One sometimes wonders if the Olympics serve as a safety valve in international human relations, attributing to a collective sanity in a world that, not unlike that of ancient times, is perpetually the scene of conflict, strife, and human misery.

• 有人也许会想，在这个与古代没有什么两样，永远是冲突、争、剧的世界上，奥运会是否可以成为国际关系的安全阀，来唤醒人们共同的良知。