美國國務卿賴斯承認自己不懂足球，但是已經看出美國隊在世界盃的處境是多麼艱難。

　　美國國務卿賴斯與意大利外交部長達萊 馬進行會晤時，以玩笑口吻評論了美國0:3輸給捷克的比賽。賴斯表示“很久之前我就知道這個道理，不要對你知之甚少的領域亂加評論，比如足球，或者歐洲的足球。”“我當然希望看到美國表現出色，但是就連我這個外行都能看出來，美國隊必須比現在表現的更好.."才有機會不被淘汰。達萊馬也玩笑道“經過縝密的思考，我們決定還是在兩國交戰前進行這個會晤比較好，這樣不會有人心情不好，或者感覺不好，兩國關係也不會籠罩在陰影下。”

　　鏈結：http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=ap-wcup-condoleezarice&prov=ap&type=lgns

　　原文：Rice says Americans risk early exit

　　June 16, 2006

　　WASHINGTON (AP) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a serious student of American football, says she knows only enough about soccer to recognize the American team is in trouble at the World Cup.

　　Rice met Friday with her new Italian counterpart, Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema, and joked afterward about the poor performance of the U.S. team in its first outing this week, a 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic.

　　Trying to stave off elimination, the Americans take the field Saturday against Italy, a team they have never beaten.

　　"I learned a long time ago not to hold strong opinions or predictions about something about which I have so little expertise, as soccer, or European football," Rice said.

　　"Obviously, I would like to see the United States do well. But even I, a pure novice in watching soccer, knows that they will have to play a lot better than they did," to avoid an early exit for the tournament.

　　Victory over the U.S. team Saturday would all but guarantee Italy's place in the second round.

　　D'Alema joked about the timing of his meeting with Rice.

　　"We were quite cautious and prudently decided that it would be better to meet before that match so that nobody would be in a bad mood, no bad feelings, no shadow looming over relations between our two countries," he said.

　　Soccer is one of the few sports Rice does not follow. Football is her favorite. A Cleveland Browns fan, she can rattle off NFL statistics and details of football games long past.

　　Updated on Friday, Jun 16, 2006 6:19 pm EDT

　　作者-佟杉杉

責編：佟杉杉