By Mike Finger, Columnist | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-07-24 15:40:30
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
2024 年 7 月 24 日，法国巴黎，一名男子走过巴黎夏乐宫体育馆外的奥林匹克五环标志，这里将是 2024 年夏季奥运会羽毛球比赛场地。（美联社照片/Dita Alangkara）
巴黎——在香榭丽舍大道一家快餐店的玻璃窗上，一位标志性的圣安东尼奥马刺队球员的人形立牌用双手指着蓝白红相间的汉堡包。托尼·帕克(Tony Parker)睁大眼睛，恳求行人从两旁绿树成荫的明信片大道走进来，为这条爱国主义动脉添堵。
就在街区的下方，在一个摆满了 2024 年巴黎奥运会官方商品的快闪店旁边，一群群游客伸出手臂，手里拿着手机，试图与比他们想象中大得多的凯旋门合影留念。
冲金通讯： 《快报》为您提供最佳奥运报道，直接发送至您的收件箱
体育、历史和商业融为一体，就像奥运会一直以来的样子。在东京空荡荡的体育场和寂静的街道三年之后，这又一次表明夏季奥运会已经恢复正常。
至于在这条人行道上以及在埃菲尔铁塔附近每条街道上都能看到的那些身穿制服、手持手枪和长步枪的军人呢？
他们是持续不断的提醒，即使是“正常”也并非没有风险。
是的，人们回到了奥运会。但由于这带来的危险，警察也回来了，而且数量庞大。据美联社报道，在本周五开幕式正式开始的奥运会期间，将有多达 7.5 万名警察、宪兵和士兵组成的部队，这是自二战以来巴黎最大的军营。
这就是法国人试图兑现组委会主席托尼·埃斯坦盖(Tony Estanguet)去年的预测，他宣称巴黎将成为奥运会期间“世界上最安全的地方”。由于乌克兰和加沙的战争，以及恐怖袭击的持续威胁，安全挑战显而易见。
2024 年 7 月 24 日，法国巴黎：在 2024 年巴黎奥运会王子公园球场举行的男子 D 组马里对阵以色列的比赛前，武装警察在球场外搜查球迷。（照片来源：Catherine Ivill/Getty Images）
在雄心勃勃的开幕式之前的几天里——开幕式将不在体育场内举行，而是在塞纳河上举行一场绵延两英里的水上巡游——应对措施无处不在。
2021 年，东京不需要路障和大规模巡逻。由于疫情，唯一获准进入日本参加夏季奥运会的访客是运动员、教练、辅助人员和记者，而且所有人的活动都仅限于官方场地和他们的房间。
没有拥挤的人群需要疏导。
没有人在城市街道上随意漫步。
几乎没有任何社交活动，即使在奥运村也是如此。正如美国游泳运动员尼克·芬克(Nic Fink)周三指出的那样，在东京，任何一名运动员最不想做的事情就是在比赛当天被检测出新冠病毒阳性，所以即使是为数不多的个人互动也没有得到鼓励。
“这有点像‘陌生人危险’，”芬克说。
现在，巴黎组织者担心的是另一种威胁，这在本周为开幕式做准备时尤为明显。横跨塞纳河的桥梁通常挤满了游客，但现在已被封锁，除了那些申请并收到显示政府批准的二维码的少数人外，其他人都无法进入。
总共有超过 4 万个路障被放置在街道和人行道上。这给那些想去埃菲尔铁塔和巴黎圣母院等景点参观的游客带来了麻烦，他们不得不反复地掉头，尝试不同的路线。
尽管如此，没有人愿意为了重返 2021 年东京的空荡街道而放弃绕行。接下来的几周将是对奥运会和巴黎的巨大考验，不仅在于他们如何保障人们的安全，还在于他们如何抵制滥用手中的工具来实现这一目标。
但难怪他们如此努力地想要通过这场考验。人群的欢呼声值得他们这样做。赛后爸爸妈妈的拥抱值得他们这样做。充满盛大活动氛围的街道值得他们这样做。
当体育、历史和商业再次融合在一起时呢？
常态将回归。
随之而来的一切也将回归。
2024 年 7 月 24 日，法国巴黎：在 2024 年巴黎奥运会法兰西体育场举行的男子七人制橄榄球 B 组阿根廷对阵萨摩亚的比赛中，观众表达了他们的支持。（照片来源：Julian Finney/Getty Images）
2024 年 7 月 24 日，法国巴黎，2024 年夏季奥运会期间，在王子公园球场举行的以色列对阵马里的男子 D 组比赛前，安保人员站在体育场附近。（美联社照片/Aurelien Morissard）
2024 年 7 月 24 日，法国巴黎，2024 年夏季奥运会期间，在王子公园球场举行的以色列对阵马里的男子 D 组比赛前，观众在体育场外等候。（美联社照片/Aurelien Morissard）
2024 年 7 月 24 日，法国马赛，2024 年夏季奥运会期间，在男子 A 组法国对阵美国的足球比赛开始前，奥林匹克五环标志透过悬挂在维洛德罗姆体育场的一面旗帜。（美联社照片/Daniel Cole）
2024 年 7 月 24 日，法国马赛：在美国队球迷享受赛前气氛的同时，他们在看台上表达了对球队的支持，期待着 2024 年巴黎奥运会男子 A 组法国对阵美国的比赛在马赛体育场举行。（照片来源：Alex Livesey/Getty Images）
点击查看原文：At Paris Olympics, return to normal not without its risks
At Paris Olympics, return to normal not without its risks
A man walks past the Olympic rings set up outside the Porte de la Chapelle Arena, the venue for badminton at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
PARIS — From the pane glass window of a fast-food restaurant on the Champs-Élysées, a life-size cutout of an iconic San Antonio Spur points with both index fingers to blue, white and red hamburger buns. With wide eyes, Tony Parker implores pedestrians to step in from the postcard tree-lined avenue and clog a patriotic artery.
