今天雅思趣味閱讀給大家帶來的是英國金融時報網的最新報道。據悉，歐盟外交官正積極通過經濟手段來制裁俄羅斯，這一次他們選擇的是說服俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普京放棄2018年的世界杯足球賽。以下是雅思閱讀的全部內容。

　　Could boycotting the 2018 World Cup prove more effective at persuadingRussian president Vladimir Putin than an increasingly long list of economicsanctions? For the first time since the Ukraine crisis began nine months ago, EUdiplomats are actively considering the idea.

　　要說服俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾普京，抵制2018年世界杯足球賽會不會比越來越長的經濟制裁清單更有效?自烏克蘭危機在9個月前爆發以來，歐盟外交官第一次積極考慮這個想法。

　　According to an options paper circulated in European capitals yesterday,the EU is considering whether to recommend suspending Russia from “high-profileinternational cultural, economic or sporting events” including Formula Oneraces, European football competitions and the next World Cup, awarded in 2010 toRussia.

　　根據在歐洲各國首都傳閱的一份選項文件，歐盟正在考慮是否推薦暫停俄羅斯參與或者舉辦“引人注目的國際文化、經濟或者體育活動”，包括F1賽車、歐洲的足球比賽以及俄羅斯在2010年贏得主辦權的下一屆世界杯。

　　Diplomats said a boycott of the World Cup would not be among new sanctionsto be agreed by the end of the week. But during a meeting of EU ambassadors onMonday,

　　外交官們表示，本周即將商定的新制裁措施不會包含抵制世界杯。不過，在周一舉行的歐盟大使會議上，有幾個成員國的代表團(尤其是愛沙尼亞和立陶宛)。

　　several delegations, particularly Estonia and Lithuania, showed greatenthusiasm for the idea. According to the options paper, “thought could also begiven to taking co-ordinated action” on a sporting ban once new sanctions aredecided.

　　對這個想法表現出極大熱情。根據上述選項文件，一旦決定新的制裁，“也可以考慮采取協同行動”實施體育禁賽。

　　“This kind of discussion is timely, as we do not see goodwill from theRussian side,” said a Latvian diplomat.

　　“這種討論是適時的，因為我們沒有看到俄方的善意，”一名拉脫維亞外交官說。

　　After the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the US led a boycott of the1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, setting a precedent for using internationalsporting events as a proxy for geopolitical brinkmanship. Four years later, theSoviets retaliated, leading an Eastern bloc boycott of the 1984 Games in LosAngeles.

　　1979年蘇聯入侵阿富汗后，美國帶頭抵制1980年莫斯科奧運會，開啟利用國際體育賽事為地緣政治博弈手段之先河。4年后，蘇聯采取了報復行動，帶領東歐國家對1984年洛杉磯奧運會進行了聯合抵制。

　　“Boycotting a prestigious international sports event has a distinctivelyCold War feel to it,” said Mujtaba Rahman, head of European analysis at theEurasia Group risk consultancy. “This will sting the Russians far more thananything the EU will do on finance this round.”

　　“抵制一項富有聲望的國際體育賽事明顯帶有一種冷戰的意味，”風險咨詢公司歐亞集團歐洲分析主管穆杰塔巴拉赫曼說，“這對俄羅斯人造成的刺激將遠遠超過歐盟這一輪制裁的金融打擊力度。”

　　Fifa said it stood by a statement made in response to the downing of flightMH17 in July that hosting the World Cup “can be a powerful catalyst forconstructive dialogue between people and governments”.

　　國際足聯表示，依然支持7月份馬航MH17航班被擊落后其做出的聲明，即舉辦世界杯“可以作為促使各國人民和政府開展建設性對話的強大催化劑”。

　　The recommended economic sanctions to be debated by the European Commissiontoday before being sent to national capitals for approval by the end of the weekwould expand the ban on Russian companies accessing European capital markets,currently limited to Russia’s large state-owned banks, to the country’s defenceand government-owned energy groups.

　　今天歐盟委員會將圍繞推薦的經濟制裁措施展開辯論，本周晚些時候這些制裁措施將提交給各國首都審批。這次的經濟制裁措施將擴大針對俄羅斯企業進入歐洲資本市場的禁令范圍，目前這項禁令僅限于俄羅斯的大型國有銀行、該國軍工集團和國有控股的能源集團。