Olympic Countdown 奥运会倒计时

　　方才看 CCTV-4 的中国新闻，昨日北京奥运倒计时1周年，天安门广场举行了盛大的庆祝活动，国际奥委会主席雅克罗格高度称赞北京奥组委的工作，称其“卓有成效”，并对北京的环境改善表示了信心。

　　看完新闻，首先想到了一个问题，有没有必要如此大规模大排场地举行奥运倒计时一年的活动？整个天安门广场灯火辉煌，舞台宏大，烟花绚丽，连演员都可以说人山人海。不就是倒计时1周年么？也许奥委会主席向全世界发出邀请函是一重大事件，但也不至于画上几百万甚至千万的成本来举行所谓的倒计时1周年活动。姑且认为1周年尚稍稍有些道理，那么前几个月的奥运倒计时500天活动则完全没有必要了。不仅是北京——奥运会的举办城市如此，全国各地都热衷于搭奥运车，开展各种规模宏大的活动。潇湘晨报上今天又来了巨幅广告“万名湘人祝福北京奥运车行活动”，举办者是湖南省宣传部。比起这些花哨的各式各样的劳民伤财的庆祝活动，或许脚踏实地的备战奥运工作和经济发展更加实际，或者拿这些钱投入边远贫困的乡村更加有意义。 　　其次，关于罗格的评价和国外媒体的态度，刚好，昨晚正好看了 BBC World 的 Asia Today，头条新闻便是北京奥运会的 1 Year Countdown，对于罗格对中国首都北京的空气质量评价问题，见我昨天听写的 BBC Asia Today 原文（[]内部分单词未听出）。 　　In spectacular [], China has been marking its countdown to the 2008 Olympic Games. 　　The 2008 Games was scheduled to start in exactly one year’s time. Beijing’s Tiananmen Square was now the focus of celebrations. Center stage of the day’s event was the [] of a countdown clock, but the note of concern has already been injected. The president of the International Olympic Committee Jacques Rouge has said he’s worried about pollution and possible [prospoument] of the event due to poor air quality. 　　“Just behind me, the Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, [its late up] a one year’s celebrations are going on. Hosting a successful Olympic Games matters China more than anything else.” 　　The day’s countdown celebrations began amid the Beijing haze with about a mass tai chi. The organizer want to make a point the people of Beijing are looking forward to the Olympic Games, so everyone has to enjoy themselves. 　　“There is nothing spontaneous about any of the activities that going on today here in Beijing. Everything is organized and supervised. For China, the Olympics is about putting on a well-reheard, well-scripted spectacle in which nothing goes wrong. “ 　　Apart perhaps from the pollution, the head of the IOC, Jacques Rouge, has been in China’s capital inspecting. He’s now warning that Beijing’s smog is such a problem that certain endurance events such as cycling might have to be delayed till the air clears.

顺便翻译一下： 　　在壮观的表演中，中国迎来2008奥运倒计时1周年。 　　2008奥运会计划于正好一周年后开始。北京天安门广场现在是庆祝的焦点。今天活动的中央舞台是奥运倒计时钟，但是已经出现了担心的评论。国际奥委会主席罗格表示他担忧北京的污染和由于污染而可能导致的意外。 　　“在我的身后，天安门广场，紫禁城，持续一晚上的庆祝正在进行。举办一次成功的奥运会对中国来说比任何事情都重要。” 　　今天的倒数庆祝活动在北京的晨雾中开始，一群老人在打太极拳。组织者想传递北京正在期盼着奥运会，每个人都必须感到快乐。 　　今天在北京这里举办的任何活动都不是自发的。每件事都是组织好，被监督的。对于中国来说，奥运会就是上演一出精心策划、照本宣科的剧本，哪都不能出错。 　　除了污染问题，奥委会主席罗格今天在中国首都视察。他警告说北京的雾是一个严重的问题，可能某些持久性的运动项目例如自行车将不得不推迟，直到空气变得清洁。

　　THE END OF THE ARTICLE - This matter has been widely lamented.