高级英语第一册Unit14 Speech on Hitler

Unit14 Speech on Hitler’s Invasion of the U.S.S.RII. About the authorSir Winston Churchill (1874-1965), eldest son of Lord Randolph, a Tory politician, and Jenny Jerome, daughter of a New York businessman.1874: born on Nov. 30 at Blenheim Palace, the home given by Queen Anne to his ancestor, the Duke of Marlborough.1888: went to Harrow and then to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst;1895: visited the Spanish army fighting against Cuban rebels;1897: was with the British army in India;1898: took part in the battle of Omdurman in the Sudan as a war correspondent; 1899: set out fro the Boer War as correspondent to the London Morning Post.1900: entered the House of Commons; critical of the Conservative Government; 1904: joined the Liberals; a member of Lord Asquith’s cabinet by 1908;1911-1915: First Lord of the Admiralty in Oct. in the stated year;1917: Minister of Munitions; then Minister of War;1924-1929: back to the Conservative Party; Chancellor of the Exchequer under Stanley Baldwin1940: became Prime Minister in May;1945: defeated in the election in July;1951: again became Prime Minister;1953: created Knight of the Garter by the Queeen; awarded the Nobel Prize in literature; 1955: resigned office and ended his public career;1965: died on Jan. 24; was given a state funeral.Major works:The World Crisis (6 vols, 1923-1931);An Account of World War I;The Second World War (6 vols, 1948-953);History of the English Speaking Peoples (4 vols, 1956-1958)III. Detailed Study of the Text1. the news was brought to me of Hitler's invasion of Russia.1) The "of" phrase modifies the noun "news". It is an adjective phrase.2) News always has the plural form but takes a singular verb.E.g. The news is bad.2. This changed conviction into certainty:1) In the past it was my belief that Hitler would soon attack the Soviet Union; but now itwas no longer a belief, it had become a fact.2) conviction: a very firm and sincere beliefe.g.: 1. I speak in the full conviction that our cause is just.2. From the way she spoke, you could tell she was speaking from conviction. Note: Conviction generally implies that a prior doubt existed and now has been removed because one has been convinced or assured of the truth.3. I had not the slightest doubt where our duty and our policy lay:lie: exist, be found, residee.g.: 1) In unity lay strength.2) We know where our problems lie, and we have begun to solve some of them.3) The bitter experience of the past few years has shown that prosperity lies in unity and cooperation.4) The next step lies with us.5) In battle, the art of command lies in understanding that no two situations are ever the same.4. Nor indeed what to say:Nor did I have indeed the slightest doubt as to what I was (ought) to say.5. There only remained the task of composing it:1) "It" refers to "What I was to say".2) The only task left was to put what I was going to say into shape; to write down whatI was going to say; to work out the statement.6. I asked that notice should be given that I would. . . :1) The "that "clause is an appositive clause.2) give notice: inform (the B. B.C.)7. Presently ...... with detailed news:1) presently: before long, shortly, soon2) hasten: (cause to) move or happen faster, connoting urgency or sometimes asudden and premature resultExamples: 1.The storm's approach hastened our departure.2. The results of the election hastened his decision.8. had surprised a large portion.1) surprise (v): attack suddenly and without warning; come upon suddenly orunexpectedly2) grounded (past participle): lying stationary on the airfields3) When the Germans attacked, they took the Russians by surprise and destroyed a high percentage of Soviet airplanes before they could take off.9. and seemed to be driving forward: and seemed to be advancing rapidly, and theirattack was fierce10. I suppose they will be rounded up in hordes:1) round u: herd together, collect together (people or animals who are scattered; orwho have fled, etc. )2) horde : a large moving crowd or throng3) You can't find the antecedent of "they "in the previous sentence because it is in quotes.”They" means the Red armymen.4) I think the Red armymen will be surrounded and captured in surprisingly largenumbers.11. there was not time to consult the War Cabinet".1) consult: to ask advice of; discuss2) the War Cabinet: On 10 May 1940, Churchill formed a national government(coalition government) with him as the Prime Minister and Attlee from the Labor Party as the Deputy Prime Minister.12. we all felt the same on this issue.1) on the issue of Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union2) we had the same attitude; we shared