Text 1

Ancient Olympic Games

    Everyone knows the Olympic Games but few are quite sure when the early Games began. What is the origin of the modern Games? What were some of the early sports events? How were the early Games linked to Greek religious life? What is the significance of the early Games to the modern Games? Read the following for the answers.

    Amateur athletes from all over the world take part in the modern Olympic Games. Any nation may enter a team in the games if it agrees to follow the rules of the International Olympic Committee. The games are held during the first year of each Olympiad. (An Olympiad is a period of 4 years that begins in a leap year － 1960, 1964, 1968, and so on.)

    Olympic Games were held in ancient Greece at least as long ago as 776 B.C. The custom lasted for more than 1 000 years but then died out under the rulers of Rome. In the late 1800's a Frenchman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin (1862-1937), decided to try to start the games again. He wished to renew those ideals of excellence of body, mind and spirit shown in the ancient Greek Olympics. He succeeded, and the modern Olympic Games began in Athens, Greece, in 1896.

    Through legend, the beginning of the Olympic Games can be found in religious celebrations that were held to show respect to the gods of the Greeks. These gods were like humans in some ways, but they could not die, that is to say, they were immortal. They were said to have bodies of great size, strength, and beauty. They had the power to change from one form to another. Pretending to be ordinary people, they sometimes entered the lives of men and women, married them, and had children. The first Olympic winners were said to be children of the Greek gods.

    Three thousand years ago Olympia was an important religious center in southwestern Greece. Here was the Temple of Zeus, father of the gods and ruler of both gods and men. Here men came to worship and to approach as nearly as possible the skills and strength of the gods. Speed and skill in hand-to-hand fighting were necessary for survival. They were even more important for leadership among men. Physical excellence was very important, too, but it was not all. Next to family line from the gods, the Greeks valued fame through poetry and song. Poets and people were eager to sing the praises not only of victors in battle but also of victors in contests of skill and strength. So, the seeds of achievement in arts, in moral conduct, and in affairs of the mind were planted on the plains of Olympia at the feet of the good and kind Zeus. Here the Olympic Games began. They survived for centuries, inspiring the music and poetry and the architecture and sculpture that were to become the magnificence of the Golden Age of Greece.

    The great poet Pindar wrote poems of praise in memory of the winners of the laurel or wild olive wreath. This prize looked like the crown of Zeus. It was for the wreath that Coroebus raced about 200 yards to victory in the first recorded Olympic Games. This marked the beginning of the first Olympiad. By our calendar the year was 776 B.C.

    It was a cook, Coroebus, not a Greek nobleman, who was the first known winner of an Olympic award. A crowd of 45 000 people rose from their seats on the grass in the stadium to cheer.

    Although the Greeks were said to be democratic, slaves and women had few rights. Only freeborn male citizens could take part in the Olympic Games. Women were forbidden, with death as the punishment, even to see the games. One woman did successfully get away from the punishment. The mother of Pisidorus continued the training of her son after his father died. Pretending to be a man, she attended the games. She was not recognized until she shouted with joy over her son's victory. She was pardoned, and in time women were allowed in the games.

    Athletic competition became so important to the Greeks that the Olympic celebrations were a peaceful influence on the warlike city-states. Sparta, famous for its strict training of youth and its many Olympic honors, would wait until the games were over before sending fighters into battle. Other cities followed this example. The “sacred month” of the games became a time for peace and friendship.

    Milo, a wrestler of the 6th century B.C., may be considered the greatest athlete of ancient times. He won the wrestling crown six times. Thus, he was champion for a quarter of a century. He was said to be so powerful that he could carry a young cow or even a full-grown bull on his shoulders.

    New sports continually added variety to the Olympics. The hoplitodrome was a footrace run in armor. An event called the pancratium was a combination of boxing and wrestling. A winner was named only when one man raised his hand in defeat or lay unconscious - or dead.

    One of the greatest honors was to be crowned to winner of the pentathlon (meaning "five contests"). The athletes had to compete in the broad jump, javelin throw, a footrace, discus throw, and wrestling. These events called for the use of a variety of muscles and created the beautiful bodies admired so much by the Greeks.

    The Golden Age of Greece came in the 5th century B.C., when the ancient Greeks reached the peak of their power and influence. It was a time that produced some of the greatest thought and art that the world has ever known. The Olympic Games shared this greatness by setting standards of physical and moral excellence that are still used in our time.

