There was no mistaking the power and symbolism of the opening ceremonies for the Beijing Olympic Games on August 8. That multimedia spectacular did far more than trace China’s 5,000-year history; it was a statement that China is a major civilization that demands and deserves its rightful place in the global hierarchy.
人们不会误解8月8日北京奥运会开幕式的象征意义和震撼力。这一多媒体盛会绝不仅仅是回顾中国五千年的文明史；它也是向世人宣布，中国是一个文明古国，要求在全球体系中占有一席之地，而且也理应如此。