INTERNATIONAL, SPORTS, WORLD CUP: Who Will Bring Home the World Cup?

By Yuan Yaowen

With the whistle for the end of the match between France and Togo, the group match of the 2006 World cup got an end. All the sixteen strengths came out. The situation of the elimination match is as following.


Within the sixteen teams, which will get the chance of holding the World Cup?

As to the right half, though the black horse and six of the nine hot teams of this World Cup are all in this half, Brazil still has the strength to scorn the other four. Of course England, Holland, France, Portugal and Spain all have the air of champions, but England is in trouble with injuries; Holland is surrounded by a nagging divisiveness of the team; Zidane's low condition made France not that powerful and Portugal shares the same problem with Holland. And their problem in this part has a long history. The only one who can have a try is Spain. However after a close match with France, can Spain still have the spirit and physical force to defeat Brazil who would have played an easier match with Ghana? What is more, Ronaldo began to show his universal ability in the match with Japan. So though Brazil is in the so-called "dead half," the future is not that bad.

As to the so-called "quiet half," the situation in fact is more delicate than in the dead one. In the first quarter, generally speaking, Argentina is the strongest one. Besides the luxurious members of the team, compared with the other hot teams in the World Cup, they can be called the only influential clan who acted with their abilities without any sudden surprises. They can make people believe that they will win. The match between Germany and Sweden should also be of no suspense. The World Cup never saw a European hosting with no chance at the eighth-finals. What is more, the only match between the two teams came out to be a win for Germany in 1992. So the end of the hosting facing the hot topic of the champion should be a wonderful match with a possibility of 80%.

Comparing the abilities of the two teams, Argentina is a little better than Germany. However since it is only a little better and Germany has the luck and advantage of hosting the match, the tussle can have some accidents. But Argentina has been in good condition from the very beginning of this World Cup, so at last, it should be Argentina who is on top of this group.

As to the second quarter, the situation is more interesting. In fact the result of this group depends on the result between Italy and Australia. Comparing strengths, Australia, the Ukraine and Switzerland are on the same level. If Italy can beat Australia, no matter who wins the match between the Ukraine and Switzerland, it would not escape the fate of being kicked out of the games by Italy because of the gap in single skills and the whole team's cooperation. As to the match between Italy and Australia, Italy should be stronger than Australia who comes to the World Cup for the first time.

However, besides the eleven players on the soccer field, there is another person who may have the ability to control the match. He is the fantastic coach of Australia--Guus Hiddink. It seems that this guy has a magic power when his team faces Italy. In the World Cup 2002, Italy was sent home by Korea Public, whose coach was this Hiddink. What is more, Hiddink was also one of the coaches in the Italian League. So he has a good understanding of the Italian players. What will this super coach do? Will he make another miracle? It is really difficult to draw a conclusion. So if Australia can beat Italy, who will be the winner of this quarter is still uncertain.

But then the coach of the Italian team is the white fox--Ripe. He will not accept the same failure again, and the condition of Italy is coming back match by match. What is more, because of the two yellow cards, one of Australia's major players will be absent in the match with Italy and this time there will be no referee advantage like last time. So the goddess of fate smiles more on Italy than Australia, and it also means that Italy would have more chances to be the winner of this quarter.

So, when Argentina, Italy and Brazil meet each other, who will be the owner of the World Cup?

Maybe it will be a bit of a surprise, Italy who seems to be the weakest of the three in fact has more chances. The reason is that the biggest problems of Brazil and Argentina are that both are good at kicking but bad at defense. Italy, however, is a team with good defense, which it is famous for in this area. At the same time, from the first match of this World Cup, Italy has given the world some tracks of changes in kicking. As Totti is recovering and with Inzahgi's reappearance on the field, can we expect more from them?

Nevertheless, there are no absolutes in football. So we can only expect and enjoy the game，cheering for our favorite.

INTERNATIONAL, SPORTS, WORLD CUP: Whoever Loses the Game, Please Go with Pride

By Li Shuting

World Cup 2006 fans should memorize June 18th. In the early morning of that day, dark horses changed the result that billions of people predicted. With Ghana beating the Czechs 2-0, and the later match between Italy and the United States ending in a draw, an unexpected situation was dramatically formed in Group E.

