奇速英语阅读理解：今天和广大英语阅读爱好者分享的主题是曼城的童子军凭什么能最终称霸英超？

　　How Manchester City came to dominate the Premier League

　　曼城是如何称霸英超的

　　Along with Liverpool and Spurs,City have used clever hiring to eclipse Manchester United,Arsenal and Chelsea

　　与利物浦和热刺一样，曼城也用机智的招人战术让曼联、阿森纳和切尔西黯然失色

　　IF YOU HAD told football fans in a pub 15 years ago that Manchester City,Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur would one day dominate the Premier League,they might have told you to make it your last pint of the day.In 2004 City finished 16th,Spurs 14th and Liverpool a distant fourth.The ruling triumvirate of Arsenal,Chelsea and Manchester United were the only clubs to win the competition in 1996-2011.

　　15年前，如果你在酒吧告诉球迷，曼城(Manchester City)、利物浦(Liverpool)和托特纳姆热刺(Tottenham Hotspur)总有一天会称霸英超，他们可能会告诉你，把它当作一天中的最后一杯酒吧。2004年，曼城排在第16位，热刺第14位，利物浦屈居第四。阿森纳、切尔西和曼联这三巨头是唯三在1996-2011年赢得英超冠军的俱乐部。

　　Yet today the league tables are turned.The Premiership’s new sultans are Manchester City,who on May 12th sealed their fourth title in eight seasons,to the delight of Abu Dhabi’s royal family,who bought the club in 2008.One point behind were Liverpool,whose tally of 97 made them the best runners-up ever.On June 1st the Merseyside team will face Tottenham in the final of the Champions League,Europe’s most prestigious tournament.What has allowed this new trio to dominate?

　　然而，在今天，排行榜发生了逆转。英超的新国王是曼城，他们在5月12日获得了8个赛季以来的第4个联赛冠军，这让2008年购买了这家俱乐部的阿布扎比皇室感到高兴。落后一分的是利物浦，他们97分的成绩使他们成为历史上成绩最好的亚军。6月1日，默西塞德郡球队将在欧洲最负盛名的冠军联赛决赛中对阵托特纳姆热刺。是什么让这个新的三人组占据统治地位?

　　Money is part of the answer.In 2008-12 Manchester City splurged£520m($675m)on transfers.Fenway Sports Group,an American firm that bought a near-bankrupt Liverpool in 2010 for£300m,now spends that much a season on players’wages and transfer fees.But lots of English clubs are wealthy:nine of the world’s 20 highest-earning clubs are English.City spend only 8%more per year on players than United,and Spurs pay 20%less than Arsenal.

　　金钱是这个答案的一部分。2008-12赛季，曼城在转会上挥霍了5.2亿英镑(6.75亿美元)。2010年，美国芬威体育集团(Fenway Sports Group)以3亿英镑的价格收购了濒临破产的利物浦(Liverpool)。但是很多英国俱乐部都很富有：世界上收入最高的20家俱乐部中有9家是英国俱乐部。曼城每年在球员身上的花费仅比曼联多8%，热刺比阿森纳还要少20%。

　　In the past,Premier League clubs squandered their wealth.When 21st Club,a consultancy,plotted European teams’spending against their results,16 of the 20 English sides sat below the trend line.Continental clubs charge higher transfer fees to affluent Premier League sides,who spend 80%more than their rivals for the same level of talent.What’s more,English clubs have a habit of buying ageing stars rather than nurturing talented youngsters.

　　在过去，英超俱乐部习惯去挥霍他们的财富。当咨询公司21世纪俱乐部(21st Club)将欧洲球队的支出与其结果进行对比时，20支英格兰球队中有16支球队的支出低于趋势线。欧洲大陆的俱乐部向富裕的英超球队收取更高的转会费，这些球队在同等水平的人才上的花费比竞争对手高出80%。更重要的是，英国俱乐部有购买老球星的习惯，而不是培养有天赋的年轻人。

　　Manchester City,Liverpool and Tottenham have learned from these mistakes.Since 2016 the players they have signed have been younger and from less flashy clubs than those bought by their rivals(see charts).City paid£55m for Kevin de Bruyne,a midfielder for Wolfsburg,a mediocre German team.

　　曼城、利物浦和托特纳姆都从这些错误中吸取了教训。自2016年以来，他们签下的球员都比竞争对手更年轻，并且来自不那么耀眼的俱乐部(见图表)。曼城花了5500万英镑买下凯文·德·布鲁恩，沃尔夫斯堡的一名中场球员，而沃尔夫斯堡是一支平庸的德国球队。

　　Liverpool bought Mohamed Salah,an attacker for Roma,for£37m.Now in their peak years,each has become his team’s best player.This season Spurs became the first club in Premier League history not to sign a single player,after years of recruiting young talents from lesser clubs.Many have matured into stars,such as Son Heung-min(from Leverkusen)and Dele Alli(from Milton Keynes).

　　利物浦以3700万英镑收购了罗马前锋穆罕默德•萨拉赫。现在正是他们的巅峰时期，每个人都成为了他们球队最好的球员。本赛季，热刺成为英超历史上第一家没有签下一名球员的俱乐部，此前他们在多年来一直在从实力较弱的俱乐部招募年轻球员。许多人已经成长为明星，比如孙兴民(来自勒沃库森)和德雷·阿利(来自米尔顿·凯恩斯)。

　　Meanwhile Manchester United,Chelsea and Arsenal have made costly errors.United made 30-year-old Alexis Sánchez the league’s highest earner,on£25m a year.But the striker scored just five goals in 45 games.Chelsea got rid ofÁlvaro Morata,a£60m striker from Real Madrid,after just a year.Arsenal have purchased several woeful defenders.

　　与此同时，曼联、切尔西和阿森纳都犯了代价高昂的错误。30岁的阿莱克西斯·桑切斯(Alexis Sanchez)以每年2500万英镑的收入成为联赛中收入最高的球员。但这位前锋在45场比赛中只进了5球。切尔西在仅仅一年的时间里就裁掉了阿尔瓦罗·莫拉塔，这位来自皇家马德里价值6000万英镑的前锋。而阿森纳则购买了几名可悲的后卫。

　　Challenges remain for the new trio at the top—not least an investigation by UEFA,Europe’s football authority,into claims of financial irregularities at City,which could mean a season-long ban(City deny it).Either way,on June 1st an English side will win the Champions League for the first time in seven years.

　　不过，新三巨头仍然面临着挑战——至少欧洲足球权威欧足联正在对曼城财务违规指控的调查，这可能意味着一个赛季的禁赛(虽然曼城否认)。无论如何，6月1日，一支英格兰球队将在7年内首次赢得欧冠冠军。

　　欧洲大陆的俱乐部向富裕的英超球队收取更高的转会费，这些球队在同等水平的人才上的花费比竞争对手高出80%。更重要的是，英国俱乐部有购买老球星的习惯，而不是培养有天赋的年轻人。更多奇速英语阅读资讯，请持续关注奇速英语官网：www.qisuabc.com