英伦广角 2009-06-07 政要云集 纪念诺曼底登陆65周

Today, we commemorate¹ the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings that took place in the early morning hours of 6th June, 1944.  Today’s ceremony will honor the soldiers, sailors and airmen who made the supreme² sacrifice so that Europe might be liberated⁴.  Included among those so honored are the 3,881 who lost their lives on D-Day at Omaha Beach and the 9,387 of our dead who are buried at this cemetery⁵.

Our gracious loving Father in Heaven, we ask for the blessing⁶ of your presence on this significant event that touches the lives of the families and citizens of the grateful nations here represented.  Magnify yourself this day as we pause to fittingly remember those men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom of France and the allied⁷ nations during the Second World War.

They numbered 135,000 and thousands of vessels⁸. They formed two armies: one American, the other British and Canadian.  Some hours earlier Eisenhower had wished them: ‘Good luck!’ All were silent. What were those young soldiers thinking of as they stared at the thin black line of the coast emerging from the mist. What were they thinking of? Of the all too brief lives?  Of the way their mothers gently kissed their foreheads when they were children? Of the way their fathers held back for tears when they left for the war?  Of the tears that will be shed on the land that has been abused?  What were those soldiers thinking of, whose destiny it was to decide the fate of so many peoples? What were they thinking of, if not that "20 years old is too young to die"?

Sixty-five years ago, in the thin light of a grey dawn, more than a thousand small craft took to a rough sea on the day that will be forever a day of bravery.  On that June morning, the young of our nations stepped out onto these beaches below and into history. And as long as freedom lives, their deeds will never die.  And now more than half a century on, it is an honor for me to speak for the British people, alongside friends-President Sarkozy, President Obama, Prime Minister Harper and with His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.  Each of us representing the peoples of our nations, as together we salute⁹ the brave fighting men of the largest amphibious operation in the Annals of warfare¹⁰.  We remember those who advanced grain of sand by grain of sand, utterly¹¹ determined¹² amid the bullets and the bloodshed that freedom would not be pushed back into the sea but would rise from these beaches below to liberate³ a continent and to save a generation.

Long after our time on this Earth has passed, one word will still bring forth¹³ the pride and awe¹⁴ of men and women will never meet the heroes who sit before us: D-Day. Why is this? Of all the battles in all the wars across the span of human history why does this day hold such a revered¹⁵ place in our memory? What is it about the struggle that took place on the sands a few short steps from here that brings us back to remember year after year after year?  Part of it, I think, is the size of the odds¹⁶ that weighed against success. For three centuries, no invader¹⁷ had ever been able to cross the English Channel into Normandy. And it had never been more difficult than in 1944.

 
 

1 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

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 liberate   

v.解放，使获得自由，释出，放出；vt.解放，使获自由

参考例句：

• They did their best to liberate slaves.他们尽最大能力去解放奴隶。
• This will liberate him from economic worry.这将消除他经济上的忧虑。

4 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

5 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。

6 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

7 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

8 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 salute   

vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮

参考例句：

• Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
• The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。

10 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。

11 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

12 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

13 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

14 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

15 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

16 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

17 invader   

n.侵略者，侵犯者，入侵者

参考例句：

• They suffered a lot under the invader's heel.在侵略者的铁蹄下，他们受尽了奴役。
• A country must have the will to repel any invader.一个国家得有决心击退任何入侵者。