場館空曠、氣氛平淡：

東京奧運(yùn)會在疫情陰影中開幕

Tokyo Olympics Open to a Sea of Empty Seats

MOTOKO RICH

第一段

TOKYO — The opening ceremony of the 32nd Summer Olympics?unfolded?in subdued fashion?on Friday night inside a nearly empty Tokyo stadium,?inaugurating?a Games delayed by a year and?diminished in atmosphere?by a?tenacious pandemic.

東京——周五晚上，第32屆夏季奧運(yùn)會的開幕式在東京幾乎空無一人的體育場內(nèi)低調(diào)進(jìn)行，為這屆因頑固疫情而被推遲一年、少了氣氛的奧運(yùn)會拉開了帷幕。

With?attendance?limited to fewer than 1,000?dignitaries, journalists and other invited guests in an Olympic Stadium built to seat 68,000, the ceremony’s?centerpiece?— the?athletes’ procession?— was staged entirely for television.

在可容納6.8萬觀眾的奧林匹克體育場里，政要、記者和其他受邀嘉賓等現(xiàn)場觀眾被限制在1000人內(nèi)，開幕式的核心內(nèi)容——運(yùn)動員進(jìn)場——完全是為了電視轉(zhuǎn)播而安排。

Masked athletes, many?in reduced contingents?to preserve social distancing, waved at nonexistent fans as they marched in. Dancers in?pastel?costumes and hats provided the only live encouragement during what is normally an?exuberant?parade?before a wildly cheering audience.

為了保持社交距離，許多入場運(yùn)動員隊(duì)伍縮水，他們戴著口罩向根本不存在的粉絲揮手。原本這應(yīng)該是在觀眾的瘋狂歡呼中進(jìn)行的盛典，但現(xiàn)場唯一的助威者只有穿戴著色彩淡雅的衣帽的舞者。

Just as?notable?as the missing supporters were the prominent political and business leaders who decided not to attend, worried about being seen as?endorsing?an event that has?lost much of its meaning?among a Japanese public exhausted by the pandemic and widely opposed to the Games.

與消失的觀眾支持同樣引人注目的，是那些決定不出席的知名政商界領(lǐng)袖，他們擔(dān)心自己會被視為在支持一項(xiàng)在日本民眾當(dāng)中已經(jīng)基本失去意義的賽事。因疫情的緣故，日本民眾疲憊不堪，普遍反對奧運(yùn)會。

Although some competitions started earlier this week, the ceremony on Friday represented the official start of the Olympics, with more than 11,000 athletes from 205 countries expected to participate in 33 sports over the next two weeks.

雖然一些比賽已于本周早些時(shí)候開始，但周五的開幕式象征著奧運(yùn)會的正式揭幕，未來兩周，來自205個(gè)國家的超過1.1萬名運(yùn)動員將參加33個(gè)項(xiàng)目的賽事。

1.a sea of … =形容數(shù)量多

2.subdued = 低調(diào)的，內(nèi)斂的 = low key / keep a low profile

3.do something in a … fashion / in a … way/ in a … manner

4.inaugurate = 就職/ 就成/ = launch

5.be diminished in something by somebody =在…上有所削弱

6.with 放在句首，引出事實(shí)背景

7.to seat = have a seating capacity of = acommandence

8. centerpiece =核心內(nèi)容/重頭戲

9.athles’ procession = 運(yùn)動員入場式 ?parade= 閱兵式

10. … as… 邊怎么樣邊怎么樣

11.unmasked =不戴口罩的 those who have been vaccinated.

12.contingent = 軍事隊(duì)伍 ?醫(yī)療隊(duì)伍的隊(duì)伍用group就可以了

13.deployment = （軍事的）部署 普通的部署=plan

14.A is just as?notable?as B = A和B同樣引人注目

15.worried about something = fearing doing something

第二段

Usually it is the Olympians who?face considerable odds, but this time it was also the organizers who?waged an uphill battle?to get to this moment. What was meant to be a showcase of Japan’s?gleaming efficiency, superior service culture and appeal as a tourist destination has instead been?swamped?by infection fears and host committee scandals.

