2006年VOA标准英语-Americans Commemorate Victims of 9/11 Attacks

By Barbara Schoetzau
New York
11 September 2006
 
In public ceremonies and private reflections across the nation, and much of the world, people observed a moment of silence in remembrance of the nearly 3,000 victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. The fifth anniversary may be the last one at the Ground Zero site.

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President Bush and wife, Laura, lay memorial wreath in pool of water at Ground Zero  
  
Five years after the attacks, much of the focus of the commemorations was on New York where more than 2,700 people died when two hijacked¹ airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center towers, shaking the United States' confidence and changing the New York skyline forever.

As at the previous commemorations at Ground Zero, family members read the names of the dead in a solemn ceremony against a sound track of somber² and patriotic³ music.

Dozens of religious services and commemorative events took place around the city. At one, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that as New York rebuilds, children must be taught more about the attack than the devastation⁵ it wrought⁶.

 
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg during a ceremony Monday, Sept. 11, 2006 at the World Trade Center site
  
"We must also share with them the beautiful memories of the loved ones we lost and of the incredible examples of courage we witnessed on that day," said Michael Bloomberg. "And most of all we must share with them our hope for the future, their future. That is how we will truly honor the memory of each of the 2,749 people we lost."

President and Mrs. Bush paid their respects on Sunday, placing a simple wreath on one of the reflecting pools at Ground Zero. They spent part of Monday morning at a firehouse near the site before traveling to the field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where 40 people died after wresting⁷ control of hijacked plane. The Bushes then returned to Washington and placed a wreathe at the Pentagon site where a fourth hijacked plane killed 184 people upon crashing.

Earlier in the day, Vice⁴ President Dick Cheney spoke⁸ during a memorial ceremony at the Pentagon.

"We have learned that oceans do not protect us, and threats that gather thousands of miles away can now find us here at home," said Dick Cheney.

The events of 9/11 were commemorated⁹ from coast to coast, from religions services in metropolitan¹⁰ cathedrals to makeshift memorials in small towns.

In California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called for a return to the unity¹¹ Americans experienced after the attacks.

"Let us remember the tragedy but also let us remember the triumph of the American spirit," said Arnold Schwarzenegger. "And let us return to the solidarity¹² all Americans felt following those terrorist attacks."

The New York commemoration may have been the last one that will take place in the pit of Ground Zero as rebuilding for a new World Trade Center complex and a memorial is already under way. It is a sad prospect¹³ for Tania Garcia who lost her sister on 9/11.

"I know that the city needs to rebuild," said Tania Garcia. "I know that the city needs to keep up its status. I understand that people need to move on. But for me, I will never move on when it comes to this. This is somewhere where I will be for the rest of my life. This is a pain I will carry with me the rest of my life."

New York's international community also marked the day. At the United Nations, delegates observed a moment of silence. Secretary General Kofi Annan said "the attacks cut us to the core for they were an attack on humanity itself."

Britain remembered 67 of its own sons and daughters who died in the New York attack at a memorial garden in London. Americans and Russians joined together at a memorial service in Moscow.

In Helsinki, Finland, leaders attending the 38-nation Asia-Europe summit observed two minutes of silence, and a solemn military ceremony took place outside of NATO's headquarters. Bells tolled¹⁴ in Rome and in Germany, Pope Benedict celebrated¹⁵ a mass that included a prayer for world peace.

But the leaders of a number of nations, including US allies Germany and New Zealand, used the occasion to criticize the Bush Administration's war on terror as did newspaper editorials in Israel and Pakistan.

1 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。

2 somber   

adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。
• His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。

3 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 wrought   

v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的

参考例句：

• Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。
• It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。

7 wresting   

动词wrest的现在进行式

参考例句：

• The amphitheater was a sealed off round structure. Swordplay, wresting, gladiatoral and other contests were held there. 该竞技场为四周封闭式结构，可以举行斗剑、格斗、斗兽及其他竞赛项目。
• This paper introduces mechanism and control system of instrument for wresting training. 本文详细介绍了摔跤训练器的机械机构与控制方法。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 commemorated   

v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Lincoln commemorated the soldiers killed in the battle in his address. 林肯在演说中表扬阵亡将士。 来自辞典例句
• You'll be commemorated for killing a spy, and be specially discharged. 你们每杀一个间谍将会被记录到特殊档案。 来自电影对白

10 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

11 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

12 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

13 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

14 tolled   

鸣钟（toll的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Bells were tolled all over the country at the King's death. 全国为国王之死而鸣钟。
• The church bell tolled the hour. 教堂的钟声报时。

15 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。