CNN 2010-06-15

（单词翻译）

Happy sounds, glorious weather and almost flawless organization.

 

But did the feel good factor of Germany's World Cup last longer than the summer of 2006?

 

In economic terms, apparently¹ not.

 

Germany has a large economy and such an event is a -- a very little, tiny one. It was from the very beginning very unlikely that there would be a big impact on the economy.

 

So the World Cup was a boost to Germany's world image and to the nation's self-confidence. Patriotism², which, for decades, was a dirty word in post-war German society, showing itself in a million national flags.

 

I was a little bit afraid when I -- when I saw that, when -- when the flags came up in the first days of the tournament. But, yes, it seems to be that there's -- there are a new generation starts in Germany, in a way.

 

But beyond the consumption of vast quantities of Germany's favorite drink and a boost for German businesses of around $2.6 billion in food, drink and sales of World Cup memorabilia, that new generation wasn't prepared to change the habits of the old -- cautious consumer spending.

 

So there was no negative impact. And it was just fun. And it was a great time this summer and people were happy and so it -- it did not last very long, but it was, for some weeks, a lot of fun and that's enough.

 

Wagner says the two million visitors to Germany's World Cup kept non-football tourists away. One lesson from the German economists³ to South Africa this time around -- sit back and enjoy it, because the effects may be short lived.