非法用手和对手的非法接触_把“非法接触”这类玩笑般的规矩扔到垃圾桶去吧

　　Fulham have lodged a complaint because Liverpool’s informal offer was not enough and they haven’t slapped hard cash on the table.
　　There are archaic laws that survive on the statute books even though they are next to worthless.
　　即便它们已经几乎毫无价值可言，但是那些已经明显不合时宜的法律和规范仍然存活在法典之中。
　　For instance, did you know it is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament? Needless to say, this crime has always been punished by the full weight of the legal process, with any deceased MP certain to receive a death sentence. And have you completed your mandatory two hours of weekly longbow practice under the supervision of the local clergy? If not, you’re breaking the law and betraying that London 2012 ’legacy’.
　　举个例子，你知道在议会大厦里一命呜呼是违法行为吗？自不必说，这一罪行注定遭到法律的严惩，因为任何在这里违背这一规定的议员都已经被“判了死刑”。另外，你是否在地方社区牧师的监管下每周坚持了两小时的弓箭练习呢？如果没有的话，你已经触犯了法律，并且背叛了2012伦敦奥运会所倡导的“精神遗产”。
　　Equally, there are outdated ’crimes’ that sit on the football statute books despite being essentially irrelevant. Top of the list of redundant regulation is the charge of ’tapping up’. This is the term used for an approach made to any player under contract to another club, one levelled at Liverpool by Fulham this week over their pursuit of striker Clint Dempsey.
　　同样，在足球领域的法典和法规之中，也有着类似过时无用的“犯罪”条款，尽管这些条款看上去已经无关紧要。其中首当其冲的就是对“私下接触”的惩罚。这是指接触任意一名跟另外一家俱乐部有合同在身的球员。富勒姆就藉此将矛头对准了利物浦，因为对方以这种方式追逐本队正在闹罢工的登普西。
　　There was probably a time when this rule served some purpose. I imagine it was when people searched for a holiday on Ceefax and clubs communicated by that long-forgotten method known as ’posting a letter’. But in an age of mobiles, texts, tweets, emails, Skype, instant messaging and transfer updates from that Scottish bloke on Sky Sports News, everyone is in touch with everyone else and trying to enforce a bar on routine communication seems futile.
　　在我的想象中，这一法规能发生效用的时代大概是人们还在使用电报系统搜寻假期目的地那会儿，当时俱乐部之间的交流则通过早已被人们所遗忘的方法：邮寄信函。然而现在在这个手机，短信，推特，电邮，Skype，即时通信流行的时代，天空电视台体育频道的那个苏格兰佬(主持人)更是不断实时更新着转会新闻。既然每个人现在都能彼此自由联络，那么硬要试着在自由联络中横插一杠看上去就显得毫无意义了。
　　Fulham’s complaint is that Anfield manager Brendan Rodgers mentioned that Liverpool enquired about the availability of the American forward. This followed one of those customary website foul-ups whereby Dempsey’s picture suddenly appeared on the website run by Liverpool’s owners, the Fenway Sports Group, before being hurriedly taken down.
　　富勒姆控告现在执掌安菲尔德帅印的罗杰斯曾说利物浦征询过美国前锋的转会意向。而随之而来的是网络上常见的事故：登普西的照片突然出现在利物浦的所有者芬威体育集团的官方网站上，之后，这一消息被匆匆撤下。
　　As far as I can make out, Rodgers’s ’crime’ appears to have been candour. Is anyone seriously going to try to argue that Liverpool’s interest was a secret? Are we meant to believe that Dempsey swooned in surprise when his name cropped up in a press conference?
　　就我现在的理解来看，罗杰斯的“罪行”看上去显得有些憨直。现在还有谁认为利物浦对登普西的兴趣是一个秘密，觉得真的有必要就此探讨吗？或者我们打算相信当登普西发现自己的名字在新闻发布会上被提及时，会惊恐得昏厥过去吗？
　　At first, Dempsey was accused of refusing to play in the opening game of the season. He was condemned for ’going on strike’. Fulham manager Martin Jol belatedly moved to clarify the situation five days later. It makes me wonder on what principle this official complaint has been lodged? Fulham have lodged a complaint because Liverpool’s informal offer was not enough and they haven’t slapped hard cash on the table.
　　首先，登普西被外界指责说拒绝在新赛季的首场比赛中出场。他因此被认定为“罢工”。不过直到事情发生了五天之后，富勒姆的主教练马丁·约尔对此事的澄清才姗姗来迟。这不禁让我有些疑惑，这份投诉的原则和意义何在？富勒姆就因为利物浦的一份非正式报价就对此投诉，因为这份报价不够分量，利物浦方面没有将现金重重地砸在桌子上。
　　They are right to be irritated that one of their star players is unsettled. There isn’t a manager, football director, owner, coach, chief executive, agent or journalist who hasn’t at some point discussed the possibility of Player A moving to Club B. It’s a joke to even try to legislate against that.
　　富勒姆因为队内的球星心不在焉而恼羞成怒情有可原，但是现在没有一个主教练、足球总监、球队老板、助理教练、俱乐部首席执行官、经纪人或是记者不在谈论A球员转会B队的可能性。要针对这种行为制定法律来制裁简直是个笑话。
　　生活在极度贫困线以下的孩子们并不缺少快乐，足球就是他们自娱自乐的最好游戏。虽然孟加拉国绝大多数孩子们生活中清苦的部分，可以用足球的乐趣来填补，但国家的贫穷却无法用足球来粉饰……
　　注：这是法新社摄影师MUNIR UZ ZAMAN在孟加拉国纳夫河畔一个名为Teknaf的村落拍摄到的瞬间，由于全球经济危机，该国经济持续恶化，全国人口生活在贫困线以下的比例由50%上升至75%，生活在极贫线以下的人口由34%上升到50%左右。
　　摄影 MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/法新社