(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Now, the VOA Special English program PEOPLE IN AMERICA. Today Rich Kleinfeldt and Sarah Long tell about one of the most unusual and successful American military leaders, General Douglas MacArthur. General Douglas MacArthur was a most unusual man. He was extremely intelligent and very demanding. He expected his orders to be followed exactly. Yet he had problems all his life following the orders of those who were his commanders. Douglas MacArthur was very intelligent and could remember things that others would easily forget. He could design battle plans that left the enemy no choice other than surrender and defeat. His battle plans defeated the enemy and saved as many of his own men as possible.
At other times, he would make simple mistakes that made him appear stupid. He often said things that showed he felt important. Many people made jokes about him. Some of his soldiers sang songs that made fun of him. Others believed he was the best general ever to serve in the United States military. General Douglas MacArthur was extremely brave in battle, sometimes almost foolish. It often seemed as if he believed he could not be killed. He won every medal and honor the United States can give a soldier. However, at the end of his life, he rejected war and warned American political leaders to stay away from armed conflict.
Douglas MacArthur was born to be a soldier. His father, Arthur MacArthur, was a hero of the American Civil War and continued to serve in the army after the war ended in eighteen sixty-five. He became the top officer of the army in nineteen-oh-six. Douglas was born on an Army base near the southern city of Little Rock, Arkansas in January, eighteen eighty. He grew up on army bases where his father served. He said the first sounds he could remember as a child were those of the Army: the sounds of horns, drums and soldiers marching. There was never any question about what Douglas MacArthur would do with his life. He would join the army. He wanted to enter the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. The Academy is a university that trains officers for the United States Army. School officials rejected him two times before he was accepted. He finished his four years at West Point as the best student in his class. Douglas MacArthur began his service in the Army by traveling to several Asian countries including Japan, and to the Philippines, then an American territory. He also served at several small bases in the United States. He became a colonel when World War One began. He led troops on very dangerous attacks against the enemy. He won many honors for his bravery and leadership. After that war, he served as head of the West Point Military Academy.
He became a general. During the nineteen thirties, President Herbert Hoover appointed him chief of staff of the Army, one of the most important jobs in the American military. In nineteen thirty-five, General MacArthur was appointed military advisor to the Philippines. He was to help the government build an army for defense purposes as the Philippines began planning for independence. He had retired from the army. He was the chief military advisor to the Philippine military forces when the United States entered World War Two in December, nineteen forty-one. Japanese aggression in the Pacific developed very quickly. Japanese troops began arriving in the Philippines on December eleventh, nineteen forty-one. The fighting was extremely fierce. The Japanese were defeating the Philippine and American forces. General MacArthur had been recalled to active duty by President Franklin Roosevelt. President Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to leave the Philippines to command American forces in the South Pacific. General MacArthur finally agreed to leave for Australia before the Philippines surrendered to Japan. But he made a promise to the Philippine people. He said, "I shall return."
Military history experts continue to study General MacArthur's decisions during World War Two. He won battle after battle in the South Pacific area. Often, he would pass islands with strong enemy forces, cut off their supplies and leave them with no chance to fight. In nineteen forty-four, he returned to the Philippines with an army that defeated the Japanese. MacArthur was chosen to accept the Japanese surrender in September, nineteen forty-five. He was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, the leader of the occupation forces that would rule Japan. As an American soldier, he had to follow the orders of the government in Washington. But in Japan, General MacArthur ruled like a dictator. The Japanese expected severe punishment. They saw MacArthur as a very conservative ruler who would make Japan suffer. MacArthur did charge some Japanese leaders with war crimes. But he did not try to punish the Japanese people.
General MacArthur told the Japanese they must change, both politically and socially. He began with education. Before the war, female children in Japan received little if any education. MacArthur said education would be for everyone, including girls and women. He said women must have the right to vote in elections, and be permitted to hold political office. He said Japanese women would now have the same legal rights as men. And he said that every person had the same legal protection under the law. General MacArthur told the Japanese people they were now free to form political parties. And he ended the idea of an official government religion. Religion would be a matter of individual choice. He also said the Japanese government would no longer be controlled by a few powerful people. MacArthur told Japan it would now be ruled by a parliament that was freely elected by the people. He helped the people of Japan write a new constitution for a democratic form of government.
