前天晚上，北京冬奥会正式落下帷幕。张艺谋导演设计的“折柳寄情”这一艺术场景引发了大批外媒关注。NBC还专门写了一篇科普：
The “Moment of Remembrance” is a very important part of the Olympic Games’ Closing Ceremony, and for this year, the theme “A Willow Twig” presents the segment with Chinese characteristics.
“缅怀时刻”是奥运会闭幕式的一个非常重要的环节，今年的这一环节则是以“折柳”为主题，极具中国特色。
Willow Twig柳枝
Twig: a small very thin branch that grows out of a larger branch on a bush or tree 细枝；小枝；嫩枝
the Olympic Games’ Closing Ceremony 奥运会闭幕式
这句话稍微有点长，我们看下意群吧：
The “Moment of Remembrance”（主语1） is（系动词） a very important part （表语）of the Olympic Games’ Closing Ceremony（后置定语）, and （并列连词）for this year（时间状语）, the theme “A Willow Twig”（主语2） presents （谓语）the segment（间接宾语） with Chinese characteristics（直接宾语）.
主干成分拎出来：
The “Moment of Remembrance” is a very important part and the theme “A Willow Twig” presents the segment with Chinese characteristics.
可以看出来present后面跟的是双宾。有些动词后面可跟两个宾语，一个间接宾语，一个直接宾语，这类动词称为双宾动词。比如：
She gave me a book．她给我一本书。
Bill offered her a sandwich．比尔给她一块二明治。
He left us some money．他给我们留了一些钱。
The bank loaned him ￡5,000． 银行贷给了他5000英镑
The willow twig is a part of the willow tree, and in Chinese, the character for the willow tree is a homophone of the character liu, which means asking a person to stay when bidding farewell. Thus it symbolizes the sorrow of separation.
柳枝是柳树的一部分，在汉语中，“柳”与“留”同音，含有告别时的挽留之意。因此，“柳”象征着分离的悲伤。
homophone /ˈhɒməfəʊn/ :( grammer 语法 ) a word that is pronounced like another word but has a different spelling or meaning, for example some , sum /sVm/ 同音异形词，同音异义词（读音相同，写法或意义不同）
Bid farewell告别: To “bid farewell” means to say goodbye to something or someone, either forever or for a long time.
Soon you'll be ready to bid farewell to numerous burdensome arrangements.不久你就可以跟数不清的重担说再见了。
it symbolizes the sorrow of separation象征着分离的悲伤
这句话直接抄下来吧。
Symbolize: V-T If one thing symbolizes another, it is used or regarded as a symbol of it. 象征
the sorrow of separation分离的悲伤
In ancient days, when two friends part, the traveling party will always receive a willow twig as a gift.
在中国古代，朋友分别时，远行的人总会收到一根柳枝作为礼物。
part此处是动词用法:[ V ] ~ (from sb) ( formal ) if a person parts from another person, or two people part , they leave each other 离开；分别
We parted at the airport. 我们在飞机场分手了。
The athletes were met with success, disappointments and historic memories, but now it is time to depart. For the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, it was only fitting that the willow twig would be incorporated into the ceremony as the athletes depart to their respective countries.
运动员们经历了成功、失望和具有历史意义的时刻，但现在是时候离开了。在北京冬奥会的闭幕式上，将柳枝融入到运动员告别仪式中是再合适不过的了。
“经历了....”除了experience, 也可以用被动式：be met with...
看下这句话的结构：
For the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics（状语）, it （形式主语）was （系动词）only fitting （表语）that the willow twig would be incorporated into the ceremony as the athletes depart to their respective countries（真正的主语）.
