VOA标准英语2009年-Berlin Wall Crumbled 20 Years Ago

By Sonja Pace
Berlin
03 November 2009

 
People standing¹ on Berlin Wall preparing to destroy it
 
For nearly three decades the Berlin Wall was the symbol of the Cold War; it divided a city and in effect the entire country. And then on November 9, 1989 it crumbled³ and with it Communist East Germany. It was a key event on the path to ending the Cold War.

The Brandenburg Gate - one of Berlin's best known landmarks⁴. Once a stately entryway to the then capital of Prussian kings - by the late 1900's it was part of a grim barrier dividing the city.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, a new conflict was taking shape. The Cold War pitted East against West and nowhere was it more tangible⁵ than in Berlin.

 
Bridge on the outskirts⁶ of Berlin
It was on this bridge on the outskirts of Berlin that the two sides sometimes met - to exchange spies. Haio Koelling remembers those days. "Yes, I think the exchanges took place right here. The secret agent would be sent out from one military checkpoint to the other - in plain view of both sides," Koellling recalls, "But for us civilians⁷, as of 1961, the bridge didn't exist anymore. We couldn't get close. You could see it from over there, but the Wall blocked it."

The Wall: the defining symbol of Berlin for decades.

It was built in August 1961 by the communist East German government as a physical barrier through the heart of the city. But the Wall encircled all of West Berlin, cutting it off from East Berlin and the rest of East Germany.
 
It was the most tangible part of the larger Iron Curtain - the dividing line between the West and the Soviet⁹ bloc⁸ to the east.

It was the focal point of tension and fears the Cold War might erupt into full blown conflict.

 
Jochen Staadt
But over time, cracks formed in the communist system, says political analyst¹⁰ Jochen Staadt of Berlin's Free University.

"There were some people who knew that the GDR, East Germany is in a bad situation, the economy was going down," Staadt says, "As we now know our secret service they knew a lot about that."

A more obvious signal of change was Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev - a reformer at the reins¹¹ in Moscow.

"When Mr. Gorbachev came to power in the Soviet Union there were signs and one of the most important signs was that people in the Soviet Union started to talk publicly about reunion of Germany," Staadt states.

It sparked a difference of opinion between Moscow and East Berlin. And it was a split western leaders tapped into.

 
US President Ronald Reagan
"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall," US President Ronald Reagan urged.

Change was afoot as President Reagan uttered that now famous challenge in 1987.

Reform movements gained ground within the Soviet bloc and by the summer of 1989 East Germans found a way to the West and peaceful protests spread in East Germany.

While western pressure played a part, the key was Mr. Gorbachev, says political analyst Michael Cox of the London School of Economics.

"I think once the Soviet Union, Moscow, Gorbachev and the Politburo have made that decision not to use force then the whole house of cards is bound to come crumbling¹² down," Cox said.

 
Michael Cox
And crumble² it did, faster than anyone anticipated - November 9, 1989. The Wall fell and took with it the East German communist government.

But what would happen next was not a foregone conclusion. Negotiations¹³ would follow about the new structure of Europe and how Germany would fit in.

"Because don't forget in 1989 and 1990 when Germany unified¹⁴ many Europeans were worried and therefore it was extraordinarily¹⁵ important for very, very complicated diplomacy¹⁶ to engage Germany within Europe and as an Atlantic player," Cox says, "Don't forget that Gorbachev in the end had to say yes."

Germany was reunited -- the Soviet Union was dissolved; the Cold War drew to a close.

For Haio Koelling too there have been changes. He's now retired¹⁷, still lives in what was once East Germany. But he can walk across the Glienicke Bridge at will - no barriers, no checkpoints, no walls.

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 crumble   

vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁

参考例句：

• Opposition more or less crumbled away.反对势力差不多都瓦解了。
• Even if the seas go dry and rocks crumble,my will will remain firm.纵然海枯石烂，意志永不动摇。

3 crumbled   

（把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏

参考例句：

• He crumbled the bread in his fingers. 他用手指把面包捻碎。
• Our hopes crumbled when the business went bankrupt. 商行破产了，我们的希望也破灭了。

4 landmarks   

n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）

参考例句：

• The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句

5 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

6 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

7 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

8 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

9 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

10 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

11 reins   

感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带

参考例句：

• She pulled gently on the reins. 她轻轻地拉着缰绳。
• The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods. 政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。

12 crumbling   

adj.摇摇欲坠的

参考例句：

• an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
• The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。

13 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

14 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

15 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

16 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

17 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。