战后和敌方士兵交谈是什么感觉？

Grant West
Police Officer at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2019–present)
格兰特·韦斯特 美国退伍军人事务部警官（2019年至今）

It’s a very surreal and humbling experience.

这是一次非常超现实且令人谦卑的经历。

I was at an airport in uniform. I’m pretty sure I was in Denver. It was a stopover between flights, and I was waiting in line to grab a cup of coffee. A middle eastern guy stands next to me, and begins asking enough questions to raise a few red flags. He was dressed in blue jeans and a button up shirt, I’d guess him to be 10 years or so older than me, give or take.

我当时穿着制服在机场。我很确定是在丹佛。那是个转机停留，我正在排队买咖啡。一个中东男人站在我旁边，开始问了一连串足以引起警觉的问题。他穿着蓝色牛仔裤和扣领衬衫，我猜他大概比我大十岁左右。

I answer his questions simply, not giving too much away, but honestly I’m used to questions, especially traveling in uniform. I hear things like “I know a guy in the army, bob smith, do you know him?” Happens a lot. He asks if I’ve ever been to the Middle East, I tell him I’ve been to Iraq. He asks where I was, when I was there. He can tell I’m getting annoyed, he apologizes and tells me he’s from Iraq and he’d like to join me for a cup of coffee. I agree, I have an hour and a half till my flight and I’m already next to my gate.

我简单地回答了他的问题，没有透露太多，但老实说我已经习惯了被问东问西，尤其是穿着制服旅行时。我常听到诸如“我认识一个当兵的叫鲍勃·史密斯，你认识他吗？”这种话。经常发生。他问我去过中东吗，我说我去过伊拉克。他问我在哪里，什么时候在那里。他能看出来我有点不耐烦了，他道歉说他来自伊拉克，想请我喝杯咖啡。我同意了，我还有一个半小时才登机，而且我已经在登机口旁边了。

So we talk. He tells me about growing up in Iraq before the war. About a girl he wanted to marry. About games he used to play as a kid. Then he tells me he was formerly with the republican guard. He asked if I was bothered by that. I asked why he wanted to join me for a cup of coffee, and he said “because you know. You were there.” And I was hit with the images he was telling me about his childhood.

于是我们聊了起来。他跟我讲战前在伊拉克长大的事。讲他想娶的一个女孩。讲他小时候玩的游戏。然后他告诉我他以前是共和国卫队的。他问我是否介意。我问他为什么想请我喝咖啡，他说“因为你懂。你也在那里。”我脑海中浮现出他讲述的童年画面。

Here’s a kid, who grew up, and signed up to defend his country against an invading force. His country is now a broken shadow of what it used to be. He’s left his home. And now, like many soldiers after the terms of their service ends, he feels like no one understands him and he feels alone. Yeah. I know. I was there. He and I were born in different countries, fought in opposite sides of the same war, and had more in common with each other than we did with anyone else in the airport.

这是一个长大了的孩子，他参军是为了保卫自己的国家抵御侵略军。
他的国家现在成了昔日残破的影子。他离开了家。现在，就像许多服役期满的士兵一样，他觉得没人理解他，他感到孤独。是的。我懂。我也在那里。他和我出生在不同的国家，在同一场战争中处于对立面，但我们彼此之间的共同点，比我们与机场里其他任何人的共同点都要多。

We talked until my flight boarded. He told me about his home, his wife and son, how he moved to California and hoped he can find a good job to provide for his family. He told me about how he saw me and wanted to talk, to “let go of hate” that he felt had kept him unhappy. I admit I dumped a lot of my own personal issues on him as we talked as well.

我们一直聊到我的航班登机。他跟我讲他的家，他的妻子和儿子，他如何搬到加州，希望能找到一份好工作养家糊口。他说看到我就想聊聊，想“放下仇恨”，他觉得那种仇恨让他一直不快乐。我承认在聊天时，我也向他倾诉了很多我自己的私事。

When my flight number was called, we hugged. He thanked me for not hating him, which, at the time, I thought an odd thing to say. But it made sense to me. I really regret not exchanging phone numbers or email addresses. I think of him often, and I hope he’s doing well. And in the very slim chance that he reads this, I hope he’ll leave a comment so I can get in touch with him.

