2015年CRI 波茨坦公告70周年纪念日

 

This July marks the 70th anniversary of the Potsdam Proclamation, a document issued by China, the United States and Britain on July 26, 1945 in demand of Japan's unconditional¹ surrender in WWII.

In issuing the statement, the three nations put out an ultimatum², stating that if Japan did not surrender, it would "face prompt and utter destruction."

Dennis Roy, senior fellow at the East-West Center in the United States, notes the Japanese government chose to ignore the statement at its own peril³.

"The Japanese government could have taken the opportunity in late July to end the war and prevented the atomic bombings in August which soon followed. But instead, the Japanese government passed up on the opportunity. United States government is often blamed for dropping the bombs, but the Japanese government deserves equal if not greater blame for not heeding⁴ the Potsdam Declaration when they had the opportunity."

But beyond calling for an immediate⁵ end to the war, the Potsdam Declaration also outlined a series of steps Japan would have to take to bring itself out of the war safely.

These included provisions which would allow Japan to maintain industries and international trade, as long as the proceeds of which weren't used to re-arm later.

This provision of the Potsdam Proclamation eventually became part of the blueprint⁶ for Japan's pacifist constitution.

Ly Yaodong, Japanese studies researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's attempt to change the country's defense⁷ policies flies in the face of the spirit of the Potsdam Declaration.

"Japan accepting the Potsdam Proclamation and surrendering at the allies' discretion⁸ marked the end of the anti-fascism war. It also meant that Japan had to abide⁹ by the items in both the Potsdam and Cairo Declarations to help build post-war international order."

Victor Pavlyatenko, a Japanese researcher with the Russian Academy of Sciences, suggests countries occupied or hurt by Japanese forces during the war need to speak out against what's happening right now in Japan.

"The series of moves made by Abe's cabinet have violated major postwar international laws, including main principles of the Potsdam Proclamation. And all those countries which had been hurt by Japanese militarism in the 1940s should now stand together to defend the post-WWII order."

Despite originally ignoring the Potsdam Proclamation, Japan did eventually announce its surrender on August 15th, and formally signed the articles of peace based on the Potsdam Proclamation on September 2nd, 1945.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

1 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。

2 ultimatum   

n.最后通牒

参考例句：

• This time the proposal was couched as an ultimatum.这一次该提议是以最后通牒的形式提出来的。
• The cabinet met today to discuss how to respond to the ultimatum.内阁今天开会商量如何应对这道最后通牒。

3 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

4 heeding   

v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• This come of heeding people who say one thing and mean another! 有些人嘴里一回事，心里又是一回事，今天这个下场都是听信了这种人的话的结果。 来自辞典例句
• Her dwarfish spouse still smoked his cigar and drank his rum without heeding her. 她那矮老公还在吸他的雪茄，喝他的蔗酒，睬也不睬她。 来自辞典例句

5 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 blueprint   

n.蓝图，设计图，计划；vt.制成蓝图，计划

参考例句：

• All the machine parts on a blueprint must answer each other.设计图上所有的机器部件都应互相配合。
• The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device.文件内附有一张核装置的设计蓝图。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

9 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。