他们已不再变老（2018）

那大约有1000人在等待登记入伍
and there was a queue of about 1,000 people trying to enlist.’
每个人都觉得这将会是一场文明战争
‘Everybody thought that it would be a civilised war
牢记比利时的教训
并且希望自己够资格参与这场战争
and wanted to be fit enough to go.’
我们俩决定一起去参军 当我们跟老板说
‘Two of us decided to join up together and when we told the boss
我们要在周一开始训练 他非常的生气
we were going to start training on Monday, he was very annoyed.
他并没有给我们承诺说
He didn’t make any promise that our jobs
会为我们保留工作等我们回来
would be there when we got back.’
我妈妈说”等到你19岁再说”
‘My mother, she said, “You wait until you’re 19.”
看吧 那个年代都是这个年纪参军的
See, that was the age in those days,
19到35岁的 本就该这样
19 to 35. Well, it was supposed to be.’
小伙子
快来
我们需要你
你知道的 我们当时都还是小伙子
‘We were all lads together, you know,
对所有的事情都充满了兴奋
full of excitement and all this kind of thing.
我只想狠狠地揍德国佬一顿
I mean, I just wanted to have a go at Jerry.’
我想的是我要去为我的祖国而战
‘I just thought that I’d like to go and fight for the country.
你为自己的祖国感到骄傲
You were proud of your country
你要为她尽自己最大的努力
and you’d do the best you could for it
你的机会来了
我们急需人手
这就是那个岁月里
and this was what most of the young
大部分年轻人的思想
people thought of doing in those days.’
找到自己的位置
我的母亲告诉我
‘My mother, she said to me,
你年龄太小 我们可以阻止你参军的
“Look, we could stop you doing this because of your age.”
我说”对 我知道你可以
I said, “Yes, I know you could,
但是我肯定你不会这么做的 妈妈”
Mother, but I’m sure you won’t,”
他们永远不会那么做的
which they never did.’
我当时感觉所有适龄的年轻人
‘l just felt that all the young fellas
都在积极参军
of that age were volunteering
我就觉得我应该像他们一样
and I thought it was my job to do the same.’
我们需要更多男人
我当时非常的渴望
‘I was desperately keen.
我们一大堆人去了
A whole heap of us went.
我说”让我直接入伍 拜托了”
I said, “Direct enlistment, please.”
他们非常的高兴
They were highly delighted
有你的加入 一切将不再是幻想
以闪电般的速度让我加入了
and pushed me in as quick as lightning.’
很多小伙子都加入了地方团
‘Lots of the lads were joining the local regiments,
比如雄鹿团和密得塞斯团
like the Bucks and the Middlesex.
我认识的一起上学的
Lads that I knew and been to school with,
经常踢足球打板球的小伙子
played football and cricket with,
我们怀揣着最美好的希望一起参军
we joined up, hoping for the best.’
我们是好朋友 好战友
‘We were good friends, comrades
它把我们从在家的无聊工作中拯救出来了
and it was a relief from rather boring jobs at home, you see.’
我当时正走在卡姆登镇大街上
‘I was walking down the Camden town High Street
两位女士走了过来
when two young ladies approached me.
“为什么你不参军呢”
“Why aren’t you in the army?”
我说”我才17岁”
I said, “I’m only 17.”
“哦 他们都这么说”
“Oh, they all say that here.”
令我吃惊的是 她把手伸进了包里
And to my amazement, she put her hand in her bag
我赶紧举起手来保护自己
and I put my hand up to sort of safeguard myself
她拿白色丝巾擦了我的鼻子
when this white feather finished up my nose.’
我们往车站行军的时候
‘As we marched to the station,
有些家伙戴着圆顶礼帽
some of the chaps had bowler hats,
有些戴着草帽 还有些戴着尖顶军帽
some had straw hats, some had the regulation peaked army cap.
有些人穿着束腰外衣
Some would have tunics, some would be dressed
有些人穿着普通的夹克 配一条军裤
with their ordinaryjackets with a pair of army trousers.
有些人穿着军靴 有的没有
Some had army boots, some didn’t,
当时的穿着真的是五花八门
and we really were a motley throng.’
有些小伙子
‘Some of them were obviously chaps
一看就是那种养尊处优的
who had hoped to live in some comfort
手提箱里装满了衣服
and brought suitcases with clothes
但是却再也没见过那些衣服了
with them which they never saw again.’
我们都得去理发
‘We had to all get our hair cut.
“先生 想剪成什么样的”
“How would you like it, sir?”
你回答”后面和两侧剪短一点”
And you’d say, “Short back and sides,”
结果却是推子直接从前推到后
but the answer was straight over the top with horse clippers
我们看着更像是罪犯而不是士兵
and we looked more like convicts than soldiers.’
