据NHK报道，日本首相安倍晋三在周一上午的参议院预算委员会会议上表示，如果不能以完整的形式举办东京奥运会，将不得不考虑延期。
安倍表示，有权取消或推迟奥运会的是国际奥委会，在是否取消东京奥运会这一选项上，自己与国际奥委会想法一致。
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that postponing this summer's Tokyo Olympics was an option if the Games cannot be held in a "complete form" due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"If the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision means it becomes impossible to hold [the Olympics] in a 'complete form,' as I have previously said, then a decision may have to be made to postpone them," Abe said.
国际奥委会22日在官网发布公告称，因为新冠病毒引起的健康问题，国际奥委会将正式考虑进行东京奥运的“情景规划”，“情景”包括如期举行和推迟举行东京奥运。国际奥委会表示有信心在四周时间内完成关于这个问题的讨论并公布最终决定，并且强调：取消奥运会不在考虑范围内。
国际奥委会也承认，推迟奥运将面临奥运场馆空置、大批酒店订单取消等一系列挑战。
Abe's remarks to parliament came after the IOC on Sunday discussed stepping up its "scenario planning" for the Tokyo 2020 Games.
The IOC is considering a postponement of Tokyo 2020, and has given itself a deadline of four weeks to make a decision, according to an IOC statement on its official website.
"To safeguard the health of all involved and to contribute to the containment of COVID-19, the Executive Board (EB) of the IOC today (March 22) announced that the IOC will step up its scenario-planning for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020," read the statement.
"These scenarios relate to modifying existing operational plans for the Games to go ahead on 24 July 2020, and also for changes to the start date of the Games."
The IOC will start detailed discussions to complete its assessment of the rapid development of the worldwide health situation and its impact on the Olympic Games, including the scenario of postponement.
Also, IOC emphasized that "a cancellation of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 would not solve any of the problems or help anybody. Therefore, cancellation is not on the agenda."
IOC president's letter to athletes
同样在当地时间22日，国际奥委会主席巴赫向全世界的奥林匹克运动员发出了一封公开信。巴赫在信中解释了国际奥委会当前面临的困难并对运动员们的失望表示理解，同时也强调“生命高于一切，包括奥运会的举行”。
In a letter addressed to athletes on March 22, IOC President Thomas Bach tried to explain IOC's insistence in the past weeks to proceed as planned, saying moving the Games could not happen from one day to the next and many parts had to be looked at.
"Human lives take precedence over everything, including the staging of the Games. The IOC wants to be part of the solution. Therefore we have made it our leading principle to safeguard the health of everyone involved, and to contribute to containing the virus," Bach wrote.
"I think I can feel with those among you who consider the situation to be unsatisfactory," he added.
"I know that this unprecedented situation leaves many of your questions open. I also know this rational approach may not be in line with the emotions many of you have to go through.
"A decision about a postponement today could not determine a new date for the Olympic Games because of the uncertain developments in both directions: an improvement ... in a number of countries ... or a deteriorating situation in other countries."
Supportive of IOC's postponement plan
过往历史中，奥运会从未在和平时期延期或取消。但这一次，国际奥委会考虑推迟比赛的决定得到了包括国际田联、国际残疾人奥林匹克委员会（IPC）和几个主要国家奥林匹克委员会在内的利益相关者的支持。
The Olympics has never been postponed or cancelled during peacetime but the IOC's decision to even consider postponement was met with relief from several major stakeholders, including World Athletics, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and major national Olympic committees.cc
东京残奥会原定于今年8至9月在夏季奥运会之后举行，IPC日前表示，国际奥委会在目前的情况下做出了正确的决定。
"The next four weeks will provide time to see if the global health situation improves, while giving a window of opportunity to look into different scenarios should the dates of the Games need to be changed," IPC president Andrew Parsons said.
作为世界田径运动的全球管理机构，国际田联则表示愿意与国际奥委会和其他所有运动项目在另一日期合作。
"An Olympic Games in July this year is neither feasible nor desirable," World Athletics' president Sebastian Coe said in a letter to Bach requesting the Games be moved from July.
英国奥林匹克协会表示，他们对国际奥委会就推迟2020年东京奥运会的方案进行讨论的决定表示欢迎。
"However, we urge rapid decision-making for the sake of athletes who still face significant uncertainty," said Hugh Robertson, chairman of British Olympic Association.
"Restrictions now in place have removed the ability of athletes to compete on a level playing field and it simply does not seem appropriate to continue on the present course towards the Olympic Games in the current environment."
一贯对国际奥委会的观望态度表示支持的美国奥运和残奥委员会(USOPC)在最新表态中释出了不一样的态度。USOPC在声明中表示欢迎进一步的讨论，但这并不能解决不断增长的不确定性和运动员的焦虑。
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), which has been supportive of the IOC's wait and see position, expressed a different tone to the latest update saying in a statement it welcomed some clarity but did little to address growing uncertainty and athlete anxiety.
"The progress reflected in today's IOC update to the global athlete community is an important step in providing clarity, but our athlete community continues to face enormous ambiguity surrounding the 2020 Games in Tokyo," said USOPC chief executive Sarah Hirshland and USOPC athletes' advisory council chair Han Xiao in a joint statement.
"Having spent countless hours communicating with IOC leadership, our peers around the world, the athletes we serve, we know the difficult obstacles ahead and we are all appreciative that the IOC has heard our concerns and needs, and is working to address them as quickly as possible."
当地时间22日，加拿大奥委会和残奥委发布声明，表示加拿大将不会派出运动员参加今夏的东京奥运会。在加拿大的声明发出后不久，澳大利亚奥委会也发表了相似的声明，称鉴于国内外不断变化的（疫情）情势，澳大利亚代表队今年夏天“无法集结”参加奥运会。
Australian Olympic officials Monday said they want to prioritize the health of athletes amid the pandemic and "an Australian Team could not be assembled in the changing circumstances at home and abroad." Australian officials said "it was clear" that the Tokyo Games could not go ahead as scheduled and told its athletes to instead prepare for the event in 2021. The decision was announced shortly after Canada said it's not sending athletes to Tokyo Games, which is due to be held in July despite both the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government shifting their tones on the timing of the Games.
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