女足世界盃：魅力持續升溫
Global television audiences for the Women's World Cup in Canada bounced sharply higher in the opening days of the tournament and merchandise flew off the shelves, underscoring the growing popularity of the beautiful game.
本屆女足世界盃在加拿大開幕以來，全球觀看賽事的人數急劇增加，貨架上的紀念品和商品清售一空，見證了這項魅力運動的人氣上漲。
Some 3.3 million Americans tuned in to watch Team USA's opening win against Australia, FIFA said, three times the number who saw its opener in Germany four years ago.
國際足聯稱，約330萬美國人收看了美國隊對澳大利亞隊的開幕式比賽，這場比賽最終美國隊獲勝。觀看人數是觀看四年前德國女足世界盃開幕後首場比賽的人數的三倍。
In China, viewership nearly doubled for the country's first game while 16 percent more Japanese - 4.2 million - watched their defending champions beat Switzerland in the opener than watched them in the semifinals in the last tournament.
在中國，中國隊的首場比賽的收視率翻倍，而上屆冠軍日本隊首戰瑞士隊時的日本觀衆人數比上屆半決賽收看人數增加了16％，達到4200萬人。
A showdown between France and England drew roughly 1.5 million viewers in each country, a third more French viewers than last time.
英法兩隊的對決吸引了兩國觀衆各約1500萬人，而法國觀看比賽的人數超過比上屆女足世界盃上多了三分之一。
The figures, while far below the average official rating of 188.4 million viewers per game in the men's World Cup in Brazil last year, highlights the growing momentum in the women's game.
雖然這些數據遠低於2014年巴西男足世界盃平均每場1.884億人觀看的紀錄，但凸顯了女足比賽可喜的發展勢頭。
Women's football has played second fiddle to the more lucrative men's game but the bribery scandal surrounding FIFA has spurred interest in a section of the sport less drenched in money.
相對於商機無限的男足，女足的地位一直“低人一等”，但最近國際足聯腐敗醜聞纏身讓人們重新燃起了對不太受金錢影響的女足運動的興趣。
"The reason people sponsor sport is to connect to the ideals of sport," said Wade Oosterman, president of BCE Inc, a major sponsor and parent of the event's broadcaster, Bell Media.
“人們贊助這項運動是因爲體育運動理念，” 本次世界盃的主要贊助商和通訊支持商貝爾集團（BCE Inc）董事長韋德•奧斯特曼（Wade Oosterman）說道。
"It's the joy of the game, it's competition, it's integrity and fair play, it's all those positive attributes - and thank God the Women's World Cup represents those in spades."
“這是享受比賽，是競爭、是誠信和公平，這些都是積極的意義。感謝上帝，女足世界盃將這一切都呈現出來了。”
More than 1.5 million fans are expected, nearly double that seen in Germany in 2011, which had fewer games, as tickets sell out.
本次世界盃有望吸引逾1500萬球迷，是場次更少的上屆德國女足世界盃觀衆人數的近兩倍，而且門票已銷售一空。
Sports bars in New York and Los Angeles filled up for the first US game, while lineups for merchandise at games in Edmonton and Winnipeg snaked hundreds of meters as fans stood for hours to get a t-shirt or hat.
在美國隊首場比賽時，紐約和洛杉磯的體育酒吧裏擠滿了人，而在加拿大的埃德蒙頓（Edmonton）和溫尼伯（Winnipeg）兩座城市中，球迷們正排着蜿蜒數百米的長隊苦等數小時，只爲了得到紀念T恤和帽子。
"I have been 10 years in the business and every year it is growing," said Aftab Hadi, owner of Robson Sports, which sells licensed team sports jerseys, caps and scarves on Vancouver’s main shopping street a few blocks from the football stadium.
“我從事這一行有十年了，每年的銷量都在上漲。”經營羅布森體育用品店的阿夫塔卜•哈迪（Aftab Hadi）說。哈迪的店在溫哥華足球場附近主商業街上銷售有授權的球衣、帽子和圍巾等。
Official Women's World Cup football balls, which cost C$159 each, are almost sold out, he said.
哈迪表示，官方女足世界盃足球每個售價159加元（約790元人民幣），全部都銷售一空。
Even so, the attention paid to the women's game does not yet match the focus on men's football.
儘管如此，對女足的關注度仍然不能與男足相比。
Joe Wendt, manager of a River City Sports store near Winnipeg's stadium, said Canadian women's football apparel has sold well during the tournament - but only about half as well as gear for men's teams usually does.
溫尼伯體育場附近河城體育（River City Sports ）商店的經理喬•溫特（Joe Wendt）表示，加拿大的女子球服在比賽期間賣得非常好——但只是平常男足球服銷量的一半而已。
Vocabulary
underscore 凸顯
showdown 對決
play second fiddle 居次位
