◎ 魏國金

Energie Cottbus’ players will reimburse the entrance fee of their 600 fans who made the trip to Gelsenkirchen to watch their team lose 4-0 at Schalke 04, the Bundesliga club said.

科特布斯隊的球員將退給600名球迷門票費，這些球迷自蓋爾森基興遠道而來，卻看到他們在球賽中以0比4慘敗給沙爾克04隊，這支德國足球甲級聯賽球隊指出。

"By refunding the cost of admission for their supporters, the red and whites would like to apologise for the pitiful performance which they displayed at the Veltins Arena," explained the club in a press release entitled "Sorry".

「藉由退還門票費給支持者，這支球衣為紅白色的球隊希望為他們在維爾廷斯球場呈現的糟糕表現致歉」，球隊在名為「對不起」的記者會上解釋說。

Roughly 600 fans travelled from Cottbus, in east Germany near the Polish border, on Friday night to Gelsenkirchen -- a journey of some 610 kilometres -- to see their team suffer their sixth defeat in their last seven league games.

約600名球迷週五晚間從德國東部接近波蘭邊界的科特布斯市來到蓋爾森基興，整個旅程約達610公里，沒想到卻看到家鄉球隊吞下最近7場聯賽中的第六敗。

Cottbus are second from bottom of the Bundesliga table and are in danger of being relegated at the end of the season.

科特布斯隊目前在甲級聯賽的排行榜上位居倒數第二，在球季結束時恐有被降級的危險。

新聞辭典

pitiful︰可憐的、令人同情的，在此指（表現）令人失望的、糟糕的。例句︰The stray dog was pitiful.（那隻流浪狗很可憐。）

reimburse︰歸還、補償。例句︰The company will reimburse your travel expenses.（公司將付還你的差旅費。）

relegate︰（球隊）降級、把…置於其次、流放。例句︰He relegated his fears to the edge of his mind.（他置恐懼於腦後。）