亨利•基辛格：既是学者、政治家，也是奥运会粉丝

    1936年，夏季奥运会在德国柏林召开。非洲裔美国人杰西•欧文斯以四块田径金牌统治了那一届的奥运会，阿道夫•希特勒在观看比赛时表现得神情沮丧，因为这颠覆了这位独裁者有关雅利安民族是高等民族的论调。当时年仅13岁的亨利•基辛格居住在巴伐利亚州，对奥运会痴迷有加，也对纳粹党人在世界目光聚焦德国时的表现感到吃惊。这位美国前国务卿，现任美国奥运基金会（U.S. Olympic Foundation）成员的老人，在接受《财富》杂志（Fortune ）采访时，向我们讲述了他长期以来支持奥运会的原因。

您会去伦敦观看奥运会吗？

    是的，我会带我的孙子一起去。

您最想观看哪些运动项目？

    我的一个孙子现在9岁，是个篮球迷，所以我会观看多场篮球比赛。另外，我还会观看跳水比赛。

1936年奥运会时的情况是怎样的？

    1933年，纳粹党上台执政，对犹太人的迫害和隔离随即开始，而且不断升级。但是，在奥运会开幕前的数月中，这种残害行动明显放缓，直至奥运会结束前都是如此。希特勒希望外界认为德国是正常的政体。

    不要认为希特勒在当时会觉得他的所作所为是错的，也不要以为奥运会以某种方式改变了纳粹。他们只是觉得，能够得到这么多的关注，证明了他们的强大。

你认为奥运会主办国仍然能够吸引世人的高度关注吗？

    当然。在奥运会开幕前的数月中以及奥运会举办期间，全世界的媒体都会聚焦奥运会主办国。

    很显然，主办国政府希望在奥运会期间向世人展现最好的一面。另外，虽然我不清楚具体细节，但是在北京奥运会之前，确实存在中国与奥林匹克运动的讨论。当然，中国工作非常努力，给世界留下了好的印象。

格雷格•洛加尼斯在韩国首尔奥运会跳水比赛中头部受到撞击，对我这一代人来说，这是无法磨灭的记忆。我认识的每一个人都目睹了这一时刻，并且深受他的鼓舞。

    是的，每个人都目睹了这一时刻。确实如此。

    （译者：乔树静/汪皓）

    In 1936, Adolf Hitler watched with dismay as African-American track star Jesse Owens won four gold medals, dominated the Summer Olympics in Berlin, and undermined the Fuhrer's edict that the Aryan race was the supreme race. Henry Kissinger, at the time a 13-year-old boy living in Bavaria, was enthralled by the events and amazed at how the Nazis behaved when the eyes of the world were on Germany. Now a member of the U.S. Olympic Foundation, the former secretary of state spoke with Fortune about why he is a longtime supporter of the games.

Are you going to London?

    Yes, and I'm taking my grandchildren with me.

What are your favorite events?

    One of my grandsons, who is 9, is a basketball fanatic, so I will see many basketball games. I'll also see diving.

What was it like to live through the '36 Olympics?

    The Nazis came to power in 1933, and the persecution and segregation of Jews started almost immediately. Gradually, it escalated. But it slackened off noticeably in the months before the games and continued to ease off until the Olympics were over. Hitler wanted Germany to seem a normal government in the eyes of the outside world.

    Now don't create the impression that Hitler for one second thought that what he had done was wrong, or that the Olympics in any way changed the Nazis. But it was powerful for them to be watched.

Do you think that the heightened attention that is brought to bear on the host country is still that compelling?

    Of course. The media of the whole world focuses on a particular country where the games are taking place, for several months before and while the events happen.

    So obviously governments want to put their best face forward during the Olympics. And, while I don't know the details, there were discussions between China and the Olympic movement before the Beijing Games. Certainly China worked very hard to make a good impression going into the Olympics.

For my generation, Greg Louganis winning a gold medal after hitting his head during a dive at the Seoul games is an indelible memory. Everyone I know watched that happen. And we were so inspired by him.

    Exactly. Everyone watches. And that is exactly the point.