The Olympic motto and creed

奥林匹克格言，亦称奥林匹克座右铭或口号，系奥林匹克运动宗旨之一。奥林匹克格言是：“更快、更高、更强”。它是国际奥委会对所有参与奥林匹克运动的人们的号召，号召他们本着奥林匹克的精神奋力向上。这句格言是顾拜旦的一位密友迪东于1895年在其学生举行的一次户外活动上提出的，顾拜旦对此颇为赞赏，经他提议，1913年获国际奥委会正式批准，将其定为奥林匹克格言。1920年它又成为奥林匹克标志的一部分。

A friend of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, Father Henri Martin Didon, of the Dominican order, was principal of the Arcueil College, near Paris. An energetic teacher, he used the discipline of sport as a powerful educational tool.

One day, following an inter-schools athletics meeting, he ended his speech with fine oratorical vigour, quoting the three words "Citius, Altius, Fortius" (faster, higher, stronger).

Struck by the succinctness of this phrase, Baron Pierre de Coubertin made it the Olympic motto, pointing out that "Athletes need 'freedom of excess'. That is why we gave them this motto ?a motto for people who dare to try to break records."

This phrase, "Citius, Altius, Fortius" is the Olympic Motto.

The Olympic Game is the international arena viewed by millions where the athlete's spirit, mind and body endeavour to excel and achieve the higher standard than the presently existing ones; thus fulfilling the Olympic Motto.

THE OLYMPIC CREED

奥林匹克运动还有一句广为流传的名言信条：“重要的是参与，而不是取胜”。这句名言来源于1908年在伦敦的圣-保罗大教堂一次宗教仪式上宾夕法尼亚主教的一段讲话。顾拜旦解释说：“正如在生活中最重要的事情不是胜利，而是斗争，不是征服，而是奋力拼搏”。

Pierre de Coubertin got the idea for this phrase from a speech given by Bishop Ethelbert Talbot at a service for Olympic champions during the 1908 Olympic Games. The Olympic Creed reads:

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

The creed and motto are meant to spur the athletes to embrace the Olympic spirit and perform to the best of their abilities.