Soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary
Force, you are about to embark[1] upon the great crusade
towards which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the
world are upon you, the hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people
everywhere march with you.
In company with our brave allies and brothers in arms on
other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German
war machine. The elimination[2]of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed
people of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.
Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well-trained,
well-equipped, and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely. But
this is the year 1944, much has happened since the Nazi triumphs
of 1940, 41.
The united nations have inflicted upon the Germans great
defeats in open battle, men to men. Our air offenses have seriously
reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage[3]war
on the ground.
联合国在正面战场予以德军迎头痛击。空军削弱了德军的空中力量和陆上战斗能力;
Our home fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority
in weapons and ammunitions[4] of war, and placed at our
disposal[5], great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide
has turned, the free men of the world are marching together to victory.
后方弹药充足、武器精良、部署得当、后备力量丰富。潮流已经逆转,全世界自由的人们正在一起向胜利迈进。
I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty,
and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory.Good
luck and let us all beseech[6] the blessing of almighty God
upon this great and noble undertaking.
1.embark的意思是“着手、开始做……”,后面常常接upon、on或in,如果你开始了一项新的事业生涯,就是embark
on a new career;
如果你已经"着手一项没人敢做的冒险活动",你就可以骄傲地说:
I have embarked on an adventure no one else has dared.
3.大家都知道wage常常表示短期的"工资、工钱",我们常说"干一天活,赚一天钱"就可以表达成
get a day's wage for a day's work.
不过这里的wage有些出乎大家意料之外,它身为动词,表示"进行、从事于、开始", 此处的wage war on就是
"对……开战、进行战斗"的意思;
4.ammunitions的意思是“弹药、军火”;
5.因为disposal的意思是"处理、布置、处置",所以at one's disposal这个短语也就表达出 “受某人控制、支配”的含义,很多仆人在主人的面前都要说上一句:
I'm entirely at your disposal.
“我完全听候您的吩咐”;
6.此处说到的“祈求”用到了beseech这个动词,如果谁做错了什么事情,“哀求别人开恩”,就可以用
beseech sb. for mercy