当我的航班号被叫到时，我们拥抱了。他感谢我没有恨他，当时我觉得这话有点奇怪。但我明白他的意思。我真后悔没交换电话号码或电子邮件地址。我经常想起他，希望他一切都好。如果有万分之一的可能他读到了这篇文章，我希望他能留个言，让我能联系上他。

Roland Bartetzko
former German Army, Croatian Defense Council, Kosovo Liberation Army
罗兰·巴泰茨科 前德国陆军、克罗地亚国防委员会、科索沃解放军成员

I remember an encounter that I had with a former soldier of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ArBiH) in a bar in Tirana, Albania. I had fought against the Bosnians when I was a soldier of the Croatian Defense Council (HVO).

我记得在阿尔巴尼亚地拉那的一家酒吧里，我遇到了一位前波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那军队（ArBiH）的士兵。我在克罗地亚国防委员会（HVO）当兵时，曾与波斯尼亚人交战。

We were both on our way to join the Kosovo Liberation Army. He sat at a table with a friend of mine who introduced us. When he found out that I was his former enemy, something unexpected happened:

我们当时都在去加入科索沃解放军的路上。他和我的一个朋友坐在一张桌子旁，朋友介绍我们认识。当他发现我是他以前的敌人时，意想不到的事情发生了：

His face lit up and he asked me if I would like to sit down and have a drink with a “balija”. Balija is a derogative term for Bosnians Muslims and it was often used by the Croats during the Bosnian War.

他的脸上露出了喜色，问我是否愿意坐下和一个“巴利贾”（对波斯尼亚穆斯林的贬称）喝一杯。“Balija”是对波斯尼亚穆斯林的贬称，克罗地亚人在波斯尼亚战争期间经常使用这个词。

I answered that I would really like to as long as he wouldn't have a problem to drink with an old “Ustashi”. Ustasha was the name of the Croat Nationalist forces that were fighting in WWII. Nowadays, it's often used as an insulting term for Croats by their neighbors.
We both laughed and had a drink.

我回答说我很乐意，只要他不介意和一个老“乌斯塔沙”（“起义者”）喝酒就行。“乌斯塔沙”是二战期间克罗地亚民族主义部队的名字。如今，邻国经常用这个词来侮辱克罗地亚人。
我们俩都笑了，然后喝了一杯。

Joseph Morgan
Constituionalist-Libertarian
约瑟夫·摩根 宪政自由意志主义者

When I was in Afghanistan, I had the privilege of conducting liaison with two Afghani Officers. My first time meeting them, during initial rapport building which consists of a lot of small talk, the Russian-Afghan war came up.
One of them fought on the side of the Russians. The other, with the Mujaheddin. The gentleman who fought with the Mujaheddin would proudly show off the bullet that was still stuck in his hand.

我在阿富汗的时候，有幸与两名阿富汗军官进行联络。第一次见到他们时，在建立初步融洽关系的闲聊中，提到了苏阿战争。
他们中的一个曾站在俄罗斯人一边作战，另一个则是圣战者。那位圣战者绅士会自豪地展示他手里那颗至今仍未取出的子弹。

The one who fought with the Russians, would laugh and say something along the lines of “HA! That’s my bullet!” The reply? “Yeah! And I’m the better shot! I hit you in the head!”
They would laugh, the former Russian sympathizer lifting his hair to show off the scar on the side of his head. Good times.

那个为俄罗斯人打仗的人会大笑着说：“哈！那是我的子弹！”对方怎么回？“是啊！但我枪法更准！我打中了你的头！”
他们会哈哈大笑，那个前亲俄派会撩起头发，展示他头侧面的伤疤。那是一段美好的时光。

Ricky Hunter
里基·亨特

I think it depends on your situational presence with that soldier during the war. I am a Rhodesian veteran…. our war ended for us in 1980. In 1979, as a part of fire force operations, our stick was dropped by helicopter in the path of advancing ZANLA Guerillas.

我认为这取决于战争期间你和那个士兵的具体处境。我是一名罗得西亚（津巴布韦旧称）老兵……我们的战争在1980年结束。1979年，作为火力部队行动的一部分，我们的小队被直升机投放在了前进的津巴布韦非洲民族解放军（ZANLA）游击队的必经之路上。

Their force had 16 men on our count of dead and wounded, however, there could have been more. Later I was proven correct. During the operation, we were tasked with clearing a village in which ZANLA operatives had taken refuge. In the ensuing firefight, 11 Guerillas were KIA and 5 taken prisoner. The operation was a success.

我们清点的伤亡人数显示他们有16人，但可能更多。后来事实证明我是对的。行动中，我们的任务是清理一个ZANLA特工藏身的村庄。在随后的交火中，11名游击队员阵亡，5人被俘。行动取得了成功。

I live in Mexico these days, and in 2009, I was asked by Mexican authorities if I could translate for 4 Shona speaking male immigrants, that had arrived on a plane from SA and requested sanctuary. I obliged and was taken to talk to them.

