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PEOPLE IN AMERICA - Douglas MacArthur: Born to Be a Soldier

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PEOPLE IN AMERICA - Douglas MacArthur: Born to Be a Soldier
By Paul Thompson

Broadcast: Sunday, July 24, 2005

(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 surrender1 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 honor2 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 Academy3 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 colonel4 when World War One began. He led troops on very dangerous attacks against the enemy. He won many honors5 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 advisor6 to the Philippines. He was to help the government build an army for defense7 purposes as the Philippines began planning for independence. He had retired8 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 aggression9 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 recalled10 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 surrendered11 to Japan. But he made a promise to the Philippine people. He said, "I shall return."

VOICE TWO:

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.

VOICE ONE:

MacArthur was chosen to accept the Japanese surrender in September, nineteen forty-five. He was appointed Supreme12 Commander of the Allied13 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 dictator14.

VOICE TWO:

The Japanese expected severe punishment. They saw MacArthur as a very conservative15 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, female16 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 elections17, 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.

VOICE ONE:

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 parliament18 that was freely19 elected by the people. He helped the people of Japan write a new constitution for a democratic20 form of government.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

On June twenty-fifth, nineteen fifty, North Korean troops invaded21 South Korea. Within two days, the United States decided22 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 allies23 to retreat24 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.

VOICE ONE:

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.

 
President Truman
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 advisers25 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 honored26 as a returning hero. He was invited to speak before Congress27. There was a huge parade to honor him in New York City.

VOICE TWO:

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.

(MUSIC)

ANNCR: This Special English program was written by Paul Thompson. Your narrators were Rich Kleinfeldt and Sarah Long. I'm Shirley Griffith. Listen again next week for another PEOPLE IN AMERICA program on the Voice of America.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 surrender Qquyk     
v.投降,自首;屈服;交出,放弃
参考例句:
  • He preferred to die rather than surrender to the enemy.他宁死也不愿向敌人投降。
  • Liu Hulan would rather die than surrender before the enemy.刘胡兰在敌人面前宁死不屈。
2 honor IQDzL     
n.光荣;敬意;荣幸;vt.给…以荣誉;尊敬
参考例句:
  • I take your visit as a great honor.您的来访是我莫大的光荣。
  • It is a great honor to receive that prize.能拿到那个奖是无上的光荣。
3 academy FIxyW     
n.(高等)专科院校;学术社团,协会,研究院
参考例句:
  • This is an academy of music.这是一所音乐专科学院。
  • I visited Chinese Academy of Sciences yesterday.我昨天去访问了中国科学院。
4 colonel iWUyO     
n.(英国陆军、美国陆空军及海军陆战队)上校
参考例句:
  • 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。
5 honors 2c250cb8374a2f7f18ab42ccf1291801     
n.礼仪;荣典;礼节; 大学荣誉学位;大学优等成绩;尊敬( honor的名词复数 );敬意;荣誉;光荣
参考例句:
  • He aims at honors. 他力求名誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • We did the last honors to his remains. 我们向他的遗体告别。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 advisor JKByk     
n.顾问,指导老师,劝告者
参考例句:
  • 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。
7 defense AxbxB     
n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩
参考例句:
  • 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。
8 retired Njhzyv     
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的
参考例句:
  • 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。
9 aggression WKjyF     
n.进攻,侵略,侵犯,侵害
参考例句:
  • 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。
10 recalled 14a1dad1f060e2cfc44ed538f81fab64     
回忆起( recall的过去式和过去分词 ); 使想起; 使想到; 勾起
参考例句:
  • I recalled that he had mentioned the problem once. 我回忆起他曾经有一次提到过这个问题。
  • The sight recalled the days of childhood to me. 那情景使我回忆起童年。
11 surrendered f92f19d15adea1dfe2803489c00ccb75     
n.电子放单;Telex releasedv.投降( surrender的过去式和过去分词 );放弃,抛弃
参考例句:
  • The bandit chief surrendered himself to despair and took his own life. 匪首在绝望中自杀了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She gradually surrendered her dream of becoming an actress. 她渐渐放弃了当演员的梦想。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 supreme PHqzc     
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的
参考例句:
  • 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。
13 allied iLtys     
adj.协约国的;同盟国的
参考例句:
  • 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。
14 dictator G9EyH     
n.独裁者,爱发号施令的人
参考例句:
  • 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。
15 conservative jprzC     
adj.保守的,守旧的;n.保守的人,保守派
参考例句:
  • 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。
16 female 3kSxf     
adj.雌的,女(性)的;n.雌性的动物,女子
参考例句:
  • We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
  • The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。
17 elections b9dd4e28c0fe5673909bb6c0615f5f22     
n.选举,当选,推举( election的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The Republicans got shellacked in the elections. 共和党在选举中一败涂地。
  • He emerged victorious in the elections. 他在竞选中脱颖而出获得胜利。
18 Parliament sLkxt     
n.议会,国会
参考例句:
  • She won a seat in Parliament at the election.她在选举中赢得了议会中的席位。
  • The drug was banned by an act of parliament.议会的法案明令禁止该药品。
19 freely LiexN     
adv.自由地,随便地,无拘无束地
参考例句:
  • She was unable to keep back her tears,and wept freely.她抑制不住泪水,痛痛快快地哭了起来。
  • A liquid flows freely and has no fixed shape.液体能自由流动,无固定形态。
20 democratic uwSxu     
adj.民主的;民主主义的,有民主精神的
参考例句:
  • Their country has democratic government.他们国家实行民主政体。
  • He has a democratic work-style.他作风民主。
21 invaded d864e930e51cafaff2158139b8518f52     
v.侵入,侵略( invade的过去式和过去分词 );涌入;侵袭;侵犯
参考例句:
  • Troops invaded on August 9th that year. 军队是在那年的8月9日入侵的。
  • The diseased tissue can be easily invaded by these microorganisms. 有病的组织容易被微生物侵袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • 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。
23 allies 0315fa8e6410a54cc80a4eb2babcda27     
联盟国,同盟者; 同盟国,同盟者( ally的名词复数 ); 支持者; 盟军
参考例句:
  • 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。
24 retreat tDjyx     
n.休息寓所,撤退,隐居;v.撤退,向后倾
参考例句:
  • You cannot retreat from your responsibility in this affair.你不能回避在这一事件中的责任。
  • They knew when to attack and when to retreat.他们知道什么时候进攻和什么时候撤退。
25 advisers d4866a794d72d2a666da4e4803fdbf2e     
顾问,劝告者( adviser的名词复数 ); (指导大学新生学科问题等的)指导教授
参考例句:
  • a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
  • She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。
26 honored honored     
adj.光荣的:荣幸的v.尊敬,给以荣誉( honor的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • I hope to be honored with further orders. 如蒙惠顾,不胜荣幸。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • This is a time-honored custom. 这是一个古老的习俗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
27 Congress eY1y1     
n.(代表)大会;(C-:美国等国的)国会,议会
参考例句:
  • There were some days to wait before the Congress.大会的召开还有几天时间。
  • After 18 years in Congress,he intented to return to private life.在国会供职18年后,他打算告老还乡。

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