| |
Villa owner rejects memorial to Churchill
这座位于德国波茨坦格里布尼兹湖畔的别墅曾是英国首相丘吉尔二战时的寓所。目前，别墅新主人因拒绝丘吉尔女儿重游故居并在别墅内为丘吉尔立纪念碑的请求而引起外界关注。
It played a small but historic role in shaping the fate of 20th-century Europe. But the idyllic lakeside villa used by Winston Churchill during the Potsdam conference is now at the centre of a row after its German owner refused to put up a plaque.
据《卫报》4月24日报道，下周，丘吉尔83岁的女儿玛丽·索姆斯将前往德国，这是她自1945年7月离开后首次重游。当年，玛丽曾与父亲丘吉尔居住在位于格里布尼兹湖畔的乌尔比格别墅里。毫无疑问， 乌尔比格别墅将成为此行的必游之地。英国丘吉尔协会也希望借此机会在别墅内为其立一块纪念碑，以纪念丘吉尔二战时在德国的家。在该别墅附近，当年盟军领导人斯大林和杜鲁门的别墅也都有相应的纪念形式。
Next week Mary Soames, Churchill‘s 83-year-old daughter, will return to Berlin for the first time since July 1945, when the victorious allies represented by Churchill, Josef Stalin and Harry Truman met to determine the boundaries of Europe after the second world war. The Churchill Society had wanted to erect a plaque on the salmon-pink house, the Villa Urbig, which overlooks the Griebnitzsee, one of Potsdam‘s most tranquil lakes. There are already memorials to the former leaders of the USSR and the United States, Stalin and Truman, who stayed in neighbouring villas.
但是，别墅新主人塞梅尔哈克最初不但拒绝丘吉尔之女索姆斯的来访，且不同意在别墅花园内为丘吉尔立纪念碑。塞梅尔哈克于去年购买了这座别墅，他说：“很荣幸丘吉尔在这里居住了数年，但它现在已成为私有财产。我打算将它变为个人住宅，目前正在装修它。”
But the Germany property developer who owns the villa is refusing to allow a memorial to Churchill to be erected in the garden. "It‘s very nice that Churchill stayed here for a few days, but this is now private property," Theodor Semmelhaack, who bought the villa last year, told the Guardian. He added: "I intend to use the villa as my private residence. I‘m having it renovated at the moment."
直到23日，塞梅尔哈克还是拒绝索姆斯参观这座别墅，并威胁说将采取法律行动反对丘吉尔协会的做法。但后来又同意了索姆斯的参观请求。塞梅尔哈克日前表示，如果索姆斯愿意，她可以进别墅参观，但到时他不会在家恭候，“到时我要出门，但是我可以派人接待她”。
Until yesterday, Mr Semmelhaack had refused to allow Mrs Soames to visit the villa and had threatened to take legal action against the Churchill Society. He has since backed down. Mr Semmelhaack said yesterday that Mrs Soames could have a look round the house if she wanted to, but added that he would be out of town. "It‘s empty at the moment. But I can get someone from my office to let her in," he said.
丘吉尔协会成员为此表示：“看起来，玛丽想为父亲立纪念碑的愿望受到阻拦，我们正在和德国官方接洽，希望能在别墅花园里将纪念碑立起来。我们为玛丽安排了这次故地重游的目的是因为这里没有任何纪念物证明丘吉尔曾在此居住过。我们希望重新拥有纪念丘吉尔的权利。”
"It looks as if Mary will simply have to hold up the plaque to her father," said Nigel Dunkley of the Churchill Society. "We are negotiating with the German authorities to put it in the pavement." He added: "We arranged the trip because there is nothing to denote the fact that Churchill stayed here. We wanted to put this right."
关键字:英语阅读 |
|
|