Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat

张老师

资源所属专业类别：英语

资源名称：Blood,Toil, Sweat and Tears

资源说明：本文来源于《英语名篇佳作100篇背诵手册》

资源关键字: Victory

资源作者：Sir Winston Churchill

资源类型：文本类素材

资源语言：英文

Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat

FirstSpeech as Prime Minister

May13, 1940

toHouse of Commons

On May 10, 1940, Winston Churchill becamePrime Minister. When he met his Cabinet on May 13 he told them that "Ihave nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat." He repeated thatphrase later in the day when he asked the House of Commons for a vote ofconfidence in his new all-party government. The response of Labor washeart-warming; the Conservative reaction was lukewarm. They still really wantedNeville Chamberlain. For the first time, the people had hope but Churchillcommented to General Ismay: "Poor people, poor people. They trust me, andI can give them nothing but disaster for quite a long time."

I beg tomove,

That thisHouse welcomes the formation of a Government representing the united andinflexible resolve of the nation to prosecute the war with Germany to avictorious conclusion.

On Fridayevening last I received His Majesty's commission to form a new Administration.It as the evident wish and will of Parliament and the nation that this shouldbe conceived on the broadest possible basis and that it should include allparties, both those who supported the late Government and also the parties ofthe Opposition. I have completed the most important part of this task. A WarCabinet has been formed of five Members, representing, with the OppositionLiberals, the unity of the nation. The three party Leaders have agreed toserve, either in the War Cabinet or in high executive office. The threeFighting Services have been filled. It was necessary that this should be donein one single day, on account of the extreme urgency and rigor of events. Anumber of other positions, key positions, were filled yesterday, and I amsubmitting a further list to His Majesty to-night. I hope to complete theappointment of the principal Ministers during to-morrow. The appointment of theother Ministers usually takes a little longer, but I trust that, whenParliament meets again, this part of my task will be completed, and that theadministration will be complete in all respects.

Iconsidered it in the public interest to suggest that the House should besummoned to meet today. Mr. Speaker agreed, and took the necessary steps, inaccordance with the powers conferred upon him by the Resolution of the House.At the end of the proceedings today, the Adjournment of the House will beproposed until Tuesday, 21st May, with, of course, provision for earliermeeting, if need be. The business to be considered during that week will benotified to Members at the earliest opportunity. I now invite the House, by theMotion which stands in my name, to record its approval of the steps taken andto declare its confidence in the new Government.

To forman Administration of this scale and complexity is a serious undertaking initself, but it must be remembered that we are in the preliminary stage of oneof the greatest battles in history, that we are in action at many other pointsin Norway and in Holland, that we have to be prepared in the Mediterranean,that the air battle is continuous and that many preparations, such as have beenindicated by my hon. Friend below the Gangway, have to be made here at home. Inthis crisis I hope I may be pardoned if I do not address the House at anylength today. I hope that any of my friends and colleagues, or formercolleagues, who are affected by the political reconstruction, will makeallowance, all allowance, for any lack of ceremony with which it has beennecessary to act. I say to the House, as I said to those who have joined thisgovernment, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.

We havebefore us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, manylong months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I cansay: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with allthe strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny,never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is ourpolicy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory,victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long andhard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Let that berealized; no survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge,the impulse of the ages, that mankind will move forward towards its goal. Itake up my task with buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not besuffered to fail among men. I feel entitled at this juncture, at this time, toclaim the aid of all, and to say, "Come then, let us go forward togetherwith our united strength."

Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat

资源评价：这篇文章是第二次世界大战期间，温斯顿.丘吉尔作为英国首相的第一次演讲。这次演讲在历史上非常有名，在思想性和艺术性方面代表了英文演讲辞的很高成就,具有广泛而深远的影响。思想性方面，该篇演讲气势磅礴，表达了同法西斯作战到底，迎取胜利的决心和信心。事实证明，这次演讲鼓舞了英国人民的士气。在艺术性方面，丘吉尔运用了很多演讲的技巧，比如最后一自然段中，他提出了两个问题，然后又自己对这两个问题作出了回答，收到了很好的效果。而且在演讲中，丘吉尔没有忘记听众，“你们”“我们”在演讲中反复出现，这样很容易引起听众和他的共鸣。作为英语学习者，是非常有必要学习经典演讲的，所以我把这篇文章推荐给大家。特别是最后一自然段，大家有兴趣的话，可以背诵。