VOA标准英语2008年-Pentagon 9/11 Memorial Dedicated in 'Changed Wo

On the seventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks, thousands of people gathered outside the Pentagon as President Bush dedicated¹ a memorial to the 184 people who died there. VOA's Al Pessin attended the Pentagon ceremony.
　
Members of a military honor guard stand at the covered benches of the The Pentagon Memorial,during a dedication² ceremony for the memorial, 11 Sep 2008

A lone³ bagpiper⁴ played the hymn⁵ Amazing Grace as he walked among the memorial's trees and benches, emerging behind the elaborate stage set up specially⁶ for the event, where he was joined by a U.S. military orchestra.

The solemn occasion began with the reading of the names of all the people killed in the Pentagon, and on the airliner⁷ that hijackers crashed into the building.

Among those on the plane, an entire family.

"Charles S. Falkenberg. And his wife, Leslie A. Widdington. And their two children Dana Falkenberg and Zoe Falkenberg..."

The Pentagon ceremony occurred at the same time as events at the other two attack sites in New York and Pennsylvania.
　
President Bush dedicates the Pentagon memorial, 11 Sep 2008

At the Pentagon, President Bush said the new memorial will be "an everlasting⁸ tribute," and will remind future generations of what happened here, an event that he said "changed our world forever."

"When they visit this memorial they will learn that the 21st Century began with a great struggle between the forces of freedom and the forces of terror," said Bush. "They will learn that this generation of Americans met its duty. We did not tire, we did not falter⁹ and we did not fail. They will learn that freedom prevailed because the desire for liberty lives in the heart of every man, woman and child on earth."

The president said people should also remember that in the years that followed the attacks justice was delivered to the "evil men" who planned them.
　
The Pentagon Memorial Plaque¹⁰, 11 Sep 2008

Defense¹¹ Secretary Robert Gates also linked the attacks and the memorial to the ongoing¹² global war on terrorism.

"The truth that survives the ashes is this, the 184 are not forgotten. The others who died in New York and Pennsylvania are not forgotten," said Gates. "And we as a nation will not bow to those who so cruelly took them from us."

And his predecessor¹³, Donald Rumsfeld, who was defense secretary at the time of the attack said it is important to remember why America is now involved in foreign wars.

"Today we renew our vows¹⁴ to never forget how this long struggle began, and to never forget those who fell first. They fell side by side as Americans," said Rumsfeld. "And make no mistake, it was because they were Americans that they were killed here, in this place."

The memorial is a plaza¹⁵ in the shadow of the rebuilt side of the Pentagon that was destroyed by the hijacked¹⁶ plane seven years ago. A bench, a small pool and a tree memorialize each victim, arranged by their ages, from the youngest, age 3 to the oldest, who was 71.

"It should be a place like no other, simply because that day was like no other. It should be both individual and collective in nature, and make you think, but not prescribe how to think or what to feel," said Keith Kaseman, one of the designers.

"Wish it [the memorial] was not here, but it is. And that is the way it is, and so I want to honor Patty's memory and I want to honor the memory of many of my co-workers out here. They are incredibly good people," said Kathy Dillaber, who was working in the Pentagon that day. She survived, but her sister Patty was killed.

Visitors to the Pentagon Memorial can literally¹⁷ walk the path of American Airlines Flight 77. They can read the names of those killed and pause by the benches in their honor. And they can look up at the restored west wall of the Pentagon with a huge American flag hanging from the roof, just like the one rescue workers put up while the fire still burned seven years ago.

 

1 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

2 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

3 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

4 bagpiper   

n.吹风笛的人，风笛手

参考例句：

• Maybe I'll follow the sweet sound of the bagpiper playing along 16th Street. 也许我会顺着16街吹奏出的风笛甜美的声音走过去。 来自互联网

5 hymn   

n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌

参考例句：

• They sang a hymn of praise to God.他们唱着圣歌，赞美上帝。
• The choir has sung only two verses of the last hymn.合唱团只唱了最后一首赞美诗的两个段落。

6 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

7 airliner   

n.客机，班机

参考例句：

• The pilot landed the airliner safely.驾驶员使客机安全着陆。
• The passengers were shepherded across the tarmac to the airliner.旅客们被引导走过跑道去上飞机。

8 everlasting   

adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的

参考例句：

• These tyres are advertised as being everlasting.广告上说轮胎持久耐用。
• He believes in everlasting life after death.他相信死后有不朽的生命。

9 falter   

vi.(嗓音)颤抖，结巴地说；犹豫；蹒跚

参考例句：

• His voice began to falter.他的声音开始发颤。
• As he neared the house his steps faltered.当他走近房子时，脚步迟疑了起来。

10 plaque   

n.饰板，匾，(医)血小板

参考例句：

• There is a commemorative plaque to the artist in the village hall.村公所里有一块纪念该艺术家的牌匾。
• Some Latin words were engraved on the plaque. 牌匾上刻着些拉丁文。

11 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。

12 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

13 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

14 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

15 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

16 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

17 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。