a little late, tibet's senior officials entered the square and headed to a specially built podium, walking slowly and acknowledging the polite applause of other officials.
一会儿,西藏政府高级官员们走进了广场,慢慢走向临时搭建的高台,边走边向其他拍手欢迎的官员致意。
polite applause for foreign competitors occasionally degenerated into boos or, just as bad, half-empty stadiums —this despite vows that all olympic tickets had been sold.