the same view13. the following account . . . may be of interest.1) account: a descriptive report2) (of) interest: quality of exciting or holding one's attention14. Mr. and Mrs. Winant . . . were stayingMr. and Mrs. Winant . . . were visitors (or guests)15. he thought that Hitler was counting on enlisting . . .1) enlist: win the support of; get the help or services of? obtain (help, sympathy, etc. )1/ Can I enlist your help in collecting money for the people made homeless by the foreign invaders?2/ He tried to enlist their sympathies.2) sympathy: a feeling of approval of or agreement with an idea, a cause, etc.3 ) Right Wing: the more conservative or reactionary section of a political party,group, etc.4) Hitler was hoping that if he attacked Russia , he would win in Britain and the U. S.the support of those who were enemies of Communism.16. we should go all out to help Russia.go all out to: make one's utmost effort17. the same would be true of the U. S.A.1) true of: true concerning; true as regards2) the United States would do the same; adopt the same attitude; this would also bethe attitude of the U.S.18. he reverted to this theme1) revert: go back to a former subject; talk about again2) "This theme" refers to the subject they. had been talking about during dinner, namely Hitler' s imminent attack and their stand.19. I asked whether for him, the arch anti-Communist, this was not bowing downin the House of Rimmon:1) a metaphor and a biblical allusion (see Note 10 to the text)2) whether he was not renouncing his previous attitude towards communism; whetherhe was not changing his position since he had all along been opposed to communism.20. my life is much simplified thereby: In this way, my life is made much easier; in this way, it will be much easier for me to decide on my attitude towards events.Thereby: by that means, as result of that21. If Hitler invaded Hell I would make. . .1) If Hitler should attack Hell, a most hated place, I would still say a word in favor of theDevil, the foe of mankind, in the House of Commons; I would say a word in favor of anyone who is attacked by Hitler, no matter how bad, how wicked or evil he had been in the past.2) reference: an individual allusion or direction of the attentionExamples:1/ They never made any reference to their need for technology from the oil companies. 2/ In his address to the combined Assembly, Sadat made veiled references to the Soviet Union and said, "The days of dependence are over".22. to the effect: having that result or implication; with . . . general meaning23. except for:1) apart from, e.g. 1/ Except for an old lady, the bus was empty.2/ I know nothing about him except for the fact that he lives next door.3/ He answered all the questions except for the last one.2) but for; if it were not for? Without, e.g. 1/ Except for you, I should be dead by now.2/ She would not leave the place except for the children.24. he devoted the whole day to it; "It" refers to "the speech".25. The Nazi regime is devoid of all theme and principle except appetite andracial domination;1) devoid ( of): completely without; destitute or empty of2) theme: a recurring, unifying subject or idea3) appetite: very strong desire; an intense and prolonged desire4) The Nazi state does not have any ideal or guiding principle at all. All it has is a strong desire for conquest and rule by the "Aryan" race, the allegedly most superior race in the world.26. It excels all forms . . .:1) The Nazi regime is very cruel and it invades other countries in a most savage way.It can carry out its cruel invasions so effectively that it beats (surpasses) any action of this kind in human history; the Nazi regime is very effective in cruel suppression of and savage attack on other countries; in this respect it is worse than any other known form of evil.2) excel: to be better than;3) efficiency: The Nazis ran the war like a successful big business; e. g. they kept fullrecords and documentation of all their atrocities. Gas chambers are excellentexamples of efficient and inexpensive mass killing.27. No one has been . . .1) consistent<, /I>: marked by steady continuity throughout; showing no significantchange or contradiction; continually keeping to the same principles2) For the past twenty-five years I have always been the firmest opponent ofcommunism and have never changed my position.3) no ... to be more . . . than: e.g.No American of his time was more national in his interest or universal in his friendship than was Roosevelt.28. I will unsay . . .:1) 1 will not take back a single word of what I have said about communism.2) unsay: take back or retract (what has been said); withdraw or disavow (astatement, a promise)The