【6月24日】看軍聞學英語

■刀客

原文：

Dr. Robert Oliver, U.S. Air Force Historical Support Division, said that as the grip of Allied forces tightened around Nazi Germany, the pressure became too much for Hitler to face. He committed suicide on April 30, 1945. On May 7th, German admiral Karl Donitz, briefly succeeding Hitler as the German head of state, signed the unconditional surrender of the Germans, to take effect on May 8, 1945, the date now known as Victory in Europe Day.

The years of death and destruction had taken an unimaginable toll. As news of the German surrender spread, spontaneous celebrations erupted all over the world. The New York Times headline of the day read, ‘End of the Ugly Dream.’

中譯：

美國空軍歷史支援司的奧利弗博士表示，隨著同盟國對納粹德國的箝制愈加緊迫，希特勒所面臨的壓力亦變得難以負荷，並在1945年4月30日自裁身亡。德國海軍元帥鄧尼茲暫時接替希特勒，成為德國統帥，於5月7日簽署無條件投降協議，而1945年5月8日的生效日，即為現在著名的歐洲勝利紀念日。

死亡與毀滅的歲月，帶走人們難以計數的性命。當德國投降消息傳開時，全球無不掀起自發性的慶祝活動。《紐約時報》更以「醜陋迷夢之終結」，作為當天頭版標題。

－關鍵軍語－

※victory：

Success achieved in a battle, game, or other competition.

※surrender：

An act of relinquishing one’s authority to another power.

例句：

The German Instrument of Surrender was the legal document that effected the extinction of Nazi Germany and ended World War II in Europe.

德國降書是讓納粹德國滅絕，並終結第二次世界大戰歐洲戰場的法定文件。