 __ 奥 林 匹 克 研 究 读 本 Ancient Hellenic Ideals and the Modern Olympic Games Heather L. Reid, Morningside College, Iowa USA Christos C. Evangeliou, Towson University, Maryland USA Introduction: Questions of Relevance As is known the modern Olympic Games trace their origins back to ancient Greece. The oficial Olympic lame is ignited in Olympia by the rays of the same sun that used to caress the bodies of ancient athletes. Then the lame is transported by torch from the ancient sanctuary to the Games’ modern home—wherever in the world that may be. The torch-relay links the ancient and modern games, but it is unclear whether anything of value underlies this symbolic transmission of the Olym- pic spirit. We know that the 19th century revivalists often idealized or distorted ancient history and literature to suit their goals. For instance, such cherished Olympic ideals as amateurism, sound minds in strong bodies, even the Olympic Creed’s emphasis on participation over victory, are probably not relective of ancient reality. Furthermore, the Olympic Movement’s 21st century path toward multiculturalism would seem to render its Hellenic heritage an irrelevant relic of the Eurocentric past. Given these past abuses and present aims, the question naturally arises: Should Olympic scholars continue to study the ancient Games? Our answer to this question is an emphatic “Yes.” In fact scholars must do more than simply study the history and archaeology of the ancient Olympic Games; we must also come to understand and appreci- ate their philosophical ideals. It may turn out that a more philosophical understanding of the Olympics’ Hellenic heritage is especially relevant now as the movement strives for multiculturalism and diversity. We con- tend that the alleged Eurocentrism of Olympic ideals is itself a product of Eurocentric bias; born of a desire among modern Europeans to claim Classical Greece as their heritage. In fact, the history and geography of ancient Olympia place it between Europe, Africa, and Asia (and within that triangle, more East than West). The Olympic Games functioned politically as an effort to unify and pacify various groups of people in that region. Indeed recent research suggests that Hellenic philosophy 古希腊理想和 现代奥运会 导言：中肯的问题 众所周知，现代奥运会的源 头可以追溯古希腊。我们 今天的奥林匹克圣火也是在 奥林匹亚点燃的，而聚焦成 火种的万丈阳光，也曾经照 耀着古代运员那健美的身 体。然后，火炬便跨越千山 万水，从古代的圣殿来了 它现在的家——某届奥运会 的举地，无论是地球上哪 个地方。圣火传递连接了古 今的奥运会，但是人们并不 十分清楚，这种标志着奥林 匹克精神传递的根基底有 着何种的价值取向。我们知 道，在19 世纪，宗教复兴主 义者为了达自己的目的， 对古代历史和文通常不是 过分地理想它们，就是 以扭曲。我们珍视的那些奥 林匹克理想比如业余原则、 健全的精神寓于健全的身 体、甚至被作为奥林匹克信 条的重在参与等，可能都不 是古代历史的真实反映。更 者，21 世纪，奥林匹克运 走向多元文主义，似乎更