展現時機：倫敦奧運開幕式即將登臺Showtime: London gets set to stage Olympic opening ceremony

     Few shows can claim such an audience. As the dramatic spectacle of the Olympics Games opening ceremony in London unfolds Friday night, millions of people around the world will be glued to their television sets.

很少有節目能夠吸引如此多觀衆。隨着戲劇性的奧運會開幕式星期五晚上在倫敦拉開序幕，全世界數以百萬計的人們守在他們的電視機前。

     Some tens of thousands more are lucky enough to have a seat inside the Olympic Stadium, the centerpiece of the Olympic Park in east London.

數萬名觀衆足夠幸運，能夠得到倫敦東部奧林匹克公園中心的體育場內的一個座位。

     Dubbed Isles of Wonder, it promises to be quite a show -- but then it needs to be.

《羣島奇蹟》據說是 一項非凡的表演，後來證實它確實是這樣的。

     The opening ceremony, attended not only by thousands of athletes but also Queen Elizabeth II and more than 100 visiting heads of state and foreign dignitaries, sets the scene for the Games to come.

參加開幕式的不僅包括成千上萬名運動員，也包括英國女王伊麗莎白二世和100多個國家首領和外國貴賓，他們一起迎接奧運會的到來。

     And the organizers of the London Games are well aware they have a tough act to follow after the Beijing extravaganza four years ago, which featured thousands of drummers, acrobats, martial artists and dancers performing under a light display at the soaring "Bird's Nest" Stadium.

而倫敦奧組委深知他們要付出艱難的行動以趕上四年前北京的那場體育盛宴。它呈現了一幅成千上萬的鼓手，雜技表演，武術表演和舞者在燈光下的“鳥巢”體育場的表演畫面。

     So what can those watching the ceremony this time around expect to see?

那麼。此時此刻正在觀看奧運會的人們期望看到的是什麼呢？

     Some details have been released already, but many more remain a closely guarded secret.

有的細節已經揭曉，但是更多細節仍是一個嚴守的祕密。

     Keeping a secret this big isn't easy, though, when there are thousands of performers and technicians involved, not to mention the audiences for two dress rehearsals this week.

保守這個大祕密並不是件易事，但是，當成千上萬的表演者和技術人員都參與了，更不用說本週兩個節目彩排的觀衆了。

     A Twitter hashtag“#”save the surprise, started by Olympic organizers to appeal to those in the know not to spoil the show for others, has been embraced by many, although not all.

     Giant screens also displayed the message within the stadium during the rehearsals. Those who opted not to play along have incurred the social-media wrath of many who do want to "save the surprise."

大屏幕上也顯示着彩排期間體育場內的信息。那些選擇不一起玩的人，引起了許多想要“保留驚喜”的社會媒體的憤怒。

     What the organizers have revealed already is that the show, masterminded by artistic director Danny Boyle, best known for the Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionare," draws its inspiration from Shakespeare's "The Tempest."

主辦方已經透露，節目是由最有名的奧斯卡獲獎影片《貧民窟的百萬富翁》的藝術總監丹尼·博伊爾策劃的，他的靈感來自莎士比亞的《暴風雨》。

     It will begin at 9 p.m. local time (4 p.m. ET) with the tolling of the largest harmonically tuned bell in Europe, cast by the nearby Whitechapel Foundry.

節目將在倫敦當地時間晚上九點（歐洲時間下午四點）開始。

     The show's opening scene -- dubbed "Green and Pleasant," after a line from poet William Blake's Jerusalem -- will then unfurl, presenting an idyllic view of the British countryside.

倫敦奧運會開幕式文藝表演的首章《田園牧歌》帶領觀衆通過時光隧道，這一靈感來自威廉布萊克的一句詩，向人們展示了一幅英國鄉村田園生活的畫面。

     The elaborate set will comprise rolling hills, fields and rivers, complete with picnicking families, sport being played on a village green and real farmyard animals.

這幅精美的畫面有綿延的丘陵，初夏明媚陽光中，農家小屋炊煙裊裊，周圍流水潺潺，羊羣、牛羣緩步草坪，水車緩緩翻滾。人們或田間勞作、或屋後遊戲比賽、或享受愜意的野餐。

     These will include ducks, geese, 12 horses, three cows, 70 sheep and three sheepdogs to keep them in line.

