實(shí)戰(zhàn)口語情景對(duì)話：Women in Uniform 女兵

Todd: So Meg, I thought we would talk a little bit about the military. Now, you were actually in the military.

托德：梅格，我們談?wù)勡婈?duì)吧。你曾在軍隊(duì)服役。

Meg: Yes. I was actually in the Army National Guard. So I enlisted when I was 17. In America, in the National Guard, each state can have kind of different rules, or different requirements. And so, in Indiana, you can enlist when you are 17 with parental permission. So I did that.

梅格：對(duì)。我曾在美國(guó)陸軍國(guó)民警衛(wèi)隊(duì)服役。我17歲入伍。在美國(guó)，各州對(duì)國(guó)民警衛(wèi)隊(duì)的規(guī)定和要求都不相同。在印第安納州，得到父母的許可，17歲就能入伍。我就是這樣做的。

Todd: Wow. Seventeen is really young age.

托德：哇哦。17歲還很小呢。

Meg: Yeah. And it sort of happened really quick. I mean, I was a junior in high school and I got a call from a recruiter. And at first, I was really against it but then in Indiana, if you enlist and you serve your time, they'll pay your college tuition if you go to a state college. So Indiana has Purdue, and I was interested in going to Purdue anyway, so it seemed like a good idea.

梅格：對(duì)。事情發(fā)生得非?？?。我當(dāng)時(shí)是高中生，有一天我接到了征兵人員打來的電話。一開始，我不想去軍隊(duì)服役，不過依據(jù)印第安納州的規(guī)定，如果你入伍并服完兵役，那之后你念州立大學(xué)的話，他們會(huì)支付你的大學(xué)學(xué)費(fèi)。而普渡大學(xué)在印第安納州，我想念普渡大學(xué)，所以這看起來是個(gè)不錯(cuò)的方法。

Todd: That's fantastic. So how long were you in the service?

托德：那真不錯(cuò)。你服了幾年兵役?

Meg: I was in for six years all together. That was the minimum commitment. So I could have done more but I was ready to, maybe try some other things after that time.

梅格：我一共服役6年。依據(jù)規(guī)定，那是最短的服役時(shí)間。我可以繼續(xù)服役，可是我想嘗試做其他的事情。

Todd: Did it go by fast?

托德：服役的時(shí)間過得快嗎?

Meg: Looking back, it definitely did. I think, there are different stages that went by slow or fast. Like when I was in actual basic training, when you're in it, it was super slow. Like you're counting on the hours every day because you're just desperate to finish and get out and get back to your family. And I was, you know, 17, so it's a little different. But now looking back, like, I can't believe it was a full six years, and now it's so many years past that already. So yeah, I guess, it did go by fast overall.

梅格：回想一下，真的非?？?。有的時(shí)候時(shí)間過得很快，有時(shí)過得很慢。我認(rèn)為在接受基礎(chǔ)訓(xùn)練時(shí)，時(shí)間過得非常慢。我?guī)缀趺刻於际菙?shù)著時(shí)間過的，因?yàn)槲曳浅Ｏ虢Y(jié)束訓(xùn)練，回到家人身邊。當(dāng)時(shí)我只有17歲，可以說有時(shí)快有時(shí)慢?，F(xiàn)在回想一下，我不敢相信6年就那樣過去了，而現(xiàn)在距離那時(shí)又過了好多年了?？傮w來說，時(shí)間過得很快。

Todd: Yeah, that's great. So what was it like being a woman in the military?

托德：好，那很好。女生在軍隊(duì)服役是什么感受?

Meg: It was – well, I served in a unit – I was a medic. And so, my unit, a medical unit, naturally has more women. The ratio is closer to 50-50 men and women, which isn't – at least that time wasn't – I don't have the current statistics, but it isn't that kind of ratio for the Army as a whole or the military as a whole. And so, for me there was – I was with a lot of other women also when I was serving. But for me personally, there were definitely challenges especially when I was first in basic training like I definitely felt personal pressure to try to keep up with the guys. With everything whether it's, you know, physically being able to lift and carry these heavy boxes and whatever. You know, you have the same requirements that you have to do. And you never want to be the weak link. And I think some other women, maybe suffered a little more because they couldn't keep up quite as well. And so that can be a little difficult. But maybe I'm naturally a bit more suited for those kinds of things. So I did okay but I definitely wanted to and tried hard to keep up with the physical aspect which isn't as easy sometimes for women.

