VOA常速英语2008年-Modern Development Threatens Historic WWI Site

By Nina Maria Potts
Ypres, Belgium
26 March 2008
 

The fields around the battlefield of Ypres, the site of four years of bloodshed during World War I, are littered with hidden trenches², bunkers and dugouts that are being excavated³ by archaeologists. But the expansion of an industrial park, combined with the city of Ypres' rapid expansion, threatens to destroy kilometers of hidden history.  Nina-Maria Potts reports for VOA.

The exact number of lives lost in World War I through the horror of trench¹ warfare⁴ and the world's first poison gas attacks is uncertain, though some estimates range up to more than 30 million dead, wounded or missing.

Around the Flemish town of Ypres, hundreds of thousands of men died. The town was rebuilt, and many of those soldiers are still here, or buried where they fell.

Ninety years later, industrial development threatens to swallow up the remains⁵ of the war.

Now an effort is underway to protect the town's World War I heritage and its important economic role through tourism.

Piet Chiemens at Flanders Fields Museum is searching for a way to protect that heritage from development. "We have to know exactly where the boundaries are going to be - of farming land, new developments as far as industry goes, or building in general," said Chiemens, "because the very small area we are talking of, it is just that semi-circle standing⁶ around the town of Ypres itself, is of such historic interest, that we should try and defend it with all means."

In nearby Zarren, a team of archaeologists has conducted trial excavations⁷ of the industrial zone and are analyzing⁸ artifacts brought to this depot⁹.

Chief archaeologist Marc De Wilders says the war often lies intact beneath the first 60 centimeters of soil. "It was immediately very clear that the heritage, what was left of that war, what was left, was very large, so the conclusion was that if one was to build something over there, there would be an enormous destruction," he said.

Historians explain Ypres' rapid industrial development by pointing to the psychological impact of war.

Piet Chiemens says the inhabitants of Ypres were especially keen to move on with their lives, having lost so much.

"The whole of the region here had an immense blow with that war, and was thrown back miles [kilometers] in comparison to other regions that didn't have that experience," added Chiemens, "and every single road that was built, every single factory that went up, was actually the final victory over that war."

Belgium's high population density¹⁰ and pressure from industrial development make the work of amateur archaeologists like " the Diggers" invaluable¹¹.

Digger Patrick Wanzeele says the Yorkshire trench was discovered in the nick of time. "The whole battlefield is now under the industrial zone,” Wanzeele said. “Twenty years ago, you could see no buildings here, just shells here, here, everywhere - now it's too late. I am glad now here, there is a little monument," said Wanzeele.

With the 100-year anniversary approaching in 2014, interest in World War I continues to grow, and the economic benefit brought by 330,000 visitors to Ypres last year has given the modern defenders¹² of these battlefields added ammunition¹³. 

1 trench   

n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕

参考例句：

• The soldiers recaptured their trench.兵士夺回了战壕。
• The troops received orders to trench the outpost.部队接到命令在前哨周围筑壕加强防卫。

2 trenches   

深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕

参考例句：

• life in the trenches 第一次世界大战期间的战壕生活
• The troops stormed the enemy's trenches and fanned out across the fields. 部队猛攻敌人的战壕，并在田野上呈扇形散开。

3 excavated   

v.挖掘( excavate的过去式和过去分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘

参考例句：

• The site has been excavated by archaeologists. 这个遗址已被考古学家发掘出来。
• The archaeologists excavated an ancient fortress. 考古学家们发掘出一个古堡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

5 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。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 excavations   

n.挖掘( excavation的名词复数 )；开凿；开凿的洞穴（或山路等）；（发掘出来的）古迹

参考例句：

• The excavations are open to the public. 发掘现场对公众开放。
• This year's excavations may reveal ancient artifacts. 今年的挖掘可能会发现史前古器物。 来自辞典例句

8 analyzing   

v.分析；分析( analyze的现在分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析n.分析

参考例句：

• Analyzing the date of some socialist countries presents even greater problem s. 分析某些社会主义国家的统计数据，暴露出的问题甚至更大。 来自辞典例句
• He undoubtedly was not far off the mark in analyzing its predictions. 当然，他对其预测所作的分析倒也八九不离十。 来自辞典例句

9 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

10 density   

n.密集，密度，浓度

参考例句：

• The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
• The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

11 invaluable   

adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的

参考例句：

• A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。
• This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。

12 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。