(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Welcome to THE MAKING OF A NATION – American history in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember. In December nineteen forty-one, the United States was at war. It declared war against Japan after Japanese planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A few days later, Germany and Italy declared war against the United States. President Franklin Roosevelt quickly decided that America could not fight major campaigns in the Pacific and in Europe at the same time. He and his advisers decided to fight first against the Germans and Italians. Then, when victory in Europe seemed sure, the United States could turn to fight the Japanese in Asia. This left the Japanese free to extend their power throughout Asia and the western Pacific. Soon after the attack at Hawaii, Japanese forces invaded Hong Kong, Malaya and the Philippines. American forces in the Philippines suffered heavy losses.
And Manila fell to Japanese troops. In February nineteen forty-two, Japan's forces won a great victory against the British in Singapore. Japanese forces marched into Burma. They attacked Ceylon -- now Sri Lanka -- and captured the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. The Japanese military forces seemed too strong to stop. President Roosevelt sent some forces to the Pacific. And he began to rebuild the American naval forces destroyed at Pearl Harbor. But he sent most of America's military strength to Europe. The United States rushed troops and war equipment to help Britain survive against Adolf Hitler's Germany. American military leaders wanted to fight Germany quickly by launching an attack across the English Channel. But British Prime Minister Winston Churchill opposed this. He and others feared such an invasion might fail. So, British and American forces attacked Italian and German occupation troops in North Africa. They defeated them, and then crossed the Mediterranean Sea to attack enemy forces in Sicily. Within weeks, they pushed the Germans out of Sicily to the Italian mainland. The Allied invasion of Italy followed.
Hitler could not strengthen his forces in North Africa and Italy, because Germany also was fighting hard in the Soviet Union. Hitler's decision early in the war to attack the Soviet Union was a serious mistake. It divided his men and materials. His plan was to defeat Soviet forces quickly with one strong attack. But he failed. And his failure cost him valuable troops and supplies that might have helped him win the battles for North Africa and Italy. Germany's attack on the Soviet Union began with great success. In the middle of nineteen forty-one, a German force of more than three million men invaded the Soviet Union. It captured the Ukraine, took control of Kiev, and marched deep into Russia. The situation changed the following year. Soviet forces under Marshal Georgy Zhukov won a fierce battle for the city of Stalingrad -- now Volgograd. A great many German soldiers died from cold and hunger during the bitter winter months that followed. Zhukov's forces attacked the German troops and pushed back the invaders. Other Soviet troops forced the Germans away from the city of Leningrad -- now St. Petersburg.
By the middle of nineteen forty-four, German forces throughout the Soviet Union were retreating. And Soviet forces were preparing to push them over the border and invade Germany themselves. The fighting came at a terrible cost. Huge numbers of soldiers and civilians were killed. The fighting in World War Two was not limited to land. Battles were also being fought on the sea. The main goal of the German navy during the war was to prevent the United States from sending ships to Britain with war materials, food and troops. At first, the Germans were very successful. There was hunger in Britain in nineteen forty-one because so few ships could cross the North Atlantic with food. German submarines were the greatest danger to ships crossing the Atlantic. These U-boats, as the Germans called them, could hide below the surface and attack without warning. The threat from German submarines did not ease until new technology was developed in nineteen forty-three. Allied scientists improved sonar and radar systems that helped find submarines on the surface and underwater. More of the enemy submarines were found and destroyed. The Allies slowly gained control of the Atlantic.
Allied and German warships fought a number of traditional naval battles. But airplanes came to play an increasingly important part in the fighting at sea. British ships, with the help of planes launched from an aircraft carrier, destroyed a powerful German battleship, the Bismarck on May 27, 1941. The most famous air battle of the war in Europe took place during the summer and autumn of the previous year. It was known as the Battle of Britain. It got its name from a speech to Parliament by Prime Minister Churchill following the evacuation of British and French forces from Dunkirk. "This is the BBC Home Service. Here is the news. In the House of Commons this afternoon, the prime minister, Mr. Churchill, said: 'What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. The Battle of Britain is about to begin.'" It was the most extensive aerial bombing yet in the war. It was also the first battle to be fought entirely in the air. German Stuka dive-bombers attacked shipping centers, areas of political importance, airfields, and airplane factories. Luftwaffe pilots in their Messerschmidts battled the Hurricanes and Spitfires of the Royal Air Force. While the flying skills of the German and British pilots were well matched, it was ultimately the greater maneuverability of the British Spitfire that won the long months of battle over the English Channel.