通常情況下，面臨巨大挑戰(zhàn)的是奧運(yùn)會選手，但這一次，組織方為了這一刻的到來也進(jìn)行了艱苦斗爭。這屆奧運(yùn)會本應(yīng)是對日本優(yōu)異的效率、卓越的服務(wù)文化，以及作為旅游目的地吸引力的展示，結(jié)果卻被感染病毒的恐懼和東道主奧組委的丑聞所淹沒。

The opening ceremony is often the host nation’s chance to?show itself off?— think of Beijing’s?regimented?drummers in 2008 or London’s dancing National Health Service nurses four years later. But the Tokyo organizers put on a simpler show.

開幕式往往是主辦國大出風(fēng)頭的機(jī)會——想想2008年北京整齊劃一的鼓手或是四年后在倫敦跳舞的國民保健署(National Health Service)的醫(yī)護(hù)人員。但東京主辦方的演出更為簡單。

In a moment of silence, an announcer asked those watching around the world to remember those lost to Covid-19 and the athletes who had died in previous Olympics, including the Israeli athletes killed during a terrorist attack at the Munich Games in 1972.

在默哀時(shí)刻，一位報(bào)幕員請全世界的觀眾一起緬懷死于新冠的人，以及在往屆奧運(yùn)會上去世的運(yùn)動員，包括在1972年慕尼黑奧運(yùn)會的恐怖襲擊中喪生的以色列運(yùn)動員。

Although it was not?explicitly mentioned?until the organizers gave their speeches, the ceremony?invoked the original framing?of Tokyo’s Olympic bid — as a symbol of the country’s recovery from the devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Fukushima in 2011. A?sole figure?dressed in white and in ghostly makeup danced on a platform in the middle of the field as waves of light?coursed around the stadium.

雖然在主辦方發(fā)言之前沒有明確提及，但開幕式重現(xiàn)了東京申奧的最初設(shè)想——將奧運(yùn)會作為2011年日本遭遇大地震、海嘯和福島核事故等災(zāi)難后復(fù)蘇的象征。在環(huán)繞體育場的光暈里，一位穿著白色衣服、畫著幽靈般妝容的演員在場地中央的舞臺上獨(dú)舞。

And with?lighted drones?above the stadium forming a giant rotating globe, a rendition of?“Imagine”?sung on the?Jumbotrons?by performers like Angélique Kidjo, John Legend and Keith Urban, and?confetti doves?falling from the sky, the organizers were clearly trying to?divert?the message of the Games?away?from the pandemic and scandals and toward the more?anodyne themes?of?peace and global harmony.

體育場上空，發(fā)光的無人機(jī)組成了一個(gè)巨大的旋轉(zhuǎn)地球，安吉麗克·基德霍(Angelique Kidjo)、約翰·傳奇(John Legend)和基思·厄本(Keith Urban)等表演者在大屏幕上合唱了《想象》(Imagine)，彩紙鴿從天而降，主辦方顯然試圖將奧運(yùn)會的信息從疫情和丑聞轉(zhuǎn)移到更溫情的主題，即世界大同。

But that messaging may have little?resonance?with the Japanese public, as coronavirus infections in Tokyo have risen to a six-month high and the?domestic vaccine rollout?has proceeded slowly.

但這一信息恐怕并沒有在日本公眾中引來多少共鳴，因?yàn)闁|京的新冠感染已經(jīng)上升到六個(gè)月來的最高水平，而國內(nèi)疫苗的推廣卻進(jìn)展緩慢。

In quieter moments throughout the ceremony, protesters outside the stadium could be heard yelling “Stop the Olympics” through bullhorns.

