In my little memory of English history, Churchill looked gloomy and smoked a pipe. Of course, he led Britain to defeat Hitler. But my great understanding of him began when I read this article: his wonderful World War II speech inspired a generation of British people, led them out of Hitler's magic melon with difficulty and tenacity, and finally led them to victory. As a politician, he also won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Paul Millward.
1940, deep in Whitehall, London, Winston Churchill saved Britain in those buildings called wartime cabinet rooms. This mysterious basement became the nerve center in wartime. Churchill even spent the night here occasionally. In Room 60 of the political bunker, he delivered a historic speech to the whole country, which gave people great courage and confidence to win the war.
Sometimes I imagine: 1940, when the mother of a teenage girl and her brothers and sisters are sitting by the radio at home, eagerly listening to Churchill's speech. It was a very difficult time for the British: after Dunkirk's retreat, Hitler had occupied most of western Europe, and we fought the Nazis alone. In great fear and anxiety, people waited for his voice and longed for every word he said.
They heard the greatest speeches in history: even when I read them today, they filled me with confidence that I would never give up in the face of any difficulties in life. Beneath the politician's appearance, Churchill is more like a poet. With his excellent writing skills, he delivered an unforgettable speech, which virtually cultivated the incredible perseverance of the audience. These special lectures have transcended political content and become literary models. Today, they really read like poems:
? Although most of the land in Europe and many famous ancient countries have fallen or may fall into the magic melon of the Gestapo and all the odious Nazi ruling institutions, we will never be discouraged and never give up.
We will fight to the end. We will fight in France,
We will fight in the ocean,
We will have more and more confidence and strength to fight in the air.
We will defend our homeland at all costs,
We will fight on the beach,
We will fight at the enemy's landing site,
We will fight in fields and streets,
We will fight in the mountains.
We will never surrender. ?
These speeches combine irresistible rhythms and repeated sentences, reminding people of the royal momentum in Shakespeare's works. These extraordinary speeches changed the country. It fills everyone who listens to the speech with confidence and firm belief, and makes our island endure misfortune. These speeches entered the depths of the British soul and awakened the lion nature lurking in every British heart.
They are the source of my mother's indomitable spirit, especially in her later years. I still remember that Christmas: at the age of 79, she fell from the top of the stairs to the bottom of the building. Although she was black and blue all over, she not only survived, but also dressed herself beautifully on Christmas morning. I believe such an important day cannot be disturbed. I know that this amazing tenacity was shaped in World War II, accompanied by their generation, and shaped in Churchill's unparalleled speech.
Of course, this is not the first time Churchill has made amazing achievements by using his literary talent. He worked as a journalist when he was young, and also worked as a war correspondent in India and Sudan with the British army. As a journalist, he was arrested in South Africa, and Churchill's report on the Boer War first attracted public attention. He became a prolific writer of historical themes, and his works included War on the River, written in 1899, when he was a soldier, describing the fighting in Sudan.
Churchill's appointment as Prime Minister unexpectedly achieved his most important and accomplished literary achievements. After the ups and downs of parliamentary career, Churchill also made many enemies because of his controversial political views, but he suddenly stepped out of the shadows and became a man shouldering the heavy responsibility of the times. Churchill's talent for writing and speaking soon emerged, and his reputation as a great orator began to be established.
Many of Churchill's great speeches have the quality of prose poems, full of language that inspires and inspires the British public to face danger. His first broadcast to the public was in May 1940. This speech included the following words:
? Behind us-there are broken countries and enslaved nations-for all people, the long and cruel night is coming, even if there is a star of hope, it can't be broken. Unless we win the war, we must win the war, and we will win the war. ?
We can see that poetic skills have become a prominent feature of Churchill's great speech. This speech is not a common speech routine for politicians, but a rich imagination and repeated use? Win the battle? The word cleverly creates a powerful * * * sound full of rhythm. It conveys an absolutely clear belief that we will eliminate tyranny and gain freedom in Europe.
This war has fascinated me since I was a little boy. I am eager to hear my parents talk about their war stories in one breath: How we won the Battle of Britain is still a mystery to me. 1940 July 14, on the eve of the big air war, the BBC broadcast the title of Churchill to the whole country. Unknown soldier in the war? Speech, which contains such a wonderful sentence:
Faith helps and comforts us when we stand in awe before the unfolding human destiny.
The lyrical imagination created by this speech gradually aroused the heroic complex of the British people and knocked on the core value of our national identity. These words are reminiscent of Shakespeare, who forged this sense of identity and conveyed the pride of the British people: our country will never be conquered by foreign powers. Churchill conveyed Shakespeare's spirit through these words: now, we must bear the danger alone and face the worst consequences of Nazi tyranny and hostility-here, our waters are closely guarded by the navy; Our airspace is heroically defended by the air force-we are waiting for the coming attack with confidence. ?
The scene of Henry V muttering these words was adapted into a wartime movie starring laurence olivier, which greatly boosted national morale.
? Forward, dear friend, forward; Even use our British bodies to block this wall?
Churchill's speech aroused the British collective subconscious. These speeches reawakened Shakespeare, who deeply integrated soul of china into people's hearts centuries ago, and those immortal sentences blurted out from Richard II:
? This jewel embedded in silver sea water, this sacred land, earth, territory and England. ?
But it was not until I became an adult and studied the historical reality of 1940 that I realized that our failure was inevitable. The only sensible action at that time was to surrender to Hitler or reach a peace agreement. But my parents never talked about war like this. I remember asking my mother: what made them believe that we would win? Her answer is simple: Churchill's speech. His words convinced everyone in this country that victory would eventually belong to us.
1940 In August, Britain reached a critical moment of life and death: at this critical moment of history, the German army carried out a devastating attack on the airport in southern England, the British Air Force stubbornly resisted, and the most critical war continued. Churchill delivered another important speech on August 20th, which contained the most well-known famous words. He praised the pilots of the Royal Air Force, among which Churchill was right? Ethnic minorities? The expression is shocking:
? Never before in the history of human war have so few people made such great sacrifices for so many people. ?
A few words can express people's unspeakable feelings.
On September 1940, Hitler changed his strategy and tried to destroy the will of the British people by bombing London indiscriminately. Inspired by Churchill's speech, Londoners continue their daily life calmly without fear. When I was a child, I was deeply attracted by the amazing and brave story of Londoners in that extraordinary period told by my parents. Their courage is the inspiration of my life.
Churchill praised the Londoners in his speech entitled "Give us weapons" in February of 194 1, and he was moved to talk about how the stubborn resistance of Londoners made Hitler's tricks go up in smoke. The emotional expression and literary value of this long speech are so colorful that it is worth savoring by every English student. The speech also includes these beautiful paragraphs: Churchill thanked the Commonwealth countries for their support to the motherland and paid tribute to the Greeks who bravely resisted Mussolini's army.
At the end of the speech, Churchill made an exciting response to President Roosevelt's support:
? We can't retreat, we can't fail; We can't become weak or tired? No matter the sudden blow of war or the test of long-term vigilance and hard work, we must not lose confidence. Give us weapons and we can finish the task. ?
Churchill continued his unfortunate speech until Hitler was defeated and Europe regained its freedom. After the war, he began to write a long volume about the Second World War. These six long volumes won him 1953 Nobel Prize in Literature. His award is not only an affirmation of his literary achievements, but also a high recognition of his great speech that inspired the people to win.
Churchill's speech literally saved the world. Winning a war depends not only on bullets and bombs, but also on faith. This belief was instilled in every Englishman through Churchill's touching speech. It proves that the power of language can influence the whole country and finally win.
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The power of language is sometimes stronger than weapons.