    In the setting of a religious celebration the Greeks were the first to develop game rules and standards of good sportsmanship. Every athlete was required to take an oath that he would follow the rules of the game and of fair play.

    In a direct way, too, the Olympic Games inspired the Greek poets and artists. The Olympic buildings were examples of the beauty of Greek architecture. Remains of the huge statue of Zeus at Olympia bear the signature of Phidias, the famous Athenian sculptor and architect. The spirit of the times may have inspired Plato's Republic, a book that provided a pattern for building an ideal nation through the careful education of its children. The poet Pindar read his victory poems at the Olympics, and Herodotus his history. By awarding honors to artists and scholars, the Olympic Games helped to further the growth of Greek culture.

    Interest in the Olympic Games spread with the colonial and trade growth of Greece. Foreign athletes came to compete. But after Rome defeated Greece (in the 2nd century B.C.), Olympic standards began to decline. The emperor Nero brought his own cheering section, built his own house at Olympia, and demanded first prizes for all his entries. They were willing to use any way to win. After more than 1 000 years the Olympic Games had become an influence for bad rather than good. In A.D. 394 the Roman emperor Theodosius I ordered them stopped.

    Fifteen centuries after the end of the ancient Olympic Games, the Olympic city lay buried on the plains of Olympia. Savage soldiers had long ago robbed the temples. Earthquakes had changed the course of the Alpheus River, covering the remains. Then in the 1880's some German archeologists uncovered something that showed the existence of a great civilization.

    Close upon this discovery came the inspiration of the Frenchman Baron Pierre de Coubertin. He felt that the youth of his day were becoming soft and a planned program of athletics might strengthen their bodies, minds, and morals. He firmly believed that athletic competition built qualities of courage and a sense of fair play.

    At first De Coubertin was interested mainly in the youth of France. Then his dream grew to a hope that athletes of all countries would take part. In 1892, at a meeting of the Athletic Sports Union, De Coubertin first put forth the idea of starting the Olympic Games again. Few members were then ready to accept his idea. But two years later a group was formed to make plans for the first modern Olympiad.

    The Olympic Games were held in 1896. They took place at Athens, Greece - a very fitting place to rebuild the spirit of the early Greek games. The continuing efforts of a single man had begun the modern Olympics. It was fitting that Baron de Coubertin should remain director of the International Olympic Committee until 1925. In this office he directed the course that the games were to take. He wrote the Olympic charter, and athlete's oath. He planned the ceremonies.

    "Peace," De Coubertin stated, "would be furthered by the Olympic Games... but peace could be the product only of a better world; a better world could be brought about only by better individuals; and better individuals could be developed only by the give and take, the buffeting and battering, the stress and strain of fierce competition."

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课文一

古代奥运会

    人人都知道奥林匹克运动会，但很少有人准确知道早期奥运会始于何时。现代奥运会起源是什么？早期的一些竞技项目是什么？古代奥运会与希腊宗教生活有何关系？古代奥运会对现代奥运会的开展有什么意义？欲知问题答案，请阅读下面短文。

    来自世界各地的业余运动员参加现代奥林匹克运动会。任何一个国家，只要赞同并遵守国际奥委会制定的奥运规则，均可派队参赛。奥运会在每个奥林比亚德（Olympiad）的第一年举行 。（一个奥林比亚德为期四年,第一年是闰年——1960，1964，1968等。）

    至少早在公元前776年，古希腊就开始举办奥运会。这一习俗延续了1000余年，后来在罗马人统治时终止。十九世纪末，一个名叫皮埃尔•德•顾拜旦的法国贵族（1862-1937）决心恢复这一传统的体育盛会，希望重新发扬光大古希腊奥运会所体现的“强心健体”的理想。他成功了，现代奥运会于1896年在希腊雅典隆重举行。

    传说奥运会起源于祭祀希腊诸神的宗教仪式。这些神祗在某些方面虽然具有人的特点，但是他们不会死,也就是说,长生不老。据说，他们不仅身材魁梧、力大无穷，而且形体俊美。他们能改形换貌，变成凡人，有时甚至会走下人间，与凡人婚配并生儿育女。古代奥运会的获胜者被称为希腊诸神之子。