The British victory in the air helped prevent "Operation Sea Lion," a planned German invasion of Britain. In May of nineteen forty-two, Britain's Royal Air Force carried out an attack on Germany with one thousand bombers. It was just the first of many bombing runs over Germany and German-occupied areas by the air forces of Britain and the United States. The planes bombed German military and industrial centers. They also bombed civilian targets in an effort to demonstrate to the German people the price of Germany's aggression. The German cities of Cologne, Dresden and Hamburg suffered widespread destruction. The Allied bombing attacks continued until the war's end in nineteen forty-five. Hitler's victories in the early months of the war had struck fear in the hearts of people throughout the world. Hitler and his Axis allies had won battle after battle. They had captured most of western Europe, except for Britain, and invaded the Soviet Union. They had seized North Africa. And their submarines controlled the Atlantic.
Germany continued to seem strong during the first months after the United States entered the war in Europe. But the situation began to change. German strength and control were greatest in November of nineteen forty-two. After then, the mighty German military machine began to slow down. Germany and its Axis partner Italy suffered serious losses in the first six months of nineteen forty-three. German losses were extremely heavy in the Soviet Union. One hundred sixty thousand German troops died at Stalingrad, and more than one hundred ten thousand surrendered. American and British forces captured two hundred fifty thousand German and Italian troops in North Africa. Many more thousands were killed or captured in Sicily and the Italian mainland. German submarines were being destroyed in the North Atlantic, allowing more Allied troops and supplies to reach Britain. By the end of nineteen forty-three, Hitler and his armies no longer seemed so strong. But German forces continued to occupy France, Belgium and much of the rest of western Europe. Now, the time had come for the Allies to invade German-held Europe from Britain. Allied forces planned the greatest military invasion in history to break the German control of Europe and win the war. "People of Western Europe: A landing was made this morning on the coast of France by troops of the Allied Expeditionary Force. This landing is part of a concerted United Nations plan for the liberation of Europe. Although the initial assault may not have been made in your own country, the hour of your liberation is approaching."
重点解析
1.at the same time 同时；另一方面
I was afraid of her, but at the same time I really liked her.
