Lessons for Germany on 70th Anniversary of V-E Day
The 70th anniversary of the end of World War II will bemarked in all but one European country this week. Germany lost the war, and has no plans to hold a special observance.
VOA recently went to the German capital Berlin to report on how the conflict isconsidered and the effect it still has.
In central Berlin, there is a huge memorial to the six million Jews killed duringWorld War II. Their deaths were the work of Germany’s Nazi Party.
The memorial was built just 10 years ago, after much public debate. Twohundred meters away was the place from where German leader Adolf Hitlerdirected the war effort. It is the place where it is believed he took his own life.
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The 70th anniversary of the end of World War II will be marked May 8-9 in all European countries except Germany, which lost the war.
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The area is now a parking lot, filled with cars.
Visitors to the area -- like a woman named Tina, a retired journalist fromBritain -- say there are things to be learned from the war.
“Even today, in our own country, there are extremist groups cropping up. And I am thinking that if ordinary, decent people do not do anything, there isalways a chance of history repeating itself.”
Gerd Appenzeller is the former publisher of the Berlin newspaperTagesspiegel. He worries that the alliances that formed after the World War IIare weakening. He says younger Germans do not know what life was likeduring the war.
He says, “The vast majority have gotten comfortable with freedom. Theygive little thought to the fact that this freedom is constantly in danger. Americais changing, global relations are changing, and the Germans and Europeanshave to unite and stay together, just to remain a relevant partner for the UnitedStates.”
I’m Bob Doughty.
VOA Correspondent Al Pessin reported this story from Berlin. ChristopherJones-Cruise adapted it into Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
cropping up – idiomatic to happen or appear, often unexpectedly
vast majority – idiomatic this phrase is often used to emphasize the size,relevance or importance of a statistic or statement
Lessons for Germany on 70th Anniversary of V-E Day
第二次世界大战欧战胜利70周年纪念日给德国人的启示
The 70th anniversary of the end of World War II will be marked in all but one European country this week. Germany lost the war, and has no plans to hold a special observance.
第二次世界大战结束70周年对所有欧洲国家都有纪念性意义，除了一个国家。德国在二战中是战败国，它不打算举办什么仪式。
VOA recently went to the German capital Berlin to report on how the conflict is considered and the effect it still has.
Voa记者最近前往德国首都柏林采访德国人是怎么看待这场冲突的，影响仍然存在。
In central Berlin, there is a huge memorial to the six million Jews killed during World War II. Their deaths were the work of Germany’s Nazi Party.
在柏林市中心有一个巨大的纪念碑，为了纪念二战期间被屠杀的600万犹太人。他们的死是德国纳粹党造成的。
The memorial was built just 10 years ago, after much public debate. Two hundred meters away was the place from where German leader Adolf Hitler directed the war effort. It is the place where it is believed he took his own life.
在经过大众激烈的辩论后，在10年前，这座纪念碑才落成。在纪念碑两百米以外处，德国领导人阿道夫希特勒指挥战争。人们相信就是在那他结束了自己的生命。
The area is now a parking lot, filled with cars.
这片区域现在是一个停车场，停满了汽车。
Visitors to the area -- like a woman named Tina, a retired journalist from Britain -- say there are things to be learned from the war.
来此的游客，比如一个叫tina 的女人，一位退休的英国记者，表示这场战争应当对我们有所启发。
“Even today, in our own country, there are extremist groups cropping up. And I am thinking that if ordinary, decent people do not do anything, there is always a chance of history repeating itself.”
“即使今天在我们自己的国家，也有极端组织出现。我认为如果普通老百姓或者较为体面的人不采取任何行动的话，那么历史就有可能会重演。”
Gerd Appenzeller is the former publisher of the Berlin newspaper Tagesspiegel. He worries that the alliances that formed after the World War II are weakening. He says younger Germans do not know what life was like during the war.
Gerd Appenzeller是柏林Tagesspiegel报纸的前出版商。他担心二战后形成的联盟正在减弱。他说德国的年轻人不知道二战期间人们都是怎么生存的。
He says, “The vast majority have gotten comfortable with freedom. They give little thought to the fact that this freedom is constantly in danger. America is changing, global relations are changing, and the Germans and Europeans have to unite and stay together, just to remain a relevant partner for the United States.”
他说“绝大多数的人生活的自由自在，他们不会考虑这种自由经常会处于危险之中。美国在改变，全球关系在改变，德国人和欧洲人需要团结起来，和美国保持相关方面的合作伙伴。”
I’m Bob Doughty.
我是Bob Doughty。
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Words in This Story
cropping up – idiomatic to happen or appear, often unexpectedly
vast majority – idiomatic this phrase is often used to emphasize the size,relevance or importance of a statistic or statement