Ghana, the black horse, who was beaten 2-0 by Italy several days ago, rose to third place in the group. While the Czech Republic, a 3-0 winner over the United States, is facing the danger of stagnancy. In the span of only a few days, Italy lost its dominant position, and the promising future of the Czechs came in to doubt.

The following two matches, in which the final survivors will be born, are expected to be boiling hot. Compared with the match between Ghana and the United States, the one between Italy and the Czech Republic seems to attract more attention. "To win is the only choice for both Italian and Czechs. So the following match will be even fiercer than the final," said Nesta, the Italian central back.

Indeed, Buffon, Cannavaro and Nesta can build one of the solidest walls for the Italian defense, while top forwards, such as Totti, Pirlo, Toni and Gilardino, are sharp enough to challenge any firmly defended goal. It might be a pity that a red card causes De Rossi to lose his chance to participate, but it is said that Gattuso's recovery can totally fill this gap. Their only weakness is believed to be ball-passing failures in attack, which might offer the Czechs great chances to intercept.

However, the Czechs are in an awkward predicament. Baros and Koller are far from recovery, while two yellow cards have already provided a seat on the bench for Lokvenc. Ujfalusi, the skillful back who was expected to confront Italian forward Toni, will also be absent because of a red card. The question of who will replace these absent players will be a major problem.

Actually, the Czechs still have some advantages--they still possess two excellent midfield players, Nedved and Rosicky, and also their famous spirit of perseverance will be likely to give the Italians a hard time.

The pitch is full of suspension. Until the last minute, nobody can tell for sure what the result is going to be. Italians are calm and romantic; their elegant and precise style wins them general popularity. However, the Czechs are passionate and mysterious; their grittiness and determination also wins a lot of appreciation. Who is able to go further, "the prince of Rome" (Totti) or "Mozart on the football field" (Rosicky)?

It is a cruel pleasure to see two first rank teams in a life-and-death battle, but that is exactly where the attractive point is. "The real strong people are not afraid of failure. Only two teams can survive, and the next games are definitely games of farewell for someone. I hope whoever loses the game will go with pride," said Petr Cech, the Czechs' goalkeeper.

INTERNATIONAL, SPORTS, WORLD CUP: To Be a David

By Yuan Yaowen

Eighty three minutes had already passed. Neither of the two sides had a goal. Would this game end in a tie? Did England face the embarrassment of losing out so early in qualification for the 2006 World Cup?

Now the ball came to David Beckham. He handed the ball to the right, looked around and then held for one second. Suddenly he passed the ball. The ball drew a beautiful curve to the front of the goal. Peter Crouch headed it. Goal!

The fans of England went crazy with joy. This great goal sent their team to the next round earlier than others. The name of "David" filled the sky.

David Beckham, one of the most handsome men in the eyes of females at Beijing Foreign Studies University, seems never to be rid of making "news." His beautiful and famous wife, his love affairs and his changeable hair style are the subjects of all citizens.

Since he first came into people's eyes, the argument about him seems to never end. Many people say he is a super star rather than a football player.

Is it unfair to David?

Yes, he is handsome. But is there anything wrong in being handsome? This face was a gift from God. There is no such rule that those who work in sports can not be handsome. Handsome guys kick handsome football. This can do nothing wrong to the audience but give them a big meal of double enjoyment.

Yes, he is handsome. But it does not mean he doesn't work hard. Everyone knows "Beckham's curve ball" is his most powerful weapon, but how many people know that everyday after the whole team's training is done, he does an extra 100 reps of that curve ball. The reason why people pay little attention to his hard work is that people pay more attention to his private life. But what is not seen does not mean what is not done.

Yes, he is handsome. But is there anyone saying a handsome guy can not also play handsome football? Since David came into the game, football has seen what he can do. The long drive in midfield in the game with Warburton, the long pass that ended England's no-win history with Germany and the bullets to the goal in the 2002 World Cup showed us an extraordinarily talented football player. A soccer field is not a theater or a fashion show. In order to have a seat in the game, one has to be good, not at appearances, but at skill. Believe me. If David did not have perfect skill, Ferguson and Erickson would not let him play on their teams for such a long time, to say nothing of making him the leader of the team of England.

