昨天，北京的空氣汙染嚴重，讓我揪心。 4 點就睜眼，到處翻看電視新聞，希望情況好轉。一直到 7 點多，看到一些花絮，似乎非常成功，才放下心，又呼呼睡過去。這一醒來已經 8:30 ，趕緊洗把臉上班。

原本打算今天請假的。可一個 Project 下星期二要出成果，老板盯著緊。跟老板說中午一定要離開。今晚，鄰居要在我們家一起喝酒看奧運開幕式（ NBC Channel 5 ， 6:30-10:00 ），還得購物，做點下酒菜。

開車上班的路上，收音機裏幾乎每個頻道都在談論中國的奧運。有稱讚中國的，有妖魔化中國的，我已經不以為然了。這個國家的新聞媒體連總統、政府都可以肆意謾罵，對中國這個‘紅色’競爭對手又怎可輕易放過？

坐到辦公桌前，打開電腦，看到 Google 上的小圖，感覺非常心暖（我把它放在上麵）。比起那些過分渲染、有失公正、客觀的報道，這些很不起眼的東西，會讓如我一樣看到此圖的華人心存感動的。

奧運開幕式，真的很精彩。它向全世界顯示，中國人如果真的想幹，就一定會做得很好。

整個開幕式表演是中國文明與現代科技的結合：擊缶倒計時，周禮、古樂迎賓；郎朗的古經聲中的漢字方塊陣表達了多層深刻的涵義—傳統道德、印刷文明、阻擋蠻族的長城，而後長城鮮花綻放，體現開放的情懷；而後大秦強漢，旌旗蔽天，盛唐之世，飛天妙舞，龐大艦隊，蔚為壯觀；進入現代，宇航員漫步星空，地球人飛出大氣層飛向宇宙（那個地球上倒立、橫著行走的表演太厲害了）。最後一個誇父追日，點燃火炬，再現上古的巨人神話。 奧運開幕式演繹了中國5000年的古典文明，令人瞠目震撼。先秦文明是一種意氣風發、積極向上的文明，是開拓性、開放性的。而之後的漢唐也同樣具有開放、開發的特征，其邊界到了今天的伊拉克…對於外國人來說，也許隻是看到了炫目、壯觀。對於中國人而言，開幕式讓我們走過了偉大祖先幾千年光榮的曆程，喚醒了我們基因裏刻寫的民族記憶和夢想，更激勵我們實現中國文明的偉大複興、再造輝煌。

NBC的解說相當到位，強調中國多少個世紀以來都是世界GDP第一，隻是近代被外來勢力欺淩，現在是振興的時刻。但有重要的一點NBC卻沒有提到，那就是中國是世界唯一持續至今的古文明。

大部分的人都認為很精彩。但在座的也有搞科研的，他們從務實的角度看，認為這些錢本可以用在教育、振災上…。一有災難，國家就硬性的向民間集資，說國家沒有錢。可它就是有錢來向世界展示… 怎麽說呢?　

我認為如果知道中國奧運之路的艱辛，一定就可以理解國人對奧運的重視和熱情。張藝謀的確是一個很有藝術天賦的人。

 

奧運閉幕式(8/24/08):

哇， Party Time ！！中國的閉幕式早就結束了，這裏卻要晚上才轉播。 6 點就坐到電視機前，認真的看。跟轟轟烈烈的開幕式比，感覺閉幕式比較平淡，但我還是很喜歡。

突如其來的，感覺自己特放鬆，不會再擔心節外生枝。北京市長王淇說：‘中國人民用滿腔熱情兌現了莊嚴的承諾，實現了 “ 綠色奧運、科技奧運、人文奧運 ” ，留下了巨大而豐富的文化和體育遺產’。北京人，乃至全中國人都應該感到驕傲的。

這次的奧運會，真的很成功。對於那些說三道四的人絕對是一記響亮的耳光。 NBC主持人TV中說得很客觀，用 Stunning 和 most memorable 來形容中國的奧運，這也正是我想說的。

