德國紀念柏林牆倒塌25週年

Germans are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, with Chancellor Angela Merkel praising the courageous people who helped bring it down.

The German leader led several events Sunday, including the placing of a rose in one of the few remaining sections of the Wall to commemorate those who died trying to escape to the West.

In a speech at the main memorial site for the Wall, Ms. Merkel said that "the fall of the Wall has shown us that dreams can come true." She called the Wall a "symbol of state abuse cast in concrete" that "took millions of people to the limits of what is tolerable."

The day's ceremonies in the German capital began with a trumpet call, evoking the trumpets the Bible says brought down the walls of Jericho.

Current and former world leaders are marking the occasion with warnings of continued divisions among major powers.

U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement saying Russia's actions against Ukraine are a reminder that there is "more work to do" for Europe to be "whole, free and at peace."

The Berlin Wall divided the German capital and came to define the Cold War, which pitted the United States and its allies against the Soviet Union following World War Two.

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said Saturday that the world is on the brink of "a new Cold War," and that some say it has already begun.

At an event commemorating the Berlin Wall anniversary, Mr. Gorbachev said "bloodshed in Europe and the Middle East against the backdrop of a breakdown in dialogue between major powers is of enormous concern."德國民衆星期天慶祝柏林牆倒塌25週年，總理默克爾讚揚了那些幫助推倒這堵牆的勇敢的人民。

德國領導人主持了星期天的幾項紀念活動，其中包括在一處保留的柏林牆段獻玫瑰花，紀念在試圖逃往西方過程中死去的人。

默克爾在柏林牆主要紀念活動上說，“柏林牆的倒塌向我們顯示，夢想能夠成真。”她稱“柏林牆是“混凝土建造的國家虐待的標誌”， “讓千百萬人忍無可忍。”

德國首都柏林星期天舉行的一系列紀念活動以小號開始。根據聖經記載，傑里科的城牆就是在號角聲中倒塌的。

現任以及卸任的世界多國領導人蔘加了紀念活動，並且對大國間的持續紛爭提出警告。

美國總統奧巴馬發表的聲明說，俄羅斯針對烏克蘭的行動提醒人們，維持一個統一、自由與和平的歐洲，還需進行更多的努力。

柏林牆曾將德國首都一分爲二，成爲二戰後的冷戰標誌，冷戰的一方是美國及其盟國，另一方是蘇聯。

前蘇聯領導人戈爾巴喬夫星期六表示，世界目前正處於爆發“新冷戰的邊緣”，並說，有人認爲新冷戰已經開始。

戈爾巴喬夫在一個紀念柏林牆倒塌25週年的活動上說：“大國間對話破裂，歐洲和中東流血不斷，形勢令人堪憂。”