这些天我住在墨西哥。2009年，墨西哥当局问我是否可以为4名来自南非、请求避难的绍纳语男性移民做翻译。我答应了，被带去和他们谈话。

It was 20 years later, but the moment I walked into that room, one of the men was dumbfounded and started moving toward me. As he advanced, he placed his hands out and grabbed mine and started to introduce himself. Now I was confused as the Mexican authorities were.

那是20年后的事了，但我走进房间的那一刻，其中一个人目瞪口呆，开始向我走来。他走上前，伸出手握住我的手，开始自我介绍。我和墨西哥当局一样感到困惑。

His name was Patrick, he was the missing ZANLA soldier from 1979. He explained he knew me….he still recognized me… he knew who I was Immediately. He then went on to recount the assault on the village that day and how he had been wounded, by my weapon none the less.

他叫帕特里克，是1979年那个失踪的ZANLA士兵。他解释说他认识我……他仍然认得我……他立刻就知道我是谁。然后他讲述了那天对村庄的袭击，以及他是如何受伤的，而且正是被我的武器打伤的。

He had a scar in his upper right thigh, close to the pelvis. My 7.62 round had passed clear through. He knew too much of the day to not have been there. Even the death of one unlucky villager caught in the firefight.

他的右大腿上部靠近骨盆的地方有一道伤疤。我的7.62毫米子弹贯穿了那里。他对那天的事情知道得太多了，不可能没在场。甚至包括一名不幸卷入交火的村民的死亡。

He explained that the wound was his waking call … he had no wish to fight any more…he was his fathers only son. He apologized for his peoples incursion into out country…and said he was asking for sanctuary over family dispute.

他解释说，那次受伤是他的警钟……他不想再打仗了……他是他父亲唯一的儿子。他为他的人民入侵我们的国家而道歉……并说他是因为家庭纠纷请求避难。

To return would be death for him! To cut a long story short, his father was a witch doctor of sorts and as the only son, he had no choice but to follow his steps. This is something he could not do as he was actually quite educated.

回去对他来说意味着死亡！长话短说，他的父亲算是个巫医，作为独生子，他别无选择，只能追随父亲的脚步。但他其实受过良好教育，无法做这种事。

He received Asylum in Mexico and would later go to the US. Over the 2 months he was in Mexican detention at the immigration center, I would visit him every other day…we would sit and talk about the tragedy of the war, those we loved and lost.

他在墨西哥获得了庇护，后来去了美国。在他被关押在墨西哥移民中心的两个月里，我每隔一天就去看望他……我们会坐在一起谈论战争的悲剧，谈论我们爱过和失去的人。

How beautiful our land was, how neither of us ever actually got to live in a land we both fought on opposing sides to enjoy. The sheer tragedy of it all. We spoke of families and friends…lost causes and the if only that could have been.

谈论我们的土地有多美丽，谈论我们实际上都没能生活在这片我们为了享受它而对立作战的土地上。这一切纯粹是悲剧。我们谈论家人和朋友……注定失败的事业，以及那些“如果当初……就好了”的遗憾。

We were both from two completely different worlds. Nothing in common…yet 20 years down the track…we felt an undeniable bond that pulled us close together. We never felt any animosity…just sadness of times gone past.

我们来自两个完全不同的世界，毫无共同之处……然而20年后……我们感到一种不可否认的纽带将我们紧紧拉在一起。我们从未感到任何敌意……只有对逝去时光的悲伤。

But we were glad to relive them for those short times back then…and now today… I am still in contact with him today, where he lives in the US …. I am his sons godfather. I am glad he lived.

但我们很高兴能在那时的短暂时光里重温往事……而今天……我仍然和住在美国的他保持联系……我是他儿子的教父。我很庆幸他活了下来。

Steven Walsh Former Lorry Driver
史蒂文·沃尔什 前卡车司机

Soldiers have something in common no matter who they’ve worked or fought for. The war finishes and we move on but what we have in common remains. In hospital in Germany, I helped an old man with something.

无论为谁效力或作战，士兵们都有一些共同点。战争结束了，我们继续前行，但我们的共同点依然存在。在德国的一家医院里，我帮一位老人做了点事。

He asked if I was British army. I said I was and he told me that he was in the Wermacht. We got on great. In Bosnia, most of our locally employed civilians were Serbs - no problem. I used to use a cabbie who was ex Mujahadeen and fought the Russians - got on great with the guy.

