Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,Good afternoon!

Before I introduce our cultural programs, I want to tell you one thing first about 2008. You're going to have a great time in Beijing.

China has its own sport legends. Back to Song Dynasty, about the 11th century, people started to play a game called Cuju, which is regarded as the origin of ancient football. The game was very popular and women were also participating. Now, you will understand why our women football team is so good today.

There are a lot more wonderful and exciting things waiting for you in New Beijing, a dynamic modern metropolis with 3,000 years of cultural treasures woven into the urban tapestry. Along with the iconic imagery of the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall, the city offers an endless mixture of theatres, museums, discos, all kinds of restaurants and shopping malls that will amaze and delight you.

But beyond that, it is a place of millions of friendly people who love to meet people from around the world. People of Beijing believe that the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing will help to enhance the harmony between our culture and the diverse cultures of the world. Their gratitude will pour out in open expressions of affection for you and the great Movement that you guide.

Within our cultural programs, education and communication will receive the highest priority. We seek to create an intellectual and sporting legacy by broadening the understanding of the Olympic Ideals throughout the country.

Cultural events will unfold each year, from 2005 to 2008. We will stage multi-disciplined cultural programs, such as concerts, exhibitions, art competitions and camps which will involve young people from around the world. During the Olympics, they will be staged in the Olympic Village and the city for the benefit of the athletes.

Our Ceremonies will give China's greatest-and the world's greatest artists a stage for celebrating the common aspirations of humanity and the unique heritage of our culture and the Olympic Movement.

With a concept inspired by the famed Silk Road, our Torch Relay will break new ground, traveling from Olympia through some of the oldest civilizations known to man-Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Byzantine, Mesopotamian, Persian, Arabian, Indian and Chinese. Carrying the message "Share the Peace, Share the Olympics," the eternal flame will reach new heights as it crosses the Himalayas over the world's highest summit - Mount Qomolangma, which is known to many of you as Mt. Everest. In China, the flame will pass through Tibet, cross the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, travel the Great Wall and visit Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and the 56 ethnic communities who make up our society. On its journey, the flame will be seen by and inspire more human beings than any previous relay.

I am afraid I can not present the whole picture of our cultural programs within such a short period of time. Before I end, let me share with you one story. Seven hundred years ago, amazed by his incredible descriptions of a far away land of great beauty, people asked Marco Polo whether his stories about China were true.He answered: What I have told you was not even half of what I saw. Actually, what we have shown you here today is only a fraction of Beijing that awaits you.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that Beijing will prove to be a land of wonders to athletes, spectators and the worldwide television audience alike. Come and join us.

Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you all.

主席先生，女士們，先生們，下午好!

在向各位介紹我們的安排之前，我想先告訴大家，你們2008年將在北京渡過愉快的時光。

北京是一座充滿活力的現(xiàn)代都市，三千年的歷史文化與都市的繁榮相呼應(yīng)，除了紫禁城、天壇和萬里長城這幾個標(biāo)志性的建筑，北京擁有無數(shù)的戲院、博物館，各種各樣的餐廳和歌舞場所，這一切的一切都會令您感到驚奇和高興。

我相信在座的許多人都曾為李安的奧斯卡獲獎影片《臥虎藏龍》所吸引，這僅僅是我們文化的一小部分，還有眾多的文化寶藏等待著你們?nèi)ネ诰颉?

除此之外，北京城里還有千千萬萬友善的人民，熱愛與世界各地的人民相處，無論是過去還是現(xiàn)在，北京歷來是各個民族和各種文化的匯集地，北京人民相信，在北京舉辦2008年奧運(yùn)會，將推動我們文化和全世界文化的交流。

在我們的計劃當(dāng)中，教育和交流將是我們的希望，我們期待在全國尤其是數(shù)百萬青少年中，留下一筆精神財富。

從2005年到2008年我們每年定期舉辦文化活動，我們將開展多元文化活動，舉辦世界青少年和表演家參加的音樂會，這些文化活動同時在奧運(yùn)村和全市范圍內(nèi)展開，以方便運(yùn)動員的參加。

我們的開閉幕式，將是展現(xiàn)中國杰出作家、導(dǎo)演和作曲家的舞臺，謳歌人類的共同理想，以及我們獨(dú)特的奧林匹克運(yùn)動。

基于絲綢之路帶來的靈感，我們的火炬接力，將途經(jīng)希臘、埃及、羅馬、美索布達(dá)米亞，波斯、印度和中國，以共享和平、共享奧運(yùn)為主題，“奧運(yùn)”這一永恒不惜的火炬，將跨越世界最高峰——珠穆朗瑪峰，從而達(dá)到最高的高度，中國的奧運(yùn)圣活將通過西藏，穿過長江和黃河，踏上長城，途經(jīng)香港、澳門、臺灣，在組成我們國家的56個民族中傳遞。通過這樣的路線，我們保證目睹這次火炬接力的人們，會比任何一次都多。

700年前，馬可波羅曾對中國的美麗有過驚奇的描述。有人問馬可波羅，你的有關(guān)中國的描述是真的嗎？他說，我只不過將我所見到的跟你們描述了一半而已。

女士們，先生們，我相信北京和中國將向運(yùn)動員、觀眾和全世界的電視觀眾證明，這是一塊神奇的土地。

謝謝主席先生，謝謝大家！