Yes, David is not perfect. He kicks Simone and he drives the fans to anger. But he is still one of the best football players in the world. He is not perfect, but he is good enough. Once Erickson said to a person who criticized that David was not good at breaking through, "Why do I need him to break through if he can do the best pass in the world?"

So why not cheer a David Beckham, a good and handsome football player?

NATIONAL, NEWS: A New Ride to the Olympics

By Shi Rui and Lin Lin

For most of her life, Ms. Lee, a retired worker, has been riding the No.4 bus in Beijing.

But last Monday, she got a surprise. The regular No. 4, faded and dented after years of use, had been replaced by a shiny new German-designed bus. The new bus had padded seats instead of bare plastic benches and it even smelled better.

"The new buses are so much better than the old ones," Ms. Lee said as she rode along Chang'an Street, in one of the front seats of a new Yaxing-Benz bus.

The Chinese government has begun replacing its old fleet of more than 18,000 buses in Beijing as part of its effort to present a bright image of the city as it prepares to host the 2008 Olympic games.

Some of the old buses are more than 10 years old. They overheat and stall. Their brakes shriek and they belch black smoke. They shake and the windows rattle. "I had to have the volume of my MP3 twice as high as usual, but still couldn't hear clearly," said Bao Xiaoxiao, a high school student, at the bus stop in front of Beijing Foreign Studies University on the west third-ring road.

The biggest of the new buses have a flexible mid-section that makes them easier to turn through intersections. They can carry up to 180 people, 30 percent more than their predecessors. Some of the buses are smaller and do not flex in the middle. But all of them are known as "no-obstacle buses" and have wider aisles that provide more standing room and space for a wheel chair. They also have a single safety seat for small children with a set of three safety belts.

All of the new buses ride low to the ground and make it easier for the old and the disabled to get aboard. LCD screens in the front of the buses will broadcast the Olympic Games live. But TV sets hung from the ceiling of the buses are already playing melodramas interspersed with weather forecasts all day long. Mr. Yuan, a property manager of a real estate agency, said he especially liked the TVs, "We get entertained and can have fun on our boring ride now."

The new buses produce less pollution and the government is hoping for an additional environmental benefit. Perhaps more comfortable buses will persuade at least some drivers to leave their cars at home. Fewer cars will make it easier to get around town and could also help reduce pollution in one of the world's most polluted cities.

The new buses are going to cost more than 12.8 billion RMB, but experts say the investment is worth it. "Some citizens called the large-scale replacement a waste of money, but considering the tourism value brought by the usage of these environment-friendly buses, the return on the investment should be enormous," said Yang Hao, professor of Transportation Management Engineering from Beijing Jiaotong University.

Competitive bidding for the business pushed the bus industry to come up with several innovations in design. Chen Feng, the sales manager of the Huanghai-bus Corporation, said hosting the Olympics "has pushed our domestic bus industry three to five years forward."

Many Drivers and conductors like the new buses, "They look so beautiful that we call it 'a scene of Beijing,'" said one conductor.

But some drivers and passengers say they have discovered some design flaws. One driver said that the ceiling windows cannot be opened as widely as the old ones. "You'll get sweaty if you stay on the bus too long," the driver said.

Mr. Wang takes the No.2 bus two or three times a week. He is an exceptionally tall man who has lived in Beijing all his life. But he said that for most Chinese the overhead hand railings were not well placed. "The railing is too high for average Chinese person," he said

And there are other concerns. "The increase of new buses could impose a great challenge to the maintenance service, the route arrangements and traffic administration as well as parking space," said Professor Yang Hao.

But, Professor Yang, said: "Despite all the difficulties, I think the prospect is optimistic."

One significant measure of the new buses will be how they are received by foreign visitors. In Tiananmen Square, Muhammed Ali, a 27 year-old medical student from Kerala, India, said he rode three of the new buses to get from his hotel to the heart of Beijing Monday morning. "I felt safe, and comfortable on the bus," he said. "The buses here are better than those in my country. They are cleaner, and the whole condition of the buses is great."

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, Film Review: Peacock: The Truth of Youth

By Li Shuting

Peacock is a maiden work of Gu Changwei, one of the greatest figures of the fifth generation Chinese moviemakers. Before this, he served as a cameraman for many years, enjoying successful cooperation with famous directors such as Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige.

