翻译题 77.The opening ceremony of an Olympic games is not an entertainment show, it is not even really about the sporting event itself: it is a national manifesto, a reflection of how a nation sees itself, and where it is going.
Beijing was a show of power, strength and dominance. It was an announcement to the world stage that China was re-emerging into the ascendancy. An unstoppable force which most citizens, and many foreigners, believed has its best days still to come.
The British example could not have been more different. Leaving aside any concerns over matters of taste, which it would appear Aiden Burley MP has bravely taken the lead on, it was almost uniquely inward looking: championing political correctitude, social programmes, altruism and diversity, ignoring Empire, wealth, power, conflict and gain.