The inception date in 776 BC became the basis for the Greek's earliest calendar, where time was marked in four-year increments called Olympiads.

西元前 776 年的源起日也成為希臘最早的曆法基準，時間以四年為一個計量單位，稱為奧林匹亞周期。

What could it be?

那會是什麼呢？

Why, it's the Olympic games, of course.

當然是奧林匹克運動會囉！

Competition fosters excellence, or so thought the Ancient Greeks.

砥礪而傑卓，這是古希臘人的想法。

In addition to sporting events, contests were held for music, singing, and poetry.

除了運動賽事，音樂、歌唱與詩歌也個別舉辦了競賽。

You can read about them all yourself in classical literary works, like Homer's "Iliad" and Virgil's "Aeneid."

你可以在荷馬的《伊里亞德》、維吉爾的《埃涅阿斯紀》等經典文學作品中讀到。

Even mythical heroes appreciate a good contest every now and then, wouldn't you say?

即便是神話裡的英雄們也喜歡不時讚頌著佳作，你說是不是呢？

For the first thirteen games, the Ancient Greek Olympics featured just one event, the two hundred yard dash.

最早的 13 個賽事中，古希臘奧運僅主打一賽事，那就是兩百碼的短跑。

But over time, new exciting contests, like boxing, chariot and mule racing, and even a footrace, where the competitors wore a full suit of armor, enticed many hopeful champions into the Olympic stadium.

但隨著時代演進，新穎刺激的賽事，如拳擊、四輪馬車競賽與賽騾，甚至是參賽者須全副武裝的賽跑，使得許多希望成為冠軍者蜂擁至奧林匹亞體育場。

The combined running, jumping, wrestling, javelin throwing, and hurling the discus events, known as the pentathlon, inspired world-class competition.

結合了跑步、跳躍、摔角、射標槍以及擲鐵餅的五項全能活動成為了世界級的賽事。

And the pankration, a no-holds barred fight, where only biting and eye-gouging were prohibited, ensured the toughest men were victorious.

而古希臘搏擊，一項僅禁止啃咬或挖眼的赤手空拳搏鬥，確保最強悍的男子得以勝出。

And victorious they were.

而他們的確也得勝了。

Nobody tops the local baker Coroebus, who 776 BC became the very first Olympic champion.

沒有人能夠超越當地的烘焙師 Coroebus，他在西元前 776 年成為第一位奧林匹克冠軍。

And we'll never forget Orsippus of Megara.

我們也不會忘記 Megara 的 Orsippus。

The 720 BC Olympic victor tore away his loincloth so he could race unimpeded, inaugurating the Ancient Greek tradition of competing in the nude.

這位西元前 720 年的冠軍扯下了腰布，讓賽跑不受阻礙，也因此發起了古希臘裸體競賽的傳統。

Now there's a winning streak, if ever we've seen one.

這可是種前所未見的「連勝」。

But all good things must end.

不過，再好的事也有結束的一天。

In 391 AD, the Christian Roman Emperor Theodosius banned pagan practices, so the world soon bid a fond farewell to the Olympic games.

信奉基督教的羅馬帝國皇帝狄奧多西於 391 年禁止了異教徒活動，於是，世界很快地歡送了奧林匹克運動會。

But just like those early pankration athletes, you can't keep a good one down.

不過，就像古希臘搏擊選手一樣，強者是不能被制伏的。

And 1,500 years later, in 1896, the modern Olympic games kicked off in Athens, Greece.

在 1,500 年後的 1896 年，現代的奧運會在希臘雅典展開了。

Today, the Summer and Winter Olympics bring international world-class athletes together by the thousands, uniting fans by the billions for the world's foremost sporting competition.

現今的夏季與冬季奧運，數以千計地匯集了全球各地的世界級運動好手，凝聚數億名運動迷，一同觀看全世界最重要的體育賽事。

Citius, Altius, Fortius.

更快、更高、更強。

Three cheers for the Olympics.

讓我們用這三個奧運格言為奧運歡呼。