author makes it very clear here that he remains an anti-communist politician and he feels no twinge of conscience for what he had said about communism. This positive, unyielding statement makes the contrast brought about in the following sentence more striking.29. But all this fades away . . . :1) "All this" refers to communism and his opposition to communism.2) But compared to the painful sight that is now opening out to our view, all the evils of communism and my opposition to communism become insignificant. The evils of communism mean nothing as compared with the crimes committed by Nazi Germany on Soviet soil. So I shall bury past differences.3) unfold: become clear, more fully known4) spectacle: Here it means a deplorable, painful sight.30. The past . . . :1) flash ( away): pass swiftly and suddenly to move quickly out of sight2) Let' s forget the past: the crimes the communist regime committed, the foolishthings it did (e.g., the Non-aggression Pact) and the tragic suffering of its people31. which their fathers . . .:1) Fathers: refers to forefathers, ancestors.2) immemorial: extending back beyond memory; ancient3) on which their ancestors have worked from ancient times for there are times. 32. ah, yes, for there are times: There are times when everyone, without exception, will pray. Even the Russians will pray. Sometimes, at critical moments, everyone—even communists—turn to prayer.32’.Prussian officers: Before German Unification, there were more than 30 states among which Prussia and Austria were the largest. In 1871, the then Chancellor of the North German Confederation, Otto Von Bismarck, brought all these states into unified nation called the “German Empire”. Bismarck became the first Chancellor of the German Empire and held the position until March 20, 1890. He was also remembered in German history as “the iron Chancellor”.33. its crafty expert agents. . .1) fresh: recently returnedtie down:(obsolete) reduce to bondage2) the S. S agents who specialize in genocide and who have just accomplished the task of crushing and enslaving a dozen countries(Hitler assigned a unit of S. S. men to every army unit, with express orders to annihilate a large portion of the population.)34. I see also the dull. . . :l) The German soldiers are stupid, obedient, easy to manage, savage. They move on in massive formation from one place to another, sowing destruction and death, just likea large crowd of moving locusts, eating up everything in the fields.2) Churchill uses an apt simile, comparing the German soldiers to locusts because they have one thing in common--the spreading of destruction.35. still smarting . . .:1) smart:feel pain and resentment2) whipping: (informal) defeat3) The Luftwaffe (the Nazi air force) has suffered severe losses in the aerial Battle of England. Now they feel happy because they think they can easily beat the Russian air force without heavy loss.36. behind all this glare...1) glare: a rather vague term, referring perhaps to “hostile, fierce looks” or “hatred”2) storm: fighting, war3) launch this cataract of horrors: start this flood of horrors4) Behind all this hostility and fighting I see that small group of wicked men who make the world suffer untold miseries and unparalleled disasters.37. I feel sure …:1) I am sure that our Dominions will agree with us in proper time.2) in due course: at the right time ; due: suitable, fitting, proper38. We are resolved . . . :1) be resolved: be firm and fixed in purpose2) vestige: a trace, mark, or sign of sth that once existed but has passed away ordisappeared39. From this…:1) Inversion: repetition for emphasis2) There is nothing which can divert our attention40. It follows therefore...:follow: happen as a necessary result of, e.g.:1) Disease often follows war.2) Just because he is at the bottom of the class, it doesn't follow that he has no brains; he may just be lazy.3) That conclusion by no means follows.4) If one writes poetry, it naturally follows that he must understand poetry.41. to take the same course…: to adopt the same attitude and policy and keep to it42. without distinction of race, creed, or party: no matter what your nationality is,what religious belief you have or what political party you belong to; paying noattention to any difference in nationality, religious belief, or party affiliation43. It is not for me to speak of the action of the United States: I am not in a position to say what action the United States should take.44. if Hitler imagines ...... woefully mistaken:1) Hitler will realize that he is deplorably wrong in thinking that since he is fightingCommunism, the west will stand by and let him destroy the Soviet Union and will not fight