历史上的今天-Today in History 2014-12-25

 December 25th, 1776. A surprise attack during the Revolutionary War breeds new life into the American cause. General George Washington and his Continental¹ Army troops cross the Delaware River and strike Hessian Forces at Trenton, New Jersey².

1991. The Soviet³ Union’s president Mikhail Gorbachev announces his resignation as the eighth and final leader of a communist superpower that had already ceased to exist.

1989. A violent end for the last hardline communist ruler in Eastern Europe. Romania’s ousted⁴ leader Nicolae Ceau?escu and his wife Elena are executed by a firing squad⁵ after a popular uprising.

1818. The popular Christmas Carol “Silent Night” is performed for the first time at the Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, Austria.

1977. Charle Chaplin, comedian⁶ and one of the first big movie stars, dies in Switzerland at age 88.

2006. James Brown, the undeniable "Godfather of Soul", dies of heart failure. The pompadour dynamo, whose classic singles include "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", was 73 years old.

And 1995. "When the moon hits your eyes, like a big pizza pie, that’s amore…" Dean Martin, singer, actor and TV host dies in Beverly Hills, California. He was 78 years old.

Today in history, December 25th. Sandy kozel, the Associated Press.

1 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

2 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

3 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

4 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

5 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

6 comedian   

n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员

参考例句：

• The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
• The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。