这里是今日热点节目。
The National Football League, or NFL, has announced that it will fine teams if their players fail to stand during the playing of the national anthem.
美国橄榄球联盟（以下简称为NFL）宣布，如果有球员在演奏国歌期间不站立，就会对球队罚款。
Instead, players who do not wish to stand can wait in the locker room until the song is over.
如果球员不想站立，可以在更衣室等到国歌演奏结束。
The NFL announced the new policy Wednesday. NFL team owners approved the measure. The league did not say how much it would fine a team if a player does not follow the new rules.
NFL周三宣布了这一新政策。NFL球队老板批准了这项政策。NFL并未说明如果球员不遵守规则，球队会被罚款多少。
The "Star-Spangled Banner" is played before the start of each football game. Last season, some NFL players chose to get down on one knee during the anthem instead of standing. The move was in protest of police shootings of unarmed black men in the United States.
在每场球赛开始前会升星条旗。上个赛季，一些NFL球员在演奏国歌期间单膝跪下而不是站立。此举是为了抗议美国警方枪杀手无寸铁的黑人男子。
The majority of NFL players are African American.
大多数NFL球员是非洲裔美国人。
Some football fans, and even US President Donald Trump, criticized the players for appearing unpatriotic.
一些球迷，甚至包括川普总统都批评球员不爱国。
Last year, Trump used social media to demand an end to the players' protests. In a tweet last October, for example, Trump asked whether the NFL should get money-saving tax breaks if its players continue, in his words, "disrespecting our anthem, flag and country."
去年，川普利用社交媒体要求球员停止抗议。例如在去年10月的一条推文中，川普提问，如果NFL球员继续不尊重我们的国歌、国旗以及这个国家，NFL是否还应该得到税收减免。
Trump also pushed the league to punish players who protest. The NFL last year rejected the president's calls.
川普还督促联盟惩罚抗议的球员。NFL去年拒绝了总统的这些呼吁。
The NFL Players Association, or NFLPA, is a union for NFL players. It said the league did not seek its help in creating the new policy.
NFL球员联盟（简称NFLPA）表示，NFL在制定新政策时并没有寻求他们的帮助。
In a statement, the NFLPA said it would examine the policy and challenge any part of it that does not meet "collective bargaining agreements."
NFL球员联盟在一份声明中表示将会审查该政策，并对其中任何不符合“劳资集体谈判协议”的部分进行挑战。
The union added that NFL players demonstrate their patriotism in many ways, including, it said, "through their protests to raise awareness about the issues they care about."
NFL球员联盟补充说，NFL球员在很多方面都表现出了他们的爱国主义。包括“通过抗议提高公众对他们所关注问题的认识。”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also defended the patriotism of NFL players.
NFL联盟主席罗格·古德尔（Roger Goodell）也为NFL球员的爱国主义进行了辩护。
In a statement, he said, "It was unfortunate that on-field protests created a false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic. This is not and was never the case."
古德尔在一份声明中表示，”令人遗憾的是，现场抗议形成了很多NFL球员不爱国的错误观念，但是事实并非如此。“
People reacted to the new policy on social media. Some noted the new policy does still permits the players to protest -- privately.
人们在社交媒体上对这一新政策做出了回应。有人指出，新政策仍然允许球员私下进行抗议。
Others said they would stop watching professional American football games.
另外一些人表示他们会停止观看职业橄榄球比赛。
One Twitter user asked @NFL, "If fans don't stand [during the anthem] will you throw them out of the stadium?"
一位推特用户圈了NFL，”如果球迷在演奏国歌期间不站起来，你会把他们赶出球场吗？“
Another wrote, "I'm very curious to see how many NFL players will be on the field for the anthem that first NFL weekend."
另一位用户写道，”我非常好奇在NFL首个周末比赛演奏国歌期间，会有多少NFL球员出现在球场上。
The 2018 season begins September 6.
2018年赛季将于9月6日开始。
And that's What's Trending Today.
这就是今日热点的全部内容。
I'm Ashley Thompson.
我是阿什利·汤普森。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，禁止转载，违者必究！)