他问我是不是英国军队的。我说是，他告诉我他曾在国防军（Wehrmacht，二战德军）服役。我们相处得很融洽。在波斯尼亚，我们雇佣的当地平民大多是塞尔维亚人——没问题。我以前常坐一个出租车司机的车，他以前是圣战者，打过俄国人——我和那家伙相处得也很愉快。

Having been an enemy soldier really isn’t an issue.

曾是敌兵真的不是什么问题。

EDIT
I’d just like to add to this…it’s not an issue but underlying all that, if I was asked to take up arms again and so was he, I’d still kill him in an instant and fully expect the same from him. We know the rules.

我想补充一点……这虽然不是问题，但在这一切之下，如果我被要求再次拿起武器，他也一样，我还是会立刻杀了他，也完全预料到他会对我做同样的事。我们都懂规矩。

Ashutosh Marballi
Sales Manager at Hyatt
阿舒托什·马尔巴利 凯悦酒店销售经理

This incident is related to the life of Late 2nd Lt Arun Khetarpal, who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the highest military award for wartime gallantry, for his exploits in the battle of Basantar in the 1965 Indo Pakistani War.

这件事与已故的阿伦·赫塔尔帕尔少尉有关。他因在1971年印巴战争的巴萨恩塔尔战役中的英勇表现，被授予印度最高军事英勇勋章——帕拉姆·维尔·查克拉勋章（Param Vir Chakra）。

In 2001, his father Brigadier M L Khetarpal - then 81 years old, felt a strong desire to visit his birthplace Sargodha, in Pakistan. This was further facilitated by the “Twin Track Diplomacy” programme initiated mutually by both the Indian and Pakistani governments to facilitate people to people contact between people of both countries.

2001年，他81岁的父亲M·L·赫塔尔帕尔准将，强烈希望能访问他在巴基斯坦的出生地萨戈达。印巴两国政府共同启动的“双轨外交”计划促进了两国人民的接触，这为他的行程提供了便利。

Brig Khetarpal voiced his wish, to travel to his birthplace across the borde, to some friends in the Twin Track Diplomacy programme who expedited the visa related paper work so that he could travel to Pakistan.

赫塔尔帕尔准将向“双轨外交”计划中的一些朋友表达了跨越边境前往出生地的愿望，朋友们加快了签证相关文书的办理，使他得以前往巴基斯坦。

At Lahore Airport, Brig. Khetarpal was greeted by a Pakistani Army Officer, Brig K M Naser who took it upon himself to be his host and guide. Brig Naser ensured that Brig Khetarpal visit his birthplace and on his return to Lahore was his guest for 3 days.

在拉合尔机场，巴基斯坦陆军军官K·M·纳赛尔准将迎接了赫塔尔帕尔准将，并主动担任他的主人和向导。纳赛尔准将确保赫塔尔帕尔准将参观了他的出生地，并在他返回拉合尔后招待了他三天。

As the days for Brig Khetarpal’s departure came closer, the bond between the two men became stronger. However Brig Khetarpal sensed something wasn’t right but wasn’t able to point it out.
On the last night of Brig Khetarpal’s stay, his host Brig Naser revealed to him that he was the officer at whose hands his son 2nd Lt Arun Khetarpal had died.

随着赫塔尔帕尔准将离开的日子越来越近，两人之间的纽带变得更加紧密。然而，赫塔尔帕尔准将感觉到有些不对劲，但又说不上来。
在赫塔尔帕尔准将逗留的最后一晚，主人纳赛尔准将向他透露，他就是那个亲手导致他儿子阿伦·赫塔尔帕尔少尉牺牲的军官。

‘Sir there is something that I wanted to tell you for many years but I did not know how to get through to you. Finally fate has intervened and sent you to me as an honoured guest. The last few days we have become close to one another and that has made my task even more difficult.

“先生，有件事我想告诉您很多年了，但我不知道该如何联系到您。终于，命运干预了，把您作为尊贵的客人送到了我这里。过去几天我们变得很亲近，这让我的任务变得更加困难。

It is regarding your son who is of course a national hero in India. However on that fateful day, your son and I were soldiers, unknown to one another, fighting for the respect and safety of our respective countries. I regret to tell you that your son died in my hands.

这是关于您的儿子，他当然是印度的民族英雄。然而在那个决定性的日子里，您的儿子和我都是士兵，互不相识，为了各自国家的尊严和安全而战。我很遗憾地告诉您，您的儿子死于我手。

Arun Khetarpal’s courage was exemplary and he moved his tank with fearless courage and daring, totally unconcerned about his safety. Tank casualties were very high till finally there were just two of us left facing one another.