在開幕式較為安靜的時(shí)刻，可以聽到體育場外的抗議者用擴(kuò)音喇叭高喊“停止奧運(yùn)會”的口號。

While the pandemic has?presented an unprecedented challenge?to the Games’ organizers, it has been far from the only one.

雖然疫情給了奧運(yùn)主辦方前所未有的挑戰(zhàn)，但它遠(yuǎn)非唯一的困難。

1.Olympians =奧運(yùn)選手

2.face considerable odds ?? odds =挑戰(zhàn) （odds要視情況而定）

3.have an uphill battle to fight =要打一場硬仗 wage a war on somebody = 對…宣戰(zhàn)

4.What was meant to be a showcase of Japan’s?gleaming efficiency, ?這里showcase是名轉(zhuǎn)動，動詞優(yōu)先

5.drummer =鼓手

6. In a moment of silence ?? silence = 默哀 hold a 3min silence =默哀3分鐘

7.lose somebody to something 注意介詞 to 輸給了什么，因什么而喪命

8.of前后有講究，翻譯的時(shí)候關(guān)注of后面的詞，前面的詞可以忽略 the original framing?of Tokyo’s Olympic bid ?? framing = vision =愿景

9.with A, B and C…, 英文中一般不超過3個(gè)

10.move something away from A toward B =將什么東西從A轉(zhuǎn)移到B

11.anodyne themes =溫情主題 anodyne=溫情、不得罪人

12.harmony=大同

13.have resonance with somebody = resonant with somebody = relate well to somebody =產(chǎn)生共鳴

14.infections =感染人數(shù) hospitalizations =住院人數(shù) injures =受傷人數(shù)

15.vaccine rollout =疫苗接種

第三段

Still, now that the Games have finally arrived, the sheer spectacle of the world’s largest sporting event started to?push those issues aside.

不管怎樣，奧運(yùn)會還是終于到來，這一世界上最大的體育賽事僅憑其蔚為壯觀就足以將這些問題擱置一旁。

Even if the Olympics avoid becoming a?superspreader event, it will be difficult for it to escape the shadow of the pandemic as the?Delta variant?spreads and?daily tallies?of new cases in the Olympic Village?magnify anxiety.

即使奧運(yùn)不會成為超級傳播事件，它也難以擺脫疫情的陰影，因?yàn)?strong>Delta變種毒株正在擴(kuò)散，奧運(yùn)村每日統(tǒng)計(jì)的新病例也加劇了人們的焦慮。

“I really feel like the pandemic, no matter what, leaves the impression of?prioritizing money over public health,”?said Jessamyn R. Abel, associate professor of Asian studies at Pennsylvania State University.

“我真覺得這場疫情無論如何都會給人留下政府把利益置于公眾健康之上的印象，”賓夕法尼亞州立大學(xué)(Pennsylvania State University)的亞洲問題研究副教授杰薩明·R·阿貝爾(Jessamyn R. Abel)說。

While the decision to?push ahead with the Games?amid a pandemic has focused attention on the billions of dollars?at stake?for the International Olympic Committee, the?scrutiny?of the international spotlight has also been?harsh?for Japan at times.

雖然疫情期間繼續(xù)舉辦奧運(yùn)會的決定重點(diǎn)在于國際奧委會可能面臨的數(shù)十億美元損失，但國際目光對日本的審視有時(shí)可能相當(dāng)嚴(yán)苛。

1，now that 既然? A started to push B aside

2，The sheer number/spectacle , sheer+名詞，體現(xiàn)程度

3，Superspreader 超級傳播事件

4，Daily tallies of new cases= daily infections

5，Prioritize A over B 把A放在B之上

6，While引出句子

7，Push/press ahead with sth. 繼續(xù)往前推進(jìn)

8，Amid a pandemic 在疫情期間 amid引出事實(shí)背景 amid ongoing pandemic

9，Sth. at stake=sth. at risk 面臨風(fēng)險(xiǎn)

10，The scrutiny 嚴(yán)密的審查

11，Harsh 嚴(yán)苛