The story, consisting of three parts, is about the life of three children in a traditional Chinese family in the late 1970s. Each part deals with one of the children, and the three main characters have completely different attitudes towards life. Each of the three parts begins with the same scene--all the family members are sitting around the table having dinner silently.

The eldest son, with abnormally low intelligence, holds their parents' love and attention. The humiliation from other people consistently bothers him, but in the family he is considered the center and enjoys many privileges. Once there is a distribution of candies, he gets the biggest share and takes it for granted. When he learns to ride a bike, the whole family serves him. His huge and corpulent body is in sharp contrast to the extremely slim figures of his brother and sister. As for the younger daughter and the youngest son, love and attention from the parents are ideal but luxurious gifts that they never got.

Partly resulting from his special status in the family, the eldest son becomes an arrogant adult, who always faces difficulties innocently and optimistically. Life gives him humiliation and pain all the time, but all those sentimental feelings mean nothing to him--sadness only hits those who can think and feel. He is well protected, both by his parents and by his ignorance.

The younger daughter, with impressive beauty and courage, is an absolute idealist. She is able to protect her ideal and dream at any cost. Once she falls in love with a parachutist but fails to arouse his affection. In order to keep her romantic dream, she uses sheets to make herself a large parachute and ties it on her bicycle. When the large self-made parachute flies beautifully as a flower and astonishes all the people in the street, she enjoys the pleasant catching of her dream. Then a bully in the town takes the parachute, and she chooses to trade her virginity for it without any hesitation.

Her life is made of moments like this. She has never given up her ideal and dream, though they often have fierce conflicts with reality. She can always find beautiful sceneries in her lonely and simple life, and she has the courage to fight for them in spite of other people's opinion.

However, the youngest brother's life shows the tragedy of a pessimist. He is an excellent student, but a sensitive and lonely boy. For most of his scenes, he looks like a shadow, quietly and depressively. The fact that he has a low-intelligence brother burdens him with humiliations and makes his life miserable.

He hates his life and considers his brother the root of all his misery. He tries to break the stuffy reality through many ways. He pokes his brother with an umbrella in front of his classmates in order to deny their blood connection; he tries to poison his brother in order to get rid of the heavy burden. He has struggled but he has never succeeded. Finally a picture of a naked girl causes him to be banished from home. By the time years later when he comes back with a wife, his youth has already died. After all he has been through he loses the courage of struggling. His life has never been lively and his youth has never been colorful.

The setting of the whole movie is as melancholy as is youth. The three young people may seem to be abnormal; their behavior might seem to be exaggerated. However, youth is exactly such a phase, during which teenagers do not want to obey and feel confused about life.

Besides, the ending of the movie is extremely meaningful. The whole family goes to the zoo to see the peacock, but no matter how hard they try, the peacock does not show his beauty to them. Then when all the people leave, the audience sees a beautiful peacock in his pride. That is the truth of youth--it only shows its beauty after one passes it.

The sparkling points lie not only in the plot but also in the beautiful vision. Thanks to his experience as a cameraman, the director is good at handling the light and the pictures. Some movie critics regard his style as impressionism, which means that he can make his audience feel warm when he tries to shoot a sun. "I formed my style when I worked with Zhang Yimou (a famous director)," said Gu Changwei, "I have learned a lot from our cooperation."

So far, this beautiful peacock has already won the Silver Bear prize from the 2005 Berlin Film Festival. What is more important is it has declared the success of another promising director in the world of film.

SOCIETY, Commentary: Who and What is Real Today?

By Li Jiajia

We are used to confining ourselves in the "concrete forests"; we seldom communicate with our neighbors; we always keep guard against strangers, for fear that they might be potential criminals. We are so possessed with distrust of the world we live in that television becomes our resort for reality--then true men shows find their way to the screen.

I don't think the protagonist of the movie "The Truman Show" was named "Tru[e]man" coincidently. From the day he was born, Truman's life was exposed to cameras. The world he lived in was just an enormous artificial film studio, in which everything, including the expanding sea, the rising and setting sun and even raging natural disasters, were controllable to the producers.

