Source: CCTV.com

04-26-2007 09:35

Special Report:   2008 Beijing Olympics

Beijing will unveil its Olympic Torch and Torch Relay route today at the Millennium Monument. The Torch is one of the primary symbols of the Olympic Games. The lighting of the flame traces back to the beginning of historical Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, it originates from ancient Greece, where a fire is kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. Fire was reintroduced to the Olympics in 1928, and has been part of the modern Olympic Games ever since.

The 1936 Berlin Games first featured the torch relay. The torch was made of a thin steel rod topped with a circular piece from which the flame rose.

There was more focus on appearance when it came to the 1968 Mexico Olympic torch.

The first liquid fuels were introduced at the 1972 Munich Games. Torches since that time have carried liquid fuels.

The 1992 Barcelona torch was more modern than before and also featured the use of an arrow to fire the flame, which impressed the world.

But it was the 2000 Sydney Olympics torch that had the most lightweight, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly design. And the torch's underwater journey was shockingly impressive.

The 2004 Athens Olympics torch turned more attention to the soul, and it resembled an olive leaf -- a symbol of Greece and of peace.

For each Olympics, a new flame is started in the ancient Olympic stadium in Olympia, Greece, using a parabolic mirror to focus the rays of the Sun. This flame begins its Olympic Torch Relay by touring Greece. The flame is normally taken to the country where the games will be held.

The opening ceremony is the end of a long journey for the Olympic torch. By the time it arrives in the stadium, it has traveled thousands of miles. It may have crossed oceans and deserts and traversed mountains. It may have been carried on planes, trains, bicycles. boats and other means of human conveyance. And it will have passed through the hands of thousands of different people around the globe.

The torch must be tested rigorously in all kinds of weather conditions. This testing of the torch represents the perseverance and spirit of the athletes, and is also the true meaning of the Olympic Games.

 

Editor:Liu Fang