“泛起希望的微光，恰似那雪花圣火一般”
——北大外籍教師參加北京冬奧會(huì)開幕式有感

供稿/北京大學(xué)國際合作部 譯/宿青云 史婕

2月4日，北京大學(xué)東門外，外籍教師們懷著開心和激動(dòng)的心情合影，整裝向鳥巢出發(fā)！“北京冬奧會(huì)加油，我們來了！”

夜幕下的國家體育場（鳥巢）華燈璀璨、美輪美奐，充滿著春節(jié)的喜慶氣氛和冬奧的激情活力。外籍教師們激情飛揚(yáng)，為嘆為觀止的冬奧會(huì)開幕式表演搖旗吶喊，掌聲、笑聲、歡呼聲從未間斷。場內(nèi)、場外，中國、世界，共同唱響“一起向未來”的冰雪歡歌。

外國語學(xué)院葡萄牙籍教師Pedro Simao Rocha Sobral：我們感到溫暖

2022年北京冬奧會(huì)的開幕式充滿著神奇的時(shí)刻，是奧委會(huì)、中國政府和中國人民多年努力的結(jié)果。我有幸參加這次活動(dòng)，想要寫下對這一難忘經(jīng)歷的想法。

新冠肺炎疫情仍在肆虐之際，中國能夠舉辦如此規(guī)模的活動(dòng)是一項(xiàng)偉大的成就，而這一成就的實(shí)現(xiàn)離不開無數(shù)專業(yè)人士以及全體中國人民的努力，國際奧委會(huì)主席托馬斯·巴赫在講話中肯定了這一點(diǎn)。如果不是保持安全距離的要求，人們可能會(huì)覺得這場疫情已經(jīng)過去了很久。

活動(dòng)組織得相當(dāng)周到，不僅場館里準(zhǔn)備了交通工具，為觀眾提供食物和飲料，在鳥巢里還準(zhǔn)備了毯子、手套和帽子幫助大家取暖，這些細(xì)節(jié)都讓人心情愉悅。這些戴著口罩的年輕志愿者們帶著最美好的祝愿和微笑歡迎我們，讓我們的心里更加溫暖。這些志愿者們很辛苦，活動(dòng)結(jié)束后，他們還要送我們離場，當(dāng)然，他們的努力得到了回報(bào)。這樣周到的安排讓我們感受到溫暖，感到自己是這個(gè)特殊儀式中重要的一部分。

北京冬奧會(huì)開幕式現(xiàn)場表演

開幕式上各種各樣的表演是一場運(yùn)動(dòng)、音樂和色彩的盛宴，觀眾都情不自禁地鼓掌，可以想象這需要在創(chuàng)作、排練和表演編舞上花費(fèi)多少時(shí)間和精力。先進(jìn)的技術(shù)制作出的視覺效果，讓人賞心悅目，著名電影導(dǎo)演張藝謀的倒計(jì)時(shí)讓所有人都為之動(dòng)容。這次冬奧會(huì)開幕式巧妙融合了體育活動(dòng)、令人驚嘆的民族景觀和中國慶祝新年的傳統(tǒng)場景，是慶祝這一特殊活動(dòng)的完美方式。對我來說，這是當(dāng)晚的一大亮點(diǎn)。

這是一個(gè)慶祝運(yùn)動(dòng)力量、速度、毅力和奉獻(xiàn)精神的夜晚。但我認(rèn)為，最重要的，這也是對未來的慶祝，對我們共同未來的慶祝。孩子們的眼睛和微笑承載著未來，他們才是這部“劇”的真正明星。從《我和我的祖國》的完美演繹, 為奧運(yùn)圣歌的合唱表演，到最后一首火炬點(diǎn)燃的歌曲《雪花》（象征性地由年長運(yùn)動(dòng)員將火炬?zhèn)鬟f給年輕運(yùn)動(dòng)員），很明顯，我們看到年輕一代渴望更和平、更繁榮的明天。

對于我們現(xiàn)在擁有的這個(gè)世界，他們是未來。

北京國際數(shù)學(xué)中心瑞士籍副教授Emanuel Gilbert Scheidegger：冬奧會(huì)讓我熱愛上滑雪運(yùn)動(dòng)

我想先講講過去的事。一個(gè)多世紀(jì)以來，冬季運(yùn)動(dòng)一直是瑞士文化的重要組成部分，瑞士曾在1928年和1948年兩次主辦冬奧會(huì)，當(dāng)時(shí)冬奧會(huì)的商業(yè)性沒有這么強(qiáng)。

