With the World Cup soccer tournament underway in South Africa, a couple of things for the science-interested audience to watch for.

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：

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.

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。

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.

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。

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.

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。