On June twenty-fifth, nineteen fifty, North Korean troops invaded South Korea. Within two days, the United States decided to send armed forces to aid South Korea. Douglas MacArthur was appointed commander of the United Nations forces in South Korea. As the weeks passed, the North Korean army forced the South Korean army and its allies to retreat to the southern city of Pusan. Many military experts said South Korea was lost. General MacArthur did not agree. He wanted to attack from the sea, deep behind the enemy troops at the city of Inchon. MacArthur said the enemy would not be prepared. Most other military leaders believed this would be extremely dangerous. American Marines did attack Inchon September fifteenth. It was a complete success. MacArthur had been right. General MacArthur often disagreed with political leaders. President Truman warned him several times not to disagree with government policy. General MacArthur continued to disagree and told reporters when he did. He often gave orders that were not approved by the president.
MacArthur called for a total victory in Korea. He wanted to defeat communism in East Asia. He wanted to bomb Chinese bases in Manchuria and block Chinese ports. President Truman and his military advisers were concerned World War Three would start. In April, nineteen fifty-one, President Truman replaced MacArthur as head of the U.N. forces in Korea. Douglas MacArthur went home to the United States. It was the first time he had been there in more than fifteen years. He was honored as a returning hero. He was invited to speak before Congress. There was a huge parade to honor him in New York City. General MacArthur retired again. Some political leaders wanted him to compete for some political office, perhaps for president. Instead, he lived a quiet life with his wife and son. He died at the age of eighty-four on April fifth, nineteen sixty-four. Today, many Americans have forgotten Douglas MacArthur. However, the people of the Philippines built a statue to honor him for keeping his promise to return. And, many Japanese visitors go to General MacArthur's burial place in Norfolk, Virginia to remember what he did for Japan.
重点解析
1.extremely 非常，极其；极端地
Three of them are working extremely well.
他们中的3个人工作极其出色。
2.surrender 投降
General Martin Bonnet called on the rebels to surrender.
马丁·邦尼特将军要求反叛分子们投降。
3.defeat 击败，战胜
His guerrillas defeated the colonial army in 1954.
他的游击队在1954年打败了殖民军。
4.stay away from 躲避；离…远点
