Commemorate the departed

The Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, is traditionally a time when Chinese people visit the graves of their ancestors, sprucing up the tombs and remembering their loved ones.
清明节是中国人扫墓祭祖、怀念逝去至亲至爱的传统节日。

But this year, the day also included a national mourning, which offered people a chance to remember those who lost their lives in the fight against the novel coronavirus.
而今年的清明节也是全国哀悼日，表达全国各族人民对抗击新冠肺炎疫情斗争牺牲烈士和逝世同胞的深切哀悼。

This is the first time that China has launched national mourning due to a major public health emergency, noted Xinhua.
新华社报道指出，这是我国首次因重大突发公共卫生事件启动全国性哀悼。

Starting at 10 am on April 4, Chinese people – from the leaders of the Communist Party of China to schoolchildren and from Wuhan to every corner of the country – observed a three-minute silence to mourn the deceased.
4月4日上午10时起，全国人民 —— 从中共中央领导人到学校学生，从武汉到全国各地 —— 为逝者默哀3分钟。

With all national flags lowered to half-mast, all public entertainment suspended and air raid sirens – and horns of automobiles, trains and ships – wailing in grief, “China paused for three minutes, making the world see the unity and strength behind the 1.4 billion Chinese people,” People’s Daily reported.
在此期间，全国下半旗志哀，全国停止公共娱乐活动，汽车、火车、舰船鸣笛，防空警报鸣响，“中国暂停了三分钟，让全世界读懂了14亿中国人集体情感释放背后的团结与力量，”《人民日报》如此报道。

According to Xinhua, more than 3,300 lives were lost due to COVID-19 on the Chinese mainland. On April 3, 14 people who died on the frontline of fighting the virus in Hubei province, including Li Wenliang and Liu Zhiming, have been identified as the first batch of martyrs.
据新华社报道，新冠肺炎疫情新冠肺炎在中国已经夺去了3300多条生命。4月3日，李文亮、刘智明等14名牺牲在新冠肺炎疫情防控一线人员被评定为首批烈士。

“The national mourning makes people deeply realize that the good results of fighting against COVID-19 don’t come easily. Everyone should treasure life, and understand the significance of those hard struggles,” People’s Daily commented.
“全国性哀悼使人们更深切地体会到今天的战‘疫’成绩来之不易。人人都应珍惜美好生活，懂得艰苦奋斗的深刻意义，”《人民日报》评论道。

As Zhang Xiang, associate dean of the School of Law, Renmin University of China, pointed out, “People can mourn the loss of compatriots and pay tribute to those brave fighters. The national mourning can soothe the public, and more importantly, it encourages people alive to forge ahead,” said Zhang.
正如中国人民大学法学院副院长张翔所指出的那样，“人们能够缅怀同胞、致敬奋战者。全国性哀悼能够抚慰公众情绪，更重要的是，激励生者继续奋力前行，”张翔表示。

Chinese people treasured the chance to show their respect for the heroes in harm’s way. “Today, I’m bidding in my heart a final farewell to the deceased,” said community worker Deng Linghao from Wuhan. “We, who are alive, must stay strong.”
中国人民也十分珍视这次致敬逆境英雄的机会。“今天，我在心中与逝者们作了最后的道别，”武汉社区工作者邓凌浩（音译）说道。“生者必须坚强。”

Meanwhile, many teachers took the chance to teach their students about the meaning of death.
与此同时，许多老师也借此机会教育学生死亡的意义。

Huang Xi, 16, from Liyang High School of Jiangsu province, and her classmates were asked to write an obituary. She hoped that those no longer with us can rest in peace, the living can keep a brave and positive attitude, and the world can get back to normal as soon as possible.
江苏省溧阳中学的16岁学生黄希（音译）与同学们写起了悼文。她希望逝者能够安息，生者能够积极勇敢，世界能够尽快恢复正常。

“We mourned to soothe the sorrow inside, and by mourning, we can move forward with a grateful mind and awe to life,” she said.
“我们以哀悼来抚慰内心的伤痛，通过这次哀悼，我们能够怀着一颗敬畏生命的感恩之心继续前行，”她说道。

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》，详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高二787期