    3000年前，奥林匹亚是古希腊西南部重要的宗教文化中心。这里有诸神之父——神界与人间至高无上的统治者——宙斯的神庙。人们到此对诸神顶礼膜拜，以求获得与诸神尽可能相似的技艺和力量。徒手格斗时的速度和技术不仅是生存的必要手段，更是人们争夺领袖地位的重要因素。此外，健美的体魄也十分重要，但并非唯一要素。除了崇尚诸神族系以外，古希腊人还崇尚名誉，常在诗和歌中颂扬。诗人和大众不仅热衷歌颂战斗中的胜利者，而且歌颂那些在技能与力量的较量中获胜的英杰。因此，人们就在善良仁慈的宙斯脚下、奥林匹亚平原上，播下了希望种子，渴望取得艺术、德行和情操等方面成就。就在这片平原上，古代奥运会萌芽 生长，并延续了几个世纪。在这期间，它赋予人们永不枯竭的创作灵感，创作出音乐、诗歌、建筑和雕塑作品，代表了希腊黄金时代的辉煌成就。

    伟大的诗人品达，曾为那些获得桂冠或橄榄枝编织的花环的优胜者，写下了赞诗。这种褒奖如同宙斯头上的冠冕那样，令人敬慕。在首次文字记载的古代奥运会上，正是为了那个花环，科罗博斯才飞奔200余码。这标志着历史上第一个奥林比亚德的开始。按我们使用的日历计算，这一年是公元前776年。

    人们所知的第一个奥运会获奖者，科罗博斯，是个厨师，而非希腊贵族。当时，运动场草坪上就座的约45000观赛者一下子站起来，为他欢呼。

    尽管希腊人被认为很民主，但奴隶和妇女却几乎没有任何权利。唯有自由民男性，方可参加奥运会竞赛。女性不仅不得参赛，甚至违禁观赛也会受到死刑严惩。但是，有位违禁观赛的妇女逃脱了死刑的惩罚。庇西多拉斯的父亲去世后，他的母亲继续对儿子加强训练。她还女扮男装，观看了比赛。直到她欢呼儿子获胜时，人们才识破她的乔装。但是，她终于被免除死罪，而且后来妇女也终于获准观看比赛。

    体育竞技对于希腊人如此重要，以致历次奥运盛会都促使各个好战的城邦休战。以对青年严格训练，夺得多项奥运桂冠殊荣而闻名遐尔的斯巴达人，常常在奥运会各项赛事结束之后，才兴师征战。其它各城邦也纷纷效仿。于是，进行比赛的“圣月”成为和平、友好时期。

    米洛，公元前6世纪的一名摔跤手，算得上是古代最杰出的运动员。他曾6次荣获摔跤桂冠，蝉联冠军达25年之久。据说，他力大无穷，双肩能扛一头母牛，甚至一头成年公牛。 

    新的运动项目不断加入到古代奥运会中来，如，参赛者披戴盔甲进行的重甲步兵赛跑,以及兼有拳击和摔跤两种技巧的拳击摔跤比赛。后一种比赛中，只有当角斗双方中有一方举手认输，或晕厥倒地，或气绝身亡，才决定出最后的优胜者。

    赛场上最大的荣耀之一,是获得5项全能比赛的优胜桂冠。参赛者在跳远、标枪、赛跑、铁饼、摔跤等5项比赛中竞相角逐。要想取胜，参赛者不仅要锻炼身体各部分肌肉，而且要具有希腊人特别欣羡的健美体魄。

    希腊的黄金时代始于公元前5世纪。此时，古希腊各方面的发展都已达到巅峰，国力强盛，影响巨大。这段时期中，希腊产生了人类历史上最伟大的思想和艺术瑰宝。古代奥运会也为这个伟大时代增光添彩：规定了体格、道德诸项优秀品质的标准，至今依然适用。

    在宗教庆典仪式上，希腊人首次制订了竞赛规则和运动员优秀品格的评价标准，要求每位运动员宣誓，遵守比赛规则和公平竞赛准则。

    古代奥运会也直接激发了希腊诗人和艺术家的灵感。奥林匹克建筑就是希腊雅致建筑艺术的典范。奥林匹亚残存的宙斯的巨型雕像上，著名雅典雕塑家、建筑师菲迪亚斯的签名仍然清晰可辨。这个时代的精神也可能激发起柏拉图创作《 理想国》的灵感。该书提供了一个通过对儿童精心教育，建成一个理想国度的模式。在古代奥运会上，品达朗诵过自己歌颂胜利的诗篇；希罗多德诵读过自己的史学著作。通过对艺术家和学者们授勋的方式，古代奥运会推动着希腊文化继续向前发展。

