Lesson 5 Lesson 5 Lesson 5 Lesson 5

Speech on Hitler’s Invasion Speech on Hitler’s Invasion of the U.S.S.Rof the U.S.S.R

• Background knowledge• Style• Textual structure • Detailed study • Rhetorical devices

Background knowledge• Sir Winston Spencer Churchill• the U.S.S.R• Adolph Hitler• World War II

Style• masterpiece of oration/ political speech• highly persuasive and convincing• eloquent: forceful expressions,

structure, words with abstract meaning

• emotional: language to arouse sympathy, hatred and passion

Textual structure• Part 1 (paras1- 6) a piece of narration:

Background of the speech• Part 2 (paras7-12). the speech proper: an argument or persuasion

Section 1 (paras7-8): the nature of the Nazi regime Section 2 (paras9-10): Churchill’s determination and policy Section 3 (paras11-12): the real motive of Hitler’s invasion of the U.S.S.

R. Further persuasion to convince the audience of

the justification of the decision

Detailed study• Part 1• 1. main idea• 2. questions to discuss• 3. difficult sentences

Part 1• 1. Main idea: a piece of narration: • Background of the speech• 2. Questions • 1) When did the Germans attack the Soviet Union?• 2) And how?• 3) Who brought the news to Churchill first? And wh

o told him the details presently?• 4) What was Churchill’s reaction to the news? Wh

y?• 5) Why did Churchill quote the account of the day

at Chequers by his Private Secretary?

Questions• 1) When did the Germans attack the Soviet

Union?• On Sunday, June 22, 1941.

• 2) How did the Germans attack the U.S.S.R?• The Germans attacked Russia on an

enormous front by air in a surprised way.

• 3) Who brought the news to Churchill first? And who told him the details presently?

• His private secretary, Mr. Colville, told him the news at 8 a.m. Presently General Dill told him the details of the news.

• 4) What was Churchill’s reaction to the news? Why?

• He was not surprised at the news because he had thought that the German would attack the Soviet Union.

• 5) Why did Churchill quote the account of the day at Chequers by his Private Secretary?

• He wanted to show what he had said about his reaction to the news is reliable.

Difficult sentencesPara 1.1. This changed conviction into certainty. 1) conviction: a very firm and sincere belief  Conviction usu. implies previous doubt or

uncertainty 2) certainty: the state of being definite or

having no doubts 3) In the past it was my belief that Hitler would

attack the Soviet Union; but now it was no longer a belief, it had become a fact.

2. The Germans had surprised …grounded on the airfields.

1) surprise: attack suddenly and without warning

2) ground: (of pilot or plane) to stay on the ground

3) When the Germans attacked, they took the Russians by surprise and destroyed a high percentage of Soviet airplanes before they could take off.

3. I suppose they will be rounded up in hordes.

1) round up: herd together, collect together( people or animals who are scattered; or who have fled)

2) horde: a large moving crowd or throng 3) I think the Red armymen will be surround

ed and captured in surprising large numbers.

Para 41, Hitler was counting on enlisting… the U.S.A1) count on: depend on, expect, take into account2) enlist: win the support of, get the help or

sympathy3) Right Wing: the more conservative or

reactionary section of a political party.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.

2. Winant said the same would be …U.S.A. 1) be true of: be the same case, be suitable to• What he says of women is true of men.• People in cities have larger houses now, and the

same is true of the living condition in the countryside.

2) The United States would do the same. The U.S. would adopt the same attitude. This would also be the attitude of the U.S.

Para 51. not bowing down in the House of Rimmon: 1). Rimmon: a deity worshipped by Syrians of

Damascus.

2).To bow down in the House of Rimmon: people bow down to the statue of Rimmon to show their respect to the deity.

to do sth. outwardly with mental reservation  

3) Syrian Captain Naaman had leprosy. His Israeli servant told Elisha, a prophet God. Elisha told Naaman to wash in the Jordan River 7 times and thus he was cured. Naaman therefore had faith in God and convert to Christianity. But being a Syrian, he had to follow his King to worship in the House of Rimmon. Elisha granted him permission to do so.

