经过四年漫长的等待之后，体育界的一大盛事终于回归了。
6月14日，2018年世界杯在俄罗斯开赛。
和奥运会不同的是，世界杯是一场单项体育赛事，但它仍吸引了全球数百万的电视观众。
The World Cup brings us together
世界杯让我们团结
After four long years of waiting，one of the best events in sports has finally returned.The 2018 World Cup kicked off in Russia on June 14.Unlike the Olympics，the World Cup is a singlesport event，yet it still manages to attract millions of television viewers from around the world.
“Soccer is a universal(通用的) language that we speak with different accents，”Brazilian soccer journalist Tim Vickery told SportsNet.“The biggest act that most people engage(参与) in is cheering for their team during the World Cup.”Just like Spring Festival or Christmas，the World Cup is about the spirit of the season.
Some diehard soccer fans(铁杆球迷) even travel to the host country to watch as many games as they can，despite jet lag(时差反应)．US soccer coach Nick Rogers，who's currently in Russia for the World Cup，told The Press Democrat(《民主报》)．“I like to watch the game with other coaches, soccer players and soccer families.”
But for the players on the pitch(球场)，the World Cup isn't just about excitement.It can be a launch pad(跳板) for a great career too.For younger players，the World Cup is a chance to get noticed.Put in an outstanding performance against a strong team or score a few good goals，and the greatest clubs in the world may be knocking at your front door.
And for veterans(老将)，the event is a great stage upon which to seek redemption(拯救) for disappointments in the past.For Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo，a World Cup title would be the icing on his impressive cake(锦上添花)，as he already holds national records for international appearances and goals.
For Ronaldo's archrival(劲敌)，Argentina's Lionel Messi，it's a bit more complicated(复杂)．No matter how many goals he scores，without a World Cup win he'll always be a distant second to Diego Maradona in the hearts of fans at home.
But whichever player performs the best this year，the true spirit of the World Cup has always been how it brings people together.