    随着古希腊对外殖民和贸易的发展，对古代奥运会的兴趣得到传播。外国运动员纷纷前来参赛。然而，自公元前2世纪罗马征服希腊以后，奥林匹克运动会的水平开始下降。罗马皇帝尼禄在奥林匹亚建造行宫，带来皇家运动队，下令所有参赛项目的冠军只能由他们囊括。为了获胜，他们可以不择手段。1000多年之后，奥运会成了坏的,而不是好的影响。公元394年，罗马皇帝蒂奥多西斯下诏停办奥运会。

    古代奥运会中断15个世纪后，奥林匹亚城已完全埋在奥林匹亚平原下。野蛮的士兵早已洗劫奥林匹亚的神庙，地震使奥菲尔斯河流改道,城市的遗迹被掩埋。此后，19世纪80年代，一批德国考古学家在此发掘出古代文物，文物证明这块土地上确曾有过伟大的文明。

    这一发现不久，法国贵族皮埃尔•德•顾拜旦突发灵感，他感到当时的年轻人日趋委顿，也许有组织的体育运动能使他们身心健康、品格高尚。他坚信，运动场上的竞争可以塑造人的勇敢品质，培养公平竞赛的意识。

    最初，顾拜旦关注的主要对象是法国青年.此后，他的梦想变成一种希望:各国运动员都能参与。1892年，在一次田径运动联合会议上，顾拜旦倡议重新举办奥运会，但是，几乎无人愿意接受他的提案。然而，两年后，一个专门小组成立，计划筹办第一个现代奥林匹亚德。

    顾拜旦说：“奥林匹克运动会将促进和平……但和平只能产生自一个更加美好的世界；一个更加美好的世界只能由更加完美的人创造；更加完美的人只能通过平等交流、奋勇拼搏、激烈而艰辛的竞争来塑造。”

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Text 2

Modern Olympic Games

by Amanda Alvey

    The Modern Olympic Games might have remained just a part of history without the dream of one Frenchman, Pierre de Coubertin. Coubertin believed that sport and exercise were very important for the health and happiness of every man and also for the nation. He therefore tried, in 1892, to interest other Frenchmen in his dream of starting a modern form of the early Greek Games. His ideas were strongly criticized by many people, who did not really understand what he was trying to do. It is perhaps sad that the great work Pierre de Coubertin did to bring back the Games was never properly recognized during his lifetime. Gradually, however, people all over the world became interested in his ideas and at a meeting in Paris in 1894, with representatives from twelve different countries, plans were made to hold the first modern Games in Athens in 1899.

    Organizing the first modern Games, however, was not without problems. The Greek government was unhappy with the decision to hold the Games in Athens, as they had serious economic problems at the time and did not feel they were in a position to spend the necessary money. It seemed therefore that the Games would be finished before they had even begun. Prince Constantine of Greece, however, gave his support to Coubertin and the newly-formed Olympic Committee and other rich Greeks soon followed his example. Enough money was collected in Greece and abroad to build a new stadium and pay all the other costs.

    On 5th April, 1896, a crowd of over 60 000 people watched the King of Greece open the first modern Olympic Games. There were, however, very few competitors － only two hundred and eighty-five. Australia, Austria, Britain, Bulgaria, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA, were the only countries to send athletes to the Games and most of the athletes who did come had to pay for their own travel and other costs. There were ten sports in the first programme － cycling, gymnastics, tennis, swimming, athletics, fencing, weight-lifting, rowing, wrestling and shooting; there were also other non-sporting events, such as concerts and ballet, just as there had been at the early Games.

    At the first modern Olympics almost all the gold medals were won by American sportsmen, but the most famous of all the first medal winners was a young Greek named Spyros Louis, who came from a small village in the mountains near Athens. It was he who won the long and difficult race, the Marathon, and gave the Greeks the national win they had hoped for.

    The Greeks would have been happy to keep the Games in Greece but Coubertin believed strongly that the Olympics should be truly international and would not allow this to happen. It was therefore decided to hold the next Games in Paris in 1900. Sadly, however, the Paris Games and the following Games, held in St Louis, America, in 1904, were poor examples of Coubertin's dream and Coubertin himself did not even travel to the St Louis Games. For these two Games were more like circus shows than serious international sports meetings. Only fifteen non-Americans went to the 1904 Games, mainly because the high travel costs prevented others from competing. Olympic events were mixed with other sports and events, and the Games were organized to continue over many months, so that as much money as possible could be made by the organizers from the selling of tickets.

