VOA慢速英语2015 美国,瑞士政府针对FIFA贪污案件采取行动（在线收听）

AS IT IS 2015-05-28 US, Swiss Officials Take Action Against FIFA in Corruption Cases 美国,瑞士政府针对FIFA贪污案件采取行动

United States officials have brought charges against current and former leaders of FIFA, the group that governs the sport of football around the world. A U.S. federal indictment accuses them of corruption and other wrongdoing. On Wednesday, the Swiss government announced its own investigation connected to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup championships. Swiss police arrested several FIFA officials in Zurich.

美国官方对国际足联现任和前任官员进行指控，该机构是全世界足球运动的的官方机构。美国联邦起诉书指控这些人涉嫌腐败等罪行，周三，瑞士政府宣布对2018年和2022年世界杯举办权相关事务进行调查，瑞士警方在苏黎世逮捕了国际足联几名官员。

The U.S. indictment includes 47 charges against 14 people. Federal lawyers say sports media officials paid or agreed to pay more than $150 million in exchange for marketing rights to football events. The sport is known as soccer in the United States.

美国的诉讼包括针对14人的47项指控，联邦律师称足球媒体官员支付或同意支付超过1.5亿美元来换取足球赛事上的营销权，在美国这项运动被称为soccer。

The Justice Department said the FIFA officials were carrying out a 24-year plan to “enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer."

司法部称国际足联官员24年来一直通过国际足坛的腐败来中饱私囊。

Swiss officials said seven FIFA officials were arrested Wednesday. They were sent to the United States for a court hearing.

瑞士官员称周三有国际足联的几名官员被捕，他们被送往美国进行庭审。

The U.S. Justice Department said officials executed a search order at FIFA’s offices in Miami, Florida. It also said four individuals have already admitted guilt in the corruption investigation.

美国司法部称警方对佛罗里达州迈阿密的国际足联办公室进行了搜查，同时表示已有几人在腐败调查中认罪。

US says corruption is “rampant”

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said corruption in FIFA is "rampant, systemic and deep-rooted." She said there are many victims in the case.

美国司法部长洛雷塔·林奇称国际足联的腐败“很猖獗、是体制性的且根深蒂固”，她说此案中有很多受害者。

James Comey, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said the system of paying for favored treatment "became a way of doing business at FIFA."

联邦调查局局长詹姆斯·科米称，贿赂以获得优待已成为国际足联的办事规矩。

Switzerland said it opened criminal action against a group of individuals in connection with the awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. The individuals are suspected of mismanagement and financial crimes. A Swiss statement said officials had seized data and documents from FIFA headquarters in Zurich.

瑞士称已对涉及俄罗斯和卡塔尔分别获得2018年和2022年世界杯举办权一事对一批人展开了刑事诉讼，这些人涉嫌失职和金融犯罪。瑞士发布的声明称警方已从苏黎世世界足联总部查获到数据和文件。

FIFA's ethics committee investigated similar reports last year. In November, the committee announced that there were only "limited" violations and not enough evidence of illegal payments in awarding the tournaments.

国际足联道德委员会去年对类似报道进行了调查，去年11月，该委员会宣布在授予举办权问题上只存在“有限的”违法行为，且没有非法支付方面的足够证据。

'Difficult' moment for FIFA

FIFA said it is fully cooperating with both U.S. and Swiss investigators. International football’s governing group said it is in the "highest interest" of the organization that all questions are answered.

国际足联称正与美国和瑞士调查人员进行充分合作，这个国际足球官方组织称，揭开所有问题的答案符合该组织的最高利益。

Director of Communication and Public Affairs Walter De Gregorio told reporters that the cases mark a "difficult moment" for FIFA. But he said there will be no changes to the upcoming tournaments. "The World Cup in 2018 and 2022 will be played in Russia and Qatar," he said. The official also said FIFA welcomed the investigative process, “in terms of cleaning up.” “It is the only way to go,” he added.

传播和公共事务负责人沃尔特·德格雷戈里奥对记者表示，此案对国际足联来说是个艰难的时刻。但他说即将举行的赛事不会发生变化。“2018年和2022年的世界杯将分别在俄罗斯和卡塔尔举行”，这位官员还说，国际足联欢迎调查程序，“就清理门户方面来说，这是唯一的办法。”

Mr. De Gregorio also said that FIFA President Sepp Blatter is not involved in either investigation. The current and former officials arrested Wednesday were in Zurich for FIFA meetings. The meetings are to include a vote that could give Mr. Blatter a fifth term as the group’s president. His opponent, Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, released a statement saying it was "a sad day for football."

德格雷戈里奥还说，国际足联主席布拉特并未参与任何调查，周三被捕的现任和前任官员当时是来苏黎世参加国际足联会议的。会议上进行了一项可能给布拉特担任该组织主席第五任期的投票，他的竞争对手约旦王子阿里·本·侯赛因发布声明称“这是足球界悲伤的一天”。

Top FIFA Officials Accused

Those named in the U.S. indictment include five officials, along with current FIFA Vice Presidents Jeffrey Webb and Eugenio Figueredo and former vice president Jack Warner. Daryll and Daryan Warner, sons of Jack Warner, are among those who have already entered guilty pleas.

名列美国起诉书上的人包括五名官员，以及国际足联现任副主席杰弗瑞·韦伯、欧金尼奥·菲格雷以及前任副主席杰克·华纳，戴洛·华纳和达瑞恩·华纳是杰克·华纳之子，他们已经名列认罪者之列。

The indictment describes reported plots involving payments related to the Brazilian national soccer federation's sponsorship by a U.S. clothing manufacturer. The choice of the 2010 World Cup host and the 2011 FIFA presidential election are also under investigation.

起诉书列举的罪行包括美国一家服装制造商关于巴西国家足球联盟赞助事宜的贿赂，2010年世界杯举办权和2011年国际足联主席选举一事也在调查之中。

Words in this Story

indictment – n. an official written statement charging a person with a crime

rampant – adj. used to describe something that is very common or that is spreading very quickly and in a way that is difficult to control

data – n. facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something

ethics – n. rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad

plea – n. a statement in which a person who has been accused of a crime says in court that he or she is guilty or not guilty of the crime

sponsor – n. a person or organization that pays the cost of an activity or event in exchange for the right to advertise during the activity or event