4月21日早晨，北京天安门广场下半旗向玉树地震遇难者致哀。为表达全国各族人民对青海玉树地震遇难同胞的深切哀悼，中国国务院20日发出公告，21日举行全国哀悼活动，全国和驻外使领馆下半旗致哀，停止公共娱乐活动。4月21日上午10时整，青海人民默哀（pay a silent tribute to the quake victims）三分钟，届时汽车、火车、轮船鸣笛，防空警报鸣响。请看中国日报报道：

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是作不及物动词使用，因此我们可以将“下/降半旗”表达成：The national flag flies at half-mast. 此外，fly也可以作及物动词使用，这里我们也可以这么说：… fly the national flag at half mast，或者使用被动语态：The national flag is flown at half mast. 还可以直接使用lower这个动词，表达成：The national flag is lowered to half-mast. 请看中国日报报道：

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

（来源：中国网学英语频道）