    It was not until 1908, when the Games were held in London, that international rules and distances were introduced; until then the events had been the decision of the organizing nation alone. The London Games were far better organized than any of the other modern Games but it took many more years before Coubertin’s dream of a truly international meeting of sportsmen became a reality. It was necessary to make many changes before the Olympic Games became as well-organized and as popular as they are today.

    Since 1896 the Games have been held every four years, except for a break during the years of the two World Wars. Gradually the number of competitors who take part in each Games has grown and so has the number of countries. In 1896, only thirteen countries were represented and only two hundred and eighty-five competitors took part. Today, however, as many as one hundred and twenty-two countries send athletes to the Games and more than seven thousand men and women come to the Games to take part. In recent years, the number of events has grown to twenty-one, eleven of which are also open to women.

    It is interesting that Coubertin, whose ideas were born in the late nineteenth century, probably never imagined that women would ever play a part in the new Olympics. Women had never competed in the early Greek Games; indeed, for many years they were not even allowed to watch. In modern times, the London Games in 1908 were the first in which women took a serious part - 36 women came to the Games to compete. The first woman to win an Olympic event was the British Tennis Player, Charlotte Cooper, who won a tennis event in 1900. From 1908, however, the number of events began to grow with the introduction of ladies' gymnastics. Athletics events for women were introduced in 1928 at the Games held in Amsterdam. Today, women are as highly-trained and as fit as men. Although in almost every sport women and men compete separately, in horse-riding events they compete against each other and women have shown over the years that they are just as good.

    Pierre de Coubertin once said, "The most important thing in the Olympics is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the fight."

    This idea, together with the Olympic motto "Citius, Altius, Fortius" (Faster, higher, stronger), helps to explain why so many men and women train long and hard to come to the Olympics, although few have much chance of winning a medal. The reason lies in their wish not only to do better than other sportsmen and women but also to improve on their own personal "best."

    The International Olympic Committee, whose home is in Lausanne in Switzerland, is responsible for all the important decisions of the Olympic Movement. The members of this committee are chosen not by their governments but by members already on the committee and they are therefore above politics or group interests. Most of the members are simply rich men who wish to keep Coubertin's ideas alive. Not every country is represented, therefore, because this would mean more than 120 members and no decisions would ever be made.

    However, each country must form a National Olympic Committee before it is allowed to send competitors to the games and this committee must be recognized by the International Olympic Committee. At present, more than 136 countries have formed such a committee. The National Committees are responsible for organizing the national teams and for deciding which competitors to send. Competitors cannot choose to go to the Games － they must be chosen and this means competing against their own countrymen. It is not even enough to be the best in the country, for each competitor must be able to reach the standard expected for entry to the Games. These standards change each year as sportsmen and sportswomen improve. Some countries are not able to send all the competitors they would like to, even if they have reached the expected standard, because of the cost. The National Committee must then decide whether to send the competitors who have the most chance of winning or whether, instead, to send competitors to represent each sport even though some of them have little hope of doing well.

    Not only the competitors but also the team manager must be paid for. The manager is an extremely important member of the team; he is responsible for the competitors while they are at the Games and his job includes, for example, getting the competitors to each event on time and helping with medical or personal problems. Most countries ask the people for money to help pay for the costs of travel and training. A lot of money is given by businesses and companies who also give, for example, clothes, shoes and uniforms.

    The city where the Games are to be held is chosen by the International Olympic Committee; this is usually decided five years before the Games are to take place. Several cities may wish to hold the Games in any one year and the Committee decides only after it has listened to and seen the arguments and plans of each city. Once chosen, the city then has five years to prepare.

    This may seem a long time but a great amount of organization is needed. Some cities, for example, Montreal in 1976, have had problems finishing all the preparation in time. One of the biggest problems is to find the large amount of money needed to build the Olympic Village, first introduced at the 1932 Games held in Los Angeles. It is thought that the 1980 Moscow Village cost around ￡200 000 000 to build. The Montreal Village was even more expensive and at one time it was thought that it would be necessary to hold the Games somewhere else as the city had difficulty finding enough money to finish the buildings. The total cost of the Montreal Games was more than $3 000 000 000.

