南非世界杯的“足球”比普通足球更圆?

Players in the World Cup soccer tournament, now underway in South Africa, will have to contend with low oxygen levels at high altitude--and with a new ball, which its scientist creators say is the roundest one ever.  

　　With the World Cup soccer tournament underway in South Africa, a couple of things for the science-interested audience to watch for. First, the games will feature a new ball, called the Jabulani, the Zulu word for "celebrate." And some players think something foul is afoot. They contend that the ball doesn't behave the way a normal soccer ball should, that it even turns the wrong way in mid-air. Adidas, which makes the ball, claims that the players complaining all have contracts with Adidas's competitors.

　　The Sports Technology Research Group at England's Loughborough University designed the ball. The sections aren't stitched together anymore. Instead, the seams are glued or heat-sealed. The group leader, Andy Harland, told the Telegraph newspaper, "We have created a ball that is almost perfectly round, and more accurate than ever before." Well, millions of soccer fans will ultimately decide the latter.

　　Also watch for the effects of altitude. Some of the games in South Africa will be played at elevations over a mile high. Which could make catching one's breath the primary goal.

　　文章大意：

　　值此南非世界杯战势正酣之际，除了观看精彩的足球比赛，爱好科学的球迷们还可以留心一下以下几点：首先，采用新型比赛用球是本届世界杯的一大亮点。所选用的球叫作Jabulani，在祖鲁语中是“普天同庆”的意思。一些球员对此表示不以为然，他们声称，这种球踢起来不像是个“足球”，飞到半空甚至会转错方向。 该球的制造商阿迪达斯则对此做出了回应-这些不买帐的球员都和自家竞争对手有合同关系。

　　英格兰拉夫伯勒大学的运动科技研究团队设计了 Jabulani，足球的各部分不再是缝在一起的，而是用胶水粘合或热密封的。该团队的领导者，安迪·哈伦告诉《每日电讯报》的记者，“我们创造出了几近完美的圆球，比之前的任何一种都要圆。”这球完不完美，还要留待千百万的球迷判决，且让我们拭目以待。

　　另外，球迷们还可以关注海拔因素对比赛的影响。部分比赛将在海拔超过一英里的地区举行，解决呼吸困难问题将成为球员们的首要任务。