quarta-feira, 11 de junho de 2014

68. D-Day: 70 Years Ago


On June 6th, 1944, Allied forces1 began landing along the coast2 of Normandy, in France.  The event is known as3 D-Day.  It was the beginning4 of a campaign by the United States and its allies5 to end the German occupation of Europe.  D-Day was a turning point6 in World War II7.   
                
By the end of 1943, the German military had suffered defeats8 and was weakened9. But it was still powerful10 enough11 to control France, Belgium12, and much of the rest of Western Europe13.                              
The time had come14 for the United States and its Allies to liberate the continent.  The Supreme Allied Commander, American General Dwight Eisenhower, used radio to speak to the troops preparing to land on Normandy.

“Soldiers, sailors15 and airmen16 of the Allied Expeditionary Force: you are about to embark upon17 the great crusade, toward which18 we have striven19 these many months. 
In company with our brave20 allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about21 the destruction of the German war machine22, the elimination of Nazi tyranny23 over24 the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.”

The German leader Adolf Hitler had known25 an invasion was coming.  But he did not know where the Allied force would strike26Most27 Germans expected the Allies would attack at Calais, in northern28 France.  But they were wrong29. General Eisenhower planned to attack Normandy, across30 the English Channel.

Eisenhower had 150,000 men and 12,000 airplanes for the attack.  But most importantly31, he had surprise on his side32Even after33 the invasion began34, General Erwin Rommel and other German military leaders could not believe35 that the Allies had really attacked at Normandy.  But attack they did.  On the night of June 5th, tens of thousands36 of Allied soldiers parachuted37 behind German lines38.                                                

Then, Allied planes began dropping bombs39 on German defenses.  And in the morning, thousands of ships approached the coastline40, carrying41 men and supplies42.

The battle43 quickly became44  fierce and bloody45.  American, British and other Allied forces moved on five beaches46 from their landing craft47.  The Germans had strong defenses.  They were better-protected than48 the Allied troops on the open beaches. But the Allies had more troops.                                                               
On all but one49 of those areas, German resistance was lighter than expected50. At Omaha Beach, two American divisions were slowed by51 the rising tide52 and heavy German gunfire53.  It was the fiercest and bloodiest battle54 of D-Day.

Slowly55, the Allied soldiers moved forward56 on one part of the Normandy coast, then another.  The Allies continued to build up57 their forces in France.  Within one week58 they had brought nearly59 90,000 vehicles and 600,000 men into France.  And they pushed60 forward.                                                     

A total of 3,000 American soldiers died61 on Omaha Beach alone 70 years ago. On the first day of the invasion, almost62 10,000 Allied troops were killed or wounded63

The Battle of Normandy continued through64 August, as Allied troops fought65 the Germans through France.  In less than66 four months, General Eisenhower and the Allied forces had regained67 almost all of France.  More than 400,000 Allied and German troops were wounded, killed or missing in action68.


Vocabulary

  1. Allied forces = forças aliadas
  2. began landing along the coast  = começou a desembarcar ao longo da costa
  3. known as = conhecido como
  4. beginning = inicio
  5. allies = aliados
  6. turning point = ponto de virada
  7. World War II = Segunda Guerra Mundial
  8. had suffered defeats = tinha sofrido derrotas
  9. was weakened = estava enfraquecido(a)
  10. it was still powerful = ainda era poderosa
  11. enough = o bastante
  12. Belgium = Bélgica
  13. Western Europe = Europa Ocidental
  14. The time had come = A hora tinha chegado
  15. sailors = marinheiros
  16. airmen = aviadores
  17. you are about to embark upon = voces estão prestes a embarcar em direção a
  18. toward which = para a qual
  19. we have striven  = nós temos nos esforçado
  20. brave = valente, corajoso
  21. bring about = ocasionar, acarretar
  22. war machine = máquina de guerra
  23. Nazi tyranny = tirania nazista
  24. over = sobre
  25. had known = tinha sabido
  26. would strike = atacaria
  27. Most = a maioria
  28. northern = região norte
  29. wrong = errados
  30. across = do outro lado
  31. most importantly = o mais importante
  32. on his side = do lado dele
  33. Even after = mesmo após
  34. began = começou
  35. could not believe = não conseguiam acreditar
  36. tens of thousands = dezenas de milhares
  37. parachuted = pularam de para quedas
  38. behind German lines = atrás das linhas alemãs
  39. dropping bombs = jogar bombas
  40. approached the coastline = aproximaram-se do litoral
  41. carrying = transportando
  42. supplies = suprimentos
  43. battle = batalha
  44. quickly became = rapidamente tornou-se
  45. fierce and bloody = feroz e sangrenta
  46. beaches = praias
  47. landing craft = embarcações de desembarque
  48. better-protected than = melhor protegidos do que
  49. On all but one = em todas menos em uma
  50. lighter than expected = mais leve do que o esperado
  51. were slowed by = foram retardados por
  52. rising tide = maré crescente
  53. heavy German gunfire = pesado fogo de artilharia alemã
  54. the fiercest and bloodiest battle = a batalha mais feroz e sangrenta
  55. Slowly = lentamente
  56. moved forward = moveram-se para a frente
  57. build up = acumular
  58. Within one week = dentro de uma semana
  59. had brought nearly = tinham trazido quase
  60. pushed = empurraram
  61. died = morreram
  62. almost = quase
  63. killed or wounded = mortos ou feridos
  64. through = através, ao longo de
  65. fought = lutaram
  66. less than = menos de
  67. regained = reconquistar
  68. missing in action = desaparecido em ação