    Of course, when planning the Games, the organizers try to design buildings that can later be used by local people. In Lake Placid, home of the 1980 Winter Olympics, for example, the designers of the Village planned to use it as an open prison as soon as the Games were over. The organizers of the Montreal Games had hope to sell the houses used by the competitors to local people but many of them have not yet been sold and the city of Montreal is still paying the bill some five years later.

    Obviously, the city which pays for the Games is able to get some of the money back by selling tickets, special stamps and coins and from the tourists who come in their thousands to watch the Games. Most of the money is earned, however, by selling the television rights to TV companies all over the world. It is also important to remember that a lot of work is given to the thousands of people who are needed to help organize the Games. In Moscow, for example, 12 000 competitors took part; there were also 3 500 judges, 3 000 sports journalists, 400 photographers, 100 film cameramen, 800 TV and radio reporters and 3 000 TV and radio technicians. All of these people depend on the help of other people such as doctors, cooks, cleaners and translators. Transport is one of the biggest problems of any organizer of the Games. Not only must the competitors get to their events on time and without difficulty but so too must all the people who come to watch the Games. This means that the organizers must provide special bus services, car parks and extra taxis. In Moscow the Russians took this job so seriously that they sent 5 000 taxi drivers to school to learn English, French, German and Spanish. It is an unpleasant fact that security is another big problem and another cost that must be added to the total bill. There are walls around every modern Olympic Village and no one may go in without showing a special card with their photograph on it to the guards at every gate. This is mainly to keep the public out, but in the last few years, the possibility of a terrorist attack has made security a much more serious problem. The wall, the guards and the guns are of course necessary but unpleasant for the competitors who feel almost like prisoners.

    At last, however, everything is ready for the Games and the world waits for the opening ceremony. This is usually a very colorful event but it is also a serious day － the sportsmen and sportswomen of the world meet together in peace. All the competitors come into the stadium in groups of nationality － and wait in the centre. The Olympic flag, with its five rings to represent the five continents, is then raised. (The flag has been used at all the Games since it was first introduced at the Antwerp Games in 1920.) A member of each team, together with one of the judges, then makes the Olympic promise to compete or judge fairly. Then the Olympic Flame, first lit thousands of miles away at the Stadium at Olympia, is carried in by a single runner, and there it is used to light the great flame that burst all through the time of the Games.

    For two short weeks, thousands of men and women from all over the world will compete and millions more will watch them. There will be tears, smiles, happiness and pain, but finally it is all over. The Flame goes out, the flag comes down and the sportsmen and sportswomen of the world are asked to meet again, in peace, in four years time at the next Olympic Games. The name of the next city to hold the Games lights up for all to see and preparations, already started, continue for the next four short years so that the next Games will be just as successful.

    (2250 words)   TOP

课文二

现代奥林匹克运动会

阿曼达•艾尔维

    如果没有法国人皮埃尔•徳•顾拜旦的梦想，现代奥林匹克运动也许只能是段历史。顾拜旦坚信，运动和锻炼对每个人的健康幸福，甚至对整个国家,都十分重要。于是，1892年，他竭尽全力,使其它法国人对他的举行现代形式的奥林匹克运动会的梦想产生兴趣。当时很少有人真正了解他想做的事情，因此，他的构想遭到人们的非议。皮埃尔•德•顾拜旦恢复奥林匹克运动会的伟大事业,在他生前从未充分得到人们的承认，这也许是令人伤心的 。但是，世界人民还是渐渐对他的想法产生了兴趣,1894年巴黎召开的会议上，来自12个国家的代表出席，并计划1899年在雅典举行第一届现代奥林匹克运动会。





 

    然而，组织第一届现代奥运会并非没有问题。由于当时面临严重的经济困难，希腊政府对在雅典举办奥运会的决定感到不快,感到难以支付举办奥运会所需资金。眼看奥运会尚未举办就要完结。这时，希腊康斯坦丁亲王鼎立赞助顾拜旦和新组建的奥林匹克委员会。不久，其他希腊富豪也纷纷仿效。于是，希腊在国内外筹集到足够资金，以兴建一个新的运动场并支付其它所有开支。

    1896年4月5日，6万多人目睹希腊国王宣布第一届现代奥林匹克运动会开始。然而，这一届奥运会参赛者不多——仅有285名运动员.只有澳大利亚、奥地利、不列颠、保加利亚、智利、丹麦、法国、徳国、匈牙利、瑞典、瑞士和美国是派遣运动员参赛的国家,而来参赛的运动员,大多不得不个人承担旅费及其它费用。第一届奥运会仅有10个竞赛项目，即自行车、体操、网球、游泳、田径、击剑、举重、划船、摔跤和射击。此外，和古代奥运会一样，还有一些非运动项目，如音乐会、芭蕾等。

