Inspiration from Winter Olympics – Together for a Shared Future
在冬奥精神启迪下一起向未来
Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang in America
驻美国大使秦刚
2022年2月21日
21 February 2022
The flame of Beijing Winter Olympics has just been extinguished, marking the end of the 17-day Games. The Beijing Games have been streamlined, safe and splendid, and their success speaks volume.
北京冬奥圣火刚刚熄灭。这是一场简约、安全、精彩的盛会。它的成功说明了一切。
Humanity is empowered by its fighting spirit. Every time an athlete breaks a record represents a new success in pushing the human limits, and these are surely the best moments of humanity. Fighting hard is not just about winning the game; it is more about winning out over oneself and pursuing excellence. American snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis, who won the first gold for Team USA in Beijing, had missed the top of the podium in Turin in 2006, but she persisted for 16 years to finally make up for what had been lost. Georgian athlete Saba Kumaritashvili competed in luge men’s singles to honor his cousin who had died in a training accident at Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010. Italian luger Nina Zoggeler followed in the footsteps of her father, Armin Zoggeler, an Olympic luge champion, and competed in Beijing to extend her family glory.
首先，拼搏就是力量。运动员每一次刷新纪录都可能是人类对自身极限的突破，这是最美的瞬间。而拼搏不仅是为了胜过对手，更为实现自己、超越自己，离卓越更近一步。为美国队夺得首金的滑雪选手琳赛·雅各贝利斯用16年的坚持圆了金牌梦，弥补了在都灵失误造成的缺憾；格鲁吉亚雪橇选手萨巴·库马里塔什维利顺利完成比赛，了却了备战温哥华冬奥意外身亡的哥哥的未竟遗志；意大利雪橇运动员妮娜·佐格勒女承父志，续写着家族的冰雪征程。
The noises to politicize sport did not prevail, only to be outshone by the Olympic spirit. Athletes focused on competition on the field of play, and outside, they made friends and shared their real, firsthand experience of the Games. They did not, as prodded by some, play gamesmanship, but showed great sportsmanship. They did not break rules, but broke records one after another. Many American athletes shared with the world how much passion they felt and how touched they were there. A pair of curling players posted the gifts they received from Chinese athletes. One aerial skier hugged her Chinese competitor who won gold and told her how proud she was of her. A halfpipe skier marveled at the “stellar job” China has done on COVID-19, and said it was completely different from the false information he read from some media. A woman snowboarder was moved to tears by the hospitality and kindness she received in China, and found it so hard to part with her friends.
那些企图将体育政治化的鼓噪没能得逞，一切都回归到奥林匹克精神。包括美国在内的各国运动员专注竞技，尊重事实，加深友谊。他们没有受有些人挑唆去哗众取宠，而是发扬体育精神，也没有受有些人煽动去破坏规则，而是勇破纪录。很多美国运动员同世界分享北京冬奥带来的激情和感动。有的“晒”出中国运动员赠送的纪念品；有的为中国运动员夺金而大呼“我为你骄傲”；有的惊叹中国防疫之有效，直言亲眼所见同虚假报道大相径庭；还有的为中方热情友善几度落泪，依依不舍。
On this most viewed Winter Olympics, sportsmanship was also found in the audience. People want to see their home country win, but they also cheer for outstanding performances of other athletes, and feel sorry for those who stumble or fall, no matter which country they represent. At that moment, appreciation and support are what really matters. They outweigh all the biases and differences, and transcend any hatred or estrangement. That is the true meaning of sport.
在这场史上收视率最高的冬奥会上，观众们也在诠释着体育精神。他们都希望本国运动员夺冠摘金，但为卓越表现的喝彩和对惜败后沮丧的感同身受又是不分国界的。那一刻，大家可以放下偏见和分歧，甚至超越仇恨和隔膜，彼此欣赏和支持，这就是体育的奥妙。
To take a broader view, the legacy of Beijing Winter Olympics is not just about sport. It is about people. The Beijing Games are the first in history to be carbon neutral, and renewable energy was used in all venues, marking China’s latest effort for green development. Artificial intelligence, 5G, high-speed rail, cloud broadcasting, VR technology have not only brought about transformative experiences of the Games, but will also improve people’s daily life. Beijing Winter Olympics have engaged over 300 million Chinese in winter sports, which means new opportunities for the industry and people-to-people ties. Elements of Chinese culture are meticulously embedded in everything from sport venues to mascots Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon, winning thumbs-up from guests all over the world. They are the symbols of mutual learning between cultures, and they stand for our pursuit of making the world a community with a shared future.
以更广视野审视，北京冬奥会遗产远远超出了体育范畴，惠及大众。本届冬奥会在奥运史上首次实现了碳中和、全部场馆使用绿电，这是我们促进绿色发展的又一次努力；人工智能、5G、高铁、云转播、VR技术等给赛事带来全新变革和体验，这些技术能实实在在走进并改善我们的生活；北京办奥成功带动3亿多中国人参与冰雪运动，将给中国与美国等各国产业发展、人文交流带来新机遇；大到场馆、小至吉祥物冰墩墩和雪容融的各项设计都蕴藏中华文明、饱含美好寓意，受到八方来宾喜爱，推动了文明互鉴，也展现了人类命运共同体的精神内核。
I congratulate both Chinese and American athletes on their wonderful performances at the Games. But just as neither China nor the US has topped the medal tally, both countries have room for improvement in many areas, such as delivering a better life to the people, promoting social equity, and protecting the environment. We should both strive to be our better selves, and in this process, respect and support each other, compete fairly, and most importantly, advance together. Ailing (Eileen) Gu is so much loved not just for winning gold for Team China, but also because she is a perfect blend of the fine qualities of Chinese and Americans. If China and the US can each bring out its best, and make progress together, our world will definitely become a better place.
中美两国运动员都取得了好成绩，我向他们表示祝贺。如果进一步思考，正如北京冬奥会奖牌榜揭示出中美都不是揽金最多的国家，我们两国在诸多领域做得还不完美，在改善人民生活、促进社会公平、保护环境等各方面都有提升的空间。双方都应该向最好看齐，做更好的自我，在这个过程中，相互尊重、公平竞争、合作同进、彼此成就。谷爱凌广受人们喜爱，不仅是因为她代表中国队赢得金牌，还因为她身上融合了中美两国人民的优秀品质和成功要素。如果中美能各美其美、美人之美、美美与共，世界将更美好。
The Olympic spirit has offered us many things to learn. Let’s draw inspiration from it and go together for a shared future.
让我们从永恒的奥林匹克精神中汲取智慧和启示，团结起来，一起向未来！