1972年的札幌奧運(yùn)會(huì)深深烙印在瑞士人的記憶中。瑞士運(yùn)動(dòng)員在這些比賽中取得的驚人成績，引起了瑞士人對高山滑雪的熱愛，這種熱情一直持續(xù)到今天。年輕的瑞士陽光男孩伯恩哈德·魯西（Bernhard Russi）在男子下坡滑雪比賽中贏得金牌，很快成了瑞士最受歡迎的滑雪運(yùn)動(dòng)員。后來，在運(yùn)動(dòng)生涯結(jié)束后，他成了世界各地下坡滑雪道的設(shè)計(jì)師，在上一屆冬奧會(huì)中，幾乎每一個(gè)下坡滑雪道都是他設(shè)計(jì)的，2022年北京冬奧會(huì)上延慶的滑雪道也是他設(shè)計(jì)的，這是他退休前的最后一件杰作。

北大外籍教師們在北京冬奧會(huì)開幕式現(xiàn)場合影

2022年北京冬奧會(huì)開幕的第二天，一個(gè)讓我驚喜的巧合發(fā)生了，瑞士熱門選手貝亞特·費(fèi)烏茲剛好奪得了高山滑雪男子滑降比賽冠軍。比賽期間，有人看到魯西坐在一塊大石頭上，那里可以很清晰地看到比賽。

1972年札幌奧運(yùn)會(huì)后，瑞士的學(xué)校開辦了許多冬季運(yùn)動(dòng)，包括高山滑雪、越野滑雪和滑冰。每年冬天，瑞士的每所學(xué)校都會(huì)把6到15歲的孩子送到瑞士阿爾卑斯山滑雪一周。我也因此學(xué)會(huì)并愛上了滑雪。我小時(shí)候在學(xué)校和家里看電視上的滑雪比賽，便對冬季運(yùn)動(dòng)產(chǎn)生了興趣，那時(shí)起我就開始關(guān)注冬奧會(huì)了。

我曾在世界的很多地方生活過，這次是我第一次碰巧住在冬奧會(huì)的主辦城市，顯然我對這次的奧運(yùn)會(huì)很有興趣。去年夏天我很興奮能夠有機(jī)會(huì)參加北京市人民對外友好協(xié)會(huì)（BPAFFC）組織的一項(xiàng)活動(dòng)，參觀了2022年北京冬奧會(huì)在首鋼公園、張家口和延慶的場地。北京這時(shí)沒有天然雪，不太適合展開冬季項(xiàng)目，但是大家非常努力地使這些運(yùn)動(dòng)成為可能，給我留下了深刻印象，也讓我感到震驚。

而最大的亮點(diǎn)是我有幸到北京國家體育場參與了2022年北京冬奧會(huì)的開幕式。這是我第一次走近“鳥巢”，我認(rèn)為“鳥巢”是北京最美麗的建筑之一。我很驚訝地看到，世界著名的瑞士建筑師赫爾佐格和德梅隆設(shè)計(jì)的建筑是如此輕巧和精致。開幕式最精彩的部分是91個(gè)參賽國家的運(yùn)動(dòng)員游行，很多人可能覺得這個(gè)環(huán)節(jié)很無聊，但在我看來，奧運(yùn)會(huì)是關(guān)于體育、競爭，尤其是運(yùn)動(dòng)員的，他們值得所有人的關(guān)注。我很期待比賽舉辦成功，留下更多精彩的瞬間。

外國語學(xué)院日本籍教授馬場公彥：感受到萬物復(fù)蘇、草木叢生的氣息

漫漫人生中，很少親歷歷史性的瞬間，而在2月4日晚上我有幸身臨其境見證奇跡。

1964年的東京奧運(yùn)會(huì)是亞洲舉辦的首次奧運(yùn)會(huì)，當(dāng)時(shí)我只有6歲。1972年札幌冬奧會(huì)召開時(shí)，我還是一名中學(xué)生。日本選手包攬了70米跳臺(tái)滑雪的全部獎(jiǎng)牌，因此被國民稱為“日之丸飛行隊(duì)”，整個(gè)日本為之瘋狂。我因此了解到冬季運(yùn)動(dòng)的魅力。札幌也因此成為一座美麗而富有魅力的城市。1998年冬奧會(huì)在我的故鄉(xiāng)長野縣舉辦。去年在新冠肺炎疫情肆虐的危機(jī)之下，東京再度舉辦了奧運(yùn)會(huì)。

