VOA慢速英语--阵亡将士纪念日:阿灵顿国家公墓

Memorial Day: Arlington National Cemetery¹

Memorial Day is a national holiday observed in the United States on the last Monday in May. It is the day when Americans honor the women and men who have served in the military.

The Memorial Day holiday was first observed in 1868. The holiday was called Decoration Day. The observance was at what was then known as the National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

It is now known as Arlington National Cemetery.

More than four million people visit the cemetery every year.

It is the most famous national burial place in the United States. It includes about 250 hectares of rolling hills, and trees that were planted hundreds of years ago. There are more than 8,000 trees of 300 species in the cemetery. Up and down the hills are lines of simple white headstones marking the graves. About 400 of the markers have gold letters on them. These are the burial places of those who have been awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor.

Among those buried at the cemetery are military and political leaders, cabinet officers and Supreme² Court justices. Astronauts, explorers and athletes are also buried there. So are chaplains, nurses, slaves and even war correspondents.

Arlington is on the land that once belonged to George Washington Parke Custis, a step-grandson of George Washington. The cemetery holds the graves of soldiers who died in every war in American history. Some who fought and died in the Revolutionary War in the 1700s were moved there from a nearby cemetery.

The first military burial was on May 13, 1864 for Private William Christman, who died in the Civil War. On May 15, 1864, two unknown Union Soldiers were buried at Arlington. They were the first of almost 5,000 unknowns who are now buried at the cemetery. On March 4, 1921, Congress approved the burial of an unidentified American soldier from World War I. It is now the site of the famed Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Nearly 4,000 former slaves are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. One of them is James Parks. He dug the first graves in the cemetery. And he is the only person buried there who was also born on the property.

Two American presidents are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. William Howard Taft was president in the early 1900s. John F. Kennedy was president in the 1960s. More people have visited his grave than any other in the United States.

Other famous people buried at the cemetery include Joe Louis. He was an Army sergeant³ in World War II. He was a world champion boxer⁴. Robert E. Peary discovered the North Pole. Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee founded the Army Nurse Corps⁵. And the remains⁶ of the seven astronauts who died when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded are buried in Section 46.

Sixty-five foreigners are also buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Britain has the most, with 26. South Vietnam has 10, including nine unknown soldiers.

Not everyone who gave military service to the United States may be buried at the cemetery. Those who can be buried there include anyone who died while serving on active duty or who retired⁷ from military. Also eligible⁸ are those who received high military awards, including the Medal of Honor, those who were injured in combat and former prisoners of war. Some federal government officials and the spouse⁹ and children of those buried at Arlington may also be eligible. There is no cost for the burial or funeral service.

Cemetery officials are worried that they will soon run out of space. So they have added an area where the ashes of people who chose to be cremated¹⁰ rather than buried can be placed. There are tens of thousands of spaces in the building, which is called a columbarium. The cemetery is also expanding by almost 11 hectares. This will add almost 30,000 burial places.

Since 1948, on the Thursday before Memorial Day, soldiers from the 3rd US Infantry¹¹, The Old Guard, have placed small American flags in front of every headstone in the cemetery. This year, more than a thousand Old Guard soldiers placed more than 220,000 flags in front of each grave marker "to honor every individual buried at Arlington National Cemetery."

Some of the Old Guard soldiers placed flags in front of the graves of soldiers they knew, in Section 60. Some have called it "the saddest place in America." It is where some of the soldiers who died in America's latest wars -- in Iraq and Afghanistan -- are buried.

I'm Christopher Jones-Cruise.

Words in This Story

species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

eligible – adj. able to be chosen for something; able to do or receive something

columbarium – n. a building or area where urns holding a deceased's cremated remains are placed

1 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。

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

4 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

5 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

8 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

9 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？

10 cremated   

v.火葬，火化（尸体）( cremate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He wants to is cremated, not buried. 他要火葬，不要土葬。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bodies were cremated on the shore. 他们的尸体在海边火化了。 来自辞典例句

11 infantry   

n.[总称]步兵(部队)

参考例句：

• The infantry were equipped with flame throwers.步兵都装备有喷火器。
• We have less infantry than the enemy.我们的步兵比敌人少。