On Friday May 10th, Churchill went to the Palace and emerged as the new Prime Minister.
在5月10日星期五,丘吉爾來到白金漢宮成為新任首相。
On the same day came the news that Belgium and Holland had been invaded.
而在同一天,傳來了比利時和荷蘭被入侵的消息。
Now, of course, we all know that a "Finest hour" was waiting in the wings.
我們現(xiàn)在當然都知道"最榮耀的時刻"正振翅以待。
But nobody knew it then, not in the merciless days of May 1940, when Britain came closer than at any other time in its history to being overwhelmed.
但在1940年5月那凄風苦雨的歲月里,史無前例地,大英帝國仿佛要轟然倒下,沒人看得到未來。
Belgium and Holland were going under, and France was soon about to join their fate.
比利時和荷蘭已被攻克,法國也在劫難逃。
A quarter of a million british troops were trapped in northern France with hardly any hope of a safe exit.
二十五萬英國軍隊被圍困在法國北部,鮮有安然撤退的希望。
Neither the United States nor the Soviet Union were about to ride to our rescue, and hardly anyone who counted thought we could possibly get out of the military nightmare alone.
美國和蘇聯(lián)都不打算來營救我們,也幾乎沒有權威人士認為我們有可能獨自逃離這場戰(zhàn)爭的夢魘。
Facing catastrophe, Churchill went to the House of Commons and made a short speech, shocking in its clarity, defiant in its optimism.
面對著愁云慘霧,丘吉爾來到下議院發(fā)表了一段簡短的演說,清晰得令人震驚,樂觀得讓人覺得挑釁。
I would say to the House, as I said to those who've joined the government, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.
我要對下議院說,一如我向入閣的大臣們所表明,我所能奉獻的唯有熱血,辛勞,眼淚和汗水。
We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering.
我們所面臨的將是一場極其嚴酷的考驗。將是曠日持久的斗爭和苦難。

You ask what is our policy. I will say it is to wage war by sea, land and air, with all our might, with all the strength that God can give us.
若問我們的政策是什么。我的回答是在陸上、海上、空中作戰(zhàn),盡我們的全力,盡上帝賦予我們的全部力量去作戰(zhàn)。
To wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy.
對人類黑暗、可悲的罪惡史上空前兇殘的暴政作戰(zhàn)。這就是我們的政策。
You ask what is our aim. I can answer in one word, victory.
若問我們的目標是什么。我可以用一個詞來回答,勝利。
Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terror. Victory however long and hard the road may be. For without victory there is no survival.
不惜一切代價去奪取勝利。不懼一切恐怖去奪取勝利。不論前路如何漫長如何艱苦去奪取勝利。因為沒有勝利,就不能生存。
We'd like to think of this as a moment of transformation. Enter the great prince girding on his rusty armour, pulling the shaky country together.
我們愿意相信這是個轉機。偉大的王子手持銹爛武器走來,將這搖搖欲墜的國家團結起來。
But the truth was very different. The military men assumed Churchill would have to eat his words before long.
但事與愿違。軍方認為丘吉爾的講話不久就會不攻自破。
The civil servants, who'd always hated his operatics, rolled their eyes at yet another theatrical performance.
而向來討厭他惺惺作態(tài)的文官,對他的又一個夸張的表演翻了翻白眼。
And the politicians, men like Halifax, believed sooner or later that Churchill would have to trade in sentimental mush for hard reality.
而像哈利法克斯這樣的政客,相信丘吉爾將在殘酷現(xiàn)實面前背棄他意氣用事的話語。
It was time, thought Halifax, to do a deal with Germany. Churchill was having none of it.
哈利法克斯認為是時候和德國簽個協(xié)議了。沒有人站在丘吉爾這邊。
In the last two weeks of May, hidden from public view, he fought the most desperate and important campaign of his entire life to prevent Britain from going cap in hand to Hitler.
在五月的最后兩周,他隱蔽在公眾視線之外,打了一場他人生中最絕望也最重要的戰(zhàn)役,來阻止英國成為希特勒的囊中之物。