繼東京奧運(yùn)會(huì)之后，北京冬奧會(huì)也因新冠肺炎疫情而面臨著巨大考驗(yàn)。舉辦方需要在確保安全的同時(shí)，帶給民眾不亞于往屆盛會(huì)的體驗(yàn)。今年恰逢中日邦交正常化50周年。我懷著別樣的心情觀看了北京冬奧會(huì)的開幕盛典。

此次開幕式的倒計(jì)時(shí)采用了中國的二十四節(jié)氣。或許是巧合，此次第24屆冬季奧林匹克運(yùn)動(dòng)會(huì)開幕當(dāng)日正值立春。緊接著是通過手持發(fā)光桿進(jìn)行的矩陣表演，稻苗隨風(fēng)拂動(dòng)的景象讓同為農(nóng)耕文化的日本人感受到了萬物復(fù)蘇、草木叢生的氣息。之后，孩子們手中飄散的白色蒲公英種子讓人聯(lián)想到初春的勃勃生機(jī)。

我一直納悶，入場環(huán)節(jié)各國代表隊(duì)的入場順序因何而來。最后通過微信詢問現(xiàn)場的記者朋友才得知，這是根據(jù)簡體中文的筆畫決定順序的。

在燈光、色彩與音樂的交融之中，蔡國強(qiáng)負(fù)責(zé)的煙花表演為觀眾帶來一場視覺盛宴。會(huì)場中高昂的熱情與熱烈的歡呼聲，讓人們感受到更多的興奮與感動(dòng)。電視機(jī)前的觀眾或許體會(huì)不到這種感覺，而現(xiàn)場的觀眾也無法享受到CG技術(shù)帶來的視覺效果。

在所有節(jié)目中，特別讓我深有感觸的是《致敬人民》。在《讓世界充滿愛》的歌聲中，身著不同服裝的年輕人并肩前行。地屏拼接出世界各地多姿多彩的生活景象，像河流一樣緩緩從他們的腳下劃過。后來得知，其中15名青年是北京大學(xué)的學(xué)生。隨著《Imagine》的歌聲，滑冰運(yùn)動(dòng)員在場地中繪制出漂亮的幾何圖案。去年東京奧運(yùn)會(huì)開幕式的表演基調(diào)也是多樣性，特意強(qiáng)調(diào)“各有特色的個(gè)性”。而北京奧運(yùn)會(huì)傳達(dá)的則是“多樣性的統(tǒng)一”和“有序的多樣性”。

北京冬奧會(huì)的口號(hào)是“一起向未來”。英文版“Together for a Shared Future”，飽含深意?！拔磥怼鼻懊娴墓谠~采用“a”而非“the”，意指“未來”的形狀不是唯一的、也不是固定的。并且，這個(gè)“未來”不是個(gè)人的，而是可以“共享的”。其中包含著眾人都可以接受且能為之同行的愿景。

堪稱開幕式高潮的點(diǎn)火儀式出人意料。我甚至不明白會(huì)場的火炬最后為何沒有燃起。開幕式之后看了總導(dǎo)演張藝謀的采訪，才了解到“一葉知秋”的寓意。會(huì)場沒有另設(shè)火炬臺(tái)，火炬手手中刻有各國國名的火炬搭乘一朵雪花在會(huì)場中央升起。通過點(diǎn)燃微不可見的火種，向世界傳達(dá)人類的共同課題——實(shí)現(xiàn)低碳社會(huì)。

2008年北京夏季奧運(yùn)會(huì)中，一場凝聚中國5000年歷史的壯觀歌劇讓我深感震撼，同時(shí)升空的焰火幾乎照亮整個(gè)北京城。這次的開幕式?jīng)]有再現(xiàn)那種驚人的華美。除了CG技術(shù)支持的華麗表演之外，整體觀感尤顯樸素、謙恭、親切。我和身邊的北京大學(xué)外籍教師都能輕松地融入其中，體會(huì)到一種超越國籍與種族的親近之感。

