Doves fly over the Peace Memorial Park in front of the gutted A-bomb Dome at a ceremony in Hiroshima to mark the 65th anniversary of the day an atomic bomb fell on the city. The Japanese city, reduced to ashes by the United States bomb in 1945, held its annual commemoration of that attack yesterday, the first time that a US representative took part. Hiroshima was careful to ensure the memorial emphasized a forward-looking approach, focusing on averting future nuclear attacks.

A UNITED States representative participated for the first time yesterday in Japan's annual commemoration of the American atomic bombing of Hiroshima, in a 65th anniversary event that organizers hope will bolster global efforts toward nuclear disarmament.

The site of the world's first A-bomb attack echoed with the choirs of schoolchildren and the solemn ringing of bells as Hiroshima marked its biggest memorial yet.

At 8:15am, the time the bomb dropped, incinerating most of the city, a moment of silence was observed.

Hiroshima's mayor welcomed Washington's decision to send US Ambassador John Roos to the commemoration, which began with an offering of water to the 140,000 who died in the first of two nuclear bombings that prompted Japan's surrender in World War II.

Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba is also hoping that President Barack Obama will visit Hiroshima, an idea Obama has said he would like to consider but that would be highly controversial and unprecedented for a sitting US president.

"We need to communicate to every corner of the globe the intense yearning of the survivors for the abolition of nuclear weapons," Akiba told the 55,000 people at the ceremony.

Akiba called on the Japanese government to take a leadership role in nuclear disarmament toward "turning a new page in human history."

"I offer my prayers to those who died -- we will not make you be patient much longer," he said.

Along with the US, nuclear powers Britain and France also made their first official appearance at the memorial, as well as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Altogether, 74 nations were represented.

Hiroshima was careful to ensure that the memorial -- while honoring the dead -- emphasized a forward-looking approach, focusing not on whether the bombing was justified, a point which many Japanese dispute, but on averting any future nuclear attacks.

• ceremony [´seriməni] n.典礼；礼仪；客气 (初中英语单词)
• atomic [ə´tɔmik] a.原子的；原子能的 (初中英语单词)
• annual [´ænjuəl] a.每年的 n.年刊 (初中英语单词)
• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
• solemn [´sɔləm] a.严肃的；隆重的 (初中英语单词)
• ambassador [æm´bæsədə] n.大使 (初中英语单词)
• surrender [sə´rendə] vt.&n.交出；引渡；放弃 (初中英语单词)
• altogether [,ɔ:ltə´geðə] ad.完全；总而言之 (初中英语单词)
• dispute [di´spju:t] v.&n.争论，辩论；争吵 (初中英语单词)
• memorial [mi´mɔ:riəl] a.纪念的 n.纪念物 (高中英语单词)
• offering [´ɔfəriŋ] n.提供；礼物；捐献 (高中英语单词)
• communicate [kə´mju:nikeit] vi.通讯；传达；传播 (高中英语单词)
• intense [in´tens] a.强烈的；紧张的 (高中英语单词)
• abolition [,æbə´liʃən] n.废除；废止 (高中英语单词)
• leadership [´li:dəʃip] n.领导(能力) (高中英语单词)
• anniversary [,æni´və:səri] n.周年纪念(日) (英语四级单词)
• disarmament [dis´ɑ:məmənt] n.缴械；裁军 (英语六级单词)
• unprecedented [ʌn´presidentid] a.空前的 (英语六级单词)