne Silver. Focus question. What makes soccer different from other popular sports?

《足球》，作者：卢安·西尔弗 探究问题 足球和其他热门运动有什么不同呢？

The Beautiful Game. For thousands of years, people around the world have enjoyed playing games. Many of these games involve kicking a ball toward another team's goal. Today, soccer is by far the most popular of these games. Why is the sport so loved by people everywhere? People can play soccer outdoors in all kinds of weather. The sport is easy to learn and it helps players stay fit. The only equipment you need is a ball. Best of all, it's great fun!

这项美丽的运动 几千年来，世界各地的人们都喜爱玩游戏 很多这类游戏都要把球踢进对方的球门 如今，足球是这类运动里最受欢迎的一项 为什么全世界的人都这么热爱这项运动呢？ 不管什么样的天气，人们都可以在户外踢足球 这项运动很好学，还能帮球员保持健康 你只需要一颗球就能玩 最重要的是，踢足球太好玩啦！

The Beginning of Soccer People played early types of soccer in Britain starting in the 8th century. The game, which was called football, was much rougher back then, and there weren't many rules. Paved school playgrounds in the early 1900s weren't good for playing the rough types of soccer, so new rules were invented. Soccer became a regular part of school because of the teamwork needed to play. Modern soccer began in England in 1863 when soccer, also called association football, and rugby football became two different sports. Soccer players mainly moved the ball with their feet, while rugby players also used their hands. Modern soccer rules began in the late 1930s and were updated in 1997.

足球的起源 公元8世纪开始，英国人就开始玩早期类型的足球了 那时这项运动叫足球，比现在粗暴得多，也没有多少规则 20世纪初，学校硬化的操场不适合玩粗野的旧式足球，因此人们制定了新规则 因为踢足球需要团队配合，所以它成了学校的常规体育项目 现代足球1863年诞生于英国，当时足球（也叫协会足球）和橄榄球分成了两项不同运动 足球运动员主要用脚带动球，而橄榄球运动员还可以用手碰球 现代足球规则成型于20世纪30年代末，1997年做了更新

Soccer Around the World People in almost every country play soccer. The sport is popular among both adults and children. People of every background and religion love soccer. Most people think of soccer as an outdoor sport, but it can also be played indoors.

世界各地的足球 几乎每个国家的人都踢足球 这项运动深受大人和小孩的喜爱 不同背景、不同信仰的人都热爱足球 多数人觉得足球是户外运动，但其实它也可以在室内玩

all levels of play. About 240 million people in more than 300 ,000 clubs play soccer. Estimates place the number of fans as high as 3 .5 billion. That's half the total number of people on earth. FIFA, Federacion Internacional de Futebol Asociacion, is in charge of professional soccer. Founded in 1904, FIFA had 209 member countries as of early 2015. The countries have teams that compete for a chance to play in the World Cup, a competition to see which team is the best in the world. Thirty -two teams play in the World Cup, which takes place every four years.

各个水平都能参与 全球超过30万家俱乐部，共有大约2.4亿人踢足球 据估算，足球球迷的数量高达35亿 这个数量占了全球总人口的一半 国际足球联合会（FIFA）是全球职业足球的主管机构 FIFA成立于1904年，截至2015年初，共有209个成员国 各国球队争夺参赛资格，角逐世界杯——这项决出全球最强球队的顶级赛事 世界杯每四年举办一次，共有32支球队参赛

In the United States, the United States Soccer Federation, USSF, or US Soccer, is the main soccer group. There are professional, men's, women's, and children's soccer teams. Soccer is popular among students of all ages, and you don't even have to be on a team to enjoy the sport. As few as two people can play the game in a park or on a playground.

在美国，美国足球联合会（缩写USSF，也称美国足协）是主管足球的机构 这里有职业球队，分为男子队、女子队和儿童球队 足球深受各个年龄段学生的喜爱，就算不加入球队也能享受踢球的乐趣 哪怕只有两个人，也可以在公园或操场上踢球