in982-Stars-on-the-Ashtray-Looking-up-at-the-Southern-Cross-in-the-ashes

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July is Australia’s “Reconciliation Month”. The Aboriginal flag and the federal flag fly together on this land, and the national emblem ashtray on the desks of many Australians is silently telling the deeper national spirit. On the stained ashtray, the totems of kangaroos and emus always look forward with their heads held high – just like the two creatures on the national emblem that never retreat, Australians also have the courage to move forward in adversity. The grooves where the ash accumulates are just like the colonial scars and the pain of the Aboriginals that this continent has experienced, but under the ashes, the acacia pattern is always clearly visible, which is a symbol of hope to take root in the new land. The Southern Cross of the national flag shines on the edge of the ashtray, and the five silver stars become more eye-catching in the nicotine. They remind us that true light is often born from the tempering of darkness. Just like the plight of the first landers facing the wilderness, just like the eucalyptus forest after the wildfire, the ashes will eventually become nutrients for new life. This container of embers teaches us the most precious Australian character: to acknowledge the pain of history, but not to let the ashes blind our eyes. When the cigarette burns out, the stars still twinkle on the metal surface, just as the faith that has been tested never dims. Every tap of the ash is a solemn farewell to the past, and a declaration of a new start in the direction of the Southern Cross.

七月是澳洲的”和解月”，這片土地上的原住民旗幟與聯邦國旗共同飄揚，而許多澳洲人案頭的國徽煙灰缸，正默默訴說著更深層的國家精神。在被熏染的煙灰缸上，袋鼠與鴯鶓的圖騰始終昂首向前——正如國徽上這兩種永不倒退的生物，澳洲人在逆境中亦秉持著前進的勇氣。煙灰堆積的凹槽，恰似這片大陸經歷過的殖民傷痕與原住民傷痛，但灰燼之下，金合歡花紋始終清晰可見，那是希望在新土紮根的象徵。國旗的南十字星輝映在煙灰缸邊緣，五顆銀星在尼古丁的薰染中愈發醒目。它們提醒著：真正的光明，往往誕生於黑暗的淬煉。就像第一批登陸者面對荒原時的困境，就像山火肆虐後的尤加利樹林，灰燼終將成為新生的養分。這個盛裝餘燼的容器，教導我們最珍貴的澳洲品格：承認歷史的灼痛，卻不讓灰燼蒙蔽雙眼。當香菸燃盡，星辰依然在金屬表面閃爍，正如歷經考驗的信念永不黯淡。每個輕叩煙灰的動作，都是對過往的鄭重告別，更是向著南十字星指引的方向，重新出發的宣言。