The OLYMPIC FLAG

　　现代奥运会创始人顾拜旦于1913－1914年间设计了奥运会的会旗。它由5个奥林匹克环从左至右套接而成，可以是单色，也可以是蓝、黄、黑、绿、红5种颜色。最初的解释是五种颜色代表各国国旗的颜色，后来又将5个不同颜色的圆环解释为五大洲的象征。1920年，奥林匹克旗第一次飘扬在安特卫普夏季奥运会体育场。这届奥运会后，历届奥运会开幕式上由上届举办城市转交此旗，由举办城市保存，比赛期间主运动场仅悬挂代用品。

Baron¹ de Coubertin designed the Olympic Flag in 1913-14. It has five interlocking rings (blue, yellow, black, green and red) on a white background. The ring's colours were based on the knowledge that at least one of these colours is on every flag of each participating country. The five interlocking rings represent the union of the five continents and the meeting of the athletes of the world at the Olympic Game.

The Olympic Flag was used for the first time in the 7th Olympiad in Antwerp, Belgium in 1920. It is paraded during the opening ceremony of each Game. At the end of the Games, the Olympic Flag is presented to the next host city by the Games host city.

The OLYMPIC FLAME

　　圣火起源于古希腊神话传说。相传古希腊神普罗米修斯为解救饥寒交迫的人类，瞒着宙斯偷取火种带到人间。古希腊在每届奥运会举行以前，人们都要在赫拉神庙前点燃圣火。现代奥运会创立后，当圣火被点燃的那一刹那，本届奥运会圣火的传递活动即宣告圆满结束。随着奥运会的结束，本届奥运会圣火也将被熄灭。第一次火炬接力活动是从1936年柏林奥运会开始的。

A flame was lit during the entire event of the Olympics during the ancient Olympic Game known as the Olympic Flame.

A new flame is lit using a parabolic mirror to focus the rays of the Sun at the ancient Olympic Stadium in Olympia, Elis, Greece. The Flame is then transported to the host city where the last runner lights the large Olympic Cauldron by it and this burns throughout the Games. The Flame is extinguished² during the closing ceremony. The Olympic Flame was first lit during the opening ceremony of the IX Olympic Games at Amsterdam, Netherlands in 1928.

The first Olympic Torch Relay³ occurred at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games.