大俠行天下日記 我見我聞我思 0514

晚餐桌上一百萬張空椅子

拜登總統命令全國聯邦建筑物下半旗追念失去生命的一百萬國人，他於週四主持了全球新冠疫情視訊會議， 商討如何在疫情進入第三年時要如何在全球範圍內抵抗病毒。

專家們預測，今年夏秋兩季疫情可能會捲土重來 ，拜登總統在一項聲明中說， 今天我們遺留下一個悲痛的旅程碑， 因新冠疫情失去了一百萬同胞， 在晚餐桌上一百萬張空椅子， 新冠疫情让他們永遠離開了家庭和社區， 國家也因而永遠改變， 我們希望繼續增加測試接種疫苗來保護健康，同時要求國會能通過要多之预算來對抗病毒之蔓延。

誠然 過去三年來這塲慘酷的風暴， 改變了我們的世界 ，打亂了全球之生產及供應鍊， 眾多企業因而倒閉 居家生活澈底改變。

更不幸的是 ，由于人之因素 ，烏克蘭還在進行激烈戰鬥 ，近千萬人無家可㱕 ，非洲地區乾旱及農產品之減產，可能導致几億人口之飢餓 ，芬蘭瑞典要求加入北約 ，勢必增加歐洲大陸情勢之緊張 ，看來世界真是永無安寧之日。

今天總統在白宮歡迎東協各國領袖， 希望加強和亞太地區之關係， 但是由于中美兩大國關係之不斷惡化， 勢必增加了更多在亞太地區之複雜和不安。

We Mourn One Million American Deaths From Covid-19

President Biden mourned one million American deaths from Covid-19 and urged Congress to pass additional funding to control the pandemic.

In his statement, President Biden said, “This pandemic isn’t over. Today we mark a tragic milestone here in the United States -- one million Covid deaths. One million empty chairs around the family dinner table. Each irreplaceable. Irreplaceable losses, each leaving behind a family and a community forever changed because of this pandemic. Our hearts go out to all those who are struggling.”

In the proclamation issued on Thursday, the president ordered flags to be flown at half-staff to mark the tragic milestone.

Unfortunately, the fighting still continues in the Ukraine war. And because of the Ukraine war, billions of people around the world are now facing very serious food shortages, including here in America where we are seeing more and more people lining up to ask for food assistance.

Over the last three years many businesses have been struggling and fighting just for survival with the high cost of raw materials.

Today, President Biden also met with a group of leaders from Asian countries to try and help these countries meet their basic needs.

We all hope that today’s challenges can be met soon and that the situation will get better for all of us.