him as hard as they are now doing; Hitler may think that since he is fighting the Soviet Union which the west opposed in the past, the West will not be so determined in fighting and destroying Nazi Germany. If he had that assumption in mind when he attacked the Soviet Union, he will find that he is deplorably wrong and will have to pay for it.2) divergence: the action of going out in different directionsslacken: reduce in activity, force, etc.44. On the contrary . . . from his tyranny:1) fortify: impart vigor or physical strength or endurance to; strengthen mentally ormorally2) No, we will not do that (diverge in our aims or slacken our efforts). Instead, we willfight with greater courage and redouble our efforts in the struggle to end fascism. 45. We shall be strengthened ... in resources:1) resources: (pl.) available money or property; wealth; sth that a country, state, etc.has and can use to its advantage2) We shall be more determined and shall make better and fuller use of ourresources. We shall not relax our efforts; we shall bring our resources into fuller play.46. this is no time . . .:1) What we need now is not tedious explanation of how foolish those countries andgovernments were in letting themselves be overrun by Germany one by one without forming a united front to fight Germany. If they had fought in a unified way, they might have saved themselves and therefore saved the world.2) moralize: (usu, derog. ) express one's thoughts on the wrongness of; indulge inmoral reflection or talk (on a subject)47. When I spoke . . .: When I mentioned Hitler’s insatiable desire for conquest whichhas driven him to attack Russia, I said there was another and more important reason for his adventure.48. He wishes ... of his crimes:1) The main reason is he wants to destroy Russia so that he can crush Britain.2) suffer the penalty of his crimes: be destroyed for the crimes he (Hitler) hascommitted49. His invasion ... of the British Isles; His invasion of Russia will pave the way for hisplanned invasion of the British Isles.50. He hopes . . . winter comes: obviously he hopes that he can bring his Russiancampaign to a successful end before winter sets in.51. he can overwhelm Great Britain . . . : He can crush, conquer Britain before the U.S.can come to her help.52. by which he has so long thrived and prospered: He has so far been verysuccessful in employing this tactic.53. the scene will be clear for the final act . . . :1) The final act refers to the defeat and conquest of all the countries in the WesternHemisphere.2) the scene will be clear . . . : the stage will be ready for the final act3) Then there will be nothing to prevent Hitler from conquering all the countries in theWestern Hemisphere, which he must do if he wants to bring the whole world under his control.54. hearth and home: (poetic) home and its comforts55. in every quarter of the globe: in every part of the world56. Let us learn…:1) "lessons" and "cruel experience": Here it refers to "United we stand, divided we fall. "2) We should bear in mind the fact that Hitler had been successful because manyEuropean governments had allowed themselves to be struck down one by one. This time we should all support the Soviet Union and shouldn't let Hitler repeat his tactics.57. Let us redouble . . remain: Let us strengthen our unity and our efforts in the fightagainst Nazi Germany when we have not yet been overwhelmed and when we are still powerful.IV. Review of the rhetorical devices used by Churchill in this speech1) Periodic sentencePeriodic sentences achieve forcefulness by suspense. The essential elements in the sentence are withheld until the end. E.g.:a) The past, with its crimes, its follies, and its tragedies, flashes away.b) Any man or state that fights on against Nazidom will have our aid.c) If Hitler imagines that his attack on Soviet Russia ...... he is woefully mistaken.2) Rhetorical question (or interrogation)Interrogation asks a question not in order to obtain an answer, but for the purpose of making an assertion in a striking and lively way. e.g. ... but can you doubt what our policy will be?3) Parallel structure: using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clauselevel. The usual way to join parallel structures is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as "and" or "or."a) We will never parleyWe will never negotiate with Hitler or any of his gangb) we shall fight him by landwe shall fight him by seawe shall fight him in the airc) behind all this glarebehind all this storm I see ......d) I see the Russian soldiers standing . . .I see them guarding . . .I see the ten thousand villagesI see advancing upon . . .I see also the dull ...I see