梅格：我是醫(yī)療兵。醫(yī)療隊(duì)里女生很多。男女兵的比例接近50對(duì)50，雖然我沒有具體的數(shù)據(jù)，不過至少在當(dāng)時(shí)，整體來說陸軍的男女比例并不是這樣的。所以，我在服役時(shí)，周圍有很多女兵。就我個(gè)人來說，當(dāng)然極具挑戰(zhàn)性，尤其是基礎(chǔ)訓(xùn)練期間，當(dāng)時(shí)我要努力跟上其他人，我感覺壓力很大。要能舉重物，拿那些特別重的箱子等等。每個(gè)人的要求都是一樣的。你絕對(duì)不想成為最差的那個(gè)。我認(rèn)為其他女生可能更痛苦，因?yàn)樗齻円哺簧?。這很難做到。不過也許我天生就適合軍隊(duì)。所以我還好，而我當(dāng)然想努力訓(xùn)練，在身體方面達(dá)到要求，這對(duì)女性來說并不簡(jiǎn)單。

Todd: Well, that's interesting. So you do look pretty fit, so you must have been really fit back in the day.

托德：嗯，這很吸引人。你看上去健康又強(qiáng)壯，服役時(shí)你一定非常健康。

Meg: Yeah, I think. Yeah, especially basic training because you're never like not running. Anytime you're walking somewhere, you're just running, running, running, like they make you run everywhere. And you get like 5 minutes to eat breakfast and lunch, and dinner. Every time, you have to eat it so fast. And then you're doing all this physical training, and then going through obstacle courses, and carrying heavy packs and carrying your weapon round. Yeah. So that was probably the most fit I've ever been. I'm definitely not that now.

梅格：我想是這樣的。特別是基礎(chǔ)訓(xùn)練期間，因?yàn)榛旧弦恢痹谂堋o論你要去哪里，都是跑著去的，他們會(huì)讓你跑去各個(gè)地方。早餐、午餐和晚餐都要在5分鐘內(nèi)吃完。所以，每次都要吃得非?？?。還要進(jìn)行體能訓(xùn)練，障礙訓(xùn)練，一直帶著厚重的背包和武器。所以那時(shí)可能是我最健壯的時(shí)期。現(xiàn)在我肯定沒有那時(shí)強(qiáng)壯。

Todd: Right. So if you had a daughter, would you recommend that she goes in the military, or would you recommend other women to join the military?

托德：好。如果你有女兒，你會(huì)建議她去參軍嗎?或者說你會(huì)建議其他女性參軍嗎?

Meg: I would not recommend it. I guess, I don't go around telling everyone, "Oh, you should just join the military." But I think if someone – if there is a woman who is interested in it or thinking about it, I would definitely – for me, I mean, it worked out great. There are a lot of like leadership and personal character qualities that I was really able to develop during my time that have continued to benefit me now. And so, for a woman who is interested, I would definitely say, "Go for it."

梅格：我不會(huì)建議她們參軍。我想，我不會(huì)和別人說：“哦，你應(yīng)該去參軍”。不過，如果有女生對(duì)軍隊(duì)感興趣，或者想?yún)④?，那我一定?huì)建議她們?nèi)ボ婈?duì)，就我個(gè)人來說，軍隊(duì)生活很美好。我在服役期間養(yǎng)成了領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力和優(yōu)秀的品德，現(xiàn)在這些特質(zhì)依然使我受益。所以，如果有女生想?yún)④?，我一定?huì)建議她們“去試試”。

Todd: Awesome. Thanks. Thanks, Meg.

托德：太棒了。謝謝，謝謝你，梅格。

Meg: Yeah.

梅格：不客氣。