阿伦·赫塔尔帕尔的勇气堪称典范，他以无畏的勇气和胆量移动他的坦克，完全不顾自己的安危。坦克的伤亡非常惨重，直到最后只剩下我们两个人对峙。

We both fired simultaneously. It was destined that I was to live and he was to die. It is only later that I got to know how young he was and who he was. We are trained to fight and kill without mercy or remorse.

我们同时开了火。命运注定我要活下来，而他要死去。直到后来我才知道他有多年轻，他是谁。我们被训练去战斗和杀戮，没有怜悯，也没有悔恨。

We do in war what we have to without thinking too much about it. However we are humans too and sometimes war takes a personal turn and makes an impact on the inner self. I had all along thought that I would ask your forgiveness, but in telling the story I realize that there is nothing to forgive.

我们在战争中做我们必须做的事，不会想太多。然而我们也是人，有时战争会发生个人化的转折，对内心产生影响。我一直以为我会请求您的原谅，但在讲述这个故事时，我意识到没什么可原谅的。

Instead, I salute your son for what he did at such a young age and I salute you too, because I know how he grew into such a young man. In the end it is character and values that matter.”

相反，我向您的儿子致敬，为他在如此年轻的时候所做的一切，我也向您致敬，因为我知道他是如何成长为这样一个年轻人的。归根结底，重要的是品格和价值观。”

Both the Brigadiers retired for the night deep in thought. There are never any victors in war, both sides lose and it is the families that have to pay the price and suffer the most. As someone once said ‘ Wars are created by politicians, compounded by bureaucrats and fought by soldiers.
The next day photographs were taken and Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal returned back to Delhi. Later the photos reached Delhi along with a note from Brigadier Naser that said:

两位准将在深思中度过了那个夜晚。战争中从来没有胜利者，双方都是输家，而家庭必须付出代价，承受最大的痛苦。正如有人曾经说过的：“战争由政客制造，由官僚复杂化，由士兵去打。”
第二天拍了照片，M·L·赫塔尔帕尔准将返回了德里。后来，照片连同纳赛尔准将的一张便条一起送到了德里，上面写着：

With Warmest regards and utmost sincerity, To: Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal, father of Shaheed Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal Khetarpal, PVC, who stood like an unsurmountable rock, between the victory and failure, of the counter attack by the ‘SPEARHEADS’ 13 LANCERS on 16 December 1971 in the battle of “Bara Pind’ as we call it and battle of “Basantar’ as 17 Poona Horse remembers.

致以最诚挚的问候和最大的诚意。致：M·L·赫塔尔帕尔准将，帕拉姆·维尔·查克拉勋章获得者、烈士阿伦·赫塔尔帕尔少尉的父亲。1971年12月16日，在我们称为“巴拉平德”之战、而第17普纳霍斯骑兵团铭记为“巴萨恩塔尔”之战中，他像一块不可逾越的岩石，屹立在“矛头”第13枪骑兵团反击的胜利与失败之间。

Mark Johnson
MS in Economics (college major), Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
马克·约翰逊 南伊利诺伊大学爱德华兹维尔分校经济学硕士

My father-in-law was captured in Nijmegen during the Market Garden invasion. He flew in on a glider. The geography of Nijmegen is that the city is right against the NW border of Germany. He was a machine-gunner, and his foxhole was an advance post.

我的岳父在“市场花园”行动期间在奈梅亨被俘。他是乘坐滑翔机飞进去的。奈梅亨的地理位置紧靠德国西北边境。他是一名机枪手，他的散兵坑是一个前哨阵地。

When he was wounded by shrapnel in his legs, he rode on a train next to the wounded enemy soldiers. Till his death a few days after 9/11, you could see the scars from the shrapnel like someone took a half-dozen ice cream scoops out of the muscles of his legs.

当他腿部被弹片击伤后，他和受伤的敌兵一起坐在火车上。直到9/11事件后几天他去世前，你都能看到他腿上的弹片伤疤，就像有人从他的腿肌里挖走了半打冰淇淋球一样。

One of the wounded enemy soldiers asked him to “Pray for me, Tommy” (they called English / American / Canadian soldiers Tommy, just as our soldiers called them Fritz or Hans). He remembered both in the field and on the train hearing the wounded enemy soldiers crying for their mothers.

