they'd get no further.
他们也不可能更进一步
We couldn't possible lose.'
我们绝不会输
'We were brought up to think that
我们一直被教育
one Englishman's worth ten Germans.'
一个英国士兵抵得上十个德国士兵
'I thought that any enemy of England
大英帝国的敌人就是
was an enemy of mine and I wanted to be in it.'
我个人的敌人 我想参与到战争中
'Oh, six months or 12 months and it'd be all over
差不多一年半载战争就会结束了
and Bob's your uncle.'
胜利就是这么简单
'I went with a friend of mine into Shepherd's Bush Empire
我和一个朋友一起去了帝国剧院
to see the picture show there and they
那正在播放影片
showed the fleet sailing the high seas
正在展示军队在公海航行的画面
and played, "Britons never shall be slaves."
还播放着"大不列颠人民永不为奴"
One feels that little shiver run up their back
你会感到微微有些战栗
and you know you've got to do something.'
并且你心里明白必须要做些什么
'A friend of mine said to me, "We're going to join up."
一个朋友跟我说"我们必须参军"
It was from the patriotic point of view
我想这是爱国主义的表现
and from the general excitement of the whole affair, I suppose.'
还有从整个事件中受到的鼓舞
'I didn't believe in war to that extent,
我并不是很想打仗
but I was prepared to do my part.'
但是我准备好了
'You see, in those days, men weren't to think for themselves.
在那些岁月里 人们很少为自己考虑
They just had to do what they were told
他们所做的一切都只是服从命令
and that's all there was to it.'
仅此而已
'Oh, my mother was very aggrieved about it
我母亲为此感到非常的委屈
but, you know, a young man, you decide you're going to go.'
但是 作为一个年轻人 要自己决定自己的道路
'At lunch time, I left the office, went along to Armoury House
午饭时候 我离开办公室独自去了征兵办
and there was a queue of about 1,000 people trying to enlist.'
那大约有1000人在等待登记入伍
'Everybody thought that it would be a civilised war
每个人都觉得这将会是一场文明战争
and wanted to be fit enough to go.'
并且希望自己够资格参与这场战争
'Two of us decided to join up together and when we told the boss
我们俩决定一起去参军 当我们跟老板说
we were going to start training on Monday, he was very annoyed.
我们要在周一开始训练 他非常的生气
He didn't make any promise that our jobs
他并没有给我们承诺说
would be there when we got back.'
会为我们保留工作等我们回来
'My mother, she said, "You wait until you're 19."
我妈妈说"等到你19岁再说"
See, that was the age in those days,
看吧 那个年代都是这个年纪参军的
19 to 35. Well, it was supposed to be.'
19到35岁的 本就该这样
'We were all lads together, you know,
你知道的 我们当时都还是小伙子
full of excitement and all this kind of thing.
对所有的事情都充满了兴奋
I mean, I just wanted to have a go at Jerry.'
我只想狠狠地揍德国佬一顿
'I just thought that I'd like to go and fight for the country.
我想的是我要去为我的祖国而战
You were proud of your country
你为自己的祖国感到骄傲
and you'd do the best you could for it
你要为她尽自己最大的努力
and this was what most of the young
这就是那个岁月里
people thought of doing in those days.'
大部分年轻人的思想
'My mother, she said to me,
我的母亲告诉我
"Look, we could stop you doing this because of your age."
你年龄太小 我们可以阻止你参军的
I said, "Yes, I know you could,
我说"对 我知道你可以
Mother, but I'm sure you won't,"
但是我肯定你不会这么做的 妈妈"
which they never did.'
他们永远不会那么做的
'l just felt that all the young fellas
我当时感觉所有适龄的年轻人
of that age were volunteering
都在积极参军
and I thought it was my job to do the same.'
我就觉得我应该像他们一样
'I was desperately keen.
我当时非常的渴望
A whole heap of us went.
我们一大堆人去了
I said, "Direct enlistment, please."
我说"让我直接入伍 拜托了"
They were highly delighted
他们非常的高兴
and pushed me in as quick as lightning.'
以闪电般的速度让我加入了
'Lots of the lads were joining the local regiments,
很多小伙子都加入了地方团
like the Bucks and the Middlesex.
比如雄鹿团和密得塞斯团
Lads that I knew and been to school with,
我认识的一起上学的
played football and cricket with,
经常踢足球打板球的小伙子
we joined up, hoping for the best.'
我们怀揣着最美好的希望一起参军
'We were good friends, comrades
我们是好朋友 好战友
and it was a relief from rather boring jobs at home, you see.'
它把我们从在家的无聊工作中拯救出来了
'I was walking down the Camden town High Street
我当时正走在卡姆登镇大街上
when two young ladies approached me.
两位女士走了过来
"Why aren't you in the army?"
"为什么你不参军呢"
I said, "I'm only 17."
我说"我才17岁"
"Oh, they all say that here."
"哦 他们都这么说"
And to my amazement, she put her hand in her bag
令我吃惊的是 她把手伸进了包里
and I put my hand up to sort of safeguard myself
我赶紧举起手来保护自己
when this white feather finished up my nose.'
她拿白色丝巾擦了我的鼻子
'As we marched to the station,
我们往车站行军的时候
some of the chaps had bowler hats,
有些家伙戴着圆顶礼帽
some had straw hats, some had the regulation peaked army cap.
有些戴着草帽 还有些戴着尖顶军帽
Some would have tunics, some would be dressed
有些人穿着束腰外衣
with their ordinaryjackets with a pair of army trousers.
有些人穿着普通的夹克 配一条军裤
Some had army boots, some didn't,
有些人穿着军靴 有的没有
and we really were a motley throng.'
当时的穿着真的是五花八门
'Some of them were obviously chaps
有些小伙子
who had hoped to live in some comfort
一看就是那种养尊处优的
and brought suitcases with clothes
手提箱里装满了衣服
with them which they never saw again.'
但是却再也没见过那些衣服了
'We had to all get our hair cut.
我们都得去理发
"How would you like it, sir?"
"先生 想剪成什么样的"
And you'd say, "Short back and sides,"
你回答"后面和两侧剪短一点"
but the answer was straight over the top with horse clippers
结果却是推子直接从前推到后
and we looked more like convicts than soldiers.'
我们看着更像是罪犯而不是士兵
'As soon as war broke out, there was a
战争刚一爆发
call made for all ex-soldiers to rejoin
一通电话直接召回了退伍的老兵
and they made 'em sergeants straightaway,
他们都直接当了中士
so you got a lot of instructors that way.'
所以就有了很多的教员
'The people who really carried us through
真正帮我们渡过难关的
was the old sweats who'd had previous war experience
正是那些先前有战争经验的老兵们
and gave us a lot of wise advise as to
他们给了我们很多明智的建议
what to look for and what to dodge.'
该寻找什么该躲避什么
'We were ordered down onto the parade ground
我们奉命去了练兵场
and then we were allotted to different platoons.'
然后被分配到了不同的排
'When they came to us, they were weedy,
他们刚来的时候 他们是一群瘦弱的
sallow, skinny, frightened children.
脸色蜡黄 瘦骨嶙峋 吓坏了的孩子
The refuse of our industrial system
他们是被工业体系遗弃的人
