VOA常速英语:巴黎圣母院大火严重受损 马克龙承诺重建

Early Tuesday, firefighters were still dousing potential hotspots in the Cathedral with water. Several hours earlier, the inferno was bringing down the Gothic Spire. Hours after the fire was knocked down, people held vigil outside the Cathedral Monday night. I think we have to become a soul nation and not just a nation, and if today Emmanuel Macron wasn’t able to give his speech, I think it’s because we, the people, have to give ours.

But French President Macron did speak around midnight, urging the international community to help in restoring the Paris landmark which sustained heavy interior damage. I am solemnly telling you tonight that this Cathedral will be rebuilt by all of us together. And it’s probably part of France’s destiny, and it will be our project for the years to come. I’m committed to this. Starting tomorrow, a national fundraising campaign to restore Notre Dame will be launched. We will call up the greatest talents. And there are a lot of them that will contribute and we will rebuild. We’ll rebuild Notre Dame because this is what the French expect, because this is our history deserves, because it’s our profound destiny.
Among the hundreds of firefighters responding to the blaze, at least one of them were seriously injured battling the fire which seemed to bring Paris to a standstill as people watched in disbelief. A host of world leaders including former President Barack Obama expressed solidarity with fret and getting through the devastation caused by the fire.
It’s a really terrible situation. It’s more than three hundred fifty-six years of history going up in flames. It’s further impactful given that it coincides with the birth of Leonardo Da Vinci. It’s a history that is coming to an end of a global heritage, architecture. It’s incredibly unfortunate. This is something that will have the world mourning. The Cathedral had been undergoing intense restoration work which the fire service said could be linked to the blaze. French prosecutor says the blaze was being treated as voluntary fire indicating that foul play was ruled out for now.
Michael Brown, VOA News.