名人轶事:Douglas MacArthur: Born to Be a Soldier
英语课
Douglas MacArthur: Born to Be a SoldierWritten by Paul Thompson
(MUSIC)
ANNCR: 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.
(MUSIC)
VOICE ONE:
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.
(MUSIC)
VOICE TWO:
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.
VOICE ONE:
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.
VOICE TWO:
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 1 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 2 to
the Philippines. He was to help the government build an army for defense 3
purposes as the Philippines began planning for independence. He had retired 4
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.
VOICE ONE:
Japanese aggression 5 in the Pacific developed very quickly. Japanese troops
began arriving in the Philippines on December eleventh, nineteen forty-one.
The fighting was extremely fierce.
President Roosevelt
The Japanese were defeating the Philippine and American forces. General
MacArthur had been recalled to active duty by President . 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."
(MUSIC)
ANNCR: 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.
(MUSIC)
VOICE ONE:
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.
(MUSIC)
VOICE TWO:
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.
VOICE ONE:
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.
VOICE TWO:
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 1 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 2 to
the Philippines. He was to help the government build an army for defense 3
purposes as the Philippines began planning for independence. He had retired 4
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.
VOICE ONE:
Japanese aggression 5 in the Pacific developed very quickly. Japanese troops
began arriving in the Philippines on December eleventh, nineteen forty-one.
The fighting was extremely fierce.
President Roosevelt
The Japanese were defeating the Philippine and American forces. General
MacArthur had been recalled to active duty by President . 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."
n.(英国陆军、美国陆空军及海军陆战队)上校
- It's a pity we didn't mend our fences with the colonel.可惜我们还没有和上校先生调整好关系。
- An army major ranks between a captain and a colonel.陆军少校的军阶在上尉与中校之间。
n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者
- They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
- The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。
n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩
- The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
- The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。
adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的
- The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
- Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害
- So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
- Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。
adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的
- It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
- He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
adj.协约国的；同盟国的
- Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
- Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。
n.独裁者，爱发号施令的人
- We felt quite impotent to resist the will of the dictator.我们感到无力抗拒独裁者的意志。
- A dictator must have a firm hand.独裁者的手段是很厉害的。
adj.保守的，守旧的；n.保守的人，保守派
- He is a conservative member of the church.他是一个守旧教会教友。
- The young man is very conservative.这个年轻人很守旧。
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
- This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
- There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
联盟国，同盟者； 同盟国，同盟者( ally的名词复数 )； 支持者； 盟军
- The allies would fear that they were pawns in a superpower condominium. 这个联盟担心他们会成为超级大国共管的牺牲品。
- A number of the United States' allies had urged him not to take a hasty decision. 美国的一些盟友已力劝他不要急于作决定。