THE RED CROSS
Henri Dunant, a Swiss banker, was travelling in northern Italy in the year 1859 when he witnessed the horrors of the Battle of Solferino. This battle, one of the fiercest of the century, was fought between the armies of France and Italy on the one side and Austria on the other. At the end of the day, some forty thousand dead and wounded lay on the battlefield. Appalled by the sight of so much suffering, Dunant organized a volunteer service to help in feeding and caring for the wounded soldiers. Men and Women and even boys and girls worked side by side, nursing friend and foe alike.
In 1862, when he was 34 years of age, Dunant published a book called "A Memory of Solferino". In it he described vividly the scenes of pain and distress he had witnessed, and suggested that a relief society should be formed to give help to all those wounded in wars. This society, he explained, would consist of trained volunteers who would always be ready to travel to the scene of any war that might break out. This could be done only if all the countries would allow the society to carry out its work without hindrance, he insisted.
Dunant's book was a great success. It was read by many rulers and statesmen in Europe. As a result, a conference was held at Geneva and representatives from seventeen states were present. It was decided to go ahead and form an international relief organization. In 1864 a treaty — The Convention of Geneva — was signed and the Red Cross came into being. The design of its badge, a red cross on a white field, was obtained by reversing the colours of Switzerland.
The Red Cross emblem is now used by many medical services of hospitals, ambulances, and hospital ships. All countries have agreed that whatever bears the Red Cross must never be attacked. It is recognized and respected everywhere as the emblem which means service to the sick and suffering.
The Red Cross did much work for prisoners-of-war during the two world wars. Many thousands of prisoners remember with gratitude the Red Cross food parcels, the warm clothing, the books and the medical supplies that were sent to them. Many mothers and fathers were thankful for news of their missing sons first brought to them by the Red Cross.
In peace, too, the Red Cross is quick to send help wherever there is human suffering. Earthquakes, floods, forest fires, tidal waves, tornadoes — all these and many other disasters too — mean pain and distress for the victims. The members of the Red Cross are always among the first who hurry to the scene and are always equipped to bring help and relief.
All this became possible because one man was so deeply moved and worried by the sufferings of his fellow men that he could not rest until he had done his best to help them. Through the years his story has inspired millions of men, women, and children to devote time and care to the service of others. Today the work goes on, for at any moment disaster may strike somewhere, and the Red Cross must be ready to journey to the ends of the earth, if necessary, and bring relief.
紅十字會
亨利·杜蘭特是瑞士一位銀行家。1859年他在意大利北部旅行，曾目睹了索爾伏裡諾大戰的慘狀。這場戰役是十九世紀最激烈的大戰之一，交戰國一方是法國和意大利的軍隊，另一方是奧地利。一天下來，大約有四萬死傷的士兵躺在戰場上。目睹如此慘狀，杜蘭特大為震驚，便組織了一支志願服務隊幫助照料傷兵。成年男女甚至少年兒童肩並肩齊心協力，對傷兵不分敵我進行同樣護理。
1862年，杜蘭特34歲時，他發表了名為《回憶索爾伏裡諾戰役》一書。書中他栩栩如生的描述了那些充滿痛苦和不幸的景象，並提出建議，組織一個救濟團體，對所有戰時傷亡人員給予救助。他解釋說這一團體應由受過集訓並隨時準備開赴任何戰場去的志願人員組成。他還強調說只有所有國家允許這個團體不受阻礙地進行工作才能實現這一目標。
杜蘭特的書獲得了極大的成功。歐洲的很多領導人和政治家都讀了這本書，並專為此事在日內瓦召集了會議，與會成員有來自十七個國家的代表。會議決定著手組建一個國際救濟組織。1864年，一項協議——日內瓦公約得以簽署，紅十字會誕生了。紅十字會的旗幟，即白底上紅色十字，是由瑞士國旗紅白兩面色互換而成。
現在，紅十字會的標誌用在醫院、救護車、醫療船上。所有國家一致同意不得攻擊一切標有紅十字的車、船和建築物。在全世界，紅十字會被公認為是對受苦受難的人們進行救援的標誌。
在兩次世界大戰中，紅十字會都為戰俘提供了很多救助。成千上萬的戰俘現在仍感激紅十字會曾為他們送去食品、禦寒衣、書籍及藥品。許多父母非常感激紅十字會最先給他們帶來了下落不明的兒子的消息。
在和平時期，無論哪裡的人遭難，紅十字會總是及時提供救援。地震、水災、森林火災、海嘯、颶風——所有這些及其他災難對受害者都意味著痛苦與不幸。紅十字會總是最先出現在現場並隨時準備提供幫助和救濟。
所有這一切都歸功於一個叫杜蘭特的人——他被他同類所遭受的苦難而觸動並感焦慮，直到他竭盡全力幫助了他們才得以安心。多年來他的事蹟激勵了數百萬男人、婦女及兒童將他們的時間與關懷獻給他人。如今，紅十字會的工作仍在照常進行，因為隨時都可能出現災情，一旦需要，紅十字會將奔赴天涯海角，提供救援。
習得路徑：拼讀+跟讀+閱讀
系統課程：圖說新概念+七日練音標/拼讀/單詞/語法
- 特別說明：僅供免費學習使用，如涉及版權，請聯繫予以刪除。 煩請支持正版教材。
- 感謝每位夥伴的轉發與分享，願你的一次轉發，能惠及更多在校學子。
- 也希望每位夥伴尊重每一個作品背後的付出，如果使用，請註明出處！
方寸之地，留有芳香。
贈人玫瑰，手留餘香。
閱讀更多 圖說英語 的文章