其中一名受伤的敌兵让他“为我祈祷，汤米”（他们管英国/美国/加拿大士兵叫汤米，就像我们的士兵管他们叫弗里茨或汉斯一样）。他记得在战场上和火车上，都听到受伤的敌兵哭喊着要妈妈。

You see - the enemy “soldiers” were in many cases Hitler Youth fighting on the borders of Germany itself. That didn’t make them less dangerous - but brings home one of the things we don’t like to talk about - we are often shooting children.

你看——那些敌人“士兵”在很多情况下是在德国边境作战的希特勒青年团成员。这并没有让他们变得不那么危险——但这揭示了一件我们不愿谈论的事——我们经常在向孩子开枪。

We picture doing battle against the hardened professional warriors but the reality is often different. This answer doesn’t strictly address the core question. This gives you a window into “what it is like to speak with an enemy soldier DURING the war”.
Both wounded, praying for each other, often wishing for their mothers. It doesn’t mean anything about our conflict, but it reminds that we are both human.

我们想象的是与久经沙场的职业战士作战，但现实往往不同。这个回答并没有严格针对核心问题。它让你得以一窥“在战争期间与敌兵交谈是什么感觉”。
双方都受了伤，互相祈祷，经常渴望见到母亲。这对我们的冲突没有任何意义，但它提醒我们，我们都是人。

Aya Quest
Chief Medicine Man Kentucky Ayahuasca - ex con at Aya Quest (2006–present)
阿雅·奎斯特
肯塔基死藤水首席药师 - 前罪犯（2006年至今）

I was in the “cold war” in the US Army when the Soviets and the Irish Republican Army where the enemies of the day in the days of Reagan. I was Stationed in Bamburg Germany in 1984.

我在美国陆军服役时正值“冷战”时期，当时是里根时代，苏联人和爱尔兰共和军是我们的敌人。1984年，我驻扎在德国班贝格。

Fast forward to 2001 and I am in FMC Lexington Ky as a Federal Inmate and I meet a Russian who was there as an inmate. To this day I cant say his name, in there I called him “Comrad”
One day we were playing a gruelling game of handball that was edgy and physical in the yard and we were both being competitive and fucking with each other.

快进到2001年，我作为联邦囚犯在肯塔基州列克星敦联邦医疗中心，遇到了一个也是囚犯的俄罗斯人。直到今天我也不能说他的名字，在里面我叫他“同志”。
有一天，我们在院子里进行了一场紧张激烈的手球比赛，身体对抗很激烈，我们都很有竞争意识，互相挑衅。

After a real hard shot down the line scored me a point I said “Comrad, I love it when you struggle, theres the smell of burnt Solyanka Soup in the air”
Comrad turned and asked where I had heard that? And I told him where I was Stationed and he had been close to that area from the Soviet side of things at the same time.

在我一记大力直线球得分后，我说：“同志，我喜欢你挣扎的样子，空气中弥漫着烧焦的苏连卡汤的味道。”
“同志”转过身问我从哪听到的？我告诉他我驻扎的地方，而他当时在苏联那边，也就在那个区域附近。

It was an awkward moment at first as we both remembered how we both were at that time in our lives and where we were now, the moment passed and we were always a little wary of each other but friendly in demeanor.

起初那是一个尴尬的时刻，因为我们都想起了那时的自己和现在的处境。但那一刻很快过去了，我们虽然总是对彼此有些提防，但举止还算友好。

Before I served game point, he looked over at me and said “ We would have slaughtered you on that border” and all I could say back was “ That maybe true Comrad, but today we are not combatants, we are confederates in bondage and you sir are a loser” and with that I hit the ball right at him and he missed……………………….

在我发赛点球之前，他看着我说：“在那条边境线上，我们本可以宰了你们。”我能回敬的只有：“也许是真的，同志，但今天我们不是战斗人员，我们是被束缚的同谋，而你，先生，是个失败者。”说完，我把球直接打向他，他没接住……

Kenneth Merchant
Former Armor Officer at U.S. Army (1983–1992)
肯尼斯·麦钱特 前美国陆军装甲军官（1983–1992）

In the early 90s I served as a mission planner at the US Army’s National Training Center. My job was to design realistic combat scenarios for units rotating in for training, then write these up as mission orders for the training units to execute.
One of my missions was meant to simulate a Soviet style motor rifle company defending a mountain pass. We had lots of doctrinal material that suggested how to set up such a defense, but nothing that was definitive, so I built the plan using my best guess.

