美国国家公共电台 NPR 特朗普出席美国阵亡将士纪念活动

 

AZUZ: Next today, Monday was a day of remembrance in the U.S. The Memorial Day holiday honors those who died while serving in the nation's conflicts.

The tradition began during the U.S. civil war. It was originally known as Decoration Day because it's when mourners decorated the graves of those who've been killed. After World War I, the name was changed to Memorial Day. And now, on the last Monday in May, it's marked with parades, public events, speeches and church services nationwide.

As part of the tradition, the U.S. president lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery².

DONALD TRUMP³, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We only hope that every day, we can prove worthy⁴, not only of their sacrifice and service, but of the sacrifice made by the families and loved ones they left behind.

AZUZ: And at an event benefitting veterans and first responders, Vice¹ President Mike Pence summed up the holiday by saying: their duty was to serve, our duty is to remember.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: We come every Memorial Day when we can, and we thank Arlington for letting CNN be here and bring you these images. This is the place where so many of those fallen on the battlefield since 9/11 have come to their final resting place, 890 souls killed in action since the 9/11 attacks buried here.

The passage of time, the years, is quite remarkable⁵. The latest who have fallen on the battlefield is just 22 years old. So, back on 9/11, very small children on that day.

Here today, we see what we have seen every year we have been here. Families, parents, grandparents, small children, battle bodies, they come, they pause, they pay their respects. And, of course, this is going on at cemeteries⁶ in towns and cities all across this country today as people remember those who served.

It is here though that it becomes a national moment, so many of those who are buried fell in places that become part of national conversation, places like Fallujah, Ramadi, Diyala Province in Iraq. In Afghanistan, places like Kandahar, and if you'll permit me, a special shoutout to some of those how fought in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan. They're good buddies⁷.

So, this is a very special place. It's very meaningful. We have seen the same families in some cases year after year. We've watched their children grow up. Many of them have come up to me this morning for a bit of a chat.

What these families want is what military families want across this country. They just want to make sure they are never forgotten.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

4 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

5 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

6 cemeteries   

n.（非教堂的）墓地，公墓( cemetery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It's morbid to dwell on cemeteries and such like. 不厌其烦地谈论墓地以及诸如此类的事是一种病态。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In other districts the proximity of cemeteries seemed to aggravate the disease. 在其它地区里，邻近墓地的地方，时疫大概都要严重些。 来自辞典例句

7 buddies   

n.密友( buddy的名词复数 )；同伴；弟兄；（用于称呼男子，常带怒气）家伙v.（如密友、战友、伙伴、弟兄般）交往( buddy的第三人称单数 )；做朋友；亲近（…）；伴护艾滋病人

参考例句：

• We became great buddies. 我们成了非常好的朋友。 来自辞典例句
• The two of them have become great buddies. 他们俩成了要好的朋友。 来自辞典例句