4).not bowing down in the House of Rimmon

not doing sth. against your own beliefs Q: You are not doing sth. against your

own beliefs, are you? A: No, not at all. metaphorical use to mean whether

Churchill had changed his attitude a little towards Communist.

2. If Hitler invaded Hell I would …Commoms. If Hitler should attack Hell, a most hated pl

ace, I would still say a word in favor of the Devil, the foe of mankind, in the House of Commoms;

I would say a word in favor of anyone who is attacked by Hitler, no matter how bad, how wicked or evil he has been in the past.

3.Reference/ recommendation/testimonial reference: statement about a person’s characters and a

bilities 有关一个人的品格和能力的证明书 recommendation ： a letter or statement that

speaks in favour or praise of sb. esp, when he is looking for a job

testimonial ： statement testifying to a person’s merits, abilities, qualifications, etc.

(What the 1st word describes is a fact, while the other 2 words describe maybe better than the actuality. So, the 2nd and the 3rd are appropriate to use here.)

Para 6. 1. to the effect: with the information

that, meaning that• He had a telegram to the effect that his

mother is dead.• A rumour was in the air to the effect

that the firm was in financial difficulties.

2. therefore/ thereby 1)therefore: as a result; for that reason, so• I have never been to Africa and

therefore I don't know much about it.• I think; therefore I am. （我思故我在）• It rained; therefore the game was called

off.

• 2) thereby: by that means, by doing or saying that

• Our body can sweat, thereby losing heat by evaporation.

• A firm might sometimes sell at a loss to drive a competitor out of business, and thereby increase its market power.

PART 2Section 1 (7-8) 1. Main idea2. Difficult sentences3. Questions to discuss: 1) What is the nature of the Nazi regime? 2) How did Churchill describe the terrible

scene caused by Hitler? 3) Why did Churchill want to describe it?

1. main idea: Churchill made an analysis on the

nature of the Nazi regime

2. Difficult sentences1).It is devoid of theme …racial domination. ▲ devoid of: without; empty of He is devoid of human feelings.. ★The Nazi state does not have any ideal or

guiding principle at all. All it has is a strong desire to conquer the other countries.

2) It excels all forms of human wickedness…aggression ▲ efficiency: The Nazis ran war like a business ★ The Nazi regime is very cruel and it invades other co

untries in a most savage way. It carries out its cruel invasions so effectively that it surpasses any action of this kind in human history.

◆ 纳粹政权在残酷镇压和疯狂侵略方面极为拿手，人类以往这方面的一切卑劣行径都望尘莫及。

3 ） .I will unsay no word…about it. ▲ unsay ： take back, retract (what ha

s been said) ★ I will not take back a single word of

what I have said about communism. ◆ 关于共产主义，我说过的话一句也不收回。

4. I see the German bomber …a safer prey. ▲ smart: n. sharp pain bodily or mental. 剧痛 The smart of his wound kept him awake. v. feel a sharp pain The smoke made my eyes smarting. smart for: suffer the consequence of, 因…吃苦，受罪 be paid out for. 因…而付出代价 He will make you smart for this impudence. 他必将因你这次对他的失礼而给你颜色看。

★ The Nazi air force have 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.

3. Questions to discuss1) What is the nature of the Nazi regime?

① indistinguishable from Communism

② devoid of theme and principle ③ appetite and racial domination ④ most wicked and most cruel

2) How did Churchill describe the terrible scene caused by Hitler?

I see the Russian soldiers… I see them guarding their homes where… I see the ten thousand villages where I see advancing upon…the Nazi war

machine I see …the Hun soldiery plodding on like… I see the German bombers and fighters… … I see that small group of villainous men…

• Churchill used 6 paralleled sentences forcefully to describe the horrible spectacle and the terrible life of the Russians caused by German Nazi.

3) Why did Churchill want to describe it?

