爲什麼美國沒有慶祝反法西斯70週年?

To mark the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender, China is preparing a grand spectacle, complete with a military parade. Thirty foreign dignitaries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, are expected to attend.

爲了慶祝反法西斯戰爭勝利70週年，中國正在準備一場規模宏大的紀念活動，包括閱兵儀式。俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普京在內的30位外國政要將出席活動。

But across the Pacific, in the United States, the celebrations are a little more muted.

不過，太平洋彼岸的美國似乎沒有什麼要大規模慶祝的跡象。

The Japanese surrender ended one of the bloodiest wars in American history, second only to the American Civil War. Over 16 million American service members entered World War II, and 291,557 died on the battlefield. They became known as the US' "greatest generation".

日本的投降結束了美國曆史上僅次於內戰的第二血腥的戰爭。超過160萬的美國服役人員投入了二戰，其中291,557人在戰場上犧牲。而他們也被譽爲美國"最偉大的一代"。

But the United States has struggled to memorialize the conflict in the 70 years since. Later wars, like the ones in Vietnam and the Korean Peninsula, received memorials years before World War II did. Only in 2004 did the US erect a World War II monument, alongside the other two war memorials.

不過自那以後的70年裏，關於是否慶祝這場戰爭的勝利，美國一直很矛盾。對二戰後的戰爭，如越南戰爭和朝鮮戰爭，美國都早就樹立了紀念碑。而直到2004年，二戰紀念碑纔在那兩塊碑旁邊豎起。

And don't expect any days off to commemorate World War II, either. There are federal holidays tied to the Civil War and World War I, but none for the US' victory in 1945. Only Rhode Island celebrates the Japanese defeat with a statewide holiday.

在美國，更別指望能放一天假來紀念二戰了。有些聯邦假日紀念內戰和一戰，不過沒有一個和1945年美國二戰勝利相關。全國僅有羅德島州有慶祝日本投降的假日。

A modest airshow did grace the skies over Washington DC this May, for the 70th anniversary of the Nazi defeat. And American newspapers are certainly noting the seven decades since Japan's fall. But why is US' "greatest generation" so poorly commemorated?

今年五月，華盛頓特區舉辦過一場小規模的飛機特技表演來紀念戰勝納粹70週年。美國報刊也報道過日本戰敗70週年。不過紀念美國"最偉大的一代"的活動爲何少得可憐？

There is no simple answer, only a tangle of history and politics, honor and sorrow. G. Kurt Piehler, director of the Institute on World War II, believes part of the reason lies with the veterans themselves.

各種原因理不清道不完，交雜着複雜的歷史、政治的因素，有榮譽也有悲慟。二戰研究會主任G·庫爾特·皮勒（G. Kurt Piehler）認爲部分原因在老兵自己。

World War II veterans "wanted to get on with their lives", Piehler wrote in an article for The Daily Beast. "They tended to avoid monuments and statues, choosing instead to commemorate the war with utilitarian structures such as parks, highways, community buildings, stadiums, and hospitals."

皮勒在給美國新聞評論網"每日野獸"的文章中寫道：二戰老兵"想繼續正常的生活"。"他們不想要什麼紀念碑、紀念雕塑，更願意用有實用價值的建築如公園、公路、社區建築、體育館、醫院等來紀念戰爭。"

Holidays and memorials also act as sources of unity and healing – which might explain why a national monument was built relatively quickly for the controversial Vietnam War, and not for World War II.

假日和紀念碑象徵着團結和治癒，這也解釋了爲什麼有爭議的越南戰爭比二戰更早有國家紀念碑。

While World War II ended in triumph and pride for the US, the Vietnam War ended in stalemate and protest. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial created a place for Americans to reunite after the strife.

美國載着勝利和榮譽結束二戰，而越南戰爭的結束帶給美國的則是困境和抗議。越南戰爭退伍軍人紀念碑帶給了美國衝突之後再團結的契機。

By contrast, American involvement in World War II was stamped by a strong sense of righteousness. The US felt dragged into the war by Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. And Americans' moral outrage slowly grew when they realized the extent of Nazi persecution.

相比之下，美國捲入二戰則被貼上了強烈的正義標籤。日本突襲珍珠港將美國拖入了戰爭。在意識到納粹侵入不斷加劇後，美國人的道德正義感也逐漸覺醒。

The US still clings to that self-image, of fighting for freedom against persecution, for democracy against fascism. But showcasing that victory ran contrary to another American value: aesthetic simplicity.

美國始終將自己定義爲捍衛自由，抵制侵略，爲了民主反抗法西斯主義的形象。而展示勝利違背了美國另一種價值觀——極簡的美。

Hitler had built gigantic monuments to trumpet his power. Americans would celebrate theirs with ticker tape parades, and one very iconic kiss in Times Square.

希特勒建了巨大的紀念碑展示他至高的權力。美國人則用紙帶紛飛的遊行和時代廣場上傳奇一吻來慶祝他們的勝利。

There was also the matter of delicacy to consider. For instance, Rhode Island chose to call its holiday "Victory Day", rather than "Victory over Japan Day", to avoid souring relations with Japan and inciting anti-Japanese racism.

當然政治敏感性也是必須考慮的。比如，羅德島州的紀念節日取名爲"勝利日"而非"戰勝日本紀念日"，這是爲了不讓美日關係變得微妙以及避免"煽動反日情緒"。

After all, remembering the past also means defining the future.

畢竟，紀念過去也是爲了更好地面向未來。