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2009年11月11日是第一次世界大戰停戰協議簽署91年的紀念日，英、法、美等西方國家分別在國內舉行儀式紀念一戰中陣亡的將士和民眾。英國在威斯敏斯特大教堂舉行了紀念活動，女王伊麗莎白和首相布朗，以及軍政界高級官員均到場出席。法國總統薩科奇和德國總理默克爾于當地時間11日上午11時共同向凱旋門無名烈士墓碑敬獻花圈，紀念在戰爭中陣亡的將士，同時慶祝兩國間的和平與友誼。這是一戰結束以來兩國領導人首次共同出席紀念儀式。美國駐伊拉克和阿富汗的軍隊也舉行了紀念活動，美國總統奧巴馬也于當天向參與美國歷次戰爭以及目前正在軍隊服役的將士致敬，并在早些時候向無名烈士墓敬獻了花圈。西方各國在每年的11月11日都會舉行活動紀念一戰陣亡將士，今年的紀念活動因為最后三位一戰老兵均在今年離世而顯得更加有意義。
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Services took place around the world to mark the 91st anniversary of the armistice signed between Germany and the Allies on November 11, 1918. |
Nations honored those who sacrificed their lives in wars on Wednesday, in many cases for the first time without any surviving veterans of World War I.
Services took place around the world to mark the 91st anniversary of the armistice signed between Germany and the Allies on November 11, 1918.
Depending on where it is celebrated, the day is alternatively known as Armistice Day, Remembrance Day, Poppy Day or Veterans Day.
In Britain, Queen Elizabeth led Remembrance Day ceremonies in Westminster Abbey, a service also attended by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other senior politicians and military leaders.
The day has special resonance because the last remaining veterans, William Stone, Henry Allingham and Harry Patch, all died this year.
The dignitaries joined people around the country in observing the traditional two-minute silence.
The Very Rev. Dr. John Hall, dean of Westminster, began the service by talking about the moment when the guns fell silent in Europe 91 years ago.
"We remember, with grief, the gas and the mud, the barbed wire, the bombardment, the terror, the telegram; and, with gratitude, the courage and sacrifice. Never again, they said; the war to end all wars. With resolution we remember," Hall said.
In Paris, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a ceremony under the Arc de Triomphe.
Australians observed one minute silence at 11 am, in memory of those who died or suffered in all of the nation's wars and armed conflicts.
"Their loss is a reminder that there is nothing glorious about war. Those called upon to fight know that better than anyone," Gen. Peter Cosgrove, chairman of the Council of the Australian War Memorial, said Wednesday.
"But they also know that, when all else fails, it is necessary to fight against the tyrannies that threaten liberty. That cause transcends the ages, and it is a noble one."
US military forces, especially those in Iraq and Afghanistan, also were to observe Veterans Day, keenly aware of the costs of war.
In the United States, the sacrifices of the military in the raging war in Afghanistan and the winding-down war in Iraq stand front and center in the nation's consciousness.
President Barack Obama paid tribute Wednesday to those who have lost their lives in the nation's wars, as well as to the men and women who currently serve.
"There's no tribute, no commemoration, no praise that can truly match the magnitude of your service and your sacrifice," he said in a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, on a rainy, overcast Veterans Day.
Earlier, the president had laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Millions were killed in World War I, which lasted from 1914 to 1918. France, Britain and the United States defeated Germany and its allies, such as Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.
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(Agencies)
（英語點津 Helen 編輯）
