2007年VOA标准英语-Beijing 2008 Olympic Tickets Go on Sale

By Daniel Schearf
Beijing
15 April 2007

Beijing 2008 olympics logo

Tickets for the Beijing 2008 Olympics went on sale today to Chinese citizens at prices ranging from $4 to $650, with features to prevent fraud and ticket touting¹. Beijing's Olympic Committee officials say the price range means the majority of Chinese can afford to attend the games. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.

The Beijing Olympic Committee on Sunday announced more than seven million tickets are on sale for the 2008 games. The tickets will be offered in three phases, the first starting today.

Tickets can be purchased online or over the phone with a credit card and, in China, at Bank of China branches. Each ticket will have a digital chip that identifies the purchaser to prevent re-selling the much sought after tickets and to help identify counterfeits².

Officials said block ticket sales would be limited to corporate³ sponsors and youth groups while individuals could purchase only one ticket each for lead events, such as the opening ceremony, and only a few for less popular events.

Wang Wei

Wang Wei, the executive vice⁴ president of the Beijing Olympic Committee, told journalists in a live broadcast Sunday that the system would ensure fair distribution.

"[We will] respect international practice and in line with Olympic operation standards and China's situation, have fair and just, open and transparent⁵ ticket sales," said Wang.

Concerns had been raised that ordinary Chinese would not have access to or be able to afford the Olympics. Most Chinese live in the countryside where average annual incomes are around $463, less than a third of what city dwellers⁶ earn.

Wang says the range of ticket prices is reasonable and acceptable for the majority of Chinese.

"The biggest challenge is satisfying the vast public's desire to attend the Olympics," he added. "This is the Beijing Olympic Committee's ticket servicing principle and objective."

Olympic Committee officials say 75 percent of tickets will be set aside for Chinese sports fans and 25 percent for other nationalities. If an event were over-booked, random⁷ computerized booking would allocate⁸ tickets.

Distribution of tickets in countries outside China is the responsibility of National Olympics Committees.

Organizers are expecting to earn about $140 million from ticket sales, a fraction of the billions of dollars being spent by Beijing on hosting the Games.

1 touting   

v.兜售( tout的现在分词 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• He's been touting his novel around publishers for years. 他几年来一直到处找出版商兜售自己的小说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Technology industry leaders are touting cars as a hot area for growth. 科技产业领袖吹捧为增长热点地区的汽车。 来自互联网

2 counterfeits   

v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Objects and people looked like counterfeits of themselves. 各种人和事好象都给自己披上了伪装。 来自辞典例句
• We have seen many counterfeits, but we are born believers in great men. 我们见过许多骗子，但是我们天生信赖伟人。 来自辞典例句

3 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

6 dwellers   

n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes. 城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They have transformed themselves into permanent city dwellers. 他们已成为永久的城市居民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

8 allocate   

vt.分配，分派；把…拨给；把…划归

参考例句：

• You must allocate the money carefully.你们必须谨慎地分配钱。
• They will allocate fund for housing.他们将拨出经费建房。