Olympic Opening Ceremony Kicks Off In Brazil

August 5, 20167:43 PM ET

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

The opening ceremony for the Rio Olympics has been a swirl[1] of dance, music and a vintage[2] biplane[(早期的)双翼飞机] flying through the stadium and seeming to soar out over the city. And, of course, there's the athletes Parade of Nations[各国代表队游行/运动员入场仪式]. NPR's Melissa Block is in Rio, watching the ceremony. And she's with us now. Hi there.

MELISSA BLOCK, BYLINE: Hey, Kelly.

MCEVERS: So we should explain that you are way ahead of us of knowing what's going on. NBC, the U.S. rights holder[持权转播商] for the Olympics, tape delayed[实况录像/延迟] the ceremonies by an hour in the East. It'll be four hours delayed here on the West Coast[美国西海岸(尤指加利福尼亚州)]. So tell us what we missed.

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“NBC特别担心美国代表队出场顺序太靠前会让美国人民看完本国代表队出场就该干嘛干嘛，导致收视率下降。但我们中央电视台就一点也不担心，因为我们一直这么靠前，除了北京奥运会。不过我看了社交媒体，美国观众都在吐槽呢，因为NBC直播是延迟一小时的，他们忙着播了一个小时的广告。”

BLOCK: OK, so spoiler[3] alerts to everybody listening because we do have a jump on you from here in Rio. We have seen a lot of exuberant[4] dance, as you would expect, from - everything from samba[桑巴舞], to funk[乡土爵士乐], to native dance, even a bit of twerking[电臀舞]. We saw supermodel Gisele Bundchen embodying "The Girl From Ipanema[来自伊帕内玛的女孩]." Although, Kelly, I have to tell you when I picture that tall and tan[棕黄色;黄褐色] and young and lovely girl walk to the sea, I am not picturing her in silver lame and stiletto heels[细跟鞋]. But that's just me.

There is also - I mean, on a totally different note, a really strong environmental theme to this ceremony. There was a really somber[忧郁的;昏暗的;阴森的] portion, showing the dire[可怕的;悲惨的;极端的] effects of climate change on the planet and sea level rise. There were maps showing Dubai[迪拜]and the Netherlands[荷兰] getting swallowed by the sea. And as part of this green theme, every athlete in this Parade of Nations is being given the seed of a tree - 500 different native species of Brazil. They're pressing those seeds into soil in capsules[胶囊]. And those capsules are supposed to be planted after the games in one of the Olympic venues to become a new forest.

MCEVERS: So the Parade of Nations, is it still going on?

BLOCK: It is still going on. We are up to - let me check - it was Switzerland a minute ago. And I have to tell you, there was a great moment a few minutes ago. South Sudan just entered Maracana Stadium. There are two new countries who became officially recognized by the Olympic Committee this year - Kosovo[科索沃] is one, South Sudan[南苏丹] another. And went the South Sudanese flag bearer[旗手] came into the stadium, he pumped his fist[5] and did a little dance. And you could tell they are really excited to be here for the first time.

It's worth noting that there are a number of athletes who are going to compete later on in the games, in the second week, who aren't even here in Rio yet. So they're obviously not taking part in this parade. And there are also some athletes who compete early - you know, this weekend, who aren't marching in the parade because this is a really long night to be on your feet, and they want to preserve their strength.

MCEVERS: I understand organizers had drastically[彻底地;大幅度地;大大地] cut the budget for this opening ceremony. What led to that?

BLOCK: Right. Well, you know, Brazil is in a severe economic crisis. It's been undergoing a terrible recession[经济衰退;经济萎缩]. And one of the creative directors of the ceremony, the noted film director Fernando Meirelles, said that look, when we started we were rich. And then we had to cut, cut, cut. We had to get rid of some of our toys, as he put it. He also, though, put it in perspective. He said, look, when 40 percent of the homes in Brazil have no sanitation[卫生设备;卫生设施体系], you can't really be spending a billion reals for a show.

And they've actually used the term MacGyvering in terms of how they're approaching this. In other words - and I have to confess, I've never seen the show - but I gather the idea is that this is a secret...

MCEVERS: Oh, yeah.

BLOCK: ...Agent who improvised[即兴创作;临时做,临时提供] - you know better than I.

MCEVERS: Absolutely.

BLOCK: Who improvises[即兴创作;即兴表演] with - I'm revealing my ignorance here - improvises with everyday items, fixing big problems, you know, with makeshift fixes. I have to say, it looks pretty great. If they're MacGyvering, they're doing a really a good job.

MCEVERS: Quickly, what's still to come tonight?

BLOCK: Legendary singers Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. Interim...

MCEVERS: Wow.

BLOCK: ...Brazilian President Michel Temer will pronounce the games open. He has said he does expect to be booed[发出嘘声]. But he quoted a Brazilian writer who said that at Maracana Stadium, even the moment of silence gets booed.

MCEVERS: That's NPR's Melissa Block in Rio de Janeiro, covering the Olympics. Thanks so much.

BLOCK: You bet.

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[1]swirl：打旋；旋动；漩涡 the movement of sth that twists and turns in different directions and at different speeds

[2]vintage：of high quality and lasting value, or showing the best and most typical characteristics of a particular type of thing, especially from the past （尤指过去某个时期）最佳的，最典型的，经典的

a vintage aircraft

最出色的飞机

a vintage comic book

经典的漫画书

This film is vintage (= has the best characteristics typical of films made by) Disney.

这是一部经典的迪斯尼影片。

She loves buying vintage clothing.

她喜欢买高档时装。

[3]spoiler：（在电影、电视连续剧等公映前的）剧情透漏 information that you are given about what is going to happen in a film/movie, television series etc. before it is shown to the public

[4]exuberant [ɪg'z(j)uːb(ə)r(ə)nt; eg-]

(especially of people and their behaviour) very energetic （尤指人或其行为）精力充沛的，热情洋溢的，兴高采烈的

Young and exuberant, he symbolises Italy's new vitality.

青春年少、意气风发，他代表了意大利朝气蓬勃的新生力量。

[5]fist pump 挥舞拳头

The fist pump is a celebratory gesture in which a fist is raised before the torso and subsequently drawn down and nearer to the body in a vigorous, swift motion.

Andy Murray pumps his fist after beating Roger Federer.

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