加载中…“星条旗航海节” 庆祝美国进入独立新纪元
(2012-06-21 13:31:24)
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分类： 政治与经济 |
T星条旗航海节吸引成千上万的民众来到巴尔的摩。在1812年战争中，当美利坚合众国打败了英国对麦克亨利堡的进攻后，弗朗西斯•斯科特•基写下了日后成为美国国歌歌词的诗篇。
美国国务院国际信息局（IIP）《美国参考》Kathryn McConnell 从华盛顿报道，成千上万民众和世界各地船舰6月中旬汇聚巴尔的摩（Baltimore），纪念 “1812年战争” （War of 1812）200周年——正是这场军事冲突确证美国脱离英国而独立。
在6月13日至19日举行的被称为“星条旗航海节” （Star-Spangled Sailabration）的海上庆祝活动包括让公众免费参观当年设计的具有历史意义的高桅帆船和来自巴西、加拿大、墨西哥、印度尼西亚、英国、德国和挪威等国家的海军动力舰船。来自12个国家的40多艘船参加了这次庆祝活动。
6月16日和17日，美国海军的“蓝天使”（Blue Angels）飞行队进行了展示美国海军航空兵实力的密集队形的低空飞行表演；也在17日，巴尔的摩交响乐团（Baltimore Symphony Orchestra）演奏了由著名作曲家菲利普•格拉斯（Philip Glass）谱写的“2012年序曲”（Overture for 2012）。
对于许多历史学家来说，“1812年战争”标志着美国独立战争（American Revolution）的最后终结，并明确肯定美利坚合众国是一个独立的国家。
据“星条旗航海节”网站介绍， 1812年5月底，詹姆斯•麦迪逊（James Madison）总统确信，如果美利坚合众国要继续作为一个经济有赖于自由航行和自由贸易的主权海洋国家存在下去，与英国交战就不可避免。
网站的文字介绍写道：“作为一个新生国家，一个被广泛认为正在起步的国家，它成功地抵御了世界最强大的海军对巴尔的摩的进攻。美国对英国的胜利是对美国独立战争合法性的确证。”
为这一庆祝活动制作的一个巴尔的摩视频的解说词这样写道：“为商务、旅行和基本人权保障航行自由是美国海军、海军陆战队和海岸警卫队的基本使命。位于天南海北，冒着巨大危险的海外近300艘军舰上的40000多[美国]水兵每天在昼夜不停地警惕地守护捍卫着我们的国家。”
这项活动也庆贺了美英两国自1812年战争结束两个世纪以来所一直享有的和平关系。
位于巴尔的摩市中心附近的麦克亨利堡因其五边形结构而常被称为“星堡”, 这一设计是为了使面向海上的炮台也能够防范来自陆地的攻击。
马里兰州州长马丁•奥马利（Martin O’Malley）说：“‘星条旗永不落’ （The Star-Spangled Banner）和1812年战争两百周年呈现了一个极好的机会来讲述马里兰州对赢得美国的独立以及对我国最持久的标志中的两项——国歌与国旗——的诞生所具有的关键作用。”
奥马利还说，世界各地的船只相聚在这里庆祝美国的诞生“激发我们更加理解到，我们大家同舟共济，并因此而更强大”。
英军在1814年对华盛顿发动攻击，但随后在这个新兴国家当时的第三大城巴尔的摩受挫——在陆上被阻于巴尔的摩附近的北角（North Point），在海上被阻于位于现在巴尔的摩市中心附近的麦克亨利堡（Fort McHenry）。
在麦克亨利堡沿海，弗朗西斯•斯科特•基（Francis Scott Key）写下了日后成为美国国歌“星条旗永不落”歌词的诗篇。巴尔的摩的十多个地方都与当时的战役直接相关。
马里兰州1812年战争委员会（Maryland War of 1812 Commission）执行主任比尔•潘塞克（Bill Pencek）说，“如果‘星条旗航海节’反映着公众对发生在切萨皮克[湾]（Chesapeake [Bay]）的1812年战事和‘星条旗永不落’的兴趣的话，那么我们的纪念活动已有了一个良好的开端”。
他在庆祝活动结束时说：“当我们向来自12个国家的40艘舰船挥手告别时，我们深信，他们在体验了我们这个城市以后，会渴望在2014年重返这里，帮助我们纪念‘星条旗永不落’诗篇问世200周年。”
有关这一航海节的更多信息可见其网站。欲了解如何游览马里兰州，可登陆Discover America 网站。
Read more: http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/chinese/article/2012/06/201206207815.html#ixzz1yP34Qw00
Star-Spangled Sailabration Celebrates America’s Coming of Age
By Kathryn McConnell | Staff Writer | 19 June 2012
The Star-Spangled Sailabration attracted hundreds of thousands to Baltimore. Francis Scott Key composed America’s national anthem after the United States defeated the British at Baltimore’s Fort McHenry in the War of 1812.