90年代初，我在美国陆军国家训练中心担任任务规划师。我的工作是为轮换训练的部队设计逼真的战斗场景，然后将其编写成任务命令供训练部队执行。
我的一个任务是模拟一个苏军风格的摩托化步枪连守卫山口。我们有很多理论资料建议如何建立这种防御，但没有定论，所以我凭猜测制定了计划。

Late in the planning process I got a call to report to the motorpool with my field gear and the mission plans. Our team’s intel officer then drove me out to the training area, where we met a civilian 4x4 and a small group of people.

在规划过程的后期，我接到电话，让我带上野战装备和任务计划去车场报到。我们队的情报官随后开车带我去了训练区，在那里我们见到了一辆民用四驱车和一小群人。

I was introduced to a man who was described only as “a subject matter expert”. I briefed him on my mission plan, we walked the terrain while I pointed out what would happen where. Then I was asked to wait back at my vehicle while the other group and our intel officer talked at the 4x4.

我被介绍给一个只被称为“主题专家”的人。我向他简要介绍了我的任务计划，我们在地形上走了一圈，我指出了哪里会发生什么。然后我被要求回到我的车上等待，而其他人和我们的情报官在四驱车旁交谈。

The intel officer came back with a small list of suggested changes to the mission plan. He explained to me that the man I had briefed was a former Soviet Army Motorized Rifle Regiment commander, who now worked for the US Army as a consultant. I never learned the guy’s name, or any details about his background.

情报官回来时带回了一份修改任务计划的小清单。他向我解释说，我刚才简报的那个人曾是苏联陆军摩托化步兵团指挥官，现在作为顾问为美国陆军工作。我始终不知道那个人的名字，也不知道他背景的任何细节。

Trenton Twining
Lived in Small Town USA (1970–1978)
特伦顿·特温宁 曾居住在美国小镇（1970–1978）

Those conversations can be pretty interesting; if gruesome. When I was a late pre-teen, Dad had a friend who’d fought in The Great War ( The World War, now WWI ) in the German army.
Not an ethnic German, from one of the eastern provinces, so likely Lithuanian or Polish … a couple other possibilities. The story that came up most was how he was recruited.

那些对话可能很有趣，也可能很可怕。当我快到十几岁时，爸爸有一个朋友曾在德国军队中参加过第一次世界大战（当时被称为“大战”）。
他不是日耳曼族人，来自东部的一个省份，所以可能是立陶宛人或波兰人……还有其他几种可能。最常被提起的故事是他是如何被招募的。

Given the chance to try a Maxim, the recruiter was impressed with how quickly he learned to swing the stream of bullets to hit each target: enlisted as a Maxim-operator on the spot. My thoughts at the time were relief that he and my grandfather, while fighting in the AEF, hadn't met.

有机会试用马克沁机枪时，招聘人员对他学会扫射击中每个目标的速度印象深刻：当场征召他为马克沁机枪手。当时我想到的是，庆幸他和在远征军（AEF）作战的祖父没有相遇。

John Wypyszinski
Former Army Medic and Navy Corpsman at US ARMY and US NAVY (1979–2007)
约翰·维皮辛斯基 前美国陆军军医和海军医务兵（1979–2007）

I had a chance to speak to a Polish soldier who served as a conscxt during the Cold War while I was in Germany with the Army in the 80′s. Fast forward to 2003, I'm now in the Navy and he's a platoon commander in a Motor Rifle Company which would be taking over a portion of our battle space.

80年代我在德国陆军服役时，曾有机会与一名冷战时期的波兰应征士兵交谈。快进到2003年，我现在在海军，而他是一个摩托化步枪连的排长，即将接管我们的一部分作战区域。

We both were struck by the irony that we had once been preparing to fight each other and now were sharing a common mission as allies. Both were glad we never actually went to war, and have been friends since our chance meeting in Iraq 15 years ago.

我们都对这种讽刺感到震惊：我们曾经准备互相厮杀，现在却作为盟友肩负共同使命。我们都很庆幸从未真正开战，自从15年前在伊拉克偶然相遇后，我们就成了朋友。

Devon Stavrowsky
Former Army SF Medic, Cal Guard Officer, Retired Cop (1968–2005)
德文·斯塔夫罗斯基 前陆军特种部队军医，加州国民警卫队军官，退休警察（1968–2005）

I had a commanding officer once…. a Colonel of German descent, who used to regale us with stories of his exploits during the Battle of the Bulge when he was just a young snuffy. Funny thing was…… he’d always refer to ‘the enemy’ just as ‘the enemy’…. never giving up what army he had fought the engagement-in.

