英語資源頻道為大家整理的china daily 雙語新聞：德國呼吁英國不要慶祝一戰(zhàn)100周年，供大家閱讀參考。
據(jù)《每日郵報(bào)》8月19日消息，德國呼吁英國不要慶祝即將到來的第一次世界大戰(zhàn)100周年，而是將重點(diǎn)放在歐盟為歐洲大陸帶來了和平上。
'Don't mention the war': German embassy calls for Britons not to celebrate First World War victory as centenary of conflict looms
Envoy says remembrance, not victory, should be focus of anniversary
Celebrations 'may affect relations between Germany and UK'
But some Britons feel the horror of the war overshadows heroism
Germany has called on Britain not to celebrate the centenary of the First World War but to focus on the idea that the European Union brought peace to the continent.
The government in Berlin recently sent a special envoy to the UK amid fears that the way Britain marks the Great War could affect relations with Angela Merkel’s administration.
Andreas Meitzner called for talks with defence minister Andrew Murrison as well as officials from the Foreign Office and the Department of Culture who are handling the commemorations, which start next year.
British historians have called on the UK Government to acknowledge that the conflict was a just war to prevent German domination of Europe and to celebrate victory.
But Norman Walter, press attaché at the German embassy in London, said ‘it would be easier’ for Britain to adopt a ‘less declamatory tone’ if it wants Germany to take part.
In an interview yesterday he said: ‘We can’t tell you how you should celebrate, but our feeling is that issues about who was guilty and all that should be left more or less to historians and shouldn’t feature dominantly in politicians’ speeches.
‘The biggest single contribution to the start of the First World War was Germany, but others played a part. Whether it was a win or not, it wasn’t worth it.
‘We would prefer not to have any celebrations, having lost. We don’t want to commemorate the battles. We want to commemorate the dead.’
He said that commemorations on the continent would focus on the benefits of the EU. He said: ‘The European idea is something that helped us overcome the situation where a war like this could start, where European countries could go to war with one another.
‘It may sound far-fetched here, but it doesn’t elsewhere in Europe. The European community will very much be part of the German commemoration. Thankfully we have the European Union.’
Philip Davies, who sits on the Culture Select Committee, denounced the idea that the European Union has kept peace since the Second World War as ‘outrageous’, since tensions over the eurozone have led to anti-German sentiment across the EU.
He told the Mail: ‘This attitude is unacceptable. The Germans might want to forget their history and pretend things didn’t happen, but we are not prepared to do that.
‘As for Europe being a cause of peace, this chap’s obviously forgotten the reaction Angela Merkel got from the Greeks the last time she went there. People dressed up in Nazi uniforms, accusing her of completing Hitler’s work.
‘I don’t think people in Greece are celebrating peace. The European Union seems to be having the opposite effect.’
Tory MP Chris Skidmore, a historian who sits on the Speaker’s advisory committee on the war, told the Mail the events to mark the 100th anniversary should focus on why the war began and acknowledge the victors.
He said: ‘The Great War still casts a shadow over modern Europe today. It’s entirely right that we be respectful and commemorate the fallen from whichever side. But it would be a failure to history if we didn’t recognise not only the causes and consequences of the war, but that there were winning sides and losing sides.’
The Centenary Advisory Board of historians, writers, religious leaders and retired military figures is the main body advising the Government on commemorations.
Professor Sir Hew Strachan of Oxford University, one of the panel members who has called for a greater emphasis on celebrations, said: ‘I understand Germany’s position. There is no virtue in offending Germany.
‘But if we are going to be honest to the history of this war from a British perspective, then it can’t all be about waste and futility. A lot of people fought and died thinking it was worthwhile. We need to respect what those motivations were.’ (dailymail)
相關(guān)介紹：
德國政府近日向英國派遣特使，對(duì)于英國大肆慶祝一戰(zhàn)勝利的行為表示了擔(dān)心，怕會(huì)因此影響英德關(guān)系。
德國駐倫敦大使館新聞專員諾曼·沃爾特在采訪中表示：“我們并不能規(guī)定你們用何種方式紀(jì)念，但我們認(rèn)為戰(zhàn)爭的對(duì)錯(cuò)問題應(yīng)當(dāng)留給歷史學(xué)家們?nèi)パ芯浚粦?yīng)充斥在政治家們的演說中?！? 沃爾特稱歐洲大陸的紀(jì)念重點(diǎn)將放在歐盟的共同利益上?！拔覀兿Ｍ灰M(jìn)行任何慶祝。我們并不想紀(jì)念戰(zhàn)爭，我們想向死者致敬?！彼f。
針對(duì)此事，英國歷史學(xué)家提醒英國政府不要忘記一戰(zhàn)時(shí)期兩國的沖突是為了防止德國稱霸歐洲的野心，慶?；顒?dòng)勢(shì)在必行。
“戰(zhàn)爭的陰影如今依舊存在。的確，無論贏的是哪方，我們都應(yīng)當(dāng)尊重和紀(jì)念那些逝去的生命。但如果我們不能認(rèn)識(shí)到戰(zhàn)爭的因果和勝敗兩方，將是對(duì)歷史的不敬?！?保守黨議員、戰(zhàn)爭顧問委員會(huì)的歷史學(xué)家克里斯·斯基德莫爾說。