八月二十三日星期天 是八二三臺海戰役滿六十八週年 Sunday, August 23, marked the 68th anniversary of the August 23 Taiwan Strait battle.
臺灣總統賴清德當天在金門主持勝利六十八週年的追思祭道典禮 That day, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te presided in Kinmen over a memorial ceremony marking the 68th anniversary of the victory.
賴清德在午餐致詞時表示 In remarks at a luncheon, Lai Ching-te said
他要向那些團結奮戰以抵禦共產極權侵略的官兵表達敬意 he wanted to pay tribute to the officers and soldiers who fought in unity to repel the aggression of communist totalitarianism.
而投資國防才是確保和平的唯一保證 and that investing in national defense is the only guarantee of ensuring peace.
和平從來就不是天上掉下來的 Peace has never been something that just falls from the sky.
犧牲主權 委曲投降的和平協議 A peace agreement that sacrifices sovereignty and capitulates under duress
更只會換來屈辱 絕不會帶來真正的和平 will only bring humiliation and will never deliver real peace.
唯有秉持台澎金馬 寸土不讓的精神 Only by upholding the spirit of never yielding an inch of territory in Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu,
不斷強化國防 投資國防 and continuously strengthening and investing in national defense,
才是確保和平的唯一保證 can we have the only guarantee of ensuring peace.
金門823炮戰 又稱第二次台海危機 The Kinmen August 23 artillery battle is also known as the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis.
發生於1958年8月23日到10月5日之間 It took place between August 23 and October 5, 1958.
由中國人民解放軍首先發起攻擊 The Chinese People's Liberation Army launched the initial attack,
中華民國國軍隨後反擊 and the Republic of China armed forces counterattacked.
這項戰役也是臺灣與中共雙方 This battle was also, for both Taiwan and the Chinese Communist side,
至今最大一次的海陸空軍的交戰 the largest naval, ground, and air engagement to date.
炮戰期間 美國第七艦隊協助運捕金門 During the artillery war, the U.S. Seventh Fleet helped escort shipments to Kinmen.
而解放軍則以艦艇和炮轟封鎖 The PLA, meanwhile, imposed a blockade with naval vessels and artillery bombardment.
而美方支援的大口徑 And the large-caliber weapons supplied by the United States,
M115八吋榴彈炮 M55自走炮 the M115 8-inch howitzer and the M55 self-propelled gun,
及M1 240毫米榴彈炮 as well as the M1 240mm howitzer,
在炮戰期間扮演了一定的奇襲及嚇阻作用 played a certain role in surprise attacks and deterrence during the artillery war.
臺灣方面的統計顯示 Statistics from the Taiwanese side show that
金門在這起戰役中被轟炸了47萬發的炮彈 In this battle, Kinmen was bombarded with 470,000 artillery shells.
許多當時落下的共軍炮彈 Many of the PLA shells that fell at the time
後來成為金門百姓用來製作菜刀的材料 later became material that Kinmen residents used to make kitchen knives.
成為金門的特產 They became a Kinmen specialty.
23日的紀念活動舉行之際 As the commemorative event was held on the 23rd,
正值臺灣政府提出將明年的國防預算 it came as Taiwan’s government proposed raising next year’s defense budget
增至超過1萬億新臺幣之時 to more than one trillion New Taiwan dollars.
賴清德表示 臺灣將持續強化國防力量 Lai Ching-te said Taiwan will continue strengthening its national defense.
也呼籲政黨及人民支持國防預算 He also called on political parties and the public to support the defense budget.
無論朝野政黨 全國民眾 Regardless of whether they are ruling or opposition parties, and among people nationwide,
都能夠秉持823 軍民團結 反共保台的精神 all can uphold the spirit of “8/23”: military-civilian unity and resisting communism to protect Taiwan.
共同支持國防預算 and support the defense budget together.
美國之音記者劉恩明 華盛頓報導 This is Liu Enming in Washington, for Voice of America.