the German bombers . . .I see that small group ...e) that is our policyand that is our declarationf) We shall be fortified and encouraged in our efforts.We shall be strengthened and not weakened in determination and resources.g) Let us learn the lessons already taught by such cruel experience.Let us redouble our exertions . . .4) Inversion: The change of the normal word order, such as the substitution of a V.before its subject. It’s used for emphasis.From this nothing will turn us —nothing.but this I will say5) Repetition: the repeated use of the same synonymous words, to add force, clearnessor balance to a sentence, e.g.:We have but one aim and one single, irrevocable purpose.He has so long thrived and prospered.We will never parley, we will never negotiate . . .词汇(V ocabulary)horde ( n.) :a large，moving crowd or throng群，人群croquet ( n.) :an outdoor game-、n which the players use mallets to drive a wooden ball through a series of hoops placed in the ground槌球游戏(一种用木槌击木球钻小圈的游戏)luncheon ( n.) :a lunch，esp. a formal lunch with others午餐;午宴;午餐(聚)会Nazi (adj. & n.) :designating，of，or characteristic of the German fascist political party(German National Socialist Party).founded in 1919 and abolished in 1945德国国社党的，纳粹党的;纳粹党党员，纳粹分子indistinguishable ( adj. ) : that cannot be distinguished as being different or separate不能区别的，不能辨别的，难区分的devoid ( adj.) :completely without; empty or destitute(of)完全没有的，缺乏的(后接of)excel ( v.) :be better or greater than，or superior to(another or others)优于;胜过ferocious ( adj.) :fierce; savage; violently cruel凶猛的，残忍的;凶恶的unsay ( v.) :take back or retract(what has been said)取消(前言);收回(前言)folly ( n.) :foolishness; any foolish action or belief愚笨，愚蠢;愚蠢的行为(或思想等) threshold ( n.) :doorstill; entrance or beginning point of sth.门槛;人口;开端till ( v.) :work(1and)in raising crops，as by plowing，fertilizing, etc.; cultivate耕种;耕耘;耕作immemorial (adj. ) : extending back beyond memory or record; ancient无法追忆的;无文字记载的;古老的wring (v.) :.get or extract by force，threats，persistence，etc.; extort强求;榨取;勒索primodial (adj.) :not derivative; fundamental; original根本的;基本的hideous ( adj.) :horrible to see，hear etc.; very ugly or revolting; dreadful骇人听闻的;非常丑陋的;可怕的onslaught ( n.) :a violent，intense attack猛攻clank ( v. ) : make a sharp，metallic sound发当啷声，发铿锵声dandify ( v.) :make a look like a dandy; dress up使打扮得像花花公子;给……穿上盛装，给……乔装打扮crafty ( adj.) :subtly deceitful; cunning; artful; sly狡猾的，狡诈的，诡计多端的cow ( v.) :make timid and submissive by filling with fear or awe; intimidate恫吓，吓唬，威胁docile ( adj.) :easy to manage or discipline; tractable易管教的;顺从的,温顺的,驯服的;听话的brutish ( adj. ) :of or like a brute; savage; gross野兽般的，残忍的;粗野的plod ( v.) :walk 0r move heavily and laboriously; trudge沉重缓慢地走swarm ( n.) :a moving mass，crowd，or throng(移动的)大群，大堆locust ( n.) :any of various large grasshoppers，often traveling in great swarms and destroying nearly all vegetation in areas visited蝗虫smart ( v.) :feel mental distress or irritation，as in resentment，remorse, etc.感到痛苦;感到伤心prey ( n.) :an animal hunted or killed for food by another animal：a person or thing that falls victim to someone or something被捕食的动物;牺牲者;牺牲品villainous ( adj.) :of，like，or characteristic of a villain; evil; vicious; wicked坏人的;邪恶的;恶棍似的cataract ( n.) :any strong flood or rush of water; deluge洪水;急流;大雨concur ( v.) :agree(with);be in accord(in an opinion，etc.)同意，赞成，与……(意见)一致(常与with，in连用)irrevocable ( adj. ) :that cannot be revoked，recalled，or undone; unalterable不能取消的;不可废止的;不可改变的;无可挽回的vestige ( n.) :a trace，mark，or sign of something that once existed but has passed away or disappeared残迹;遗迹;痕迹parley ( v. ) :have a conference or discussion，esp. with an enemy; confer会谈(尤指与敌方谈判) creed ( n.) :a statement of belief，principles，or opinions on any subject信条;信念divergence ( n.) :departure from a particular viewpoint，practice，etc.偏离，背离，背驰moralise ( v.) :think，write，or speak about matters of right and wrong，often in a self-righteous or tedious way(在言谈或写作中)论道德问题;说教catastrophe ( n.) :any great and sudden calamity，disaster，or misfortune骤然而来的大灾难;灾祸;祸患blood-lust ( n.) :a strong desire to kill or wound杀人欲，嗜杀狂lure ( v.) :attract，tempt，or entice(often with Dm)吸引;诱惑;不断引诱(常与on连用)hurl ( v.) :throw or fling with force or violence猛投，猛掷;猛抛prelude ( n.) :anything serving as the introduction to a principal event，action，performance，etc.; preliminary part; preface; opening序言;序幕intervene ( v.)come or be in between as something unnecessary or irrelevant; interpose干涉,干预subjugation ( n.) :bringing under control; conquering征服，制服hearth ( n.) :the fireside as the center of family life：family life; home炉边;家庭生活;家庭短语(Expressions)round up: cause sb.or sth.to gather in one place驱集，使集拢例：The guide rounded up the tourists and led them back to the coach.导游把游客集合在一起，领他们回到车上。