6.
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I cried the first
time I saw Notre Dame(巴黎圣母院) years ago. I'd waited my entire life to see this great French
structure, and experienced its full glory on a bright sunny day. Last night, I
cried again for the centuries-old church while watching it burn.
I hadn't expected
to spend my evening that way. My friend and I were having dinner at a cafe a
block or so away from Notre Dame, choosing to skip going inside with the
intention of going back the next day.
However, we heard
that it caught fire, so we left the cafe and ran towards the church, following
heavy smoke from it, and soon we joined a nearly silent crowd. Some were
praying, some were crying, but most were staring in disbelief at the disaster
happening before us. The fire continued to get worse. About 400 firefighters
were working to control the fire. We could see their flashlights shining as
they inspected the front from a balcony.
Notre Dame is part
of the heartbeat of Paris. I reflected on the experiences I'd had there, from
attending a bread market out front to admiring the beautiful windows and
architecture inside. It is a spot that helps make Paris magical. And here we
were, watching it bum down. It was too much to handle it, but it was impossible
to look away.
At about 9:30 pm,
the gathered crowd spontaneously(自发地) began to sing hymns(圣歌) to the church. We
sang along with the group, feeling at once less like tourists but more like
members of them. I hadn't imagined all that before.
For hundreds of
years, Notre Dame has seen the most joyous and the most terrible moments in the
lives of both France and her people. And when everyone was able to become one
emotional force, it showed that even in her darkest hour, Notre Dame was still
there to bring us all together.