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篇章：中国队缺席世界杯 但球迷热情不减 Thirty-two of the world s best football teams are now competing for the iconic golden World Cup trophy -- but the planet s most populous nation is not among them. 三十二支来自各个国家的最优秀的足球队都在为争夺金灿灿的世界杯奖杯而相互角逐然而世界上人口最大的国家却不在他们之列。 Team China failed to qualify for the beautiful game s showpiece event in Brazil. In fact China s World Cup dream turned into a nightmare as early as 2011, when it was eliminated in a regional qualifying round. 中国队还不够资格去参与在巴西举行的这场精彩赛事。事实上，中国的世界杯之梦早在2011年就成了一场噩梦，当时其在亚洲区预选赛中失去了进军巴西的资格。 Still, these setbacks have not deflated the football fever here. 然而，中国队在球场上的失意并没有挫伤中国球迷的热情。 There is a huge following for international football in China because local fans celebrate global talent, said Kronick, a long-time Beijing resident who plays football in a local amateur league. The World Cup is about nationalism at its finest, absent politics, and that s what makes it enjoyable. 中国有一大批球迷关注世界足坛，因为他们喜欢那些世界足球明星。一位名叫克罗尼克的北京市民说，他长期居住在北京，还参加了当地的业余足球队。世界杯是关于爱国主义的，这种爱国主义完全不具备政治内涵，因而也就具有最好的政治内涵。这就是为什么人们喜爱世界杯。 | 
