The ancient origins of the Olympics - Armand D'Angour

譯者: Ann Chen 審譯者: Ming Gui Tan

Thousands of years in the making,

經數千年的醞釀

what began as part of a religious festival honoring the Greek god Zeus

一個榮耀希臘主神宙斯的宗教節慶

in the rural Greek town of Olympia

在希臘奧林匹亞鄉村小鎮肇始

has today become the greatest show of sporting excellence on Earth.

如今已成為地球上最傑出的運動演出

The inception date in 776 BC

西元前 776 年的成立日期

became the basis for the Greek's earliest calendar,

成為希臘最早曆法的依據

where time was marked in four-year increments called olympiads.

時間是以四年為進位， 稱為奧林匹亞週期 (Olympiads)

What could it be?

這會是什麼呢？

Why, it's the Olympic games, of course.

當然是奧林匹克運動會啊

Competition fosters excellence, or so thought the Ancient Greeks.

競爭促進卓越 至少古希臘人是這麼想的

In addition to sporting events,

除了運動項目外，

contests were held for music, singing, and poetry.

還舉行音樂、唱歌及吟詩比賽

You can read about them all yourself in classical literary works,

你可以自己在古典文學作品中拜讀一切

like Homer's "Iliad" and Virgil's "Aeneid."

例如荷馬的 “伊利亞德” 及維吉爾的 “埃涅阿斯紀”

Even mythical heroes appreciate a good contest every now and then,

連神話中的英雄們 也時而對一個好競賽感興趣

wouldn't you say?

對不對啊？

For the first thirteen games,

最初的十三場運動會

the Ancient Greek Olympics featured just one event, the two hundred yard dash.

古希臘奧運會只有一個項目 就是 200 碼短跑

But over time, new exciting contests,

後來，嶄新刺激的比賽

like boxing,

如拳擊、

chariot and mule racing,

賽戰車和賽騾

and even a footrace where the competitors wore a full suit of armor

甚至全副武裝的賽跑

enticed many hopeful champions into the Olympic stadium.

吸引許多滿懷希望的優秀競賽者 紛紛湧入奧運競技場

The combined running,

結合了賽跑

jumping,

跳遠

wrestling,

摔跤

javelin throwing,

擲標槍

and hurling the discus events

及擲鐵餅

known as the pentathlon inspired world-class competition,

的五項全能運動， 啟發了許多世界級的競賽

and the pankration,

還有古希臘式的拳擊角力

a no holds barred fight where only biting and eye-gouging were prohibited,

一項除了口咬及摳眼外 其餘不限的赤手搏擊

ensured the toughest men were victorious.

確保最強悍的人成為勝利者

And victorious they were.

他們真的是勝利者

Nobody tops the local baker Coroebus,

沒有人能夠 比得過當地麵包師傅 Coroebus

who 776 BC became the very first Olympic champion.

他在西元前 776 年 成為了第一個奧運冠軍

And we'll never forget Orsippus of Megara,

我們也絕不會忘記 來自麥加拉的奧西帕斯

the 720 BC Olympic victor tore away his loincloth so he could race unimpeded,

這位在西元前 720 年的勝利者 扯掉自己的纏腰布減少賽跑時的阻礙

inaugurating the Ancient Greek tradition of competing in the nude.

開創了古希臘裸體競賽的傳統

Now there's a winning streak, if ever we've seen one.

這果真是一個 “勝利的裸奔” 啊！

But all good things must end.

但天下無不散的筵席

In 391 AD, the Christian Roman Emperor Theodosius banned pagan practices,

在西元 391 年， 基督教羅馬帝國皇帝 西奧多修斯下詔禁止異教活動

so the world soon bid a fond farewell to the Olympic games.

因此很快的，世界就向深受喜愛的奧運會告別了

But just like those early pankration athletes,

但如同那些早期的赤手搏擊運動員

you can't keep a good one down,

你不可能搏倒一個好手的

and 1500 years later in 1896,

1500 年後，在 1896 年

the modern Olympic games kicked off in Athens, Greece.

現代奧運在希臘雅典開始了

Today, the Summer and Winter Olympics

如今，夏季及冬季奧運

bring international world-class athletes together by the thousands,

聚集數以千計 來自各國的世界級運動員

uniting fans by the billions for the world's foremost sporting competition.

結合數十億的運動迷 來觀看世界上最重要的運動競賽

Citius, Altius, Fortius.

更快！更高！更強！

Three cheers for the Olympics.

為奧運三呼萬歲