本文节选自Football 365上的一篇报道，原标题为：Liverpool really need a ‘great re-set’ but what happens to Jurgen Klopp if it fails?，原作者为Ian King

But what of Liverpool? All has been quiet from Anfield since their last match before their enforced break, a less-than-stellar goalless draw in the Merseyside derby. Noticeably, this mild dip has not been met with the mass hysteria that has greeted other mild dips from Big Six clubs, but let’s not pretend that it’s not happening at all.

但是利物浦呢?自（英女王去世）强制休赛前的最后一场比赛，也就是那场不尽如人意的默西塞德德比的0-0平局以来，安菲尔德的一切都显得很平静。值得注意的是，利物浦轻微的水平下滑并没有像其他BIG6的下滑让球迷们歇斯底里，但我们不能假装它根本没有发生。

less-than-stellar：不够精彩的，不尽如人意的

dip：这里指 下沉，下滑

hysteria：歇斯底里 Hysteria among a group of people is a state of uncontrolled excitement, anger, or panic.

They’ve only won three games this season with two coming courtesy of late goals – against Ajax in the Champions League in the 89th minute and against Newcastle in the Premier League in the 98th minute – and the third being the 9-0 rout of Bournemouth. Only Roberto Firmino has scored more than two Premier League goals. They were beaten by a Manchester United team who’d just lost to Brighton and Brentford, and they were absolutely humped by Napoli in the Champions League. This season wasn’t meant to be like this.

利物浦本赛季至今只赢了三场比赛，其中两场还要靠绝杀，分别为欧冠对阵阿贾克斯（第89分钟）和英超对阵纽卡斯尔的比赛（第98分钟），第三场则是9-0大胜伯恩茅斯。目前，利物浦队中只有菲尔米诺在英超打进了两个以上的进球。他们还被刚刚输给布莱顿和布伦特福德的曼联击败，在欧冠中被那不勒斯痛击。本赛季他们不应该是这种水平。

注：在部分统计平台的数据中，路易斯-迪亚斯也有超过两粒进球入账。

courtesy：指彬彬有礼，为名词。Courtesy is politeness, respect, and consideration for others. 这里应该是将利物浦这种绝杀形容为“送的大礼”

late goal：指比赛快结束时的破门

rout：大败，彻底打败，为名词。a situation in which sb is defeated easily and completely in a battle or competition. 可以使用“put sb to ˈrout”这个短语

hump：这里应该不算比较主流的用法，hump做动词本来的意思类似rape。在比赛中rape会被用于描述“击溃”“大败”的场景，这里hump应该是类似的用法。

It’s true to say that Liverpool have had horrendous luck with injuries, but this isn’t a completely satisfactory response. Elite-level football in the 21st century is a squad game, and while it’s true to say that they are not as financially plump as those fuelled by the money generated by our addiction to fossil fuels, they are also still amongst the wealthiest football clubs on the planet and could comfortably afford a deeper squad.

的确，利物浦最近一直为伤病的厄运所困扰，但这并不是一个完全令人满意的答复。21世纪的高水平足球是团队运动。虽然他们不像那些有“石油爹”的俱乐部那样资金充裕，但他们仍然是世界上最富有的足球俱乐部之一，可以轻松负担得起深度更强的阵容。

horrendous：可怕的，糟糕透顶的 something that is so big or great that extremely unpleasant

elite-level football：这里指“高水平足球运动”

plump：原意为“圆润的，丰满的” You can describe someone or something as plump to indicate that they are somewhat fat or rounded. 这里financially plump表示“资金充裕的”

be fuelled by：这个短语在外刊中很常用，表示被...助长，支撑，加剧

a deeper squad：深度更强的阵容