Remembrance Day的简单介绍~

Nina Chen

The history of remembrance day

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Canadians are asked to pause and remember the thousands of men and women who sacrificed their lives fighting for freedom and democracy during the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War and during peacekeeping missions. During the First World War, (1914-1918) more than 600,000 soldiers volunteered to go overseas. As of November 2003, Veterans Affairs Canada reported that only 11 of these soldiers were still alive. These young men fought in a series of costly and bloody battles and by the end of the war, more than 69,000 Canadian soldiers had died and 172,000 were wounded. They died fighting at Vimy Ridge, Hill 70, Bourlon Wood, Mons, Passchendaele and Ypres. In Ypres, our Canadian soldiers were exposed to German gas attacks, yet continued to fight. They showed amazing tenacity and courage in the face of danger. During the Second World War, (1939-45) more than one million men and women from Canada and Newfoundland served in combat in the army, air force and navy. More than 47,000 men and women did not come home from that battle for freedom. Canadians lost their lives fighting in Dieppe, Normandy, the North Atlantic, defending Hong Kong, during the liberation of Italy, and in many other important air, sea and land campaigns. As of November 2003, 293,000 veterans from this world war were alive, with an average age of 81. On Remembrance Day we are asked to remember these fallen soldiers. Let us also remember the 516 Canadian soldiers who died in the Korean War (1950-53), in which 26,791 Canadians served. The battles of Hill 355 and Hill 187, among others, saw Canadians fighting in swamps and rice fields, through torrential rain and snow, in the air and at sea. In 2003, Canada marked the 50th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice by unveiling the Monument to Canadian Fallen at Confederation Park in Ottawa. The words "WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOU BRAVE SONS OF CANADA" are inscribed at the base of the monument, which also contains the names of all 516 Canadians who lost their lives in Korean War service or subsequent Korean peacekeeping service. This year Canada also remembered the 1943 invasion of Sicily by the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and the 1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade alongside British and U.S. armies.Canada lost 562 soldiers during this 38-day operation, which secured a necessary air base from which to support the liberation of mainland Italy and free the Mediterranean sea lanes. The 85th Anniversary of the end of the First World War will also be marked on November 11, 2003. The first Remembrance Day, held in 1919 throughout the Commonwealth, was originally called Armistice Day. The day commemorated the end of the First World War on Monday, November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m.: the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. The theme of Veterans' Week which runs November 5-11 2003, is Canada Remembers the Korean War.

The Poppy
The association between the poppy and war dates back to the Napoleonic wars when a writer saw a field of poppies growing over the graves of fallen soldiers. During the Battle of Ypres in 1915, Canadian Lt.-Col. John McCrae was inspired to write the poem In Flanders Fields on sighting the poppies growing beside a grave of a close friend who had died in battle. The poem was a great inspiration in adopting the poppy as the Flower of Remembrance in Canada, France, the U.S, Britain and Commonwealth countries. The first poppies were distributed in Canada in 1921. Today the volunteer donations from the distribution of millions of poppies is an important source of revenue for the Royal Canadian Legion that goes toward helping ex-servicemen and women buy food, and obtain shelter and medical attention.

Nina Chen

国殇纪念日

每年的11月11日是国殇纪念日是为了纪念1918年11月11日签定的第一次世界大战停战协定。 在此纪念日期间，人们要举行各种纪念活动来缅怀那些为了保卫祖国而战死的军人。在那些无名战士墓地前， 人们会献上鲜花来表达对这些无名战士的敬意。他们为了今天的人们能已享和平做出了不可磨灭的贡献。
在11月11日的前后，人们都会在胸前佩带一朵小红罂粟花来缅怀战争期间的丰功伟绩和告诫子孙后代今天和平来自不易。那么，人们为什么要佩带小朵红罂粟花呢？这要追溯到第一次世界大战时期。在英国的北部和比利时的西南部有个重要军事领地 ─ 佛兰德斯，它是十分关键的防线，沿英吉利海峡一带，一直抵达瑞士边境，连一丝缝隙也没有。在那里为了抵抗德军的攻击，好几次的生死流血之战都发生在佛兰德斯。 在佛兰德斯的战区地带，有无数个无名战士为了保卫祖国而献出了生命，从而埋在了佛兰德斯的黄土之下。到了第二年的春天，一大片的红罂粟花到处盛开从而覆盖了整个无名战士的墓地。

在1915年的10月8日，加拿大的医生John McCrae在亲眼目睹了残忍的战争剥夺这么多战士的生命，他写下诗歌“佛兰德斯战场”一 纪念为保卫祖国献身战士，从而激励更多的年轻人投入战争，保卫家园，从他的诗歌也蕴含著作者反对战争，和向往和平。

In Flanders fields the poppies blow (1)
在佛兰德斯战场上，罂粟花随风飘荡
Between the crosses, row on row
十字架林立的墓地
That mark our place; and in the sky
就是我们居住的地方；
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
勇敢歌唱云雀仍在天空中翱翔
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
枪声却不再作响
We are the Dead. Short days ago
不久前，我们战死沙场
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
我们曾经活著，感受过黎明和傍晚的霞光
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
我们曾经为人所爱，现在我们却长眠于佛兰德斯战场
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
我们要继续与敌人战斗：
To you from failing hands we throw
你从我们垂下的手中接过火炬
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
并把它高高举在手中
If ye break faith with us who die
如果你背弃我们的遗愿
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
即使罂粟花开满了佛兰德斯，我们也不会安息
In Flanders fields.

在JohnMcCrae诗歌的激励下，美国的Moina Michael开始佩带罂粟花来纪念战死的战士，她还出售罂粟花，把所得钱用于帮助那些伤残的退伍老兵。在１９２０年法国妇女E. Gué rin出售手工制的罂粟花集资用于帮助第一次世界大战后儿童孤儿。不久，Field-Marshall Earl Haig，前英国司令官鼓励用出售纸罂粟花来资助退伍军人。就这样，这个传统节日沿袭到加拿大，继而美国。

赫兰

8错8错~~~咱海外的特色就是节日^^  第一贴的字母好小。。。改一下把^^

Nina Chen

hoho,斑竹整天忙死了把~~每个人发铁你都要来看看的嘛！在网上泡的时间一定不短喽~