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Compared to other soccer-playing nations, it would be fair to call China something of a football backwater. |
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This fact, however, did not stop Chelsea striker Didier Drogba from swapping the bright lights of the English Premier League for mid-table mediocrity with Shanghai Shenhua. |
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相較於其他足球國家，把中國稱為足球落後地區並不為過。不過，這個事實並沒有阻止切爾西前鋒德羅巴拋下英格蘭超級聯賽的光采榮耀，加入排名不怎麼樣的上海申花隊。 |
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The Ivory Coast striker is the latest in a line of high-profile football figures to take advantage of the attractive salaries on offer in the Chinese Super League. |
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He will reportedly be paid $315,000 a week -- the highest in the CSL. |
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至今已有一連串高知名度的足球明星接受中超聯賽提供的誘人薪資，這位來自象牙海岸的前鋒則是最近加入的一位。據說他的薪資達到每週三十一萬五千美元──在中超聯賽裡高居第一。 |
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"All these players going over there are past their prime and looking for one last big payday which will see them through for the rest of their lives," football agent Rob Shields told CNN. |
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"It's definitely money motivated." |
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「到中國去的選手都已過了巔峰時期，打算最後大撈一筆，確保自己的餘生無後顧之憂，」足球經紀人羅伯．席德茲向 CNN 表示：「這絕對是出於金錢的考量。」 |
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Drogba's former Chelsea teammate Nicolas Anelka made the switch in January, joining Shenhua on a two-year deal. |
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Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi was recently appointed at Guangzhou Evergrande, an ambitious club which has splashed out on Dario Conca of Argentina and Paraguay's Lucas Barrios. |
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德羅巴在切爾西足球隊的前隊友安歷卡在一月轉戰中國，與申花簽下一紙兩年合約。在二００六年贏得世界盃冠軍的義大利教練李皮最近也被廣州恆大足球隊任命為教練。這支充滿野心的足球隊已經大手筆延攬了阿根廷的肯卡與巴拉圭的巴里奧斯。 |
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Where Shanghai and Guangzhou are concerned, the recruitment drive is being funded by wealthy individuals who, according to Simon Chadwick, professor of sport business strategy at England's Coventry University, see football as a way to gain political influence. |
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英國考文垂大學的體育商業策略教授賽門．查德威克指出，就上海與廣州而言，這樣的招募舉動乃是由富有人士資助，因為他們把足球視為獲得政治影響力的手段。 |
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Guangzhou is owned by Xu Jiayin, chairman of the Evergrande Real Estate Group, while Shanghai's chairman Zhu Jun heads online gaming company The Nine City. |
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廣州恆大足球隊老闆許家印是恆大地產集團的董事長，上海申花足球隊的主席朱駿則是線上遊戲公司第九城市的老闆。 |
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"Essentially they are vanity projects," Chadwick told CNN. |
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The idea behind bringing top-level players to the CSL is, he believes, related to an attitude which is prevalent within the Chinese national psyche. |
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"Buying a club... enables you to connect with politicians and other business people." |
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「這些足球隊基本上是種虛榮的投資，」查德威克向 CNN 表示。他認為把頂級球員引進中超聯賽背後的想法，和普遍存在中國國族心理的一種心態有關。「買下一支球隊……可讓你和政治人物及其他企業家拉近關係。」 |
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"If Chinese football is successful globally, it makes China look good and it makes the politicians look good. |
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What buying a club does is give the owners a certain amount of political influence." |
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「中國足球如果獲得全球性的成功，不但中國風光，政治人物也風光。買下球隊的用處，就是可以讓老闆取得一定程度的政治影響力。」 |
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