 這些動物包括10只鴨、9只鵝、12匹馬、3頭奶牛、70只山羊和3只牧羊犬。

     The national flower of each of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom will also be represented -- the rose of England, the Scottish thistle, Welsh daffodil and flax from Northern Ireland -- organizers say.

舉辦方說，組成英國的四國國花也將在開幕式上展現，有英格蘭玫瑰，蘇格蘭薊，威爾士水仙，北愛爾蘭亞麻。

     In case the heavens don't open for real, Boyle has lined up fake clouds to shade his pastoral scene.

爲了以防天空真雲不開，博伊爾準備好了假雲來遮擋他的田園風光。

     It's expected that three more set-pieces will follow, including a special sequence celebrating the "best of British," featuring volunteer performers from the NHS, or National Health Service.

據預測，接下來還會有另外三幅圖畫，包括特別慶祝“美好英國”，描寫的是志願者在國家健康中心參加志願活動。

     Then will follow the traditional elements of the ceremony, as required under the International Olympic Committee charter, the organizers say.

接下來是儀式的傳統環節，按照國際奧委會章程規定執行。

    The Queen will be greeted at the entrance to the stadium by IOC president Jacques Rogge.

英女王伊麗莎白二世在丈夫愛丁堡公爵的陪伴下，與國際奧委會主席羅格一同步入會場。

     Then the athletes -- who, after all, are the real stars of the Olympic show -- enter the stadium, team by team in alphabetical order, apart from Greece, which enters first in recognition of its status as the birthplace of the Games, and Great Britain as the host nation, which enters last.

接下來入場的是運動員們，他們纔是奧運會的真正明星。除了希臘以發源地的身份第一個入場，英國作爲主辦國最後一個入場外，其餘的代表隊均按字母表順序依次入場。

     Each team delegation will be led in the parade by a visiting head of state or dignitary -- in the case of Team USA, by Michelle Obama, who has said the honor "is truly a dream come true."

每個代表隊都由一個來訪的國家首腦或要員帶領進入列隊中。美國隊則是由米歇爾奧巴馬領隊，他說這一榮譽是“夢想的真正實現“。

     After speeches from Olympic officials -- including Sebastian Coe, head of the London organizing committee and himself a former gold medallist, the Queen will declare the Games open and the Olympic flag will be hoisted above the Stadium, to fly throughout the event.

奧林匹克官員，包括本身也是金牌得主的倫敦奧組會主席塞巴斯安.科,講話完畢後，女王將宣佈奧運會開幕，奧運會會旗在體育館上空冉冉升起，會旗將懸掛至比賽結束。

    A participating athlete, judge and coach from Britain will then take an oath vowing to compete and judge according to the rules of their respective sport, one hand holding the flag and the other held aloft.

英國運動員、教練員、裁判員代表宣誓，承諾遵守規則競爭，一隻手握住會旗，另一隻手舉着。

    The grand finale will see the Olympic torch enter the stadium, the last stage in a 70-day relay around the United Kingdom, and set the Olympic cauldron aflame, symbolizing the beginning of the Games.

壓軸節目是奧運火炬進入體育場。倫敦奧運聖火經過在英國70天的傳遞，於27日晚來到“倫敦碗”。點燃奧運聖火標誌着奧運會的開始。

     Who the final torchbearer will be has been the subject of much speculation.

誰會是最後一棒火炬手已經成爲人們猜測的主題。

     One name mentioned has been that of footballer David Beckham, although he told CNN Tuesday that the honor should go to someone who has competed at the Games. Others speculate that a group of athletes could be involved.

一個被提到的名字是足球明星貝克漢姆，但是他星期二告訴中國新聞網記者說，這一榮譽應該屬於參加過奧運會的人。

     Whoever it turns out to be will have the eyes of the world upon them as they wrap up a spectacle that, in the words of Boyle, aims to "be as unpredictable and inventive as the British people."

不管最終會是誰，他們都不吸引了世界的眼球，用博伊爾的話說，它的目標是“要像英國人一樣富有不可預知性和創造性。”