2006年VOA标准英语-Winter Olympics Officially Open in Turin

By Steve Schy
Turin
11 February 2006

The 2006 Winter Olympics opened in the Northern Italian city of Turin Friday night under a nearly full moon. As VOA's Steve Schy reports, the theme of these Olympics, Passion Lives Here, was reflected in the opening ceremony's mixture of pageantry, pyrotechnics, music and the lighting¹ of the Olympic cauldron.

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The Olympic rings are lit during the opening ceremony for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin  
  

A crowd of some 35,000, including U.S First Lady Laura Bush and Italian film legend Sophia Loren, filled the Olympic Stadium. More than 4,700 performers, including fast-moving skaters with fiery² rocket packs,dancers and even dancing cows opened the festivities.

Some 2,600 athletes from the more than 80 countries and territories marched into the stadium accompanied by American pop music from the 1970s and 1980s. The worldwide television audience was estimated at around two billion.

Following more than two hours of celebration and pageantry, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge addressed the athletes.

"Please compete in the spirit of fair play, mutual³ understanding, and respect," he said. "And above all, please compete cleanly by refusing doping.

Then, the president of the Italian Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi officially opened the Games.

"I declare open in Turin the celebration of the 20th Winter Olympic Games," he said.

The musical highlights of the show included an appearance by the late John Lennon's wife, Yoko Ono, and his song "Imagine" sung by Peter Gabriel.

The entertainment was capped off with a performance by legendary⁴ Italian tenor⁵ Luciano Pavarotti. 
 

Stefania Belmondo lights the Olympic flame during opening ceremonies for 2006 Winter Olympics  
  
The final torch bearer was former cross country skier⁶ Stefania Belmondo of Italy. She lit the tallest-ever Olympic cauldron, which rises to 57 meters. It will be seen throughout the city during the 16 days of competition, as athletes vie for 84 gold medals in 15 sports.

The Olympics are being protected by unprecedented⁷ security, which includes some 15,000 Italian police and a no-fly zone backed up by NATO fighter jets.

1 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

2 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

3 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

4 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

5 tenor   

n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意

参考例句：

• The tenor of his speech was that war would come.他讲话的大意是战争将要发生。
• The four parts in singing are soprano,alto,tenor and bass.唱歌的四个声部是女高音、女低音、男高音和男低音。

6 skier   

n.滑雪运动员

参考例句：

• She is a skier who is unafraid of danger.她是一名敢于冒险的滑雪者。
• The skier skimmed across the snow.滑雪者飞快地滑过雪地。

7 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。