VOA慢速英语:American History: US Declares War on Japan, Germany and Italy

短语讲解：

1. Japanese warships, including several aircraft carriers, crossed the western Pacific to Hawaii without being seen.

aircraft carrier航空母舰
例句：Aircraft carriers are recognised as more than mere warships.
航空母舰不仅仅被认为是一艘战舰而已。

2. The following day, President Franklin Roosevelt went to Congress to ask for a declaration of war against Japan.

ask for请求…, 要求…
例句：He went to the office to ask for leave. 
他到办公室去请假。 

3. The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor, looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific …

at peace处于和平状态
例句：The two countries were at peace.
两国现在和平相处。
in conversation with 与...谈话
例句：I saw him in conversation with a friend.
我看见他和朋友谈话。
look towards为…做准备；趋向于；期望
例句：They framed a policy looking towards the development of industry.
他们制定了一个促使工业发展的政策。

4. In the House of Representatives, only one congressman objected to the declaration of war against Japan.

object to反对
例句：I don't object to the children going with us.
我不反对孩子们和我们一道去。
declaration of war宣战

5. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor ended the long American debate over whether to become involved in the Second World War.

involve in使参与〔陷入, 牵扯到〕
例句：Don't involve me in your quarrel.
不要把我卷进你们的争吵中。

6. Japan's attack had brought America into the war.

bring into使进入某种状态；使卷入，加进来
例句：The new law will be brought into force by midnight tomorrow.
新法律于明日午夜生效。

7. And he worried about possible German intervention in Latin America.

worry about担忧, 烦恼
例句：He worried about how to make his living.
他为如何谋生发愁。

8. Hitler sent one of his best commanders, General Erwin Rommel, to take command of the Italians.

take command of控制, 指挥
例句：When the major was killed, the captain took command of the company.
少校阵亡后, 上尉指挥全连。

9. They landed on the Italian island of Sicily in July of nineteen forty-three.

land on落到…上; (使)在…上登陆
例句：I'll undertake to land them on our coast.
我负责使他们在我们的海岸登陆。

10. But they had succeeded in increasing their control of the Mediterranean and pushing back the Germans.

succeed in在…中获得成功
例句：At last the climbers succeeded in conquering the difficult mountain.
登山队员们终于成功地征服了这座难以攀登的山峰。