時(shí)至今日，那種靜謐的感動(dòng)依然縈繞我心，泛起希望的微光，恰似那雪花圣火一般。

新結(jié)構(gòu)經(jīng)濟(jì)研究院多哥籍博士后Kokou Wotodjo Tozo：就像置身于科幻電影中，成了里面的一部分

參加2022年北京冬奧會(huì)開幕式前幾天，我就想象自己將會(huì)見到很多新鮮的事物，會(huì)是一個(gè)非常特殊的時(shí)刻。但令人驚喜的是，這次冬奧會(huì)開幕式比我想象的還要精彩。從頭到尾，我感覺自己就像置身于科幻電影中，成了里面的一部分。我看得太專注了，都忘了拍照，唯一一次拿起手機(jī)是給我的妻子微信視頻，將這一切分享給她。我的妻子很喜歡看孩子們表演，這些孩子們真是太了不起了。我想到的只有對中國和中國的組織者及表演者的贊美。能夠參加這次活動(dòng)對我來說簡直是夢想成真，我要感謝北京大學(xué)外籍教師俱樂部的邀請。我祝愿本次冬奧會(huì)公平競賽、運(yùn)動(dòng)員取得理想的成績，希望全球各地的觀眾在觀看和支持各個(gè)隊(duì)伍爭奪獎(jiǎng)牌的過程中，能夠感受到溫暖，變得更加親近。

2022年北京冬奧會(huì)開幕式上圣火點(diǎn)燃

我度過了一個(gè)令人難以置信的美好夜晚，開幕式很好，表演非常精彩。為了我們共同的未來，加油！

國際關(guān)系學(xué)院日本籍教師巖本節(jié)子：開幕式從頭到尾都是一連串的驚喜和興奮

衷心感謝北京大學(xué)、北大國際關(guān)系學(xué)院和國際合作部讓我有機(jī)會(huì)在鳥巢欣賞北京冬奧會(huì)開幕式。我們的座位在外賓區(qū)1樓14排左右，位置極佳，仿佛能捕捉到從我們面前經(jīng)過的表演者的面部表情。開幕式從頭到尾都是一連串的驚喜和興奮。第一個(gè)節(jié)目是各個(gè)表演者舉著一根根比身高高出10倍以上的有彈性的閃亮棒造出的綠色的草的形狀，每個(gè)表演者都將它左右前后搖晃。在我看來，它是“團(tuán)結(jié)”的象征。我很好奇表演者是如何操作那些看似笨拙的長桿的，必定付出了很多的汗水和努力。最讓我印象深刻的是許多孩子拿著比他們的小腦袋大兩倍多的鴿子跳舞的表演。白鴿是和平的象征，我也和孩子們一樣，希望生活在一個(gè)安全和平的未來。另一個(gè)讓我印象深刻的是一個(gè)小男孩用小號(hào)演奏的《我和我的祖國》。我看著接二連三的國旗，突然注意到投影在大屏幕上的吹小號(hào)的男孩。驚訝道：“這么小的孩子在演奏嗎？”再次聆聽他的演奏，挺拔通透的氣質(zhì)讓我耳目一新，我?guī)缀鹾俺觥巴郏⊥?！”，在眾多觀眾面前他大方沉穩(wěn)而且表演得無可挑剔。

運(yùn)動(dòng)員團(tuán)隊(duì)入場對于每個(gè)觀眾來說是一個(gè)激動(dòng)人心的時(shí)刻，他們期待著自己國家的運(yùn)動(dòng)員的入場時(shí)刻。希臘是第一個(gè)進(jìn)場的，然后是土耳其，馬耳他……“為什么是這個(gè)順序呢？”，坐在我旁邊的老師告訴我，“似乎是翻譯成中文時(shí)的順序哈。”后來才知道，是按照國名簡體字首字的筆數(shù)和筆順來定的。外院的Pedro老師輕聲說“下一個(gè)是日本隊(duì)”，讓我很溫暖。和北大的外國同事們一起為各自國家隊(duì)歡呼，也是我非常開心和難忘的經(jīng)歷。

2022年對我來說是具有里程碑意義的一年，我的一半生命在日本度過，一半在中國度過。冬奧會(huì)開幕式為這一重要的一年拉開了序幕。我想繼續(xù)在中國生活學(xué)習(xí)，中國成為一個(gè)讓我更加有歸屬感的地方。為此，我通過教授日語的方式為中國社會(huì)做貢獻(xiàn)。

