Ｗｈａｔ ｉｓ ｔｈｅ ｓｉｇｎｉｆｉｃａｎｃｅ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ Ｏｌｙｍｐｉｃ ｆｌａｍｅ？

瞿　旭

万众瞩目的北京奥运会圣火采集仪式在希腊古奥林匹克遗址圆满落下帷幕，并开启了在全球范围内的圣火传递活动。那么奥运圣火采集仪式究竟从何而来；整个仪式“暗藏”了什么玄机；奥运圣火为何要传递五大洲；传递过程中怎样保持其不被熄灭呢？

Greek actress Maria Nafpliotou, playing the role of a high priestess, kindles a pot with the Olympic flame during the Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony in Olympia, Greece, March 24, 2008.

The Olympic flame is one of the most important symbols of the Olympic Games. Lighting the flame has been an important part of every Olympic opening ceremony since it was first used in Berlin in 1936. The idea of keeping a flame lit throughout the Games was first used by the ancient Greeks in Olympia.

A few months before the opening of the Games, a ceremony is organized on the site of the original Games, the ancient sanctuary of Olympia. An actress dressed as a ceremonial priestess, in the robes of the ancient Greeks, lights the torch via the same technique used in the original Games.

She uses a parabolic mirror to focus light rays from the sun. The parabolic mirror has a curved shape. When it is held toward the sun, the curvature focuses the rays to a single point. The energy from the sun creates a great deal of heat. The priestess holds a torch in the center of the parabolic mirror, and the heat ignites the fuel in the torch, sparking a flame.

If the sun is not shining on the day of the lighting ceremony, the priestess can light the torch with a flame that was lit on a sunny day before the ceremony.

The flame is carried in a fire pot to an altar in the ancient Olympic stadium, where it is used to light the first runners torch.

For the Winter Games, the relay actually begins at the monument to Pierre de Coubertin (the man who founded the modern Olympic games in 1896), which is located near the stadium.

When the first torch is lit, the relay begins.

The flame is carried by relay all the way to its final destination. Although it is usually carried by runners on foot, other modes of transportation are also used. For air transportation, the flame is sheltered in a security lamp, similar to a miners lamp. At night, the flame is kept in a special cauldron.

The highlight of the opening ceremony of the Olympics is the entrance of the Olympic flame into the stadium. The final torchbearer is always a citizen of the host country whose identity is kept secret until the last moment.

The final torchbearer does a lap around the stadium before lighting the huge cauldron with the Olympic flame. Pigeons are then released as a symbol of the peace in which the Olympic Games should take place.

The flame remains lit for the duration of the Games.

2008年3月24日，在希腊奥林匹亚举行的奥运火炬点火仪式上，担任最高女祭司的希腊女演员玛利亚·娜芙普利都点燃了盛有奥运圣火的火种罐。

奥运圣火是奥运会最重要的象征之一。从1936年柏林奥运会上首次使用奥运圣火开始，点燃圣火就成了每届奥运会开幕式的重要组成部分。在整个比赛中保持奥运圣火熊熊燃烧的主意是古希腊人首次在奥林匹亚采纳的。

奥运会开幕前几个月，在奥运会的发源地——古奥林匹亚遗址上的古祭坛举行仪式。一个女演员扮作仪式的女祭司，身着古希腊长袍，用古代奥运会用过的相同方法点燃火炬。

她用凹面镜汇聚太阳光，这种镜子的镜面有一定弧度。当把镜子对着太阳时，有弧度的曲面能把太阳的光线汇聚成一个点。太阳光的能量能产生大量的热能。女祭司把火炬放在凹面镜的中心，热能就点燃了火炬上的燃料，从而激发出火焰。

如果点火仪式那天天公不作美，女祭司可以用仪式前阳光灿烂时点燃的火焰来点燃奥运火炬。

圣火放在火种罐里，送至古奥林匹亚竞技场的祭坛上，在此处用其点燃第一名火炬手的火炬。

冬奥会的火炬接力开始于顾拜旦（现代奥运会之父，1896年创建现代奥运会）纪念碑，该碑立于竞技场附近。

第一个火炬点燃后，火炬接力就开始了。

圣火通过接力跑一路送至奥运会的最终目的地。尽管圣火传递通常靠徒步奔跑实行，但其他传递方式也会用到。空中传递时，圣火会用安全灯保护起来，这种灯类似于矿工的矿灯。夜间，圣火会保存在一个特殊的大火炉中。

奥运会开幕式的高潮无疑是奥运圣火进入运动场的那一刻。最后一名火炬手通常是主办国的公民，其身份直到最后一刻才会公开。

最后一名火炬手会绕运动场地跑一周，之后再点燃载有奥运圣火的巨大火炉。之后，象征和平的鸽子被放飞，奥运会就正式开始了。

奥运圣火在比赛期间会一直熊熊燃烧。