Global television audiences for the Women's World Cup in Canada bounced sharply higher in the opening days of the tournament and merchandise flew off the shelves, underscoring the growing popularity of the beautiful game.
本届女足世界杯在加拿大开幕以来，全球观看赛事的人数急剧增加，货架上的纪念品和商品清售一空，见证了这项魅力运动的人气上涨。
Some 3.3 million Americans tuned1 in to watch Team USA's opening win against Australia, FIFA said, three times the number who saw its opener in Germany four years ago.
In China, viewership nearly doubled for the country's first game while 16 percent more Japanese - 4.2 million - watched their defending champions beat Switzerland in the opener than watched them in the semifinals in the last tournament.
A showdown between France and England drew roughly 1.5 million viewers in each country, a third more French viewers than last time.
The figures, while far below the average official rating of 188.4 million viewers per game in the men's World Cup in Brazil last year, highlights the growing momentum2 in the women's game.
Women's football has played second fiddle3 to the more lucrative4 men's game but the bribery5 scandal surrounding FIFA has spurred interest in a section
of the sport less drenched6 in money.
\"The reason people sponsor sport is to connect to the ideals of sport,\" said Wade7 Oosterman, president of BCE Inc, a major sponsor and parent of the event's broadcaster, Bell Media.
\"It's the joy of the game, it's competition, it's integrity and fair play, it's all those positive attributes - and thank God the Women's World Cup represents those in spades.\"
词汇解析：
1 tuned
adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调
参考例句：
The resort is tuned in to the tastes of young and old alike. 这个度假胜地适合各种口味，老少皆宜。
The instruments should be tuned up before each performance. 每次演出开始前都应将乐器调好音。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 momentum
n.动力，冲力，势头；动量
参考例句：
We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。
3 fiddle
n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动
参考例句：
She plays the fiddle well.她小提琴拉得好。
Don't fiddle with the typewriter.不要摆弄那架打字机了。
4 lucrative
adj.赚钱的，可获利的
参考例句：
He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。
5 bribery
n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿
参考例句：
FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。
6 drenched
adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体）
参考例句：
We were caught in the storm and got drenched to the skin. 我们遇上了暴雨，淋得浑身透湿。
The rain drenched us. 雨把我们淋得湿透。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 wade
v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉
参考例句：
We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。
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