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每年的11月11日是美國的退伍軍人紀(jì)念日，昨天美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬參加了在阿靈頓國家公墓舉辦的紀(jì)念儀式。儀式莊嚴(yán)肅穆，人們的神情嚴(yán)肅而平靜。悠揚(yáng)的軍樂小號(hào)響起，仿佛又把人們思緒拉回了那硝煙彌漫的歲月，人們似乎又看到了與戰(zhàn)友前仆后繼的崢嶸歲月。然后今天，當(dāng)他們從四面八方來到這里，向烈士紀(jì)念碑敬獻(xiàn)花圈時(shí)，昔日的戰(zhàn)友們卻已長眠于此。而那些垂垂老矣的老兵們，雖然今年他們?nèi)阅茏谖覀冎虚g，向我們講述四十年前的血雨腥風(fēng)，但是他們畢竟正在慢慢老去，也許明年此時(shí)，他們也將在此處長眠。

They're the stories of generations of Americans who left home barely more than boys and girls, became men and women and returned home heroes. And when these Americans who had dedicated their lives to defending this country came home, many settled on a life of service, choosing to make their entire lives a tour of duty. Many chose to live a quiet life, trading one uniform and set of responsibilities for another-doctor, engineer, teacher, mom, dad. They bought homes, raised families, built businesses. They built the greatest middle class that the world has ever known. Some put away their medals, stayed humble about their service and moved on. Some, carrying shrapnel and scars, found that they couldn't. We call this a holiday, but for many veterans, it's another day of memories that drive them to live their lives each day as best as they possibly can.

tour of duty 這個(gè)詞組從廣義上來說可以解釋為‘在一段時(shí)期內(nèi)在某地工作或是擔(dān)任某個(gè)職務(wù)'，而它通常特指軍人去海外服役。

這個(gè)trade是一個(gè)動(dòng)詞，解釋為‘to exchange 交換'，這里說交換了制服和責(zé)任，也就是說從事了另一份職業(yè)、承擔(dān)了另一項(xiàng)責(zé)任。

Some people presume that the attack on Pearl Harbour break America militarily and frightened our public into a corner. They said that Americans were too caught up in their own conerns and self interests to make the sacrifices necessary to win in fight of this magnitude. They would be proven wrong by the young people who set their lives and dreams aside to fight that war.

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【現(xiàn)場(chǎng)士兵演唱的是美國國歌The Star-Spangled Banner 】

Casualties of war cry out to be known as persons, not as abstractions called casualties, not simply as numbers entered into the books, and not only as names chiseled into marble or granite. We have carried in our memories the stories of those recorded here, but memories fade as to those who remember. We are greying, after all of us who knew them are gone, the wall on this name will endure.

The soldiers whose names were inscribed on the wall will forever be remembered for their bravery, for their courage and for their sacrifice. On this veteran's day, may we rededicate ourselves to the sacred cause of liberty and justice, for which these brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines fought and died, and let us never forget, in this grateful nation, that freedom is not free.