• The vivid description strongly aroused the sympathy and emotion of the listeners to the Russian people and the anger / hatred of them to the German Nazi.

Section 2 1. Main idea: the decision of British

Government2. Detailed discussion

3. Questions to discuss1) What is the decision of British

Government?2) Why he didn’t declare the decision in the

name of the British Commonwealth of Nations?

3) What therefore would they do to carry out their policy?

4) What rhetorical devices are used to show his strong determination?

1) What is the decision of British Government?

They are resolved to destroy Hitler and every vestige of the Nazi regime.

2) Why he didn’t declare the decision in the name of the British Commonwealth of Nations?

Because they Dominions are independent governments and Churchill did not have the power to declare war in their names. If he wanted to declare war in their names, he had to consult them beforehand. Since he must make known the decision at once and there is no time for consultation, he has to declare the decision in the name of the British Government.

3) What therefore would they do to carry out their policy?

①They will give whatever help they can to Russia and the Russian people.

②They shall appeal to all their friends and allies take the course and pursue it.

③They will take the course faithfully and steadfastly to the end.

4 ） What rhetorical devices are used to show his strong determination?

① repetition repetition of the same word: From this nothing will turn us–- nothing. repetition of synonymous words: We will never parley, we will never negotiate… We have but one aim and one single, irrevocable pur

pose.

② Parallel structure• We will never parley, We will never negotiate with Hitler…

We shall fight him by land, We shall fight him by sea, We shall fight him in the air.

Any man or state who fights …will have our aid Any man or state who marches with Hitler is our foe.

That is our policy and that is our declaration.

We shall give whatever help …to Russia… We shall appeal to all our friends….

We shall be fortified in our effort to rescue… We shall be strengthened in determination and in res

ources

• ③ Inversion • From this nothing will turn us–- nothing.• But this I will say…

• ④ Rhetorical question …but can you doubt what our policy will

be ?

• ⑤ periodic sentence • Periodic sentence achieves forcefulness by suspen

se. The essential elements in the sentence are withheld until the end.

• Any man or state who fights on against Nazidom will have our aid.

• If Hitler imagines that his attack on Soviet Russia will cause the slightest divergence of aims or slackening of effort in the great democracies who are resolved upon his doom, he is woefully mistaken.

Section 3

• 1. Main idea• 2.Questions to discuss • 3. Difficult sentences

• 1. Main idea• Churchill analyzes the real motive

of Hitler’s invasion of the U.S.S.R

• 2.Questions to discuss 1) What is the real motive of Hitler’s

invasion of the U.S.S.R?

2) What does Churchill appeal to people to do in the end of his speech?

1) What is the real motive of Hitler’s invasion of the U.S.S.R?

Hitler’s invasion of Russia serves as the first step for his inversion of Britain , thus controlling the Western Hemisphere.

2) What does Churchill appeal to people to do in the end of his speech?

Churchill appeals to people to unite together to fight against Nazi regime.

3. Difficult sentences1) But when I spoke a few minutes ago of

Hitler’s blood-lust…deeper motive behind his outrage.

① blood-lust: strong, usu. evil desire for ② hateful: detestable, loathsome ③ impel: (idea or feeling) push sb. forward ④ outrage: extreme cruel act ★ When I mentioned Hitler’s evil desire for

conquest which has driven him to attack Russia, I said there was another more important reason for his adventure.

2) Let us learn the lessons already taught by such cruel experience.

① “lessons” and “cruel experience”: “United we stand, divided we fall” ② We should bear in mind the fact that Hitler

had been successful because many European governments had allowed themselves to be defeated one by one. This time we should all support the U.S.S.R and shouldn’t let Hitler repeat his tactics.

3). Let us redouble our exertions, and strike with united strength while life and power remain.

Let us strengthen our unity and our efforts in the fight against Nazi Germany when we have not yet been overwhelmed and when we are still powerful.

Rhetorical devices• Repetition• Parallelism• Inversion• Rhetorical question• Periodic sentence• Simile• Metaphor• Alliteration