    第一届现代奥运会上，几乎所有金牌都被美国运动员囊括,然而，所有金牌得主中，最令人瞩目的是年轻的希腊选手思皮罗斯•路易斯。这位选手来自雅典附近的一个小山村。他在艰巨的马拉松长跑中获胜，使得希腊人民如愿获得民族的胜利。

    希腊人希望奥运会能永远在希腊举办。然而，顾拜旦坚信奥运会应该是真正的国际性体育盛会,不肯让这样的事情发生.因此，决定第二届奥运会于1900年在巴黎举办。然而，可悲的是，1900年巴黎奥运会和1904年美国圣•路易斯奥运会却是顾拜旦梦想的糟糕例子,甚至顾拜旦本人也没有参加圣•路易斯奥运会。这两次奥运会更像马戏表演，而不是严肃的国际体育竞赛。1904年奥运会只有15个外国选手参赛,主要因为昂贵的旅费使其他国家的运动员望而却步。此外，比赛期间，奥运会项目和其它运动项目与事件混杂在一起。为了使运动会组织者能够从票房收入中赚取尽可能多的利润，运动会延续了数月之久。

    直到1908年伦敦奥运会时，才确定了国际比赛规则和赛跑距离。在此之前，竞赛项目、规则均由主办国单独决定。与先前3届现代奥运会相比，伦敦奥运会组织得最好。但是，要实现顾拜旦的梦想——真正的国际性运动员盛会，还需多年努力。奥运会要成为今天这样组织良好、广受欢迎的体育盛会，必须进行众多改革。

    自1896年至今，奥林匹克运动会一直是每4年举办一次，只是两次世界大战期间不得不中断。参赛运动员和参赛国数目逐年增加。1896年仅有13个国家，285个运动员参赛，而今天已有122个国家，共派出7000多名男女选手参赛。近年来，竞赛项目已经增到21项。其中11项对女运动员开放。

    有趣的是，19世纪末顾拜旦萌发组织现代奥运会的念头时，也许从未想到妇女会参加新奥运的比赛。早期的奥林匹克运动会中,妇女从未获准参赛。的确,多年以来,甚至不准她们观看比赛。到了现代,1908年伦敦奥运会是首次有妇女认真参与的运动会，36名女运动员参赛。第一个在奥运会的单项比赛中获胜的女选手是来自英国的夏洛特•库珀。她在1900年网球比赛中夺冠。1908年引进女子体操，竞赛项目的数量开始增加。1928年阿姆斯特丹奥运会上，又新增女子田径项目。今天，和男运动员一样，女运动员们开始接受充分训练，身体健壮。尽管几乎所有项目男女分组比赛,赛马项目中，男女混合比赛，多年来女选手和男选手一样，表现出色。

    皮埃尔•德•顾拜旦曾说过：“奥运会最重要的事情不是去赢,而是去参与，正如生活中最重要的,不是成功,而是奋斗。”

   国际奥林匹克委员会，设在瑞士洛桑，负责作出奥林匹克运动的所有重要决定。委员会成员并非由他们所在国政府选任，而是由在任的委员会成员选定,因此，他们超越了政治或团体的利益。大多数成员是有钱的人,他们希望顾拜旦的理想长存。并非每个国家都得到代表,因为如果那样，委员会将超过120人，不可能做出任何决策。

    然而，一个国家若要派出选手参赛，就必须首先组成国家奥林匹克委员会，并得到国际奥林匹克委员会承认。目前，已有136个国家成立了国家奥委会。国家奥委会负有组建国家队、决定参赛运动员的职责。运动员不得自行参赛——必须被选,而这意味着与本国运动员角逐。对每一个参赛运动员来说，成为全国最佳运动员还不够，他还必须达到参加奥运会的标准。随着男女运动员成绩逐年提高，标准不断改变。因为费用问题，有些国家不能派送所有想派送的运动员,哪怕是这些运动员达到了期望的标准。这些国家的奥委会必须决定，是选派最有机会获胜的运动员参赛，还是选派运动员参加各单项比赛，尽管其中有些运动员几乎没有希望有好的表现。