一起向未來！

未來技術(shù)學(xué)院分子醫(yī)學(xué)研究所巴基斯坦籍博士后研究員穆罕默德·尤納斯：北京冬奧會(huì)開幕式舉辦得非常成功

2022年2月4日，一個(gè)寒冷的周五晚上,冬奧會(huì)在北京國家體育場正式拉開了帷幕,這是一個(gè)歷史性的時(shí)刻，中國首都北京成為第一個(gè)舉辦夏季和冬季奧運(yùn)會(huì)的城市。冬奧會(huì)開幕式十分壯觀，現(xiàn)場燈光頗具創(chuàng)意，參賽者們才華橫溢、表現(xiàn)出色、充滿活力，虛擬的“冰塊”從體育場地板上冒出來，組成漢字意為“幸?！?，國家體育場（鳥巢）燃放的煙花也令人印象深刻。

2022年北京冬奧會(huì)開幕式舉辦得非常成功，要感謝和贊揚(yáng)所有中國工作人員的付出。我要向所有參加2022年北京冬奧會(huì)的運(yùn)動(dòng)員致以最誠摯的美好祝愿。

Outside the East Gate of Peking University (PKU), our international teachers pose for a photo, their glee and excitement apparent on February 4. Beijing Winter Olympics, here we come!

The National Stadium (Bird's Nest) sparkled in the night, filled with Chinese New Year vibes and the Olympic spirit. In the stadium, our international teachers watched the Olympics opening ceremony excitedly, applauding, laughing and cheering with the crowd. In chorus, the entire stadium sang “Together for a Shared Future”, harbouring hopes for a better future.

The opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 was a magical moment that was the result of years of effort by the Olympic Committee and the Chinese government and people. Having enjoyed the privilege of attending the event, I could not but write down some of my thoughts on this unforgettable experience.

To be able to hold an event of this magnitude while a pandemic is still raging globally was truly a great achievement, one that could only be attained through the contribution of countless professionals, as well of the people as a whole. This was acknowledged by the President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach in his speech. Were it not for the now ubiquitous masks and the safety distance kept by our appointed seats, one would think the pandemic was but a distant memory.

The organization was quite considerate, providing transportation to the venue and supplying the audience with food and drinks. At the Bird's Nest, blankets, gloves and hats were provided in order to help ward off the cold temperatures and make the occasion more pleasant. Not that the cold lasted for long: the young volunteers who, despite the night temperatures, welcomed us with best wishes and smiles under their masks, warmed our hearts. Even after the event was over, there they were to see us off, cold and tired, but certainly also glad that their efforts paid off. It truly made us feel welcome and an important part of this special occasion.

The various performances, bringing together people from all ages, were truly a spectacle of movement, music and color and it was impossible not to wave and clap along. One can only begin to imagine all the time and energy spent in creating, rehearsing and performing all the choreographies. The jaw-dropping visual effects, made with the most advanced technologies, were a delight to be seen, and the countdown sequence, directed by renowned filmmaker Zhang Yimou, certainly did not leave anyone indifferent. The masterful cinematic fusion of breathtaking national landscapes, traditional scenes from Chinese New Year celebrations and sports action was the perfect way of celebrating this doubly special occasion. It was, for me, one of the major highlights of the night.

It was a night to celebrate athletic strength, speed, perseverance and dedication. But it was above all, I believe, also celebration of the Future, of a Shared Future. And it was the children, in whose eyes and smiles this Future is held, who were the real stars of the show. From the flawless rendition of “Me and My Motherland” , to the choral performance of the Olympic Hymn, to the final piece “Snowflakes” that served as the theme for the lighting of the Torch (symbolically handed down from the older athletes to the younger), it was clear we were witnessing the wishes and aspirations of the youngest generations for a more peaceful and prosperous tomorrow.

For this World we have now, we are borrowing it from them.

Let me start with some historical background. Winter sports have been an important part of Swiss culture for more than a century. Switzerland hosted the Olympic Winter Games twice, in 1928 and in 1948, in an era when the games were not yet the commercial vehicles that they have become in the past decades.

The games that burnt themselves deeply into the collective memory of Switzerland were those of Sapporo in 1972. The surprising success of the Swiss athletes in those games sparked the Swiss frenzy about alpine skiing that continues to the present day. A young Swiss sunnyboy, Bernhard Russi, won the gold medal in the men's downhill ski competition and soon became the most popular ski athlete in Switzerland. Later, after his sports career he became the architect of downhill pistes all over the world. Essentially every downhill piste of the past Olympic Winter Games was designed by him, including the one of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in Yanqing, which is his final piece of art before retirement.

