雅思考试卡片题之——Performance

卡片题之——Performance

Feature: Chinese culture shines at dazzling

Olympics opening ceremony

BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Five thousand years of Chinese civilization rolled out on a painting scroll on Friday as the Beijing Olympics opened with resounding fireworks, dazzling lights and merrymaking crowds.
   
The National Stadium, or Bird's Nest, in northern Beijing basked in glory and excitement as icons of traditional Chinese culture paraded onto the central stage.

"How happy we are, to meet friends from afar", a crowd of 2,008 performers began chanting lines of Confucius -- a great Chinese scholar and teacher of all teachers -- accompanied by the percussion rhythms of 2,008 fous, a primitive instrument made of clay or bronze.

The performances began with a black and white Chinese ink and wash painting, drawn by the unique body language of the performers.

At the end of the opening gala, the work became a colorful painting with green trees and blue water, by worldwide athletes parading into the stadium as well as children and artists.

"That's a pretty aesthetic way of doing it," said Debbie Bowen from Chicago, the United States, of the scroll performance. "It's not easy for me to understand Chinese culture, but the information conveyed through body language and behavioral arts is pretty clear."

FOUR INVENTIONS

Elements of papermaking, movable-type printing, compass and gunpowder were carefully woven into the opening performances as highlights of Chinese civilization.

Movable-type printing appeared in the "Writing" part of the performances and took an image of both ancient character case and modern computer keyboard. A performer trod the "Silk Road" holding an ancient compass and gunpowder was represented in the dazzling displays of fireworks.

WITH CONFIDENCE, BEIJING EMBRACES WORLD
 
"A prime mission of the Beijing Olympic Games is to enhance cultural exchanges between peoples in the world," said International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge at the opening ceremony. "We sincerely hope that the time-honored Chinese civilization, the vibrant palette of urban and rural lives in China and the hospitality of the Chinese people, will leave you all with warm and indelible memories of the country."
   
The whole world marveled at the glories of the opening ceremony, watched live by 91,000 audience and an estimated 4 billion TV viewers across the globe.

更多更好的雅思消息就在环球雅思曾丽娟老师的沪江博客：点击此处>>