The New Autobiography of Forrest Gump(2)
新阿甘正传(2)
I couldn't be a soldier because the test of federal corps was a good proof that I was an idiot. A few days later, a coach called Maurice came to ask me to play American football in college. He said he had seen me running.
我没能当兵,因为联邦军队说我的文化测试说明我是一个十足的傻瓜。过了不久,一个叫什么莫里斯的教练就来问我愿不愿意进大学了去打美式足球了。他说他见过我跑步,我简直跑得跟火箭一样快。
I could run as restricted to learn. Some professors were strict such as Mr. A. who taught us a course named technology. He gave me a book might be several centimeters thick. I spent some nights reading the chapters and I found I could digest most of the formulas. However, in physics class, I was always confused with the concepts as molecule, atom and nucleus; and I could neither memorize the idioms and phrases nor make a clear distinction between adjective and adverb, in English class. I usually borrowed some handbooks of composition from the librarian. I liked some handbooks of composition from the librarian. I liked some brief paragraphs in them.
大学可不一样,我得要学习了。有的老师很严格,就像教我们工艺学的A教授,他给了我一个几厘米厚的一本书,我花了几个晚上看了几章之后,发现我竟然能理解里面的一些方程式。不过,在物理课上,我始终分不清楚分子、原子的原子核这些概念;在英语课上,我老是记不住俚语和短语,也分不清形容词和副词什么的。我常常从图书管理员借一些小手册学习,我很喜欢其中的一些简短的段落。
Though I got A in technology, I was kicked out from the college because I got F in English. Several months later, I was asked to come to the recruiting headquarters. I estimated there might be a great many openings in the army. That might be why they asked an idiot to join them.
由于英语课得了F,我被大学开除了。虽然在工艺学打了A也没用。几个月后,盟军又通知我去新兵指挥部,他们大概需要很多人,所以连傻子也要吧。
I went to my travel with a small parcel, but it turned out a reverse way as what I thought on the outset. The newly erected training base was in a typical tropical region. Everything was scarce except mosquitoes. We shot with our rifles whenever we heard the bang of our leader, and also we practiced shouting slogans.
开始我还把这当成一次旅行,就带着一个小包裹出发了,可事实上绝不是这样。新建的训练基地在典型的热带地区,蚊子很多,物资缺乏,我们每人发一把步枪,听到指挥员的枪声就射击,有时还练习喊口号。
Once in a shooting practice, I noticed a profile of a tight vessel (container) made of brass. Its oval outline was cute, so I shot at it. The result was that they deducted my monthly allowance and took me to heat the furnace.
有一次射击时,我看见侧面有一个黄铜制的密封容器,椭圆的外形非常好看,于是我朝它开了一枪,结果他们就扣除了我当月的津贴,并调我去烧锅炉。
Three months later, we were paraded with a banner. Then we left there.
就这样,三个月以后,我们举着条幅接受了检阅,然后就离开了训练基地。
Several weeks later, we arrived at the Vietnam via Pacific Ocean. I saw some bandaged soldiers and wrecked utility shortly after I got off. There was scarcely an intact building. A deputy superior, who looked like a butcher with a fat chin (jaw), asked us to take a bath in a basin and then I shaved. Then each of us was given a pistol. Some bullets, a telescope and a pair of leather shoes which I liked the best. Every day the jets flied around in the air and what we had to do was to scout around to prevent the raid of enemy, or hide in tank when there was a shell coming. Soldiers often conflicted with each other: some said the black were racial inferior. It was nonsense for me. The deputy superior shouted at us every day and he once said, the declare action of the war meant this territory would be our colony sooner or later. I didn't like his mode of speaking.
我们走了几个礼拜,途经太平洋,好不容易到了越南。刚下车我就看到有好几个士兵缠着绷带晃悠,很多公共设施被摧毁了,几乎没有一座好房子。有一个副官长得肥头大耳的,活像个屠夫。不过他让我们在一个水池里洗了个澡,刮了胡子。然后给我们每人发了一支手枪和一些子弹,一个望远镜,还有一双真皮皮鞋,这个我最喜欢。每天都有飞机在天上飞来飞去,我们任务就是四处侦查以防敌人的袭击,或有炮弹来时躲在坦克里面。士兵们也经常起摩擦,有些人说黑人低人一等,不过这不关我的事。那个副官每天都对我们吼,说战争的开始意味着这里尽早成为美国的殖民地,可我不喜欢他说话的样子。
It was ridiculous that, one year later, we didn't ever eliminate the enemy before we were notified to withdraw back to the U.S. though the recession of economy after going back to the U.S, I launched into my business. We caught fish in the Pacific Ocean. Though the little input, the inflation and the government imposed heavy tax, we got great revenue by retail. I even suspected God manipulated all the things. Thank God.
可笑的是,一年以后,敌人还没有被消灭,我们就被告知可以回国了。回到美国后,虽然经济也不景气,我想还是自己干点事吧。我和朋友们去太平洋捕鱼。虽然我们只投资了很少钱,政府税很重,而且还通货膨胀,但我们仅靠零售就赚了很多。我简直怀疑是上帝在帮我们。感谢上帝!