    不仅运动员领薪，领队也要领工资。领队是代表队极为重要的一员。参赛期间，他要对所有参赛运动员负责。他的任务包括，督促运动员准时参加每一场比赛，在医疗或个人问题上提供帮助等等。大多数国家向民间筹款，支付旅行及训练费用。许多钱款来自公司资助，这些公司还提供诸如运动衣、运动鞋及制服之类的物品。

    即将主办奥运会的城市由国际奥委会选择，通常于赛前5年作出决定。几个城市可能同时申办某一年的奥运会。国际奥委会只能在听取各城市的申奥论证、看到申办计划之后，才能做出决定。一旦中选，这个城市有5年的筹备时间。

    5年的时间似乎很长，但是必须完成大量的组织工作。有些城市,比如1976年的蒙特利尔,甚至难以按时完成准备工作。最大的问题之一,是筹建奥运村所需要的大笔资金。1932年洛衫矶奥运会首次兴建奥运村，现已成为惯例。据说，1980年莫斯科奥运会建造奥运村耗资近两亿英镑。蒙特利尔奥运村的造价更加高昂,而人们曾一度认为，该城市难以筹集建造奥运村所需的足够款项，应将这届奥运会改到其它地方举行。蒙特利尔奥运会的总开支高达30多亿美元。

    当然在计划筹备奥运会时，组织者们总是竭尽全力设计出以后可供当地居民使用的建筑物。例如,1980冬季奥运会会址普提西德湖,奥运村的设计师们计划在赛后立即将其改为一个开放式的监狱。又如蒙特利尔奥运会的组织者们曾希望将奥运会用房卖给当地居民。但很多房屋至今尚未售出，而且蒙特利尔市在比赛结束5年之后,至今仍在偿还债务。

    显然，为奥运会出资的城市能通过售门票、发行特种邮票、纪念币,以及从数千前来观看比赛的游客们那里获得一些资金.但大部分款项都是通过向全球电视广播公司出售电视转播权赚回。同时，记住这一点很重要,许多工作是交给奥运会需要的参与组织工作的数千人做的.例如，莫斯科奥运会期间，不仅有12000参赛运动员，还有3500名裁判员、3000名体育记者、400名摄影记者、100名电影摄影师、800名电视台和电台记者以及3000名电台和电视台技术人员。他们都需要医生、厨师、清洁工、翻译等工作人员的帮助。交通是任何一个奥运会主办者最大问题之一。不仅运动员必须及时、顺利到达比赛场馆，观众也必须如此。这就意味着，组织者们必须提供特殊的汽车服务、停车场以及更多出租车。俄国人对此十分认真，莫斯科奥运会上，他们甚至派出5000名出租汽车司机进学校学习英、法、德、西班牙等国语言。安全是另一个令人头疼的大问题，为此又要增加一大笔开支。每个现代化奥运村四周都有围墙，不在入口处向保安人员出示一张贴有本人照片的特殊卡片，任何人不得进入.这主要是防止人们随便入内,但近年来，恐怖分子袭击的可能性使安全成了一个更加严峻的问题。围墙、保安人员、枪支是必要的,但同时也令运动员们感到不快，觉得自己简直象是囚犯。

    不管怎样，终于到了奥运会万事俱备的一天，整个世界都在期待着奥运会开幕。开幕式通常是一个色彩缤纷的活动，但又是庄严的日子——世界各国选手在和平的气氛中相会。所有参赛者按国籍列队进场，在运动场中心等待。象征五大洲的奥运五连环会旗庄严地升起。（自1920年安特卫普奥运会上五连环会旗第一次升起以来，每次奥运盛会上都可以见到它高高飘扬。）每个代表队的一名代表和一位裁判员，一齐庄严地承诺公平竞赛、公正裁判。随后，一名运动员高举着在数千英里之外的奥林匹亚体育场点燃的奥运会火炬跑步进场，点燃奥运会主火炬。整个奥运会期间，奥运会圣火自始至终熊熊燃烧。

    在短短的两个星期里，来自世界各国的数千名运动员进行角逐,而数百万的人们注视着他们。在这里，将有泪水、微笑、幸福和痛苦。然而，这一切终会结束。奥运会的圣火会熄灭；五连环旗会降下；4年后在下一届奥运会上，世界各国的运动员们将应邀在祥和的气氛中再相会。下一届奥运会主办城市的名字由灯光照亮,供人们观看。业已展开的准备工作将在随后短短的的4年中继续进行，使下一届奥运会同样成功。

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