正文
它希望中国的自然资源和市场不受日本或任何其他国家的控制。因此，1931年日本军队入侵中国满洲地区时，美国人非常担心。他们饶有兴趣地注视着中国领导人蒋介石为反对日本侵略者所作的努力。美国也非常关注保护从东南亚进口的石油、锡和橡胶。在20世纪30年代，该地区是这些资源的主要供应地，中东尚未成为主要的石油生产国。在这些方面，美国和日本正在争夺同样的资源和亚洲市场。然而，两国之间也有大量的贸易往来。事实上，日本的大部分金属、铜和石油都依赖美国。1937年，与东京的贸易成为富兰克林·德拉诺·罗斯福总统与国会的主要关注点。那年夏天，更多的日本军队进驻中国，他们迅速占领了中国的大部分海岸。日本在中国发动的战争中使用的金属、石油和其他材料大部分来自美国。
Americans did not like selling Japan materials to use against China. But the trade was legal because of a nineteen eleven agreement between Tokyo and Washington. However, the American government told Japan in nineteen thirty-nine that it would end the earlier agreement. It would no longer sell Japan materials that could be used for war. Washington's decision made the Japanese government think again about its expansionist plans. And the announcement a month later of a non-aggression treaty between Germany and the Soviet Union gave Tokyo even more cause for concern. The Soviet Union could be a major opponent of Japanese expansion in East Asia. And it appeared free from the threat of war in Europe. These two events helped moderates in the Japanese government to gain more influence over foreign policy. A moderate government took power in January nineteen-forty. However, this period of moderation in Tokyo did not last long. In the spring of nineteen forty, Germany launched its blitzkrieg, or lightning invasion, of Europe. The Nazis captured Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and finally France. Extremists in the Japanese government saw the German victory as their chance to launch their own attack on European colonies in Asia. They quickly began negotiations with Hitler to form a new alliance. And within months, militant leaders overthrew the moderate government in Tokyo.
美国人不喜欢向日本销售材料，来对付中国。但由于东京和华盛顿在1911年达成协议，使这项贸易合法化。然而，美国政府在1939年告诉日本，它将终结早先签订的协议，不再向日本出售可用于战争的材料。华盛顿的决定使日本政府重新考虑其扩张计划，一个月后，德国和苏联宣布了互不侵犯条约，这让东京感到更加担忧。苏维埃联盟可能成为日本在东亚扩张的主要对手，在欧洲似乎没有遇到战争的威胁。这两件事帮助日本政府的温和派在外交政策上获得了更多的影响力，一个温和的政府于1940年1月掌权。然而，东京此时的缓和期并未持续太久。1940年春天，德国对欧洲发动了闪电战。纳粹占领了丹麦、挪威、荷兰、比利时、卢森堡，最后占领了法国。日本政府的极端分子认为，德国的胜利是他们在亚洲对欧洲殖民地发动进攻的机会。他们很快开始与希特勒谈判，组成新联盟。几个月内，激进的领导人推翻了东京的温和派政府。
The new Japanese government was headed by a moderate, Prince Konoye. But the minister of war was an expansionist, General Tojo. Tokyo wasted no time in taking action. It forced France to give Japan permission to occupy northern Indochina. And Tokyo also demanded that Britain close the Burma Road to the Chinese city then known as Chungking. The Burma Road was a major route by which the United States was supplying China with munitions as part of the Lend-Lease Act. These events caused relations between Tokyo and Washington to become even worse. In the second half of nineteen forty, President Roosevelt banned the export of metal and oil products to Japan. His administration also lent money to China. America began to supply Chiang Kai Shek's government with a fleet of P-40 fighter airplanes with volunteer pilots, led by Army aviator Claire Chennault, to train Chinese pilots. The squadron became known as the Flying Tigers. American representatives quietly began to meet with British and Dutch officials, to discuss joint defense plans for possible Japanese attacks in the western Pacific.
日本新政府由一位温和派河野亲王领导，但是战争大臣是一个扩张主义者，东条英机将军。东京政府没有浪费时间采取行动，它迫使法国允许日本占领印度支那北部。此外，东京还要求英国关闭缅甸公路，这条路通往当时被称为重庆的中国城市。缅甸公路是美国根据《租借法》向中国提供军火的主要途径。这些事件使东京和华盛顿之间的关系变得更糟糕。1940年下半年，罗斯福总统禁止向日本出口金属和石油产品，他的政府也向中国借钱。美国开始向蒋介石政府提供一支P-40战斗机机队，由陆军飞行员陈纳德（Claire Chennault）率领志愿飞行员训练中国飞行员，这个中队被称为飞虎队。美国代表悄悄地开始与英国和荷兰官员会面，讨论日本可能在西太平洋发动袭击的联合防御计划。
