2月28日，2020年東京奧運會和殘奧會吉祥物評選結果正式出爐，東京奧組委對外公布了結果，兩個配有奧運會會徽的可愛機器人最終勝出。

One has an athletic figure and a strong sense of justice. The other is a cherry blossom-inspired superhero.
一個體型健壯，且充滿正義感，另一個靈感來自櫻花，是個超級英雄。

Meet the new Olympic and Paralympic mascots that the Tokyo 2020 organisers hope will whip up enthusiasm for the Games – and drive merchandise sales.
來看看2020年東京奧運會和殘奧會的吉祥物，東京奧運會主辦方希望它們能激起人們對奧運會的熱情，當然還希望能帶動商品銷售。

All up, 2,042 individuals and groups submitted designs that they hoped would capture the public’s affection. Experts whittled the list down to three design pairs, which were then opened up for voting by millions of school students across Japan.
總共有2042個個人和機構提交了吉祥物設計作品，希望能在評選中勝出。專家們從中選出三組設計，面向日本數百萬名小學生公開投票。

入選的三組作品，分別是配有奧運會會徽圖案的機器人（A），被視為神明使者的狐貍和石獅子（B），以及經常出現在日本民間故事里的狐貍和貍子（C）。

Nearly 600 cheering schoolchildren attended a ceremony in Tokyo’s Shinagawa ward on Wednesday to hear the results of that vote. The winning Olympic and Paralympic mascots have not yet been given names, but they are said to “respect each other” and are “very good friends”.
近600名興高采烈的小學生參加了周三（2月28日）在東京品川區舉行的奧運會吉祥物揭曉儀式，等待投票結果。勝出的奧運會和殘奧會吉祥物還沒有取名，但據說它們“相互尊重，是好朋友”。

據官方解釋，奧運會吉祥物有著運動健將的體魄和公平公正的態度：

“能夠溫故知新、將傳統和近未來合而為一的角色。既珍視傳統又時刻把握最新信息。正義感爆棚，運動神經超群，在任何地點都能瞬間移動。誕生自傳統的市松紋和近未來的世界觀。”

With a futuristic blue and white chequered pattern, the Olympic mascot is described as having a special power allowing it to move anywhere instantaneously. “The mascot has a strong sense of justice and is very athletic,” the biographical notes said.
奧運會吉祥物藍白相間，帶有未來主義色彩，據稱有在任何地點都能瞬間移動的超能力。官方解釋稱其“正義感爆棚，運動神經超群”。

殘奧會吉祥物受到櫻花啟發而創作：

“擁有櫻花觸角和超能力的超酷角色。平時很文靜，緊要關頭能量爆棚。信念堅定，熱愛大自然，能跟石頭和風對話，用眼睛移動物體。”

The Paralympic mascot features a pink and white design inspired by cherry blossom flowers, and it can apparently move things just by looking at them. “It has a dignified inner strength and a kind heart that loves nature,” according to the description.
而殘奧會吉祥物受到櫻花啟發設計而成，以粉白相間的設計為特征，據稱能用眼睛移動物體。官方解釋稱其“信念堅定，心地善良，熱愛大自然”。

The winning designer, Ryo Taniguchi, is an illustrator from Fukuoka in southern Japan. “I’m just so spaced out at the moment,” he said when the decision was announced. “I just want to tell my beloved wife that I’ve been chosen.”
此次勝出的吉祥物設計師谷口良是來自日本南部城市福岡的插畫師。他在結果公布時說：“聽到這個消息，我大腦一片空白。我只想告訴我心愛的妻子，我被選上了。”

The selection of mascots had attracted wide publicity across Japan. Some 200,000 classes at 16,000 schools took part in selection process.
奧運吉祥物投票吸引了全日本的廣泛關注。1.6萬所小學的大約20萬個班級的學生參與了投票。

Mascots are big business in Japan, with many towns and companies trying to come up with distinctive design to promote their region or product.
吉祥物在日本是門大生意，很多城鎮和公司試圖想出獨特的設計來進行地方或產品推廣。

Staffers wearing big cuddly costumes often turn up at trade and food festivals to meet and greet visitors – and hand out business cards. The best-known mascots can drive sales. Sales of food and toy products bearing the image of Kumamon, ubiquitous black bear from Kumamoto region, hit a record 128 billion yen in 2016.
在貿易和食品節上，經常有員工身穿大大的逗人喜愛的服裝迎來送往，并分發名片。一些最有名的吉祥物還能帶動銷量。吉祥物熊本熊在熊本縣隨處可見，而帶有熊本熊畫像的食品和玩具產品在2016年銷售額達到創紀錄的1280億日元（約合76億元人民幣）。

The organisers presumably hope that the mascots will have a more successful reception than original Tokyo 2020 logo unveiled in 2015. The design had to be replaced after accusations of plagiarism.
主辦方希望比起2015年公布的東京奧運會會徽，奧運會吉祥物的受歡迎程度會更高。東京奧運會會徽曾因抄襲丑聞而被替換。

英文來源：衛報
翻譯&編審：yaning