我曾经有一位指挥官……一位德国血统的上校，他过去常给我们讲他在突出部战役时还是个新兵蛋子的英勇事迹。有趣的是……他总是把‘敌人’称为‘敌人’……从不透露他在那场战斗中属于哪支军队。

I was a police sergeant running a work-furlough program in the Bay Area around the turn of the century. As it happened, I had my beret (from my prior military service) in a shadow box on the wall of my office. One day a prisoner was brought in for some administrative requirement or other.

世纪之交时，我是一名警官，在湾区负责一个工作休假项目。碰巧，我把我的贝雷帽（来自我以前的兵役）放在办公室墙上的一个展示盒里。有一天，一个囚犯因为某种行政要求被带了进来。

He had been arrested on a domestic violence beef, and only had a few months left to do. It was the first time I’d met him. He was a foreign national. As soon as he came in, he started staring at the beret. I asked him if he knew what that was, and he just nodded and said, “Oh yeah. In 1975 I was a Lieutenant in Castro’s Army in the Congo”.

他因家庭暴力被捕，只剩几个月刑期。这是我第一次见他。他是外国侨民。他一进来就开始盯着那顶贝雷帽。我问他知不知道那是什么，他只是点点头说：“哦，知道。1975年我是卡斯特罗军队驻刚果的中尉。”

That was after I had ETS’d, but there was a very good chance he had come face-to-face with guys I knew and served-with while he was fighting with the Cuban forces supporting the Mpla. He recognized not just the beret, but the group flash.

那是在我退伍之后，但他在古巴军队支持安哥拉人民解放运动（Mpla）作战时，很有可能与我认识和共事过的人面对面交过手。他不仅认出了贝雷帽，还认出了部队徽章。

He suddenly became very quiet and respectful and went from standing in a slouch to what I would best describe as a modified position of attention. I told him to relax, and have a seat, and we spent the next hour just chewing the fat, like we had known each other for years. It was pretty interesting really.

他突然变得非常安静和恭敬，从无精打采的站姿变成了我能描述的最接近立正的姿势。我让他放松，请他坐下，接下来的一个小时我们只是在闲聊，就像认识多年的老朋友一样。真的很有趣。

Jim Taylor
吉姆·泰勒

It was well after midnight in 2006. I stopped for a coffee at a donut shop in Richmond, BC. An older gentleman sat down next to me and wanted to talk.
He was one of the 40,000 Canadians who had enlisted in the US Armed forces and had fought in Viet Nam. He had been told, he said, that the Viet Cong and the Chinese were our “enemies” and the enemies of democracy.

那是2006年午夜过后。我在卑诗省里士满的一家甜甜圈店停下来喝咖啡。一位年长的绅士坐在我旁边，想聊聊天。
他是那4万名加入美国武装部队并在越南作战的加拿大人之一。他说，有人告诉他，越共和中国人是我们的“敌人”，是民主的敌人。

Now, forty years later his community Richmond, BC was experiencing a massive immigration of Chinese. He was about to become an ethnic minority to ethnic Chinese in his own home town. He was demoralized, depressed, and confounded.

现在，四十年后，他所在的社区卑诗省里士满正经历着大规模的华人移民潮。他即将在自己的家乡成为相对于华人的少数民族。他感到士气低落、沮丧和困惑。

“I probably killed relatives of people who now live on the same street as I do. How could I have allowed myself to be such a pawn?” He, was inconsolable - I had no answer.

“我可能杀了现在和我住在同一条街上的人的亲戚。我怎么能允许自己成为这样一个棋子？”他悲痛欲绝——我无言以对。

Tim Rees
Audiobook Producer (2020–present)
蒂姆·里斯 有声书制作人（2020年至今）

I describe in my memoir, In Sights: The Story Of A Welsh Guardsman, what it was like to confront the Argentinian prisoners of war immediately after the Falklands war had ended. I wanted to hate them because I had only weeks before lost many best friends - friends killed by them.

我在回忆录《视野：一名威尔士卫队士兵的故事》中描述了福克兰群岛战争结束后立即面对阿根廷战俘的感受。我想恨他们，因为几周前我失去了许多最好的朋友——被他们杀害的朋友。

But I couldn’t hate them. They were frightened young men and, like me, just pawns in the games of countries leaders in dispute. Now, when I do meet an Argentinian who fought in that war we embrace as brothers because we are bound by a common experience.

但我恨不起来。他们是受惊的年轻人，和我一样，只是争端中国家领导人游戏中的棋子。现在，当我遇到参加过那场战争的阿根廷人时，我们像兄弟一样拥抱，因为共同的经历将我们联系在一起。