■冰島首次打入世界盃，不少國民遠渡重洋入場，雀躍打氣。 資料圖片【原文】下文摘錄自香港《文匯報》2018年6月17日報道：
俄羅斯世界盃（2018 FIFA World Cup）剛揭開戰幔，傳統足球強國的表現固然備受注目，一些二三線球隊同樣希望創造奇蹟（miracle）。
曾被喻為「歐洲魚腩」的冰島（Iceland），兩年前在歐洲國家盃（UEFA European Championship）平地一聲雷，其夢想之旅延續至今，首次打入今屆世界盃決賽周，首場賽事就逼和勁旅阿根廷（Argentina），創造奇蹟之路再下一城。
預測冰島捧走「經濟盃」
冰島的經濟表現與足球一樣超乎想像，丹麥（Denmark）投資銀行盛寶銀行（Saxo Bank）進行研究，分析今屆世盃決賽周32支球隊的國家經濟及財政指標，顯示冰島將可擊敗另一北歐國家丹麥，捧得「經濟世界盃」。
這項研究由盛寶銀行高級定量分析師（quantitative analyst）帶領進行，分析32支球隊所屬國家的一系列經濟指標，包括通脹率（inflation）、失業率、股市（stock market）（伊朗則評估石油市場）、信貸違約掉期息差，以及量度貧富懸殊程度的堅尼系數（Gini coefficient）。
結果顯示冰島於決賽擊敗丹麥，日本（Japan）則於季軍戰壓倒德國（Germany），其餘打入頭10強的包括韓國（Korea）、瑞士（Switzerland）、澳洲（Australia）、瑞典（Sweden）、波蘭（Poland）和英格蘭（England）。
傳統足球強國巴西（Brazil）、阿根廷和西班牙（Spain）均於分組賽出局，主要由於堅尼系數讀度較差。分析員同時向拉美（Latin America）足球強國出示「黃牌」（yellow card），指有關國家貧富不均情況損害經濟，球場上的成功無法轉化至現實世界。
冰島總統約翰內森（Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson）近日接受路透社（Reuters）訪問時，談到對冰島國家隊的期望，他表示對球隊打入世界盃決賽周感到興奮，希望球隊表現能俘虜全世界球迷的心，尤其國家隊未能晉身決賽周的球迷。
約翰內森稱，冰島國家隊兩年前奇蹟殺入歐國盃（European Championship）八強，最後敗於東道主（host）法國腳下，球隊展現的鬥志贏得舉世稱頌。他形容人口僅35萬的冰島能在國家隊大賽發光發熱，創造童話（fairytale）般的故事，全賴球隊上下團結（solidarity）一致。
人口僅35萬 經濟靠漁業
他同時指出，冰島擁有不少出色教練（coach）並且不論貧富或社會地位，讓更多人接觸足球活動，在更多年輕人參與下，也許有望發掘出新的美斯（Lionel Messi）或C朗（Cristiano Ronaldo）。
49歲的約翰內森是一位球迷，儘管公務繁忙，但他仍會抽空與朋友踢足球。談到冰島經濟時，他指冰島在金融海嘯（financial tsunami）受重創，10年後已建立起更強勁的經濟，原因是推行適當的經濟政策，漁業（fishing industry）仍是經濟命脈，但同時着重發展旅遊業（tourism）及高科技，加強人力資源（human resources）投資，並打造開放型經濟（open economy）。 註：冰島已在分組賽32強止步
"European Fish Belly" : Iceland Created Soccer Miracle
【譯文】The 2018 FIFA World Cup has just taken place in Russia, in which the eye-catching performance of some powerful soccer teams has drawn much attention and even some second- and third-tier groups strived to make miracles. Iceland, the so-called "European fish belly", made its way into the UEFA European Championship two years ago and its dream tour went on that it headed directly to its first ever World Cup finals.
The country finally secured an impressive 1-1 draw with one of the tournament favourites Argentina, taking one amazing step further towards its miracle. On the other hand, Iceland's economic achievements are deemed as extraordinary as its performance in the football matches.
Iceland lifts cup for its finances
According to a research of the Danish investment bank Saxo Bank which studied the scoring of the 32 national teams in the World Cup finals on an array of indicators of economic and financial health, Iceland was expected to defeat Denmark and be crowned as champion of the "Economic World Cup".
Led by a senior quantitative analyst of the Saxo Bank, the research measured the World Cup competitors with a series of economic indicators, including inflation, unemployment rate, stock market （or oil market for Iran）, spread of credit default swaps and Gini coefficient, a statistical measure of income inequality.
The results showed that Iceland defeated Denmark in the economic World Cup final and Japan beat Germany in the third-place playoff. Other teams in the top 10 included South Korea, Switzerland, Australia, Sweden, Poland and England.
Some traditional footballing powers such as Brazil, Argentina and Spain were all knocked out in the group stage, attributing to the poor readings for the Gini coefficient. Meanwhile, a yellow card was issued to the Latin America's football teams, warning that their level of income inequality would harm their economies and thus prevented them from transforming their on-field success into the real world.
The Iceland's president Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson has shared with the Reuters in an interview about his expectation for the national team, saying that he was really excited that the team made it to the World Cup finals and hoped that they would be able to gain fans all around the world, especially those whose own teams missed out.
Johannesson recalled his memory about Iceland's entry into the quarter-finals of the UEFA European Championship two years ago. Even though the country eventually lost to the host France, the international breakthrough and the fighting spirit the team had demonstrated deserved the highest praise.
With a population of only 350,000 but achieving such outstanding result on the big stage, Johannesson said Iceland was just like a fairytale story and the team's solidarity had contributed greatly to the success.
Small country steps up to the big stage
He added that Iceland had many excellent coaches, and the country strived to make football accessible to everyone, regardless of family income or social status, with the hope to nurture a new Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo by encouraging more youth participation.
Despite being the head of state and so busy at work, the 49-year-old is a football fan and still enjoys a regular kickabout with friends when he is free. When taking about the economy of Iceland, Johannesson said that the country had been seriously hurt by the financial tsunami previously but it was able to recover and build a stronger economy 10 years later.
The success was driven by implementing appropriate economic policies, enhancing the core fishing industry, as well as developing tourism and high technology, investing more in human resources and creating an open economy.■龐嘉儀
考考你
1. 冰島被視為「北歐五國」之一，餘下是哪四個國家？
2. 冰島全年平均氣溫約多少？
3. 冰島主要經濟產業是什麼？
4. 冰島於本屆世界盃D組比賽以1:1逼和阿根廷，約有多少國民入場支持該場賽事？
5. 除了足球表現出色外，哪項運動被稱為冰島國技？
Answer
1.丹麥（Denmark）、芬蘭（Finland）、挪威（Norway）、瑞典（Sweden）
2.-2°C到14°C
3.漁業（Fishery）、農業（Farming）、工業（Industry）、旅遊業（Tourism）
4.約一成冰島國民
5.手球（Handball）