The doctor told him to stay away from fat food.
医生叫他不要吃高脂肪的食物。
5.serve in the army 服兵役
He interrupted college to serve in the army.
他中断大学的学业到军队服役。
6.appoint 任命
It made sense to appoint a banker to this job.
任命一位银行家做这项工作是合理的。
参考译文
这里是VOA慢速英语栏目《美国人物志》。今天里奇·克林沸德和萨拉·朗将为大家讲述最不同寻常最成功的美国军事领袖之一，道格拉斯·麦克阿瑟将军。道格拉斯·麦克阿瑟将军是一位不同寻常的人，他极其聪敏，非常严苛。他要求别人严格执行他的指令。但在他的一生中，他总是不服从指挥官的指令。道格拉斯·麦克阿瑟非常聪明，可以轻易记下别人记不住的事情。他可以制定出那种让敌人除了投降别无选择的作战计划。他的作战计划击败了敌人，救回了尽可能多的士兵。平时他也会犯一些简单的错误，让他看起来有点蠢。他经常讲一些显得自己很重要的话。很多人拿他开玩笑。他手下的一些士兵唱着那些嘲笑他的曲子。其他人认为他是美国军中有史以来最优秀的将领。道格拉斯·麦克阿瑟将军在战场非常英勇，有时几近愚蠢。就好像他以为自己有不死之身一样。他获得了美国政府授予一名士兵的所有奖项和荣誉。但是在生命结束之际，他拒绝战争并警告美国政治领导们远离武装冲突。
道格拉斯·麦克阿瑟是天生的士兵。他的父亲阿瑟·麦克阿瑟是美国内战英雄，并在1865年战争结束后继续服役于军中。1906年，他成为了军中一名高官。1880年1月，道格拉斯在阿肯色州小岩城附近的陆军基地出生。他成长在父亲服役的陆军基地中。他说记事起，他听到的声音都是军中的声音：号角声、鼓声和士兵行军的声音。对于道格拉斯·麦克阿瑟未来的人生计划，毫无疑问，他将参军。他想去纽约美国西点军校。这是一所为美国军队培训士兵的大学。在他被录取前，学校官员曾两次拒绝了他。四年后，他以班级最优秀学生的身份毕业。
道格拉斯·麦克阿瑟开始在军中服役，他去过几个亚洲国家，包括日本、菲律宾，这里当时是美国领土。他还在美国的几个小型基地服役。一战开始时，他成了一名陆军上校。在一次非常危险的战役中，他带领士兵对抗敌军。他的英勇和领导能力为他赢得了很多荣誉。战后，他成为西点军校校长。他成了一名将军。20世纪30年代期间，赫伯特·胡佛总统任命他为陆军参谋长这是美国军队最重要的职位之一。1935年，麦克阿瑟将军被任命为菲律宾军事顾问。 他是去帮助菲律宾政府防御军队，因为菲律宾计划独立。他从军中退役。1941年美国加入二战，当时他是菲律宾军队力量的军事总顾问。日本侵略太平洋进展非常迅速。1941年12月11日，日本军队开始抵达菲律宾。战争极其惨烈。日本战胜菲律宾和美军。富兰克林·罗斯福总统将麦克阿瑟将军召回。罗斯福总统命令麦克阿瑟离开菲律宾前往南太平洋指挥美军军队。麦克阿瑟将军最终同意在菲律宾向日本投降前动身前往澳大利亚。但是他向菲律宾人民承诺，他说：“我会回来的。”
军事历史专家还在研究麦克阿瑟将军二战期间的决策。在南太平洋地区，他赢得了一次又一次的战役。他经常将强大的敌军诱入岛屿中，切断他们的供应，让他们毫无反抗之力。1944年，他带着一支战胜日本的军队回到菲律宾。1945年麦克阿瑟被选中前去接受日军的投降。他被任命为同盟国最高指挥官，成为占领军领袖管辖日本。作为一名美国士兵，他不得不服从政府命令。但是在日本，麦克阿瑟将军的统治像是一个独裁者。日本遭到严厉惩罚。他们将麦克阿瑟视为一名非常保守的统治者，日本深受其苦。麦克阿瑟确实控诉一些日本领导者犯下了战争罪，但是他没有想要惩罚日本人民。麦克阿瑟将军告诉日本人民他们必须对在政治和社会方面做出改变。他先从教育开始。战前，日本女孩没受过教育。麦克阿瑟说每个人都应接受教育，包括女孩和女性。他说女性必须有投票权，应被允许任官职。他说日本女性现在应该拥有和男性一样的权利。他还说每个人都应该受到法律同等的保护。麦克阿瑟将军告诉日本民众他们现在可以自由组建政党。他终结了一个官方政府宗教的想法。宗教是一个人的选择问题。他还说日本政府不再被少数有权人士控制。麦克阿瑟告诉日本，它将由一个议会统治，其中成员由人民自由选举而成。他帮助日本人写下了新的民主政府宪法。
1950年6月25日，朝鲜入侵南韩。两天内，美国决定派遣军队支援南韩。道格拉斯·麦克阿瑟被任命为南韩美军军队指挥官。几周后，朝鲜迫使南韩及其盟友撤退至南部城市釜山。很多军事专家称南韩守不住了，但麦克阿瑟将军不这么认为。他想要从海上攻击，深入位于仁川的敌军之中。麦克阿瑟表示那里的军队没有做准备。大部分其他军事将领认为这是极其危险的。美国海军陆战队在9月15日袭击了仁川。他们取得了圆满的成功。麦克阿瑟一直是对的。麦克阿瑟将军经常和政治领袖有不同意见。杜鲁门总统多次警告他不要和政府政治有分歧。麦克阿瑟将军还是不同意，他将分歧告知记者。他经常下达一些没通过总统同意的命令。麦克阿瑟提议在朝鲜取得完全胜利，他想击败东亚的共产主义。他想轰炸位于满洲的中国基地，封锁中国港口。杜鲁门总统和他的军事顾问担心第三次世界大战将开始。
1951年4月，杜鲁门总统替代麦克阿瑟成为驻朝鲜联合国军队领导。道格拉斯·麦克阿瑟回到美国。这是他时隔15年之久首次回家。他是归来的英雄，被邀请至议会前演讲。在纽约的一场大型阅兵对他以示尊重。麦克阿瑟将军再次退役。一些政治领袖希望他竞选官职，比如总统。但他却和妻儿过上了平静的生活。他于1964年4月5日离世，享年84岁。如今很多美国人已经忘记了道格拉斯·麦克阿瑟。但是菲律宾人民建了一座雕像纪念他，守住了他要归来的承诺。很多日本游客前往麦克阿瑟将军位于弗吉尼亚州诺福克的埋葬地纪念他为日本所做的一切。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
