British men is more loyal to football英国男人：爱足球甚于爱美人

English football fans in London. British men show far more loyalty, commitment and self-sacrifice towards their favourite football team than towards their partners, a study showed.

British men show far more loyalty, commitment and self-sacrifice towards their favourite football team than towards their partners, a study showed.

Some 94 percent said they would never stop loving their team no matter how bad they were while 52 percent would gladly ditch a relationship that was not going well, the survey of approximately 2,000 men across Britain found.

Psychologist Aric Sigman said: "If men showed the same fidelity, commitment, self-sacrifice and honesty toward their partners, the divorce rate would halve overnight.

"In an age where politicians' loyalties are seen as chameleonic, where jobs and relationships come and go, loyalty is now reserved for something men feel they can actually believe in: football.

"Perhaps this undying loyalty for a football team shows how qualities such as integrity and devotion are at a premium nowadays."

A quarter of men admitted they would miss a family funeral to watch a game.

The research also discovered that 59 percent Englishmen surveyed said football gave them a sense of national pride, while 55 percent of Scotsmen said it gave them a sense of national embarrassment.

The study also found that football provided a way for men to show emotion.

Nearly two-fifths admitted they had cried tears of joy or despair over football, whilst almost a third said it had been crucial in teaching them to bond with other men.

Pollsters TNS Global conducted the research for football World Cup sponsor Duracell.

(Agencies)

调查显示，如果拿妻子和足球相比的话，英国男人更热爱他们所支持的足球队。他们对自己支持的球队更加忠诚、更具责任感和自我牺牲精神。

近2000名英国男子参加了此项调查。其中约94%的调查对象表示，不论球队的成绩多么糟糕，他们都不会停止热爱自己的球队。而52%的男子则表示，如果和女友的关系进展不顺，他们则会心安理得的放弃这段感情。

心理学家艾里克·希格曼说，“如果男人们对自己的伴侣表现出同样的忠诚、诚实、投入和自我牺牲精神，英国的离婚率会立马减少一半。”

“政治家的忠诚反复无常，工作和爱情也是来去不定，在这样一个时代，男人们认为足球才是他们可以信任和‘效忠’的'事业'。”

“也许对于足球队的这种不渝的忠诚正表明了正直和奉献等品质在当今社会是多么的珍贵。”

有四分之一的男子承认他们可以放弃参加亲朋的葬礼，而去观看足球赛。

调查结果显示，59%的英国男人说足球赋予了他们民族自豪感，而55%的苏格兰男人却说足球让他们有一种民族自卑感。

调查同时发现，观看足球是男人们宣泄情绪的一种方式。

近五分之二的调查对象承认他们曾为足球流下过喜悦或伤心的泪水，近三分之一的男人认为他们能从足球比赛中学到如何与其他男人更好的交流。

TNS 全球市场信息调研公司为世界杯赞助商金霸王集团做了此次调查。

Vocabulary:
ditch : to get rid of ;discard （放弃，抛弃；e.g.He has ditched his girlfriend.<他抛弃了他的女友。>）
chameleonic: 像变色龙一样的；反复无常的
at a premium: 非常珍贵