北京冬奥会希望之火映红天际

Let the Olympic Flame Burn and Light the Horizon

王恒志

Wang Hengzhi

北京冬奥会火种2021年10月18日在奥运会发祥地——希腊伯罗奔尼撒半岛的古奥林匹亚遗址采集成功，火种映红天际。随着火炬传递的进行，北京冬奥会火种将穿透依旧笼罩在全球的新冠肺炎疫情阴云，照亮人类团结合作、共赴时艰的前路，点燃属于全人类的希望之火。

The Olympic flame for the Beijing Winter Games was collected on October 18, 2021 at the ruins of ancient Olympia in Peloponnese, Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. The lighting of the flame sets in motion the torch relay that will bring the flame to Beijing. It shows humanity’s resolve to emerge from the shadow of a pandemic that is still wreaking havoc across the globe. It lights our path forward, a path to unity, and inspires us to overcome shared challenges ahead.

这是希望的火种。在古希腊神话中，普罗米修斯为人类盗取火种，这是古代奥运会点燃火种的由来，火种采集也成为现代奥林匹克运动中最具标志性的活动。当下，新冠肺炎疫情的阴霾在全球范围内依然笼罩，东京奥运会已经证明奥林匹克运动拥有凝聚力量、共抗疫情的强大感召力。北京冬奥会火种的采集成功，意味着奥林匹克火种将又一次带给人们信心、温暖和希望。中国作为疫情控制最好的国家之一，也将向世界传递攻坚克难的坚定信心：疫情终将过去，希望永在前方。

The flame symbolizes hope. Rooted in Greek mythology, the lighting of the flame at the start of ancient Olympic Games celebrated the passing of fire Prometheus stole from Zeus to humankind. This ceremony has survived the passage of time and remained a most emblematic event of modern Olympic Games. Held amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics attested to the power of the Olympic Movement to help build cohesion and resilience in the face of adversity. The lighting of the flame for Beijing 2022 gives us another shot of confidence. As one of the countries that have mounted the most effective coronavirus response, China is poised to help unleash the power of positivity and optimism across the world: the pandemic will be behind us and hope is always there.

这是团结的火种。在这个夏天结束的东京奥运会前，国际奥委会更新了沿用百年的奥林匹克格言：更快、更高、更强——更团结。面对种种全球性挑战，团结变得前所未有地重要。奥林匹克运动敏锐地与时俱进，这与中国提倡的构建人类命运共同体不谋而合。随着北京冬奥会火种采集成功，距离北京冬奥会开幕还有109天，全世界将再一次汇聚在五环旗下，人类将再度展现团结合作、战胜困难的勇气和信念。

The flame symbolizes unity. Ahead of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, the IOC amended its century-old motto to include the word “Together”. The updated motto reads: “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together”. Amid mounting global challenges, solidarity has assumed more importance than ever before. This change reflects the Olympic Movement’s keen interest in keeping in tune with the times. It’s a move that dovetails with China’s call for building a global community with a shared future. The flame lighting ceremony reminds us that the Games are just 109 days away. The world will once again gather under the five-ring flag in a display of unity, courage and resolve to beat whatever odds we are facing.

这是创造历史的火种。北京将书写奥林匹克运动全新的历史篇章，成为有史以来第一座既举办过夏季奥运会又举办过冬季奥运会的城市。更重要的是，北京冬奥会实现了在东方大国普及冰雪运动的宏大愿景，这是中国对奥林匹克的贡献，世界冬季运动也将迎来全新的发展机遇。北京冬奥会还是首次从申办开始全面践行国际奥委会办奥新模式的一次盛会，将为办奥模式建立新标杆。

The flame symbolizes a new milestone. Beijing will become the first city to host both the Winter and Summer Games, opening a new chapter in the history of the Olympic Movement. More importantly, Beijing 2022 is propelling a surge in popularity of winter sports in China, a huge boost to the Olympic traditions, and will offer fresh opportunities to reinvigorate the global landscape of winter sports. The IOC’s “New Norm” reform measures are being implemented for the first time from the start of the host election process to the organization of the Beijing Winter Olympics. The way the Beijing Games are organized will be a benchmark for future Games.

一起向未来！这是北京冬奥会、冬残奥会的口号，也是全世界人民的心声。相信熊熊燃烧的北京冬奥会火种，将为奥林匹克运动、为全世界再度点燃心中不灭的希望之火。

“Together for a Shared Future” is the official motto of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. What this motto means resonates with people the world over. We believe that the lighting of the flame for Beijing 2022 will not only energize the Olympic Movement but also rekindle hope across the world.

（蔡力坚 译）