Thousands of people were hired to work as his family members, neighbors, colleagues and other characters necessary to the running of the world. Every detail of Truman's life was recorded by numerous cameras and transported to the screen of every household all over the world.

This movie seems to be the story of our possible future: lonely and insecure, we need to peep into others' life to seek a sense of belonging. At first, seeing a bunch of people risk their lives in the wilderness was enough to feed our curiosity. But over time, boredom gradually crawled into our mind for having seen so many similar struggles against nature.

So people locked themselves in a small world and struggled against each other to survive, just as we do everyday. We keep asking for more reality and we may finally choose to pick a pregnant woman to share her pain of delivering, to witness the first step of her baby, and when the baby has his own life, we will keep a close eye on every move he takes, from having classes to having sex. In this movie, people's faithfulness to "The Truman Show" mirrors the loneliness and vacuity in their real life, and throughout the show, the media plays accomplice.

For all the obstacles posed by the producers, our hero managed to overcome them and pull himself out of the artificial world. When he finally stepped outside, the whole world was moved to joyful tears--they are overwhelmed by the strength of man's will power. However, what they didn't expect is, when "The Truman Show" ended, the little fun of their spare life ended, too.

"What else can we see tonight?" one asked, but no answer was heard. The spiritual lives of the people in the movie were suffering from desertification, but wait a minute, aren't ours the same?

SOCIETY, Life Style: A Legendary Campus Love Story

By Song Mo

"It was the power of fate that brought us together. Though we have troubles from time to time, it has never occurred to us that we would say goodbye." Xu, a senior in a Shanghai university, got his girlfriend in 2003. Different from other lovers, during the past three years, Xu and his girlfriend met only four times.

Xu's girlfriend is the same age as him, and she is a Beijing girl who is now studying in a Beijing university. When telling his romantic love story, Xu seems very intoxicated, as if it happened not long ago.

"It's a complicated story," Xu says. "In my dorm, there is a boy from Beijing, and his girlfriend is in a university in Beijing. One day I wrote a poem in my leisure time, and my roommate read it to his girlfriend. My girlfriend is her roommate. She read that poem to her as well."

Unexpectedly, the girl was touched by Xu’s talent and sent a short message to him, with a few words like, "Hi, poet."

Thanks to short messages, soon they became familiar with each other. Seven days later, Xu had the courage to ask her if she wanted to be his girlfriend. "Yes, I do," the girl answered.

When asked how he could fall in love with a girl he never met, Xu replied, "It is the power of fate. She left me with a very good first impression, kind and warm."

As time goes by, Xu confessed that his girlfriend is much more "real" to him. As a mathematics major, Xu is very logical when it comes to thinking of ways to maintain the relationship. "I think that the most important thing is to find out our common ground, which is what we seek. Usually we talk about things that happened to us, to share and get to know what the other is thinking about."

Three years have passed, yet their passion has not faded away. Now, Xu sends about 2000 short messages a month, so does his girlfriend. From time to time, they call each other or chat and talk on the internet. Xu said that most of the time they can fully express their feelings and thoughts, because they are honest to each other. Sometimes, like other couples, they quarrel as well--a cold war or furious words. "But the form of short messaging makes it less furious than face-to-face quarrels," Xu said.

Special festivals--birthday and Valentine’s Day for instance--are lovers' happiest days; but to Xu and his girlfriend, they are no less than the worst days. "Honestly speaking, I'm afraid of those days. All lovers long for being with the other half on those days, but we have no choice," Xu said frankly. "Sometimes my girlfriend will feel lonely, and I promise her that I will make it up to her in the future. Now we send each other gifts to celebrate."

Helplessly, Xu misses his girlfriend very much. Till now, they have met merely four times. Owing to financial and "political" reasons, it is unlikely for them to see each other quite often. "One trip costs 2,000 Yuan (US$250), which costs us a whole semester to save from our pocket money."

What is more, parents on both sides do not allow them to see each other, so it is impossible to make the trip during summer and winter vacations. Therefore, the only suitable time is during school weeks, and one of them has to skip a week's course and come to visit the other's city. It sounds pathetic, but as Xu said, "You must make a choice and sacrifice something. And I choose this."

