?????? 4月21日早晨，北京天安門廣場下半旗向玉樹地震遇難者致哀。為表達全國各族人民對青海玉樹地震遇難同胞的深切哀悼，中國國務院20日發出公告，21日舉行全國哀悼活動，全國和駐外使領館下半旗致哀，停止公共娛樂活動。4月21日上午10時整，青海人民默哀（pay a silent tribute to the quake victims）三分鐘，屆時汽車、火車、輪船鳴笛，防空警報鳴響。請看中國日報報道：

Around ruins and tents, and in cities and the vast countryside, survivors, rescuers and people around the nation will together mourn the quake victims on Wednesday - a week after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit Yushu prefecture.

The death toll had risen to 2,064 as of Tuesday, with 175 missing and 12,135 wounded, the rescue headquarters said.

To express deep condolences, the State Council on Tuesday declared that the entire nation will mourn the dead on Wednesday - the second time the country has organized nationwide mourning since the devastating Sichuan earthquake in 2008.

The national flag will fly at half-mast across the country and its embassies and consulates around the world, according to the State Council. Public entertainment will also be suspended.

In Qinghai province, where Yushu is located, people will observe three minutes of silence starting 10 am to the sound of sirens and hooting horns of cars, trains and ships, the provincial government said in a statement on its website.

—— Excerpt from China mourns the Qinghai quake victims Today

?????? 上例中，fly是作不及物動詞使用，因此我們可以將“下/降半旗”表達成：The national flag flies at half-mast. 此外，fly也可以作及物動詞使用，這里我們也可以這么說：… fly the national flag at half mast，或者使用被動語態：The national flag is flown at half mast. 還可以直接使用lower這個動詞，表達成：The national flag is lowered to half-mast. 請看中國日報報道：

People all over the country are sharing the grief of those who have lost their loved ones in the April 14 earthquake that hit Yushu county, Qinghai province. Our national flags are being flown at half-mast to mark a national day of mourning.

—— Excerpt from Mourning the victims

（來源：中國網學英語頻道）