Yet back home, it is in fact all about the winning. China has perfected a blend of Soviet-style training and market incentives for athletes. Scouts fan across the country to measure children's bones and assign them to sports based on their anticipated height. If they survive the country's sports schools, they can earn up to Rmb1m ($150,000) for an Olympic gold. In the case of Ye Shiwen, the 16-year-old who set a world record in the swimming 400m medley on Saturday, her career began when her kindergarten teacher noticed she had large hands.

然而，在中国国内，事实上一切围绕着"赢"这个目标进行。中国将苏联模式的训练与市场激励完美地结合在一起。选拔者们在全国各地测量孩子们的骨骼，并根据他们的预期身高安排他们专攻的体育项目。如果他们在体校脱颖而出，他们获得一枚奥运金牌就能获得至多100万元人民币（合15万美元）的奖励。就叶诗文而言，这位上周六在女子400米个人混合泳比赛中打破世界记录的16岁女孩，她的职业生涯始于幼儿园老师发现她的手大之后。

The tug-of-war between humility and pride was on display in the way Chinese media talked about the opening ceremony. Some commended London for giving its show a more human touch than Beijing's bombast. But others could not conceal a pride verging on arrogance. "The fireworks and mass acrobatics of Beijing delivered a clear message: China's time has come," declared the Legal Evening News, a popular newspaper. And what message did it take from London's ceremony? "This is not a rising city. It is in decline."

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