本文选自Sports Illustrated的“Man City’s Hat Trick Heroes Show Gap in Quality Between Manchester Rivals in Derby Rout”一文，原作家为Jonathan Wilson

Four straight Premier League wins had raised Manchester United hopes. There was a feeling that maybe Erik ten Hag, by rowing back on his Ajax principles, could make United more competitive than had seemed likely in the first two games of the season. With Rodri missing from the back of midfield and Manuel Akanji paired with Nathan Aké at center back, there was a thought that it might be possible for United’s attacking pace to get at Manchester City. Within 10 minutes it was clear any United optimism was illusory: The gulf between City and United was 6–3 on the day and is eight points in the table, but it is light years in terms of quality.

英超联赛的四连胜让曼联有了盼头，让人嗅觉也许滕哈赫通过更正他蓝本在阿贾克斯的理念，似乎不错让曼联比在本赛季的前两场比赛中更有竞争力。而曼城由于后腰罗德里缺阵，由阿坎吉和阿克搭档中卫，人们便认为曼联的紧要速率有可能不错和曼城掰掰手腕。但在开场10分钟后，曼联的任何乐观心扉便都星离雨散。整场比赛，曼城和曼联之间的差距是比分上的6-3，积分榜上的8分，但质地上却是光年。

row back：更正（先前的决定、主张）；改口。row back on 默示抒发与原有认识不同的或相背的认识。If you row back on something you have said or written, you express a different or contrary opinion about it.

pair with：与...成对，与...配对

get at：指“够得着/跟得上...（的节律）”

illusory：乌有的，缺陷的 If you describe something as illusory, you mean that although it seems true or possible, it is in fact false or impossible.

gulf：这里指“雄伟的差距” A gulf is an important or significant difference between two people, things, or groups.

City was embarrassingly better than United. The first half was comprised almost entirely of City attacks. If, for United, this wasn’t as bad as the 4–0 defeat at Brentford earlier in the season or the 5–0 home defeat to Liverpool last year, it was only because City was so obviously playing brilliantly. Phil Foden’s finish for the first, Kevin De Bruyne’s cross for the third, Erling Haaland’s arching pass for the fourth: All were stunning. This was City at the top of its game.

曼城的发挥比曼联好得让人难过。上半场险些绝对是曼城在紧要。如若对曼联来说，这并不像本赛季早些时刻0-4输给布伦特福德或前年0-5在主场输给利物浦那样倒霉，那仅仅因为曼城昭着太出色了。福登的第一粒进球，第三球德布劳内的横传助攻，第四球哈兰德的弧顶妙传——这些无一不楚楚可怜。这是曼城的巅峰之作。

be comprised of：由...构成

stunning：极好的，令人恐慌的，楚楚可怜的  A stunning event is extremely unusual or unexpected.

Not that United was blameless. It was dreadful, and being spooked by just how good City was isn’t really an excuse. From the moment after 70 seconds when Diogo Dalot was booked for a clumsy foul on Jack Grealish, United was clearly struggling. Sitting deep, it was just a punch-bag. By the time Foden gave City the lead in the eighth minute, sweeping in Bernardo Silva’s low cross, it already long felt overdue.

不行说曼联完全无可训斥，因为其发挥自己就倒霉彻底，被曼城的出色发挥所吓倒并不是借口。开场仅70秒后达洛特对格拉利什油滑的犯规吃到黄牌不错看出，曼联昭着在对抗。他们减弱阵型，但如故被曼城当成沙袋来打。当福登在第8分钟接B席低平传中，为曼城先拔头筹时，人们照旧以为这形态早该到来了。

dreadful：倒霉彻底的 If you say that something is dreadful, you mean that it is very bad or unpleasant, or very poor in quality. 

spook：使...吓坏; 使...弥留 If people are spooked, something has scared them or made them nervous. 

clumsy：油滑的  A clumsy person moves or handles things in a careless, awkward way, often so that things are knocked over or broken. 

sit deep：指将阵型缩得很深

overdue：这里指“早该发生的” If you say that a change or an event is overdue, you mean that you think it should have happened before now. 

作家: 波哥坎普

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