As a happy coincidence on day 2 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the men's downhill ski competition in Yanqing was won by the Swiss pre--race favorite, Beat Feuz. During the competition, Russi was seen sitting high up on a solitary rock from which he had an excellent overview over the race.

As a consequence of the success in 1972, the school education in Switzerland includes a lot of winter sports, including alpine skiing, cross country skiing, and ice skating. As part of it, every winter every school in Switzerland sent the kids at the ages of 6 to 15 for one week into the Swiss Alps to go skiing. This is how I learned skiing and I enjoyed it immensely. I think that my interest in winter sports roots in all these childhood experiences in school and at home watching ski competitions on TV. I have closely followed all the Winter Olympic Games since I was a kid.

Now, having lived in many places all over the world, it is the first time that I happen to live in the host city of the Winter Olympic Games and, evidently, my curiosity was piqued. Given this background, I was very excited when I had the opportunity last summer to join an activity organized by the BPAFFC (Beijing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries) to visit the sites of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in Shougang Park, in Zhangjiakou, and in Yanqing. I was both impressed and shocked by the efforts that were made to make these games possible in such an unsuitable region lacking completely of natural snow.

Of course, the subsequent highlight was the opportunity to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the National Stadium. It was my first time to be near and inside the ``Bird's Nest'' that I consider one of the most beautiful buildings in Beijing. I was surprised to see how lightweight and filigree the construction designed by the world--famous Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron is. The best part of the opening ceremony was the parade of the athletes of the 91 participating nations. To many people this seems boring, but in my eyes, the Olympic Games are about sports, competition, and, above all, the athletes. They deserve all the attention. I'm now looking forward to successful games with fascinating competitions.

In one's whole life, there are few opportunities to meet historic moments. On the evening of February 4, I was lucky to witness miracles.

The 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games was the first Olympic Games held in Asia. I was only 6 years old at that time. Japan had built new highways and opened Shinkansen. When the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics was held, I was a middle school student. The Japanese athletes won all the medals in the 70-meter ski jumping, so they are called the “Rimaru Flying Team” by the people who were crazy about the team. Winter sports fascinated me. Sapporo has therefore become a beautiful and charming city. The 1998 Winter Olympics was held in Nagano County, my hometown. Last year, the Olympic Games were held again despite the raging novel coronavirus pneumonia.

After the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Winter Olympics in Beijing is also facing huge challenges because of COVID-19. The organizers need to ensure safety but bring people no less enjoyment than previous events at the same time. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, that's why I had a special feeling when watching the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

The countdown to the opening ceremony adopted China's 24 solar terms. Perhaps it is a coincidence that this Winter Olympic Games is the 24th one. The day of the big event is the beginning of spring. Followed by a matrix performance with light-emitting poles in performers' hands, the scene of rice seedlings blowing with the wind made our Japanese with farming culture feel the breath of all things recovering and growing. After that, the white dandelion seeds floating in the children's hands are reminiscent of the vitality of early spring.

I wondered how the entry order of national teams came from. Finally, I learned that this was determined according to the stroke numbers of simplified Chinese after asking the reporter friends at the scene through WeChat.

In the blending of light, color, and music, the fireworks performance designed by Cai Guoqiang brought a huge visual feast to the audience. The high enthusiasm and warm cheers in the venue made people feel more excited and moved, which the audience in front of the TV may not feel, yet the audience on-site cannot enjoy the visual effects brought by CG technology.

Among all the shows, I am deeply touched by “Salute the People”. In the song “Fill the World with Love”, young people in different clothes walked side by side. The ground screen spliced a colorful scene of life around the world, slowly passing under their feet like a river. I later learned that 15 of them are students of Peking University. With the singing of “Imagine”, skaters drew beautiful geometric patterns in the field. The performance tone of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games last year was also diverse, with a special emphasis on “distinctive personality” while the Beijing Olympic Games convey the “unity in diversity” and “orderly diversity”.

The slogan of the Beijing Winter Olympics is “一起向未來”. The English version is “Together for a Shared Future” and this translation is full of profound meanings. The article before “future” is “a” instead of “the”, which means that the shape of “future” is not unique or fixed. Moreover, this “future” is not personal, but can be “shared”. The slogan contains a vision that everyone can accept and fight for.