Washington — Hundreds of thousands of people and ships from around the world converged on Baltimore to commemorate the beginning of the War of 1812, a military confrontation that confirmed America’s independence from Great Britain.
The June 13–19 maritime festival, called the Star-Spangled Sailabration, featured free public tours of historically designed tall-sail ships and engine-powered naval vessels from countries including Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Germany and Norway. More than 40 ships from 12 nations participated in the celebration.
On June 16 and 17, the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels flying team performed a tightly choreographed low-altitude aerial show to display America’s marine aviation prowess. Also on June 17, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performed the Overture for 2012, written by famed symphony and ensemble composer Philip Glass.
For many historians, the War of 1812 represents the definitive end of the American Revolution and confirmation that the United States was an independent nation.
By the end of May 1812, President James Madison had become convinced that war with Great Britain was inevitable if the United States was to continue as a sovereign, maritime nation with an economy dependent on freedom of the seas and free trade, according to the Sailabration website.
“A new nation, widely regarded as an upstart, successfully defended itself against the largest, most powerful navy in the world during the maritime assault on Baltimore,” the site states. “America’s victory over Great Britain confirmed the legitimacy of the Revolution.”
“Ensuring freedom of the seas for commerce, travel and basic human rights is a fundamental mission of the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard,” according to the narration of a Baltimore video created for the Sailabration. “Across vast distances and under great danger, more than 40,000 [American] sailors are deployed aboard nearly 300 ships on the watch every day around the clock to defend and protect our homeland.”
The event also celebrated the two centuries of peace that the United States and Great Britain have enjoyed since that war ended.
Fort McHenry, located near downtown Baltimore, is often called the "star fort" for its five-sided design, intended to protect seaward naval batteries against an attack by land.
“The bicentennial of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' and the War of 1812 presents a tremendous opportunity to tell the story of Maryland's pivotal role in securing America's independence and giving our nation two of its most enduring icons: the anthem and the flag,” said Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley.
The ships of the world came to celebrate the birth of the United States and “the quickening of our spirit of understanding that we are all in this together and together we are stronger,” O’Malley said.
After raiding Washington in 1814, the British were held off in their attacks on Baltimore, then the fledgling nation’s third-largest city, by land at North Point near Baltimore and by sea near Fort McHenry, now close to downtown Baltimore.
In the waters off Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that would become “The Star-Spangled Banner,” now America’s national anthem. More than 10 sites in Baltimore have a direct tie to the conflict.
“If Star-Spangled Sailabration is any indication of the public’s interest in the story of the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake [Bay] and 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' then our commemoration is off to a great start,” said Bill Pencek, executive director of the Maryland War of 1812 Commission.
“As we bid farewell to more than 40 vessels from 12 nations, we take heart that having experienced our city, they are eager to return in September 2014 to help commemorate the 200th anniversary of the writing of 'The Star-Spangled Banner,'” he said at the conclusion of the celebration.
More information about Sailabration is available on the festival’s website. Visit the Discover America website to learn more about visiting Maryland.
Read more: http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/article/2012/06/201206197673.html#ixzz1yP3BygS3
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