Nanjing, Jiangsu province, was the focal point of a national ceremony commemorating the 300,000 victims of the Nanjing Massacre on Wednesday, the 86th anniversary of the start of the murderous rampage by invading Japanese troops in 1937.

At 8 am, the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders conducted a flag-raising and half-masting ceremony in honor of the victims. At 10:01 am, sirens were heard above the city. Vehicles halted and people on the streets observed a moment of silence.

周三，江苏省南京市举行了纪念南京大屠杀 30 万死难者的全国性仪式，纪念 1937 年侵华日军发动残暴屠杀 86 周年。

上午 8 点，侵华日军南京大屠杀遇难同胞纪念馆举行升旗下半旗悼念遇难同胞活动。上午10点01分，城市上空响起警报声。车辆停了下来，街上的人们默哀了一会儿。

In the square with the memorial hall, representative citizens struck the Bell of Peace, and white doves were released into the sky. People from many walks of life, dressed in somber, dark attire, looked on.

Japanese troops captured Nanjing on Dec 13, 1937, and proceeded to kill more than 300,000 civilians and unarmed soldiers over a six-week period.

纪念馆广场上，市民代表敲响了和平钟，白鸽飞向天空。来自各行各业的人们，穿着阴沉、深色的衣服，在一旁观看。

1937 年 12 月 13 日，日军占领南京，并在六周内屠杀了超过 30 万平民和手无寸铁的士兵。

Lu Hanlei, a student from Zhonghua Middle School, led more than 80 students in reading a declaration of peace during the ceremony. He said he believes that today's rites were not for remembering past hatred but for cherishing peace.

"I hope that I can contribute more to the country's prosperity and the world's peace when I grow up," he said. "I also hope that more students will share my wish and make their own efforts."

仪式上，中华中学学生卢汉蕾带领80余名学生宣读和平宣言。他表示，他认为今天的仪式不是为了缅怀过去的仇恨，而是为了珍惜和平。

“我希望长大后能为国家繁荣、世界和平做出更多贡献。” “我也希望更多的同学能够分享我的愿望，做出自己的努力。”

Lu Zhaoning, a Chinese American collector, donated historical materials related to the massacre to the memorial hall. As one of the strikers of the Bell of Peace this year, he said the sounds stood for a remembrance of the past, cherishing peace and ensuring that history will never repeat itself.

"History is getting further away from us with each passing day," Lu said. "I will continue to collect historical materials related to the Nanjing Massacre. We will have regrets if we don't explore and preserve them now."

美籍华人收藏家卢兆宁向纪念馆捐赠了与大屠杀相关的历史资料。作为今年敲响和平钟的人之一，他表示，敲响和平钟的声音代表着对过去的缅怀，珍视和平，确保历史不再重演。

“历史离我们一天天远去。”卢说。“我会继续收集与南京大屠杀有关的历史资料。如果现在不发掘和保存，我们会后悔的。”

In 2014, China's top legislature designated Dec 13 as the national memorial day for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre.

While tangible documents and other relics establish an indisputable historical record, survivors of the horrific atrocities have also stepped out to testify about what they experienced in those awful days.

2014年，中国最高立法机关将12月13日定为南京大屠杀死难者国家公祭日。

尽管有形文件和其他文物证实了无可争议的历史记录，恐怖暴行的幸存者也站出来作证，讲述他们在那些可怕日子里的经历。

But with time and old age, fewer of their voices can be heard. Many have died; only 38 eyewitnesses are alive today. Meanwhile, efforts to preserve the historical truths they embody are going forward.

In 2014, the memorial hall began registering descendants of deceased massacre victims. Twenty-three people have been certified as inheritors of the historical memory of the Nanjing Massacre since August last year.

但随着时间的推移和年老，他们的声音越来越少。许多人已经去世；今天只有 38 名目击者还活着。与此同时，保护他们所体现的历史真相的努力仍在继续。

2014年，纪念馆开始登记大屠杀死难者的后代。去年8月以来，已有23人被认定为南京大屠杀历史记忆传承人。