我害怕她，但同时也确实喜欢她。
2.take control of 控制；掌管
He failed in his attempt to take control of the company .
他试图掌控公司，但以失败告终。
3.in the middle of 正在…当中；在…的中途
Their long-prepared offensive was launched in the middle of March.
他们在3月中旬发起了准备已久的攻势。
4.continue to 继续；持续
We hope to continue to have her close support and friendship.
我们希望她能继续大力支持，并能与她维持亲密友谊。
参考译文
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语之建国史话节目，我是史蒂夫·恩伯。1941年12月，美国处于战争状态。在日军飞机袭击美国夏威夷珍珠港海军基地后，美国向日本宣战。几天后，德国和意大利对美国宣战。富兰克林·罗斯福总统很快决定，美国不能同时在太平洋和欧洲进行重大战役。他和顾问们决定先与德国和意大利军队作战。然后，当能够确保获得欧洲战事胜利的时候，美国可以转而在亚洲与日本作战。展到整个亚洲和西太平洋地区。在袭击夏威夷后不久，日军入侵香港、马来亚和菲律宾，驻菲律宾的美军损失惨重。
马尼拉落入日军手中，1942年2月，日军在新加坡战胜了英军。日军进军缅甸，他们袭击了锡兰，现在是斯里兰卡，随后占领了孟加拉湾的安达曼群岛。日军军力势如破竹，攻势无法阻挡。罗斯福总统向太平洋地区派遣了一些部队，他开始重建在珍珠港被毁的美国海军。但他把美军的大部分军事力量都派到了欧洲，美国紧急出动军队和战争装备，帮助英国在与希特勒德军的战斗中幸存下来。美国军方领导人想通过在英吉利海峡对岸发动攻击来迅速打击德国，但英国首相丘吉尔对此表示反对。他和其他人担心这样的入侵可能会失败。于是，英美盟军袭击了意大利和德国占领北非的军队。他们战胜了，随后他们越过地中海进攻西西里的敌军。几周内，他们把德国人赶出西西里岛，来到意大利内陆。盟军随后入侵意大利。
希特勒无法加强他在北非和意大利的军力，因为德国此时也在苏联奋战。希特勒在战争初期决定进攻苏联是一个严重的错误，这样分散了他的军力和物资。他的计划是通过一次猛烈的进攻迅速击败苏军，但他失败了，这使他失去了宝贵的军力和物资，而这些都有助于他赢得北非和意大利的战斗。德国对苏联的进攻取得了巨大成功。1941年中期，一支300多万人的德军入侵苏联，占领了乌克兰，控制了基辅，并深入俄罗斯联邦。第二年情况发生了变化，乔治·朱可夫元帅领导下的苏联军队为斯大林格勒市（现在的伏尔加格勒）赢得了一场激烈的战斗。在随后的严冬里，许多德国士兵在严寒和饥饿中丧生。朱可夫的军队袭击了德军，击退了侵略者。其他苏联军队迫使德军离开列宁格勒市，即现在的圣彼得堡。
到1944年中期，整个苏联的德国军队正在撤退。苏联军队正准备把他们赶出边境，出兵入侵德国。战斗付出了惨重的代价，大批士兵和平民丧生。第二次世界大战的战斗不仅限于陆地，同时也在进行海战。德国海军在战争期间的主要目标，是防止美国向英国派遣带有战争物资、食品和军队的船只。起初，德军非常成功。1941年，英国发生饥荒，因为很少有船只能携带食物穿越北大西洋。德国潜艇是穿越大西洋的船只面临的最大危险，这些德军称之为U型潜艇的船只能躲在水面下，毫无预警地进行攻击。直到1943年新技术的发展，才得以缓解来自德国潜艇的威胁。盟军科学家改进了声纳和雷达系统，帮助在水面和水下发现潜艇。盟军发现并摧毁了更多的敌方潜艇，慢慢地控制了大西洋。
盟军和德国军舰发动了一些传统的海战，但是飞机在海上作战中扮演着越来越重要的角色。1941年5月27日，英国战舰在航空母舰上发射的飞机的帮助下，摧毁了一艘强大的德国战舰俾斯麦号。欧洲最著名的空战发生在前一年的夏季和秋季，被称为英国之战。英军和法军从敦刻尔克撤离后，丘吉尔首相在议会发表演讲，给这场战争冠名。“这是英国广播公司的国内频道，现在播放新闻。今天下午，首相丘吉尔先生在下议院说道：“韦根将军所说的法兰西之战已经结束，英国之战即将开始。”这是战时空中轰炸范围最广的战斗，也是第一场完全在空中进行的战斗。德军的斯图卡俯冲轰炸机袭击了航运中心、政治要地、机场和飞机工厂。德国空军飞行员在梅塞施密特与皇家空军的飓风和喷火战斗机对决。虽然德国和英国飞行员在飞行技术方面匹配很好，但最终还是英国喷火战斗机更大的机动性，赢得了长达数月的英吉利海峡的战役。
英国在空中的胜利帮助阻止了德国计划入侵英国的“海狮行动”。1942年5月，英国皇家空军动用1000架轰炸机对德国发动袭击。这只是英美空军在德国和德国占领区进行的多次轰炸中的第一次。飞机轰炸了德国的军事和工业中心，还将炮火对准了平民，试图向德国人展示德国侵略的代价。德国科隆、德累斯顿和汉堡等城市遭到广泛破坏，盟军的轰炸持续到1945年战争结束。希特勒在战争初期的胜利，在全世界人民心中引起了恐慌。希特勒和轴心国盟军在一场又一场战斗中获胜，占领了除英国在内的西欧大部分地区，并入侵了苏联。他们占领了北非，其潜艇控制了大西洋。
在美军加入欧洲战争后的最初数月里，德军兵力依然强大。但情况开始改变。1942年11月，德国的实力和控制力最强。之后，强大的德国军事机器开始减速。德国及其轴心国伙伴意大利在1943年上半年遭受严重的损失。德国在苏联损失惨重，16万德军在斯大林格勒牺牲，10万多人投降。美军和英军在北非俘获了25万德军和意大利军队的士兵，在西西里岛和意大利内陆又有数千人被杀害或被俘。德国潜艇在北大西洋被摧毁，使更多的盟军部队和补给物资抵达英国。到1943年底，希特勒及其军队似乎不再那么强大。但是，德国军队继续占领法国、比利时和西欧大部分地区。现在，盟军可以从英国入侵受到德军控制的欧洲地区了。盟军策划了史上最大规模的军事入侵，以打破德国对欧洲的控制，并赢得战争。 “西欧人民：盟军远征军今天上午在法国海岸登陆，这次登陆是联合国欧洲解放计划的一部分。虽然最初的袭击可能并非在你们所在的国家进行，但你们获得解放的时刻已经临近。”
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