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Allegations of corruption at FIFA are nothing new to those who follow international soccer. |
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What was surprising to some last Wednesday was the sense that someone was finally doing something about them. |
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對於關注國際足球的人士而言，國際足球總會疑涉貪腐的消息一點都不新鮮。不過，上週三令某些人意外的是，終於感覺到有人對這些傳言採取了行動。 |
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The U.S. Justice Department unsealed a 47-count indictment in federal court in Brooklyn that detailed charges against 14 people accused of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. |
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美國司法部在布魯克林的聯邦法院公佈了一份有四十七條罪狀的起訴書，針對十四名被告詳細列出勒索、匯款詐欺與洗錢陰謀等罪狀。 |
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The most serious are the racketeering charges, which allege that the officials turned soccer "into a criminal enterprise," according to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who spoke to reporters in New York. |
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A conviction could command a sentence of up to 20 years. |
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其中最嚴重的是勒索罪名，指稱足總官員將足球變成「犯罪事業」，美國司法部長洛麗泰．林奇在紐約向記者指出。一旦定罪，將可能判處長達二十年徒刑。 |
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"The idea of being shocked about bribery and racketeering at FIFA is like being shocked about jumping into a pool and finding yourself wet," said Dave Zirin, sports editor at The Nation magazine. |
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「對於國際足總的賄賂與勒索情事感到震驚，就好比跳進水池發現自己全身溼透而感到震驚一樣，」《國家》雜誌的體育編輯戴夫．齊林表示。 |
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"What makes this particularly different is the fact that this time it looks like the charges have real teeth. |
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I mean, coming from the U.S. Department of Justice, that's a first. |
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That's never happened before," he said. |
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「這次的事件特別不同，是因為這次的控告看起來真的具有效力。我是說，由美國司法部起訴，這還真是第一次。那以前從來不曾發生過，」他說。 |
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The complexity of the investigation Lynch described was evident by the federal officials accompanying her, including an assistant U.S. attorney, FBI Director James Comey and Richard Weber, head of the IRS criminal investigation division. |
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林奇描述了調查過程的錯綜複雜，這點從陪同在她身邊的聯邦官員明顯可見──其中包括一位美國助理檢察官、聯調局局長詹姆斯．科米，以及國稅局犯罪調查處處長理查．韋伯。 |
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"This really is the World Cup of fraud, and today we are issuing FIFA a red card," Weber said. |
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「這堪稱是詐欺的世界盃，今天我們要發給國際足總一張紅牌，」韋伯說。 |
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FIFA officials are accused of having taken bribes totaling more than $150 million over the past 24 years, and, in return, providing "lucrative media and marketing rights" to soccer tournaments as kickbacks. |
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國際足總官員被控在過去二十四年來收受總數超過一億五千萬美元的賄賂，而他們給予的回扣則是提供足球賽「利潤豐厚的媒體與行銷權」做為交換。 |
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