徐美紅

OLYMPIA, Greece, March 24 (Xinhua)—The Beijing Olympic flame was ignited in a traditional sun-ray ceremony on 11:45 on Monday at the Hera Temple of Ancient Olympia

Dark clouds over Olympia troubling Olympic flame lighting rehearsal parted at last Monday with a flawless torch lighting ceremony heralding the unprecedented torch relay.

The High Priestess Maria Nafpliotou lit the flame out of a concave, burnished steel mirror. Then the flame was transported in a replica of an ancient urn to the ancient Olympia stadium where it was to kindle the first Olympic torch.

High Priestess Maria Nafpliotou handed over the torch to the first torchbearer, 2004 Olympic silver medallist in taekwondo (80kg) Alexandros Nikolaidis, who carried it to kick off the relay in Greece, across five continents and China.

Prior to the lighting, Nafpliotou and 20 female priestesses—all wearing pleated white dresses and sandals—performed an ancient ritual. Following a short dancing ceremony on the slope of ancient Olympia stadium, the High Priestess ignited the first Beijing Olympic torch.

The Olympic Anthem, the National Anthem of China, the National Anthem of Greece were played and the Olympic Flag, the Chinese Flag and the Greek Flag were hoisted before the lighting ceremony.

“Today will lead to the opening of the first ever Olympic Games in China, where one fifth of the worlds population is longing for them,” said Rogge.

By crossing five continents and visiting 21 cities throughout the world, and more than 100 cities in mainland China, the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay prepares the way to Beijing.

“The messengers will be citizens, young or old, able or disabled, athletes and members of the Olympic Movement, who are all eager to promote what each one of us can contribute to a better world.”

Among the dignitaries were Prime Minister of Greece Kostas Karamanlis, President of Greece Karolos Papoulias and former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch.

“China and Greece, standing as ancient civilizations with long histories, have made outstanding contributions to human progress,” Liu Qi said.

“Today, the Olympic flame, representing the transcendent human spirit, will be lit once again. Burning in the torch of the Beijing Olympic Games, the flame will travel over mountains and seas across the globe, our common homeland.

“The Olympic flame will radiate light and happiness, peace and friendship, and hope and dreams to the people of China and the whole world. Its rays will light up the starry skies during the Beijing Olympic Games.”

According to the schedule, the Olympic flame will be handed over to BOCOG at 3 p.m. at Panathenian Stadium in Athens.

In Greek leg, the sacred flame will pass through 16 prefectures, 43 municipalities, 12 municipality districts, and 4 communities in the hands of 605 torchbearers. In route, a total of 29 ceremonies will be held to celebrate the flame.

The Olympic flame is to arrive in Beijing on March 31. A welcome ceremony will be held at Tiananmen Square, heart of the host city of the 2008 Olympic Games.

After the Greek leg, the Beijing Olympic torch relay covers three parts, the relay outside the mainland of China, in the mainland of China and Mt. Qomolangma exhibition.

The Olympic flame will visit 21 cities outside Mainland of China across six continents and travel across 113 cities and regions of all 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in the mainland China until it returns to Beijing on Aug. 6.

希臘，奧林匹亞，3月24日（新華社）——周一上午11點(diǎn)45分，在一個(gè)傳統(tǒng)的陽光照射的儀式上，北京奧運(yùn)圣火在古老的奧林匹亞赫拉神廟前點(diǎn)燃!

周一，籠罩在奧林匹亞上空影響了奧運(yùn)圣火采集彩排的烏云終于散開，舉行了一個(gè)毫無瑕疵的火炬點(diǎn)火儀式，宣告一個(gè)前所未有的火炬?zhèn)鬟f開始。

最高女祭司瑪利亞·娜芙普莉奧圖從一個(gè)光滑的鋼質(zhì)凹面鏡中點(diǎn)燃圣火。然后圣火裝在一個(gè)復(fù)制的古甕中，運(yùn)到古老的奧林匹亞運(yùn)動(dòng)場(chǎng)，在那里它將點(diǎn)燃第一個(gè)奧運(yùn)火炬。