这里又看到一个语法知识：“形式主语”：
It 做形式主语：由于主语从句过长，为了避免头重脚轻，常常用it做形式主语，而把主语从句放在句末。
that the willow twig would be incorporated into the ceremony as the athletes depart to their respective countries. ——这部分才是这句话真正的主语。
如果按照正常的语序，把它放到句前，就会“头重脚轻”，所以把it拉过来先充个数，把真正的主语放到后面。
Incorporate: ~ sth (in/into/within sth) to include sth so that it forms a part of sth 将…包括在内；包含；吸收；使并入
Many of your suggestions have been incorporated in the plan. 你的很多建议已纳入计划中。
冬奥闭幕式上的“折柳寄情”，也让我想起许渊冲笔下的willow。
比如《诗经·采薇》(Homecoming after the War)。《采薇》是西周时期一位饱尝服役思归之苦的戍边战士在归途中所作的诗，诗中叙述了他转战边陲的艰苦生活，表达了他爱国恋家、忧时伤事的感情。诗中有一句：
“昔我往矣，杨柳依依。”
在《现代汉语规范词典》中，“依依”的两种含义都包含在了这句诗里：
形容轻柔地随风摆动，比如：依依芳草/垂柳依依。
形容依恋而不忍分离，比如：依依难舍故乡情/依依不舍/依依惜别。
在许渊冲的译文中，用了拟人的手法，杨柳似在拭泪，不舍离别：
When I left here,
Willows shed tear.
李白的《春夜洛城闻笛》中：
此夜曲中闻折柳，
何人不起故园情!
“折柳”这曲子是饱含着离别情的，所以许渊冲在翻译的时候，没有仅翻译“折柳”二字，将离别的含义也融入进去了：
Tonight I hear the farewell song of Willow Green.
To whom the tune will not nostalgic feeling bring?
还有李白的《劳劳亭》：
天下伤心处，劳劳送客亭。
春风知别苦，不遣柳条青。
There is no place that oftener breaks the heart
Than the pavilion seeing people part.
The wind of early spring knows parting grieves,
It will not green the roadside willow leaves.
许多宋词里也有柳的身影，比如王沂孙的《齐天乐·蝉》：
甚独抱清商，顿成凄楚。
谩想熏风，柳丝千万缕。
Why should it sing alone on high and pure
And suddenly appear so sad and dear?
Cant it forget the summer breeze
when waved thousands of twigs of willow trees?
张先《诉衷情》：
花不尽，月无穷。两心同。
此时愿作，杨柳千丝，绊惹春风。
Flowers will bloom again;
The moon with wax and wane.
Would our hearts be the same?
I’d turn the flame
Of my heart, string on string,
Into willow twigs to retain
The breeze of spring.
还有陈东甫《长相思》：
花深深，柳阴阴。
度柳穿花觅信音，君心负妾心。
Flowers in bloom,
And willows loom.
I pass through them to seek your letter fine,
But your heart belies me.
……
许多含有“柳”的诗词中都是充满了伤感的情思。
除了“柳”的“留”之意，也有外媒提到了张艺谋在“柳”这个元素上赋予的生命、希望和成长。比如英国体育网站Insidethegames写道：
"A Willow Twig" was the centre of the Moment of Remembrance section of the Ceremony, with it representing two friends parting and the struggles during the ongoing pandemic.
“折柳寄情”是闭幕式缅怀时刻的重头戏，代表着好友离别和抗疫的努力。
centre 可以是某节目的“重头戏”，此时取义是：[ Cusually sing. ] the point towards which people direct their attention 中心；聚集点
Children like to be the centre of attention . 小孩子喜欢引人注目。
The prime minister is at the centre of a political row over leaked Cabinet documents.首相成了内阁文件泄密而引起的一场政治风波的中心人物。
struggle这里是名词，可数的：[ C ] ~ (with sb) (for/against sth)~ (with sb) (to do sth)~ (between A and B) a hard fight in which people try to obtain or achieve sth, especially sth that sb else does not want them to have 斗争；奋斗；努力
He is engaged in a bitter struggle with his rival to get control of the company. 为取得对公司的控制权，他正同对手进行一场激烈的斗争。
She will not give up her children without a struggle. 她不会轻易放弃自己的孩子。
In its place was the return of spring, focusing on moving forward and the positives in a post-pandemic world.
随后，春回大地，表示向前发展以及后疫情时代下的积极心态。
In its place was the return of spring...这句话涉及到地点状语放句首的倒装，复习一下：
句首是地点状语，此时动词大多是表示走动或状态的不及物动词，比如come, walk, stand, sit, lie... 比如：
In the heart of the city are several big department stores linked by enclosed over-the-street crossings and underground walkways are in the heart of the city.被四周闭合的过街天桥和地下通道所连起来的几家大商场位于城市的中心。
Under the tree were some children. 树下有一些孩子。
On top of the hill stands a big pine tree. 山顶上耸立着一棵大松树。
*译文、笔记由知新共学外刊群笔记大大Zoe制作