French Football Federation Accused of Racism

     France's national soccer federation¹ has been rocked by allegations of racism², with reports its top brass³ wanted to introduce quotas⁵ for ethnic-African and Arab players in its training academies. The results of two investigations⁶ into the matter are due out this week.

    The allegations have been leveled by the online investigative publication Mediapart, which reported senior members of the French Football Federation wanted to limit the number of young soccer players of Arab and African descent in its training academies. Mediapart released an apparent transcript⁷ of a November meeting by French officials in which the quota⁴ idea was discussed.

    The results of inquiries⁸ by the Football Federation and France's sports ministry⁹ are due out this week. French soccer team coach Laurent Blanc, who denies the accusations¹⁰, was questioned and the technical director has been suspended.

    The executive director of French anti-discrimination group SOS Racisme, Guilaume Aime, says he is not surprised by the allegations(主张,断言).

    "We have seen quite a few cases and we have litigation against the French soccer federation on another case, which is that they have refused kids who cannot prove that their parents have lived five years regularly in France," said Aime.

    Mediapart's claims have unleashed¹¹ strong emotions in the French soccer world.  Former soccer star Zinnedine Zidane, the son of Algerian refugees, argues coach Blanc is no racist¹².  That sentiment was echoed by French Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno, who is expected to announce the results of the ministry's probe on Tuesday.

    In broadcast remarks, Joanno said she had never heard Blanc make a racist statement, and she pointed¹³ to the multi-racial composition of the French soccer team.

    But another former French soccer star, Lilian Thuram from Guadeloupe, expressed concern.

    Thuram told TF1 television he feared the allegations of discrimination within the soccer federation could be true. If so, it was very serious.

    The allegations are a blow for a national soccer team that was once a symbol of a multi-racial and united France in 1998, when it won the World Cup.

    The issue also comes at a particularly sensitive time in France, following controversial national debates over diversity and Muslims.  And a year before presidential elections, recent polls show surging support for the leader of the far-right National Front Party.

    "We have had many political actions, which stigmatized¹⁴ huge parts of the French population, and soccer looks like society itself," says SOS Racism's Guillaume Aime.

    But Aime believes the majority of French are very upset about the racism allegations in French soccer and, if they are proved true, will demand change.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

2 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

3 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

4 quota   

n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额

参考例句：

• A restricted import quota was set for meat products.肉类产品设定了进口配额。
• He overfulfilled his production quota for two months running.他一连两个月超额完成生产指标。

5 quotas   

（正式限定的）定量( quota的名词复数 )； 定额； 指标； 摊派

参考例句：

• In fulfilling the production quotas, John made rings round all his fellow workers. 约翰完成生产定额大大超过他的同事们。
• Quotas of the means of production are allocated by the higher administrative bodies to the lower ones. 物资指标按隶属关系分配。

6 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

7 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

8 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

10 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

11 unleashed   

v.把（感情、力量等）释放出来，发泄( unleash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The government's proposals unleashed a storm of protest in the press. 政府的提案引发了新闻界的抗议浪潮。
• The full force of his rage was unleashed against me. 他把所有的怒气都发泄在我身上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

13 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

14 stigmatized   

v.使受耻辱，指责，污辱( stigmatize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was stigmatized as an ex-convict. 他遭人污辱，说他给判过刑。 来自辞典例句
• Such a view has been stigmatized as mechanical jurisprudence. 蔑称这种观点为机械法学。 来自辞典例句