Winston S. Churchill (1874—1965)
本文選自英國前首相邱吉爾所著《第二次世界大戰史》第六卷（即最後一卷）Triumph and Tragedy（1954）的第一章。邱氏才氣縱橫，吐屬雋雅，其歷史著作與演說講稿不少為可傳之作。渠文字修養甚深，同書中收其致外務部「手諭」一通，甚饒趣味，現抄錄如下：
Prime Minister to Foreign Office 4 Apr. \'45.
Attention should be drawn to the mis-spelling \"inadmissable.\" I have noticed this several times in Foreign Office telegrams.
邱氏於戎馬倥傯，日理萬機之餘，對於一字之微，也不輕易放過，真可謂心細如髮矣。
Our long months of preparation and planning for the greatest amphibious operation in history ended on D-Day, June 6, 1944. During the preceding night the great armadas of convoys and their escorts sailed, unknown to the enemy, along the swept channels from the Isle of Wight to the Normandy coast. Heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force attacked enemy coast-defence guns in their concrete emplacements, dropping 5200 tons of bombs. When dawn broke, the United States Air Force came on the scene to deal with other shore defences, followed by medium and fighter bombers. In the twenty-four hours of June 6 the Allies flew over 14,600 sorties. So great was our superiority in the air that all the enemy could put up during daylight over the invasion beaches was a mere hundred sorties.
● long months：很多月以來。long這個字安得很好。preparation and planning：準備和設計。amphibious operation：兩棲作戰。D-Day：預定發動攻擊的那一天。本適用於任何戰役，現常專指聯軍反攻歐陸，登陸諾曼第的那一天。
● preceding night：六月五日夜裡。armada本為西班牙文，等於英文的fleet（艦隊）。十六世紀時，西班牙曾發「無敵艦隊」（The Invincible Armada）攻英，英人談虎色變，所以現在這個字在英文裡的涵義，聲勢似乎比fleet更壯。convoys：護航隊。escorts：保護那些商船運輸艦的兵艦。
● swept（sweep的過去分詞）：障礙物業已肅清的。（「掃雷艦」的英文名稱是mine sweeper）。channels：海裡可供航行的通道。（此字亦作「海峽」解：The English Channel即英法之間的英倫海峽；但此處應作「the deeper part of a waterway」解。）
● Isle of Wight：英國南部一小島。Normandy：法國西北部的半島。
● Heavy bombers：重轟炸機。Royal Air Force：皇家空軍，即英國空軍，簡寫為RAF。英國的海軍是Royal Navy (RN)。英國軍艦的前面都加「皇上陛下的艦船」（His or Her Majesty\'s Ship），如H. M. S. Hood，即為英艦虎特號。
● coast-defence guns：海岸防禦大炮（defence是英國拼法，美國通常作defense）。
● concrete：混凝土（水泥、沙石等）砌成的。emplacements：炮兵陣地。
● When dawn broke：天亮的時候（天亮是daybreak，入暮是nightfall，注意兩個動詞break和fall的用法）。第二次大戰後期，英國空軍擔任夜間轟炸任務，美國空軍白天轟炸。
● medium bombers：中型轟炸機。fighter bomber：戰鬥轟炸機兩用飛機，較中型轟炸機為小。重轟炸機先來，繼之（followed by）以中型與戰鬥轟炸機。
● over 14,600 sorties：超過一萬四千六百「架次」。一架飛機出動一次，稱為「架次」（sortie），此字源自法文sortir，有「出動」之意。一架飛機出動兩次或兩架飛機出動一次，都是「two sorties」。
● superiority in the air：空中優勢。「so great…」連後面的「that」。all the enemy could put up=all that the enemy could put up：敵方所能發動者。over the invasion beaches：用之於登陸作戰的海灘上空者。invasion是「侵入」，與aggression（侵略）不同。侵略是壞事，侵入只指行動的方向，不問行動的是非。德國攻入法國是invasion，聯軍攻入歐陸也是。
From midnight three airborne pisions were alighting, the British 6th Airborne Division northeast of Caen to seize bridgeheads over the river between the town and the sea, and two American airborne pisions north of Carentan to assist the seaborne assault on the beaches, and to check the movement of enemy reserves into the Contentin peninsula. Although in places the airborne pisions were more widely scattered than had been intended, the object was in every case achieved.