As for parents' attitudes, Xu is very understanding. "They are very considerate, I should say. They are much more realistic than us, and think much more, I'm afraid, that we will get hurt and miss new opportunities. Now we are trying to win their support, and they have gotten used to it and no longer oppose it like before. It's good news."

Serious and faithful of their relationship, they are facing more troubles than ordinary couples indeed. For example, what are they going to do after graduation? Where should they live, Beijing or Shanghai? Obsessed with these real problems, Xu is nevertheless optimistic. "The future is unpredictable, but one thing is sure, which is that we will get married. Though a lot of things need our consideration, we must be optimistic."

Nowadays there are many "Xu's form" couples, who live in two different cities and maintain their relationships by modern technologies. They face more troubles yet own their unique happiness.

"Till now, do you still believe that she is the one who is for you?"

"Definitely yes," Xu said, confidently.

SOCIETY, Editorial: Baby Pictures Bring Big Bucks

By Liu Yieqing


In recent days, one of the most eyeball-catching entertainment news event in China must be the famous Hong Kong singer Faye Wong giving birth to her second baby daughter.

Ever since Faye Wong's belly grew fat, those "dedicated" paparazzi have never yielded or slackened in their efforts of updating her whereabouts. Sensational headlines along with pictures kept popping out on front pages: Pregnant Faye Sticks to Chaffy dishes; Faye Lingers in Ballroom at Midnight Disregarding her Big Belly...

Of course, her family members--both current and ex--were also not lucky enough to escape the spotlight: her ex husband committing arson before her labor; her daughter (from her ex) bitten by a dog due to the negligence of her current husband, and conflicts between daughter and husband, between ex and current husbands, and the news goes on.

Then the actual birth of the baby daughter aroused another huge fuss in the entertainment media world. Days before the delivery, rumors came out that Faye had already finished labor. As a result, her husband, her agent and people with kinship either with her or her husband, had to come out one after another to clarify matters with the press. Later, since it was confirmed that Faye would have the delivery in XX Hospital, the Paparazzi lurked inside the hospital until the doctors called the police to clear them out.

Unfortunately, paparazzi belong to one of the most dedicated group of professionals. They never slacken and they never stop. So, a little store 100 meters from the hospital instantly turned into headquarters of these dedicated practitioners. They waited there,keeping alert 24 hours a day, so as not to miss any precious pictures. Pity on their efforts and perseverance! Neither Faye nor her baby girl showed up at the hospital gate.

However, a little setback will never hurt our strong-minded paparazzi; they always manage to find ways to penetrate. Pretty soon, series of pictures of Faye's baby daughter were released, allegedly taken by a nurse in the hospital. And then another round of clarification came onstage and another rumor...and the vicious circle continued.

Such news is never really new in the entertainment circle. On the same day Faye Wong delivered her baby, famous Hollywood star Angelina Jolie also gave birth to a daughter. However, Jolie was a bit smarter; to avoid paparazzi she fled to Namibia to have the delivery. As for the precious debut pictures of hers and Brad Pitt's little baby, they sold them and donated the money to charities.

Such news definitely belongs in the realm of entertainment news, which by definition means news that will bring people enjoyment. And in most cases entertainment news involves celebrities like singers, or film stars and so on, and is related to activities in the entertainment circle. Faye Wong is definitely a famous star, but this time, she was neither issuing a new album nor performing in a vocal concert. During the whole labor incident, Faye was just a woman giving birth to her second child. It did not have much to do with entertainment at all. Then why did the media making such a huge fuss?

The answer is simple, entertainment news is not simply journalism, but to a large extent is related to commercial promotion. Entertainment news is propelled by strong monetary motivations. That's why the bid for the debut of Faye Wong's baby daughter has already gone over 500,000 Yuan--as word (or rumor) has it--and the bid is still going up.

Seriously speaking, how much news value is contained in a baby's picture? However, it doesn't seem to matter at all, as long as it's Faye Wong's daughter, or Angelina Jolie's daughter, or the babies of other famous people, it is headline news, it has tremendous news value. No matter how huge the investment, there will be even larger rewards ahead. This justifies the perseverance of those entertainment press practitioners. Motivated by huge commercial rewards, people will never quit tracking down celebrities to make big news out of trifles related to them.