Aug. 4, 2014, was a monumental day in British and European history. It was so significant that famous London monuments such as Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament turned off all their lights. This day marked the 100-year anniversary of when the UK entered World War I.
Originally known as the Great War, World War I (WWI) lasted from 1914 to 1918. It would become one of the bloodiest wars in history, taking the lives of 17 million soldiers and civilians. The UK alone had over one million deaths. The war completely destroyed some towns and cities in places like northern France and Belgium.
Despite the 100 years that have passed, people in Britain are still acutely aware of the toll the war took on families worldwide. In addition to the lights from major monuments being turned off, the prime minister asked citizens to switch off all but a single light in their homes for one hour that night. A special light installation was set up in Victoria Tower Gardens that dimmed as the sun rose on Aug. 11. Other ceremonies were held in places like Scotland, Belgium, and Germany to commemorate the day.
Photo taken from BBC I 照片： BBC提供
One lasting symbol of the war has been the red poppy. Much of the fighting in Western Europe for WWI occurred in Belgium, which is known for its fields of red poppies. Wearing a poppy has now become a symbol that commemorates those who have died in war, and promotes hope for a peaceful future.
2014年8月4日是英國和歐洲歷史上一個重大的日子。這個日子是如此重要，以致於著名的倫敦古蹟如倫敦塔橋、聖保羅大教堂和國會大廈都關閉了所有的燈光。這一天標誌著英國加入第一次世界大戰的一百週年。
第一次世界大戰最初被稱為世界大戰，始於1914年，結束於1918年。它後來成為歷史上最血腥的戰爭之一，奪去一千七百萬士兵和老百姓的生命。僅英國就有超過一百萬人死亡。這場戰爭徹底摧毀了法國北部和比利時等地的一些鄉鎮和城市。
Photo taken from BBC I 照片： BBC提供
儘管一百年過去了，英國人仍然深刻了解戰爭對全世界各個家庭所造成的損害。除了關閉重點古蹟的燈光外，首相還要求市民在當晚家中只留一盞燈，其他燈光都關閉一小時。在維多利亞塔花園設立的特殊燈光裝置，會在八月十一日太陽升起時逐漸變暗。蘇格蘭、比利時和德國等地還舉行了其他儀式來紀念這一天。
紅色罌粟花長期以來為該戰爭的象徵。一戰在西歐的大部分戰區發生在比利時，而比利時以其紅色罌粟花田而聞名。佩戴罌粟花現在已成為紀念那些在戰爭中死去的人和促進對未來和平希望的象徵。
What Did You Learn?
1. What did the head of Britain’s government ask people to do on Aug. 4, 2014?
2. Why do people wear red poppies?
參考答案
1. To turn off all but a single light in their homes for one hour.
2. To commemorate those who have died in war, and promote hope for a peaceful future.
Word in Use
1. monumental a. 重大的
monument n. 名勝古蹟；紀念碑
Shakespeare made a monumental contribution to English literature.
莎士比亞對英國文學有重大的貢獻。
A monument was built here in honor of the late war hero.
這裡建立了一座紀念碑以紀念這位已故的戰爭英雄。
2. significant a. 重要的
The scientist made a significant discovery during his research.
這位科學家在做研究時有了重大的發現。
3. anniversary n. 週年紀念（日）
Tuesday marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of our school.
星期二是我們學校成立四十週年紀念日。
4. bloody a. 血腥的
At the beginning of the movie, there is a bloody war scene.
這部電影的開頭有個血腥的戰爭場面。
5. civilian n. 百姓，平民
The police disguised themselves as civilians, trying to approach the criminal.
警方假扮成老百姓，試圖接近該罪犯。
Practical Phrases
1. go off （電燈等）熄滅；（鈴聲、鬧鐘等）響起
All the electricity in my neighborhood went off last night due to a strong typhoon knocking down a power line.
因為昨晚強颱破壞了電線，我的社區全部停電。
Mark’s alarm clock didn’t go off, so he overslept this morning.
今天早上馬克的鬧鐘沒響，所以他睡過頭了。
2. turn off... / turn... off 關掉……
= switch off... / switch... off
Please turn off the lights. It’s so bright that I can’t fall asleep.
請把燈關掉。太亮了我睡不著。
Please switch off the light when you leave the room.
請你在離開房間時關掉電燈。
3. be aware of... 知道／意識到……
Are you aware of the negative effects of smoking?
你知道抽菸的壞處了嗎？
聽文章朗讀及講解: https://ivy.pse.is/455bfu
本文出自常春藤解析英語雜誌: www.ivy.com.tw
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