● airborne pision：空運師。borne是bear（載運）的過去分詞。alighting：著陸。人下車或鳥棲止都可以用這個字。此處用過去進行式，有「不斷地降落」之意。
● Caen：法國地名。bridgeheads：橋頭堡。over the river：這條河大約是指River Ordon。英國登陸地點是在Caen城的北邊，初步目標是佔領Caen城；Caen和海岸之間，有河阻隔，故先用空運部隊，在河對岸佔領橋頭堡，直接威脅Caen，並和海岸登陸大軍相呼應。
● two American airborne pisions：該兩師的番號是第82和第101兩空運師。Carentan也是諾曼第半島上的一個城市。seaborne：請參看前面airborne的注。
● check：阻止，抑制。enemy reserves：敵方後備部隊。the Contentin peninsula：諾曼第半島上一塊凸出的小半島。敵方後備部隊如開入該處，可影響美軍的成敗。
● in places：中國學生喜歡用in some places或in many places，但有時候只說in places就夠了。
● more widely scattered than had been intended：較原定計劃散佈為廣，不能如原定計劃那樣集中降落。than此處用如relative pronoun，做had been intended的主語。in every case：在每點上，各處統統（完成任務）。
As dawn came and the ships, great and small, began to file into their prearranged positions for the assault, the scene might almost have been a review. Immediate opposition was limited to an attack by torpedo-boats, which sank a Norwegian destroyer. Even when the naval bombardment began, the reply from the coastal batteries was desultory and ineffective. There was no doubt that we had achieved a tactical surprise.
● file：單行縱列進行；魚貫而駛。prearranged positions：預定陣地。for the assault：準備攻擊。the scene might almost have been a review：這景象幾乎像是在軍事檢閱。隊伍整齊，一切按部就班，幾乎不像是在作戰，但事實上是在作戰，故動詞用虛擬語氣might have been。
● Immediate opposition：當前的抵抗（僅限於……）。這句用了被動語態，句法很緊湊，如用主動語態，就要鬆懈得多。
● torpedo-boats：魚雷艇。Norwegian destroyer：挪威驅逐艦。
● naval bombardment：海軍排炮轟擊。coastal batteries：海岸炮台。reply：還擊。desultory：斷續散漫。ineffective：效率很低；不能命中。這句動詞是個很簡單的was，句子重心在was後面的兩個形容詞，這兩個字定要用得貼切穩妥才好。作文煉字的功夫，往往見之於verb to be後面的兩三個形容詞。
● tactical：戰術的。一般讀者翻起英漢字典，查到「戰術的」三個字，恐怕仍舊莫明所以；這時候頂好再翻一本有英文解釋的字典，便可獲得更進一步的瞭解。普通英漢字典把strategy解釋作「戰略」，把tactics解釋作「戰術」。詳言之，strategy著眼於全面戰爭的勝利，tactics著眼於局部戰役勝利。聯軍橫渡海峽在法國西海岸登陸，假如德國事前毫無所知，便可稱strategic surprise。但事實上，第二戰場之說，在那時已甚囂塵上，德軍在西海岸一帶早已結陣而待，故此事已經不成為strategic surprise（此點作者並未明言）。但從1944年6月5日夜間起，聯軍紛紛出動，機密神速，大舉登陸，把德軍殺得一個措手不及，這可稱為tactical surprise。聯軍登陸諾曼第，在兵法上雖不算是出奇制勝；但是在軍事部署調動方面，確是做到「出敵不意，攻敵無備」這一點的。
Landing and support craft, with infantry, with tanks, with self-propelled artillery, and a great variety of weapons and engineer demolition teams to deal with the beach obstacles, all formed up into groups and moved towards the beaches. Among them were the D. D. (swimming) tanks, which made their first large-scale appearance in battle. It was still very rough from the bad weather of the day before, and a good many of the swimming tanks foundered on the way.
● landing craft：登陸艇。support craft：支援或掩護登陸作戰的艦艇。注意：craft作艦艇或飛機解時，其複數形式通常不加s。self-propelled artillery：自行（無需車輛拖曳）炮。infantry（步兵）和artillery（炮兵或炮）都是集合名詞。
● engineer：工兵。demolition team：爆破班。beach obstacles：海灘上的障礙物。formed up into groups：結成隊伍。
● D. D. tanks：D. D. 二字為何字之簡寫不詳。唯邱氏恐讀者不識此字，已代為註明是swimming tanks（水陸兩用戰車）。這種戰車大規模在戰場上出現，這是有史以來第一次。
● rough：風浪甚大。foundered：浸水沉沒。
Destroyers and gun and rocket batteries mounted on landing-craft pounded the beach defences, while farther to seaward battleships and cruisers kept down the fire of the defending batteries. Ground opposition was slight until the first landing-craft were a mile from the shore, but then mortar and machine-gun fire grew. Surf and the partly submerged obstacles and mines made the landings hazardous, and many craft were wrecked after setting down their troops, but the advance went on.
