VOA标准英语2010年-POW Issues at Forefront of Rolling Thu

Memorial Day [May 31] is a U.S. national holiday that pays tribute to Americans killed in military service. Each year during the three-day holiday weekend around Memorial Day, the veterans group known as Rolling Thunder rumbles¹ into Washington, D.C. in a massive motorcycle caravan².  The organization, with its roots in the Vietnam War of the 1960s and 1970s, focuses attention on those who were held as prisoners of war and who are still listed as missing in action.

Thousands of motorcyclists ride from the U.S. Department of Defense³, across Memorial Bridge with the Army-administered Arlington National Cemetery⁴ in the background, past a military officer who salutes⁵ them,
past a crowd that shouts and applauds.

Many of the cyclists, mostly men in their 60's and younger, wear black leather or denim⁶ vests decorated with patches that illustrate⁷ the wars they have lived through and their military service.

 The powerful-looking motorcycles gleam in the midday sun.  Mounted red, white and blue American flags flap beside stark⁸ black and white ones that show the profile of a prisoner of war.

The procession ends near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Rico Nuss, a member of Rolling Thunder, served in the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1972, with one year in Vietnam.  He says the event is a show of support for those who cannot ride with them.

"We do it because it's important.  It's not a parade. It's not a get together.  It's a demonstration," says Nuss.  "We want a full accounting⁹ of all our POWs".
 

1 rumbles   

隆隆声，辘辘声( rumble的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• If I hear any rumbles I'll let you know. 我要是听到什么风声就告诉你。
• Three blocks away train rumbles by. 三个街区以外，火车隆隆驶过。

2 caravan   

n.大蓬车；活动房屋

参考例句：

• The community adviser gave us a caravan to live in.社区顾问给了我们一间活动住房栖身。
• Geoff connected the caravan to the car.杰弗把旅行用的住屋拖车挂在汽车上。

3 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。

4 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。

5 salutes   

n.致敬，欢迎，敬礼( salute的名词复数 )v.欢迎，致敬( salute的第三人称单数 )；赞扬，赞颂

参考例句：

• Poulengey salutes, and stands at the door awaiting orders. 波仑日行礼，站在门口听侯命令。 来自辞典例句
• A giant of the world salutes you. 一位世界的伟人向你敬礼呢。 来自辞典例句

6 denim   

n.斜纹棉布；斜纹棉布裤，牛仔裤

参考例句：

• She wore pale blue denim shorts and a white denim work shirt.她穿着一条淡蓝色的斜纹粗棉布短裤，一件白粗布工作服上衣。
• Dennis was dressed in denim jeans.丹尼斯穿了一条牛仔裤。

7 illustrate   

v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图

参考例句：

• The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
• This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。

8 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

9 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。