Just down the block, next to a pop-up stand filled with official Paris 2024 merchandise, gaggles of tourists stretch their arms, cell phones in hand, trying to capture perfect selfies with the way-bigger-than-they-thought Arc de Triomphe.
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It’s sports, history and commerce all jumbled together, just like the Olympics long have been. Three years after the empty stadiums and quiet streets of Tokyo, it’s another sign that the Summer Games have returned to normal.
As for all of the uniformed men carrying sidearms and long rifles, on this sidewalk and on every other street within squinting distance of the Eiffel Tower?
They’re a constant reminder that even “normal” does not come without its risks.
Yes, the people are back at the Olympics. But because of the danger that brings, the police are back, too, and in massive numbers. For the Games, which formally begin with opening ceremony Friday, there is a force of up to 75,000 police, gendarmes and soldiers who, the Associated Press reported, comprise the largest military camp in Paris since World War II.
This is how the French are trying to live up to the prediction of organizing committee head Tony Estanguet, who declared last year that Paris would be “the safest place in the world” during the Summer Games. With wars in Ukraine and Gaza, along with the ever-present threat of terrorist attacks, the security challenges are obvious.
PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 24: Armed police search fans outside the stadium prior to the Men’s group D match between Mali and Israel during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Parc des Princes on July 24, 2024 in Paris, France.
And in the days leading up to an ambitious opening ceremony — to be held not within a stadium but with an open river parade covering two miles of the Seine — the countermeasures have been inescapable.
In 2021, Tokyo didn’t need barricades and massive patrols. Due to the pandemic, the only visitors allowed to enter Japan for those Summer Games were athletes, coaches, support staff and journalists, and all had their movements restricted to official venues and their rooms.
There were no crowds to navigate.
There were no casual strolls down city streets.
There was very little mingling at all, even in the athletes’ village. As U.S. swimmer Nic Fink noted Wednesday, the last thing any competitor wanted in Tokyo was to come that far and test positive for COVID-19 the day of a race, so even the few personal interactions that were possible weren’t exactly encouraged.
“It was kind of ‘stranger danger,’” Fink said.
Now it’s a different kind of threat that concerns Paris organizers, and it’s been especially evident this week in preparation for the opening ceremony. Bridges spanning the Seine, normally packed with tourists, have been blocked off and inaccessible except to those few who applied for and received QR codes showing government approval.
In total, more than 40,000 barricades have been placed on streets and sidewalks. It’s caused headaches and weary legs for tourists trying to get to sites such as the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame cathedral while repeatedly being told to turn around and try a different route.
Still, nobody would trade the detours for a return to the ghost streets of Tokyo in 2021. The next couple of weeks will be a huge test for the Olympics and for Paris, both in how they keep people safe and also in how they resist abusing the tools at their disposal to do so.
But it’s no wonder they’re trying so hard to pass that test. The roar of the crowd is worth it. Post-race hugs from moms and dads are worth it. Streets buzzing with big-event vibes are worth it.
And when sports, history and commerce jumble together again?
Normal will be back.
So will everything that comes with it.
PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 24: Spectators show their support during the Men’s Rugby Sevens Pool B Group match between Argentina and Samoa on Day -2 of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on July 24, 2024 in Paris, France.
Security stand near the stadium ahead of the men’s group D match between Israel and Mali at the Parc des Princes during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)
Spectators wait outside the stadium ahead of the men’s group D match between Israel and Mali at the Parc des Princes during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)
The Olympic rings are pictured through a flag hanging in the Velodrome stadium before the start of the men’s Group A soccer match between France and the United States during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
MARSEILLE, FRANCE - JULY 24: Fans of Team United States sow their support in the stands as they enjoy the pre match atmosphere prior to the Men’s group A match between France and United States during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de Marseille on July 24, 2024 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
By Mike Finger, Columnist, via San Antonio Express-News