美國獎牌總數第一（ 110 ），比中國多 10 枚。中國位居第二 ，金牌卻是第一 （51 枚 ) 。俄羅斯居第三，很為它高興。

                 金牌     銀牌     銅牌       總數
--------------------------------------------------
美國        36         38         36           110
中國        51         21         28           100
俄羅斯    23         21         28             72
--------------------------------------------------

女兒開玩笑，說我快成‘熊貓眼’了。還真是！如果奧運會再持續一星期，我恐怕要休克了。很多場麵實在是太精彩了！

美國 “ 飛魚 ” 菲爾普斯創紀錄的８枚金牌，牙買加 “ 飛人 ” 博爾特在 “ 鳥巢 ” 創造的神奇速度，中國跳水之完美……。 太多了！

NBC 閉幕式總結(謝謝W·W):

Well, just as the marathon was one of the concluding events of the Olympic Games, we are now bringing our broadcast marathon to a close.

Beyond thecompetitive drama, every Olympics provides a snapshot of a city and a country at a point in time. This one was more compelling than most, since China's rise and its ongoing transformation is the global story, not only of the moment, but likely of the foreseeable future. These Olympics were a milestone in that still unfolding story. And while history will tell us whether or not the Olympics provided China with the confidence to not only build on its considerable strengths, but also to address its considerable problems. This much we know.This is a country so vast, a people with lives so varied and a history so rich and complex that no visitor can fully grasp it.

Still, of these Games, no advanced degree in international relations was required to appreciate the genuine warmth of the Chinese people, the honest pride in their country and how seriously Chinese citizens, famous Olympians, to everyday men and women, took this chance to show themselves to the world.All Olympics are important to the host city. These Games were monumentally important to the host nation, which happens to be home to 1/5 of humanity. All that said, just as these Olympics were significant politically, they were also very significant competitively. Beijing turned out to be among the most memorable Olympics ever.One headline was anticipated before the Games began, and then verified here. For the first time since the fall of the Berlin Wall, an ongoing Olympic rivalry shapes up.

In Beijing, the U.S. won 110 medals-the most it's ever won at a non-American Olympics. But China, second in the overall count, easily won the most golds here, and the most by any country since the old Soviet Union in 1988. Many of China's triumphs went beyond excellence. Their perfection and precision, simply beautiful to behold. China is now a sports power with a sophisticated state-supported sports system. They will be at or near the top of the medal list at London and beyond.Meanwhile, the Americans had plenty to cheer about. Beach volleyball pairs both prevailing, Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson winning gold and winning hearts, the men's basketball team doing exactly what they set out to do-winning, yes-but also redeem and redefine the image and purpose of the U.S. program.These Games reached multiple crescendos.

From the beginning, there was Michael Phelps, who now ranks among the very greatest Olympians ever and who is also now in the top tier of the best and most popular contemporary athletes in any sport-unheard of for a swimmer, until Phelps.Just about the time Phelps left the pool, a Jamaican jet zoomed over the track. The sprints are supposed to be decided by blinks of an eye, not by bolts of speed so astonishing that, like the spectators, the competitors can only marvel at the world's-- and history's--fastest man. More nations, 204, participated here than in any Games before.
And more won medals, 87, than ever before as well.

But beyond the medalpodium, the Olympics remain a human panorama, with many also-- ran finishes and first-round eliminations, nonetheless representing epic personal stories , only appreciated by the participants themselves and their families,friends and countrymen.Theses Games began with Zhang Yimou's stunning Opening Ceremony, so boldly conceived and brilliantly executed, that it set a standard for such occasions unlikely to be equaled. And tonight, with more theatrical touches, the curtain came down. So the people of the world came to Beijing, and the people of China extended their hands. You don't have to speak a word of Mandarin to understand that.I've been fortunate to be involved with many memorable Olympics, and in many ways, this has been the most memorable.

In no small part, due to the efforts of the small army of people who worked tirelessly to bring these Games home to you. For these colleagues, I will always have enormous professional regard and personal gratitude.The names of these talented men and women accompany this final montage of the images of China and Olympic moments-moments we hope resonate with you as they have with us. Good night, this one last time, from China.