The students were asked to interpret the poem.是什么意思？

The students were asked to interpret the poem.

学生们被要求诠释那首诗的意义。

the

art. 指已提到的人（物），指说话人与听者已知的人（物），用于独一无二的事物前，与形容词最高级和序数词连用；

例句
He did have a real knowledge of the country...
他对该国的确知之甚多。

Students

n. 学生，大学生( student的名词复数 )，研究者，中学生；

例句
Part-time English classes are offered. In addition, students can take classes in word-processing and computing...
开设了非全日制的英语班。另外，学生可以修读文字处理和计算机课程。

were

be的过去时复数和第二人称单数形式，有时代替 was,用于条件从句、动词 wish 之后等；

例句
Shops, houses, and vehicles were set ablaze.
店铺、房子和车辆全都陷于火海。

asked

v. 问( ask的过去式和过去分词 )，询问，要求，请求；

例句
The defendant asked for 21 similar offences to be taken into account...
被告要求考虑到类似的21起违法行为的情况。

to

prep. 向，朝着，到，关于，属于；adv. 朝一个方向的，到某种状态，关闭；

例句
I suggest you leave it to an expert...
我建议你把它留给专家来解决。

interpret

vt. 解释，理解，诠释，体现，口译；vi. 作解释，作口译；

例句
Historians annotate, check and interpret the diary selections.
历史学家对日记选篇进行加注、核查以及阐释。

poem

n. 诗，韵文，诗一样的作品，富有诗意的东西；

例句
...a poem which appeared in his last collection of verse.
发表在他最后一部诗集中的一首诗