The original Olympic Games were far from being a meaningless tribute to ancient pagan Gods, Zeus and his many relations. The ancient Greeks can still help us understand what has been happening over these last two weeks, if we shake their genuine insight into human nature free of its mythological language. One thing stands out immediately. The world lost something immensely valuable when the Roman Emperor Theodosius I suppressed the original games in 394 AD. They were seen as promoting a rival belief system to Christianity. If ever there was a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water, this was it. They had been going for a thousand years, and they represented all that was most admirable about the ancient world. They were revived only as recently as 1896. Technically the modern Games are secular. Unlike their ancient predecessors, they do not have any religious label, though their founder, Baron de Coubertin was Jesuit-educated and from a devoutly Catholic family. He believed there is an aspect to sport at the highest level which could be called spiritual.Athletes are striving to reach and transcend their own limits. They all know this is not just about being as physically as fit as possible. The mental approach is crucial. Yet if we look at their motivation, it isn't all about the glorification of the ego, and it certainly isn't about getting stinking rich as quickly as possible. Financial rewards, if they come, are incidental. Call it "deferment of gratification" if you like, but often the gratification doesn't come at all, at least in the form of gold medals. For each winner there have to be lots of losers. They do it because sporting excellence is good in itself. And that is what the ancient Greeks have been telling us, these last few weeks. The sight of mind and body struggling against their limitations in pursuit of perfection is immensely moving to watch, both in the Olympic Games and the Paralympics which are still to come. The other thing we hear from the athletes themselves time and again is humility and gratitude. They think they are lucky, lucky to have been born with a special talent, lucky to have been spotted and coached, lucky to have been selected to take part in these Games. They are humbled and inspired by the roar of the crowd, able to go further and faster than they have ever done before because they are part of something much bigger than themselves. And for that they are profoundly thankful. What the Greeks knew, and what Baron de Coubertin wanted to bring back, is they are also, in the process, transformed and ennobled. And in honouring the creature thus, are we not also honouring the creator, whatever we call him?
原奥运会从一个毫无意义的赞扬古代异教的神，宙斯和他的许多关系。古希腊人仍然可以帮助我们了解发生了什么事情，这些过去两周，如果我们动摇人性，他们真正了解其神话的语言。一件事立即脱颖而出。世界失去了非常宝贵的东西时，罗马皇帝狄奥多西我压制在公元394年的原始游戏。他们被看作是促进一个对手基督教的信仰体系。如果曾经有过一个扔婴儿连同洗澡水的情况下，这是它。他们已经准备了一千多年，他们代表所有有关古代世界最令人钦佩的。他们最近在1896年恢复。从技术上讲，现代奥运会是世俗的。他们古老的前辈不同，他们不具有任何宗教的标签，虽然他们的创始人顾拜旦是耶稣会的教育，从一个虔诚的天主教家庭。他认为，有一个方面运动的最高水平，可称为精神。运动员都在努力达到并超越自己的极限。他们都知道这是不是只是身体为适应尽可能。心理的方法是至关重要的。然而，如果我们看一下他们的动机，是不是所有的自我颂扬，也肯定是越来越臭丰富尽快。财政奖励，如果他们来了，是偶然。称之为“推迟满足”如果你喜欢，但往往在满足不来，至少在金牌的形式，。对于每位获奖者必须有很多失败者。他们这样做是因为运动卓越本身是好的。这是古希腊人已经告诉我们，这些过去的几个星期。看到挣扎对他们的限制，在追求完美的心态和身体是极大的移动观看，无论是在奥运会和残奥会的还是来了。从运动员本身一次又一次地听到其他的事情，我们是谦卑和感激。他们认为他们已经有一个特殊的人才出生的幸运，幸运，幸运已发现和教练，幸运已选定要在这届奥运会的一部分。他们自卑和人群的轰鸣声，能够走得更远，速度比他们曾经做过的启发，因为他们比自己大很多的东西的一部分。和他们深刻的感谢。希腊人知道，顾拜旦想带回，他们还，在这个过程中，转化，使高尚。从而履行“生物，我们不也尊重创作者，无论我们给他打电话吗？