最高女祭司瑪利亞·娜芙普莉奧圖將火炬交給第一個(gè)火炬?zhèn)鬟f手，2004年奧運(yùn)會(huì)銀牌得主希臘跆拳道（80公斤級(jí)）運(yùn)動(dòng)員亞歷山大·尼克萊迪斯，他舉著火炬開啟了希臘境內(nèi)、跨越五大洲、跨越中國(guó)的火炬接力。

在點(diǎn)火之前，娜芙普莉奧圖和另外20名女祭司——她們?nèi)即┲咨陌亳奕购蜎鲂e行了一個(gè)古老的儀式。在古奧林匹亞運(yùn)動(dòng)場(chǎng)的斜坡上一段簡(jiǎn)短的舞蹈儀式后，最高女祭司點(diǎn)燃了第一棒北京奧運(yùn)會(huì)火炬。

在點(diǎn)火儀式之前，奧運(yùn)會(huì)會(huì)歌、中國(guó)國(guó)歌、希臘國(guó)歌先后奏響，奧運(yùn)會(huì)會(huì)旗、中國(guó)國(guó)旗、希臘國(guó)旗先后升起。

羅格說：“今天揭開了中國(guó)舉辦的首次奧運(yùn)會(huì)的序幕，這是占世界人口五分之一的中國(guó)人民所期望的?！?/p>

北京奧運(yùn)會(huì)火炬接力將把奧林匹克圣火傳遍世界五大洲，途經(jīng)世界21個(gè)城市以及中國(guó)大陸100多個(gè)城市，最終抵達(dá)北京中國(guó)大陸。

“火炬手都是公民，有年輕人，也有年老人，有健康人，也有殘疾人，有體育健兒，也有奧運(yùn)成員；他們均熱切地促進(jìn)我們中每個(gè)人都能成為造就一個(gè)更美好的世界貢獻(xiàn)一份力量的事業(yè)?！?/p>

出席儀式的要人包括希臘總理科斯塔斯·卡拉曼、希臘總統(tǒng)卡雷拉斯·帕普利亞斯、前國(guó)際奧委會(huì)主席安東尼奧·薩馬蘭奇。

劉淇說：“中國(guó)和希臘作為具有歷史悠久的文明古國(guó)，都曾為人類的進(jìn)步做出過杰出貢獻(xiàn)?！?/p>

“今天，代表著人類崇高精神的奧運(yùn)圣火將再一次點(diǎn)燃。從奧林匹亞飛向萬里長(zhǎng)城，它將乘著北京奧運(yùn)會(huì)的火炬走遍我們共有家園的山山水水。

“奧運(yùn)圣火將把光明與歡樂，和平與友誼，希望和夢(mèng)想帶給中國(guó)人民和全世界人民。奧運(yùn)期間它將在璀璨星空中大放光芒?！?/p>

根據(jù)安排，奧運(yùn)圣火將于下午3點(diǎn)在雅典帕納辛奈克體育場(chǎng)移交給第29屆北京奧林匹克運(yùn)動(dòng)會(huì)籌備委員會(huì)。

在希臘境內(nèi)，圣火將通過605名火炬手穿過16省，43個(gè)市，12個(gè)自治區(qū)，以及4個(gè)社區(qū)。在途中，共將舉行29個(gè)儀式來慶祝圣火。

奧運(yùn)圣火將于3月31日抵達(dá)北京。屆時(shí)，一個(gè)歡迎儀式將在天安門廣場(chǎng)舉行，這里是2008奧運(yùn)會(huì)主辦城市北京的心臟地帶。

在希臘境內(nèi)的傳遞之后，北京奧運(yùn)火炬接力包括三個(gè)部分：中國(guó)大陸以外的傳遞、中國(guó)內(nèi)地的傳遞、珠穆朗瑪峰的展覽。

奧運(yùn)圣火將進(jìn)入中國(guó)大陸以外跨越六大洲的21座城市，走遍中國(guó)內(nèi)地31個(gè)省、自治區(qū)、直轄市的113個(gè)城市和地區(qū)，直至8月6日回到北京。