One of Asia's biggest pop groups, SMAP, is to break up at the end of the year after a 25-year career.
亚洲最大流行音乐天团SMAP在出道25年之后，将于今年年底正式解散。
The Japanese boy band, which sold 35m records up to last year, will disband on 31 December, its management agency said last Sunday.
据该日本男子组合的管理部门上周日表示，单曲总销量在3500万张以上的该乐团将于12月31日正式解散。
Rumours of a split had been rife since the turn of the year, but had all previously been denied.
自从今年年初以来，就有谣言传出组合成员之间交恶，但是此前他们一直都否认这一说法。
Its five members, who are aged between 39 and 43, are now expected to pursue solo careers.
年龄在39到43岁之间的乐队5名成员预计将各自单飞。

The band, formed in 1988, has built up a huge fanbase in Japan and throughout Asia with members appearing frequently in films, soap operas, and commercials.
SMAP于1988年出道，在日本及整个亚洲建立起了一个庞大的粉丝团体，乐队成员频繁出现在电影、电视剧和广告中。
Members of SMAP, which stands for "Sports Music Assemble People", have also appeared on cookery shows and Japanese coverage of the Rio Olympics.
此外，SMAP（全称Sports Music Assemble People）的成员也同样出现在烹饪节目和日本转播里约奥运会的节目中。
Their popularity has even made them ambassadors for diplomatic relations between Japan, China and South Korea. In 2011, they were the first Japanese pop group to visit China in a decade, amid a row between the countries over disputed territory. Their Beijing concert was attended by 40,000 people.
SMAP的声望甚至曾经使得他们成为了中日韩外交关系大使。2011年，SMAP成为了10年来第一次访问中国的日本流行组合，当时中日两国曾因争议领土而爆发争端。SMAP当时在北京举行的那场演唱会共有40000名粉丝出席。
A statement by the group's managers Johnny and Associates said they were "truly and deeply pained and sorry" to not be able to take part in 25th anniversary celebrations.
据SMAP经纪人杰尼斯事务所发表的一份声明表示，团队成员为不能参加成立25周年纪念日感到“诚挚的痛苦和遗憾”。