韩朝迎接“和平奥运”

As South Korea was preparing for the Winter Olympics, officials in Seoul must have been experiencing a measure of satisfaction.

韩国准备举行冬季奥运会之际，首尔的官员们近来肯定感到一定程度的满意。

Only weeks ago, the games in Pyeongchang risked careering off-piste as provocations from North Korea threatened to disrupt the safety and success of the global sporting tournament.

就在几周前，平昌冬奥会还面临乱套的风险，因为来自朝鲜的挑衅可能破坏这场全球体育盛会的安全和成功。

But in a remarkable turnround in relations, the two Koreas — adversaries for more than 70 years — have found common ground just in time for the games.

但是，自那以来韩朝关系发生了明显转折，互为对手已有70多年的两国刚好在冬奥会之前找到共同语言。

In addition to a joint women’s ice hockey team and a host of cultural exchanges, the two sides were due to march together in the opening ceremony today under a “unification flag”.

除了组建联合女子冰球队和进行多项文化交流活动以外，双方还将在今日的冬奥会开幕式上在“统一旗”下一起进场。

The developments are almost certain to ensure the safety of the event, which will be the largest Winter Olympics on record with almost 2,000 athletes competing for more than 100 gold medals. Yet questions abound about how long the detente can last.

这些事态几乎肯定足以确保本届冬奥会的安全，这将是有史以来规模最大的冬季奥运会，有近2000名运动员争夺超过100枚金牌。然而，对于这段缓和期能持续多久，仍有许多问号。

“Even at the end of last year, many were concerned over the North’s possible provocations during the Olympics, but that element has now disappeared,” said Park Jin-kyung at Catholic Kwandong University.

“即使在去年底，很多人都担心北韩可能在奥运会期间有挑衅行为，但是现在这个因素已经消失了，”加图立关东大学(Catholic Kwandong University)的Park Jin-kyung表示。

“The risk factors have gone. If this amicable atmosphere continues, and South Korean athletes perform well, we’ll see a surge in positive sentiment,” Mr Park added. “The problem, however, lies in whether the North’s attitude will change after the games.”

“风险因素已经消失。如果这种友好的气氛持续下去，而韩国运动员表现良好，我们将看到积极情绪高涨，”Park Jin-kyung补充说。“然而问题在于北韩的态度在赛后会否改变。”

The Seoul city government expects the number of tourists to spike by more than 350,000 during the period of the Olympics and Paralympics, which run until the middle of March.

首尔市政府预计，在本届冬季奥运会和残奥会期间，游客数量将激增35万人以上。残奥会要到3月中旬才闭幕。

Presiding over the opening will be South Korea president Moon Jae-in, who is betting that a so-called peace Olympics featuring North Korea can pave the way for deepening diplomatic engagement on the Korean peninsula.

韩国总统文在寅(Moon Jae-in)将主持本届冬奥会开幕式，他寄望有朝鲜参与的所谓“和平奥运”可以为深化朝鲜半岛的外交接触铺平道路。

Yesterday, Pyongyang staged a military parade featuring its arsenal of ballistic missiles as well as tanks and artillery to celebrate the anniversary of the foundation of its army.

平壤昨日举行阅兵式，展示弹道导弹、坦克和大炮等武器，以庆祝人民军建军日。

Unlike previous displays, the procession was not broadcast live — a move that analysts believe was aimed at keeping the event low profile. The parade also featured a reduced line-up of weaponry compared with previous years.

与以往的武力炫耀不同，此次阅兵式没有直播;分析人士认为，这是为了保持低调。与往年相比，阅兵式展示的武器装备也有所减少。

More significantly, Pyongyang is sending Kim Jo Yong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, to attend the games’ opening ceremony.

更具重大意义的是，平壤方面将派出领导人金正恩(Kim Jong Un)的妹妹金与正(Kim Jo Yong)出席冬奥会开幕式。

Ms Kim was due to travel to the South today, bolstering a North Korean charm offensive that includes hundreds of athletes, musicians and cheerleaders.

金与正今日将前往韩国，支持朝鲜由数百名运动员、音乐家和拉拉队队员发起的魅力攻势。

With matching uniforms and highly scripted performances, the artists have been a curious obsession for many South Korean media outlets.

统一制服、动作整齐划一的朝鲜艺术家，引发不少韩国媒体的好奇。

The presidential Blue House said Mr Moon would officially meet Ms Kim tomorrow. Her presence at the opening ceremony today, however, may create an awkward diplomatic situation.

韩国总统府青瓦台表示，文在寅明日将正式会晤金与正。然而，她出席今日开幕式可能会制造一个尴尬的外交局面。

As a top VIP, she is likely to be seated near the South Korean leader. Also nearby will be Mike Pence, US vice-president, who has threatened to use the games to call out Pyongyang’s belligerent behaviour and history of human rights abuses.

作为顶级贵宾，她可能会坐在韩国领导人附近。另一个在贵宾席入座的将是美国副总统迈克•彭斯(Mike Pence)，他已放话称，将利用本届冬奥会谴责平壤的好战行为和侵犯人权的历史。

Mr Pence has called Pyongyang’s participation a “charade” and this week announced the US would soon reveal tough new sanctions on the regime.

彭斯把平壤的参与称为“装模作样”，并已在本周宣布美国将很快对平壤政权施加严厉的新制裁。

Additional reporting by Kang Buseong Kang Buseong补充报道