VOA常速英语2019--美国退伍军人节

During the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln called on his countrymen in his famous Gettysburg Address to ensure that liberty "shall not perish from the earth." His words have inspired many over the years, including millions in our nation's armed services who fought to preserve not only America’s freedom, but that of other nations as well.

在美国内战期间，亚伯拉罕·林肯总统在他著名的葛底斯堡演说中号召他的同胞们确保自由“不会从地球上消失”。多年来，他的话激励了许多人，包括美国数百万军人，他们不仅为维护美国的自由而战，也为其他国家的自由而战。

Today, Veterans Day, America pauses to honor these men and women, and the values of duty and sacrifice they represent. Long after they leave uniform, they symbolize¹ what it means to be a citizen of a free land.

今天是退伍军人节，美国举国上下都在缅怀他们，缅怀他们所代表的责任和牺牲的价值。在他们退役很久之后，他们象征着一个自由国度的公民的意义。

The holiday, observed every year on November 11, originated with the armistice² that ended The First World War in 1918. The conflict, fought in Asia, Africa, scattered³ islands in the Pacific and the waters off South America, as well as on the battlefields of Europe, was seen as "the war to end all wars." But other wars followed, and in 1954 President Dwight Eisenhower expanded the holiday to honor all who have served in uniform both in war and peace.

每年的11月11日是这个节日，起源于1918年结束第一次世界大战的停战协定。这场冲突发生在亚洲、非洲、太平洋上分散的岛屿、南美洲海域，以及欧洲战场，被视为“结束所有战争的战争”。但随后发生了其他战争，1954年，艾森豪威尔总统扩大了这个节日的范围，以纪念所有在战争与和平时期服役的军人。

Our government continues this effort to this day, with program to help veterans leaving the military to find employment and ease their transition into civilian⁴ life.

我们的政府至今仍在继续这一努力，制定了帮助退伍军人找到工作并轻松过渡到平民生活的计划。

At its core, though, Veterans Day isn't about war. It commemorates⁵ no battlefield victory or defeat, it celebrates no advancement⁶ of political or territorial⁷ ambition. Rather, it's a day of remembrance, echoing similar holidays in Great Britain, Canada, South Africa and other nations that honor military veterans for their service and sacrifice.

然而，退伍军人节的核心并不是战争。它不纪念战场上的胜利或失败，不庆祝政治或领土野心的进步。相反，这是一个纪念日，与英国、加拿大、南非和其他国家纪念退伍军人的类似节日相呼应。

1 symbolize   

vt.作为...的象征，用符号代表

参考例句：

• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。
• Dolphins symbolize the breath of life.海豚象征着生命的气息。

2 armistice   

n.休战，停战协定

参考例句：

• The two nations signed an armistice.两国签署了停火协议。
• The Italian armistice is nothing but a clumsy trap.意大利的停战不过是一个笨拙的陷阱。

3 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

4 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

5 commemorates   

n.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的名词复数 )v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A tombstone is erected in memory of whoever it commemorates. 墓碑是为纪念它所纪念的人而建的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A tablet commemorates his patriotic activities. 碑文铭记他的爱国行动。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

7 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。