战争刚一爆发
‘As soon as war broke out, there was a
一通电♥话♥直接召回了退伍的老兵
call made for all ex-soldiers to rejoin
他们都直接当了中士
and they made ’em sergeants straightaway,
所以就有了很多的教员
so you got a lot of instructors that way.’
真正帮我们渡过难关的
‘The people who really carried us through
正是那些先前有战争经验的老兵们
was the old sweats who’d had previous war experience
他们给了我们很多明智的建议
and gave us a lot of wise advise as to
该寻找什么该躲避什么
what to look for and what to dodge.’
我们奉命去了练兵场
‘We were ordered down onto the parade ground
然后被分配到了不同的排
and then we were allotted to different platoons.’
他们刚来的时候 他们是一群瘦弱的
‘When they came to us, they were weedy,
脸色蜡黄 瘦骨嶙峋 吓坏了的孩子
sallow, skinny, frightened children.
他们是被工业体系遗弃的人
The refuse of our industrial system
并且他们的生活条件非常贫困
and they were in very poor condition
他们不得不应征入伍
and had to be made into soldiers.’
我们中很多人参军的年龄都不对
‘Many of us had given our wrong ages to join the army.’
副官走下队伍下达命令
‘The adjutant walked down the lines and gave an order,
“所有19岁以下的向前两步走”
“Every man under the age of 19 to take two paces forward.”
没有一个人动
Nobody moved.’
我当时17岁
‘I was a lad of 17,
他们可能看出来了
and they’d probably see I wasn’t 19,
我还不到19岁的参军年龄
which you had to be to join up,
但是他们却说”你想登记多少岁”
but they says, “How long do you want to sign on for?”‘
其他人都参军了
‘Everybody else was joining up,
所以我去了征兵办
so I went into the recruiting office.
他问我 你多大了 我说 17岁 长官
He said to me, “How old are you?” I said, “17, sir.”
他说 好吧 再来一遍 说你18岁
“Well,” he says, “Go outside and come back and say you’re 18.”
所以 我就又来了一次说我18岁
So, of course, I went outside and said I were 18.
然后就直奔佛兰德了
Then straight to the sea for Flanders.
中士问我 你多大了
The sergeant said, “How old are you?”
我说 18岁零一个月
I said, “I’m 18 and one month.”
他问 你是说19岁零一个月吗
He said, “Do you mean 19 and one month?”
我想了一下
So I thought a moment.
说 是的长官 他说 请在这儿签字
I said, “Yes, sir.” He said, “Right, sign here, please.”‘
他问我多大了 我说三月份我就16岁了
He asked me how old I was and I said I was 16 in March.
他说 你太年轻了
“Oh.” he said, “You’re too young.
最好是马上出去过个生日
You’d better go outside and have a birthday.”
1917年我16岁 高188厘米
I was 16 years old in 1917, and I was six-foot-two tall,
并且我父亲也允许我去
and my father allowed me to go.
所以我就谎报年龄为19参军了
So I entered my age as 19 years old,
比我的实际年龄大了3岁
three years older than what I really was.
我当时15岁 离18岁只差两年半
I was 15 years, just two-and-a-half years short of 18,
我站在一个医务人员面前
and I got before this medical officer
他说 好吧 你通过了
who said, “All right, you pass.”
我当时才17岁
I was just turned 17 at the time,
就去了怀特霍尔加入了第十六骑兵队
and I went up to Whitehall and enlisted in the 16th Lancers.
伦敦的一条街 政♥府♥机关所在地
我当时15岁
I was 15,
我觉得入伍的机会比14岁的时候大
and I thought I’d have a better chance than when I were 14,
所以我就走进军营
so I walked into the barracks
说我18岁了 然后就这样了
and just said, “I’m 18,” and that was it.
我父母给指挥官写信
My parents wrote to the commanding officer
要求拒收当时未成年的我
and asked for me, as I was underage, to be released.
他说 你父母要你回去 你想回去吗
He said, “Your parents want you back. Do you want to go?”
我说 我不想
I said, “No.”
牧师问我的年龄 我说我16岁
The chaplain asked me my age and I said I was 16.
他说 太年轻了
He said, “Much too young.
你想让我帮你祈祷吗
Would you like me to pray for you?”
这些衣服一件件地进了军需品商店
The clothing came piecemeal into the quartermaster’s stores.
一个小伙子说 这个鞋子不合脚
One lad said, “These boots don’t fit me.”
军需官说 世界上没有不合脚的鞋子
The quartermaster said, “There isn’t such a thing as boots that don’t fit,
只有不合鞋的脚
it’s your feet, they don’t fit the boots.”
有的人会找到合适的上衣
Some men would find a tunic to fit them
或者一条裤子
or perhaps a pair of trousers.