墨西哥热烈庆祝独立200周年

爱思英语编者按：据路透社报道，数万名墨西哥民众本周三涌上街头，热烈庆祝墨西哥独立200周年。墨西哥在独立前曾为西班牙殖民地。飞机在空中喷射出代表国旗的绿色、白色和红色三色烟雾。数千名墨西哥城居民观看了庞大的游行队伍沿着改革大道走向索卡罗中心广场。广场晚间还上演了焰火表演。墨西哥全国各地也都举行了数百场规模较小的庆祝活动，人们奏响流浪乐队的乐曲，点燃焰火，大街小巷都插满墨了西哥国旗。

Tens of thousands of Mexicans thronged into the streets Wednesday to celebrate the bicentenary of Mexico"s fight for independence from Spain, even as mounting drug violence took a toll on national pride.

Planes painted the sky with the national colors of green, white and red as thousands of Mexico City residents watched a huge parade down the main Reforma avenue heading to a nighttime fireworks display at the huge Zocalo central square.

Hundreds of smaller celebrations took place across the country to the sounds of mariachi music, fireworks and with streets lined with Mexican flags.

More on Mexico  The War Next Door: Mexico"s vicious battle Mexican blog sheds grim light on drug war Mayor: People have changed way they live in Juarez On 200th birthday, Mexico battered but not broken Obama: Mexico drug war not like Colombia Mexico migrant massacre the tip of the iceberg For Mexico"s president, cartels aren"t only concern Some revelers wore straw sombreros and stick-on mustaches, poking fun at a national stereotype, while the government sought to promote a more serious side with an open-air philharmonic orchestra.

Shortly before midnight, President Felipe Calderon gave the famous cry of the call to arms, known as "El Grito," in Mexico City, echoed by state governors and mayors in desert and jungle towns and cities across Mexico.

"Viva Mexico"
"Viva Mexico!" is a current-day twist on rebel priest Miguel Hidalgo"s original call to arms in 1810. Mexicans eventually achieved their independence from Spain in 1821.

Despite a slow recovery from last year"s deep recession, many cities organized dazzling celebrations, with eight tons of fireworks for Mexico City alone, which lit up the city center. Mexican media put the party"s cost at $40 million.

Among the first marchers were nearly 250 teenagers carrying replicas of native, paddle-shaped nopal cacti on their heads.

Marchers also carried helium-filled depictions of Mayan gods behind the replica of a rebel soldier hauled piece by piece to the Zocalo, assembled into a towering statue.

Proud, but hoping for change    更多信息请访问：http://www.24en.com/
But some party-goers expressed disappointment that their country, an oil exporter and among the world"s largest economies, still suffered from deep corruption and poverty.

"I"m proud of Mexico for its culture and diversity, but since independence the country has never been right and it never will be until we have an honest government," said Citlali Peniche, a public sector mortgage advisor.

Invasion, civil war and the current fight to subdue drug cartels have all been part of Mexico"s two centuries of history. An uneven record of peace and progress has not sapped a national effort for united celebration for a diverse people.

The government"s bloody war against drug traffickers has cast a shadow over parts of the country, particularly the northern border with the United States, where 14 municipalities have had to call off celebrations due to safety concerns.

Circumstances "aren"t peachy and rosy"
"The circumstances which Mexico faces, this year in particular, certainly aren"t peachy and rosy," Mexico"s ambassador in Washington, Arturo Sarukhan, told PBS NewsHour on Wednesday night. "What we have in Mexico is very sophisticated, very brutal organized crime," he added.