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全新版大学英语第四册课文Unit1TextATheICYDefenderText课文Theysaythatpridecomesbeforeafall.InthecaseofbothNapoleonandHitler,themanyvictoriestheyenjoyedledthemtobelievethatanythingwaspossible,thatnothingcouldstandintheirway.Russia'sicydefenderwastoprovethemwrong.THEICYDEFENDERNilaB,SmithIn1812,NapoleonBonaparte,EmperoroftheFrench,ledhisGrandArmyintoRussia.HewaspreparedforthefierceresistanceoftheRussianpeopledefendingtheirhomeland.HewaspreparedforthelongmarchacrossRussiansoiltoMoscow,thecapitalcity.ButhewasnotpreparedforthedevastatingenemythatmethiminMoscow—theraw,bitter,bleakRussianwinter.In1941,AdolfHitler,leaderofNaziGermany,launchedanattackagainsttheSovietUnion,asRussiathenwascalled.Hitler'smilitarymightwasunequaled.HiswarmachinehadmoweddownresistanceinmostofEurope.Hitlerexpectedashortcampaignbut,likeNapoleonbeforehim,wastaughtapainfullesson.TheRussianwinteragaincametotheaidoftheSovietsoldiers.Napoleon'sCampaignInthespringof1812,NapoleonassembledanarmyofsixhundredthousandmenonthebordersofRussia.Thesoldierswerewelltrained,efficient,andwellequipped.ThismilitaryforcewascalledtheGrandArmy.Napoleon,confidentofaquickvictory,predictedtheconquestofRussiainfiveweeks.Shortlyafterwards,Napoleon'sarmycrossedtheNemanRiverintoRussia.Thequick,decisivevictorythatNapoleonexpectedneverhappened.Tohissurprise,theRussiansrefusedtostandandfight.Instead,theyretreatedeastward,burningtheircropsandhomesastheywent.TheGrandArmyfollowed,butitsadvancemarchsoonbecameboggeddownbyslow-movingsupplylines.InAugust,theFrenchandRussianarmiesengagedatSmolensk,inabattlethatleftovertenthousanddeadoneachside.Yet,theRussianswereagainabletoretreatfartherintoRussianterritory.Napoleonhadwonnodecisivevictory.Hewasnowfacedwithacrucialdecision.ShouldhecontinuetopursuetheRussianarmy?OrshouldhekeephisarmyinSmolenskfortheapproachingwinter?NapoleontookthegambleofpressingontoMoscow,448kilometersaway.OnSeptember7,1812,theFrenchandRussianarmiesmetinfiercebattleatBorodino,112kilometerswestofMoscow.Bynightfall,thirtythousandFrenchandforty-fourthousandRussianslaydeadorwoundedonthebattlefield.Again,theRussianarmyretreatedtosafety.NapoleonhadaclearpathtoMoscow,buttheoccupationofthecitybecameanemptyvictory.TheRussiansfledtheircapital.SoonaftertheFrencharrived,aragingfiredestroyedtwo-thirdsofthecity.NapoleonofferedatrucetoAlexanderI,buttheRussianczarknewhecouldbidehistime:WeshalllettheRussianwinterfightthewarforus.Napoleonsoonrealizedhecouldnotfeed,clothe,andquarterhisarmyinMoscowduringthewinter.InOctober1812,heorderedhisGrandArmytoretreatfromMoscow.TheFrenchretreatturnedintoanightmare.Fromfieldsandforests,theRussianslaunchedhit-and-runattacksontheFrench.AshortdistancefromMoscow,thetemperaturehadalreadydroppedtominus4degreesCelsius.OnNovember3,thewinter'sfirstsnowcame.Exhaustedhorsesfelldeadintheirtracks.Cannonbecamestuckinthesnow.Equipmenthadtobeburnedforfuel.Soldierstookillandfrozetodeath.TheFrenchsoldiersdraggedon,leavingthedeadalongeverymile.AstheRussianarmywasgatheringitsstrength,theFrenchhadtofleeRussiatoavoidcertaindefeat.AttheBerezinaRiver,theRussiansnearlytrappedtheretreatingFrenchbyburningthebridgesovertheswollenriver.ButNapoleon,byastrokeofluck,wasabletobuildtwonewbridges.ThousandsofFrenchsoldiersescaped,butatthecostoffiftythousanddead.OnceacrosstheBerezina,thetatteredsurvivorslimpedtowardVilna.OfthesixhundredthousandsoldiersNapoleonhadledintoRussia,lessthanonehundredthousandcameback.TheweakenedFrencharmycontinueditsretreatwestwardacrossEurope.Soon,Britain,Austria,Russia,andPrussiaformedapowerfulallianceandattackedthesestragglers.InMarch1814,Pariswascaptured.Napoleonabdicatedandwentintoexile,hisempireatanend.Hitler'sInvasionByearly1941,AdolfHitler,leaderofNaziGermany,hadseizedcontrolofmostofEurope.TotheeastofHitler'sGermanempirewastheSovietUnion.OnJune22,1941,withoutadeclarationofwar,HitlerbegananinvasionoftheSovietUnionthatwasthelargestmilitarylandcampaigninhistory.Confidentofaquickvictory,Hitlerexpectedthecampaigntolastnolongerthanthreemonths.Heplannedtousetheblitzkrieg,orlightningwar,tacticsthathaddefeatedtherestofEurope.Theinvasionhadthreebroadthrusts:againstLeningradandMoscowandthroughtheUkraine.Caughtoffguardbytheinvasion,SovietleaderJosephStalininstructedtheRussianpeopletoscorchtheearthinfrontoftheGermaninvaders.Farmsandfactorieswereburned,destroyed,orrendereduseless.Duringthefirsttenweeksoftheinvasion,theGermanspushedthefronteastward,andtheRussianssufferedmorethanamillioncasualties.Inthenorth,theGermansclosedinonLeningrad.Despitegreatsuffering,however,thepeopleofLeningradrefusedtosurrender.AsthebattleofLeningraddraggedonintowinter,thecity'ssituationbecamedesperate.Asfoodranout,peoplediedfromhungeranddisease.Bythemiddleofthewinterof1941-1942,nearlyfourthousandpeoplestarvedtodeatheveryday.Closetoonemillionpeoplediedasaresultofthesiege.InthecenterofRussia,Hitler'sgoalwasthecaptureofMoscow.BecausetheGermanshadanticipatedaquickvictory,theyhadmadenoplansforwintersupplies.Octoberarrivedwithheavyrains.GeneralMudsloweddownthemovementoftheGermans'lightningattack.AsHitler'sa