从2004年11月11日起，第54届世界小姐大赛在海南岛火热登场，120个国家的佳丽们在风光旖旎的三亚掀起风情万种。据悉，本次赛事包括运动小姐、沙滩小姐、才艺小姐、时尚小姐等小组赛，最后的总决赛将于2月4日在三亚的“美丽之冠”举行。
外电报道如下：
The 2004 Miss World pageant got off to a sizzling start on Sunday with contestants from 120 countries.
The event started with the Beach Beauty final in which Miss United States, Nancy Randall, took the coveted laurels, fast-tracking her to the finals.
The girls paraded on the white sand in the Beach Beauty Final, which was held in Sanya, a picturesque tropical city in southern Chinese province of Hainan.
Laurel表示“月桂树，桂冠，殊荣”，例如：gain/reap/win one's laurels（赢得声望，获得冠军）；look to one's laurels（小心保持桂冠，警惕竞争对手）；rest/retire/repose on one's laurels（安于小成，吃老本，满足既得的荣誉）。
据悉，自1951年世界小姐组织机构成立以来，由其组织的"有目的的美丽"慈善活动已经为儿童慈善事业筹集了超过2.5亿美元。