The ignition ceremony, which can be called the climax of the opening ceremony, was unexpected. I don't even understand why the torch didn't light in the end. After the opening ceremony, I saw the interview of general director, Zhang Yimou, and learned the meaning of “the falling of one leaf is enough to tell of autumn's arrival”. There is no other torch platform in the venue. The torch engraved with the names of various countries rose in the center of the venue with a snowflake. By lighting the invisible fire, a message of the common topic of mankind was conveyed to the world-realizing a low-carbon society.

In the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, I was deeply shocked by a spectacular opera that condensed China's 5000-year history, and the fireworks lit up almost the whole city of Beijing. This 2022 opening ceremony did not reproduce that amazing beauty. In addition to the gorgeous performance supported by CG technology, the overall impression is particularly simple, modest, and cordial. The foreign teachers of Peking University and I can easily relax in it and feel a sense of closeness beyond nationality and race.

To this day, the quiet touch still gently haunts my heart, with a glimmer of hope, just like the flame with a snowflake.

A few days before attending the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, I imagined it would be a very special moment, something I've never seen or experienced before. But surprisingly, things went miles further than expected. From the start to the finish, I felt like being in scifi movie. We became a part of the show. I was so immersed I forgot to take photos. The only time I grabbed my phone was to make a WeChat video call so my wife could see. She enjoyed watching the little kids performing, it was surreal. All I can say is kudos to China, to the organizers and the performers. Being able to attend this event, for me, was a dream come true, and I'd like to thanks the International Faculty Club of Peking University for the invitation. To all the athletes, I wish success in a spirit of fair play, and may this Winter Olympic Games keep us warmer and closer across the globe as we watch and support our teams compete for the medals.

I had an incredible night, the opening ceremony was well organized with mind-blowing performances. Together for a shared future. Cheers!

I sincerely thank Peking University, the School of International Relations of Peking University and The Department of International Cooperation for giving me the opportunity to enjoy the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games in the Bird's Nest. Our seats were located in row 14 on the first floor of the foreign guest area, which was excellent. It seems that we could capture the facial expressions of the performers passing in front of us. The opening ceremony was full of surprises and excitement from beginning to end. In the first show, the performers shook the green shining poles which are ten times higher than their height to form the shape of grass, in my opinion, it is a symbol of “unity”. I don't know how the performers can manipulate such heavy long poles, yet I do know they must have paid a lot of sweat and effort. What impressed me most was the performance of many children dancing with big pigeons twice as large as their small heads. The white dove is a symbol of peace, like those children, I wish for a safe and peaceful future full of hope. What also impressed me was a little boy's trumpet performance of “Me and My Motherland”. I looked at the national flags one after another and suddenly noticed a boy playing the trumpet projected on the big screen. I was surprised, “Can such a little kid play the trumpet?” Listening to his performance again, I feel new and refreshed and almost cried out”Wow! Wow!”. This is truly a gracious, steady, and impeccable performance despite being in front of a rather large audience.

The admission of athletes from every country is an exciting moment for every audience. All look forward to the admission of athletes from their own country. Greece was the first to enter, then Turkey and Malta... “Why is this order?” The teacher sitting next to me told me, “it seems to be related to the Chinese translation of the names of countries.” Later I learned that it was arranged according to the stroke numbers of the initial character of the simplified Chinese country names. Pedro, a teacher of the Institute of Foreign Languages, said softly, “The next one is the Japanese team”, which made me feel warm. It was also a very happy and unforgettable experience for me and my foreign colleagues in Peking University to cheer for our own national team when they are passing in front of us.

The year 2022 will be a milestone for me because in this year half of my life well be spent in Japan and half in China. The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics kicked off this important year. I want to continue to live and study in China and make China more like home. To this end, I want to contribute to Chinese society by further teaching Japanese.

Together for a Shared Future!

On a freezing Friday evening (2022.02.04) in Beijing National Stadium, the opening ceremony for Winter Olympics officially kicked off the Winter Olympics. This was also a historical millstone that Winter Olympics took place in China. Beijing, China's capital, became the first city to stage both the Summer and Winter Olympics. The spectacular Winter Olympics opening ceremony was very stimulating for me, in terms of its content, the participants showcased their talent with excellent performances, vibrant and innovative lighting display primarily virtual ice cube emerged from the stadium floor with a prominent Chinese character meaning “Happiness” projected, and no doubt the fireworks from a marvel steel structure of Olympics venue (Bird's Nest Stadium).

I think it turned out to be a great successful event, and credit obviously goes to all Chinese organizers to put on a show. I would like to extend my most earnest wishes to all the athletes competing in Beijing Winter Olympics 2022.