● Destroyers：驅逐艦。gun batteries：炮列，排炮。rocket batteries：排列成行的火箭炮。這兩種炮都架設（mounted）在登陸艇上。pounded：轟擊。
● farther to seaward：離海岸較遠處。戰鬥艦（battleships）和巡洋艦（cruisers）吃水較深，船上大炮射程較遠，作戰時以離海岸較遠為宜。kept down：壓制（對方火力）。
● Ground opposition：（敵方）地面的抵抗（微弱）。first landing-craft：此處的動詞是用複數形式were，故知landing-craft也是複數——「第一批登陸艇」，不是「第一艘登陸艇」。mortar：臼炮。
● Surf：拍岸巨浪。partly submerged obstacles：一部分浸在水裡的障礙物。mines：水雷。這三樣東西都使登陸時平添危險（made…hazardous）。setting down：放下，送……上岸。軍隊登岸之後，很多登陸艇也隨即被擊毀（wrecked）。船舶損壞，有一個專用的字：shipwreck。
As soon as the foremost infantry got ashore they dashed forward towards their objectives, and in every case except one made good progress. On \"Omaha\" beach, northwest of Bayeux, the Vth American Corps ran into severe resistance. By an unlucky chance the enemy defences in this sector had recently been taken over by a complete German pision in full strength and on the alert. Our Allies had a very stiff fight all day to make any lodgment at all, and it was not until the 7th that, after losing several thousand men, they were able to force their way inland. Although we did not gain all we sought, and in particular Caen remained firmly in enemy hands, the progress made on the first two days of the assault was judged very satisfactory.
● the foremost infantry：步兵的先頭部隊。in every case except one：除一處以外，各處進展都很順利。
● \"Omaha\" beach：諾曼第半島上Bayeux城西北一帶的海灘，恐怕本無名稱，美軍為行軍指揮方便起見，替他杜撰一個名字Omaha。Omaha原是美國Nebraska州的一個地名。the Vth American Corps：美國第五軍團。照美國陸軍編制，師以上的單位是軍團（corps：此字的ps不發音），軍團以上是軍（army），軍以上是集團軍（army group）。擔任諾曼第登陸任務的是英美聯軍的第二十一集團軍，由美國第一軍和英國第二軍組成，美國第一軍統轄第五和第七兩軍團，第五軍團統轄第一和第二十九兩師。
● this sector：這一地段。taken over：接防。in full strength：實力毫未受減損的。on the alert：在警戒狀態中。
● Our Allies：美國盟友。stiff fight：艱苦作戰。make any lodgment：佔領任何地點。在敵人土地上佔領據點，在軍事學上稱為lodgment。
● the 7th：六月七日。force their way inland：向內陸挺進。這句的結構是「It was not until the 7th that…they were able to force…」。「after losing several thousand men」只是插進去補充說明之用，和主要結構無關。英文的逗點（comma）常常有括弧的用處（parenthetical），初學者應該注意。
● we did not gain all we sought：我們的目標，沒有全部達到。這裡的「我們」，恐指英軍而言。in particular：尤其是。英軍主要的目標，是襲取Caen城，但該城尚在敵軍固守中。
● made是過去分詞，發動攻擊後頭兩天的進展，被認為很滿意。「被認為」恐怕是歐化的說法，誰認為是滿意呢？大約是聯軍指揮首腦部門，但是英文裡不必明言，只要用一個被動語態就夠了。
From the Biscay ports a stream of U-boats, facing all risks and moving on the surface at high speed, sought to break up the invasion. We were well prepared. The western approaches to the Channel were guarded by numerous aircraft, forming our first line of defence. Behind them were the naval forces covering the landings. Meeting the full blast of our defence, the U-boats fared badly. In the first crucial four days six were sunk by air and a similar number damaged. They were not able to make any impression on the invasion convoys, which continued to move with impunity and with trifling loss.
● Biscay：法國海灣名，在諾曼第半島之南，西班牙之北，灣內著名海港有Bordeaux，La Rochelle等。a stream of U-boats：一連串的德國潛艇。U是德文Untersee（undersea）的簡寫。facing all risks：不顧一切危險。sought（seek的過去式）：圖謀。break up the invasion：阻止我們的登陸。break up=stop，put an end to。
● the Channel：英倫海峽。western approaches：西邊入口處。our first line of defence：抵禦潛艇的第一道防線。
● covering the landings：掩護我們登陸。
● blast原意是強風或爆炸，轉作「很大的打擊」。the full blast of our defence可解作「我方防禦武器的全部威力」。
● fare=get along（遭逢）。fare well就是go well，常用於分別時的祝辭（再會）。welfare（福利）也是從這個字來的。fared badly：遭逢不幸，倒霉。
● crucial：緊要關頭的。在起初四天內，有六艘德國潛艇被空軍所擊沉；被擊毀的差不多也有這個數目。
● make any impression on the invasion convoys：登陸護航艦隊並不受到潛艇的騷擾。impression：施壓力後所留下的痕跡；潛艇儘管出動，叵奈不發生作用乎？impunity：此字與punishment同源，一人做了壞事不受責罰，可以說He did something wrong with impunity。但此字又轉作「不受損害，並無不良後果」解（freedom from punishment, injury, or other bad consequences）；聯軍護航艦隊，長驅直入，泰然無虞，損失極為輕微（with trifling loss）。