体育英语短文作文文章.docVIP

Facts about Olympic flame and torch relay（接力） BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The Ancient Greeks considered fire to be a divine （神圣的）element, and they maintained perpetual（维持永久的） fires in front of their principal temples. This was the case in the sanctuary（避难所） of Olympia, where the Ancient Olympic Games took place. The flame was lit using the rays（光线） of the sun, to ensure its purity（纯洁）, and a skaphia, the ancestor of the parabolic mirror（抛物面反射镜） used today for lighting the Olympic flame. A flame burned permanently（永久地） on the altar（圣坛） of the goddess Hestia, and such fires were also lit on the altars of Zeus （宙斯）and Hera（赫拉）, in front of whose temple the Olympic flame is lit today. In the context（环境） of the modern Games, the Olympic flame represents the positive values that Man has always associated with fire. The purity of the flame is guaranteed by the way it is lit using the suns rays. The choice of Olympia as a departure（出发点） point emphasizes（强调） the link between the ancient and modern Games and underlines the profound connection between these two events. Lighting of the Olympic flame today all begins in Olympia, Greece. A few months before the opening of the Olympic Games, a ceremony is organized on the original site of the Olympic Games, at the ancient sanctuary of Olympia. The flame is lit in front of the ruins of the Temple of Hera by actresses（女演员） playing the part of priestesses（女祭司）. The choreography （舞蹈艺术）and costumes （服装）used in the ceremony are based on those of Antiquity（古物）. The flame is lit according to the ancient method of the suns rays in the parabolic mirror. The Olympic flame can only be lit in this way. The flame is placed in an urn（缸） and transported into the ancient stadium where it is given to the first runner by the high priestess responsible for this operation（操作）. This process takes place months before the opening of the Games, in order to allow for the relay to take place and bring the flame to the host city. 北京,5月10日(新华社)——古希腊人认为,火是一个神圣