陷入卡贾基雷区陷阱的士兵们：英语精读讲义

On September 6, 2006,

2006年9月6日，

British paratroopers were on a routine patrol in the Helmand province of Afghanistan,

英国伞兵在阿富汗赫尔曼德省进行例行巡逻，

at the time one of the most dangerous places to be during NATO's war on terror. 語法

这里在当时是北约反恐战争中最危险的地区之一。

What started out as an unexpectedly calm and uneventful day 表達脈絡

原本这只是平常而意外平静的一天，

amidst the chaos of war

在这战争的混乱之中，

would soon turn into a nightmare

却很快变成了一场噩梦，

that would see one young soldier dead,

导致一名年轻士兵死亡，

seven seriously injured,

七人重伤，

and three losing limbs.

以及三人失去肢体。

What would come to be known as the day of days by the men who lived it 語法

这一天被亲历者们称为“最难忘的一天”，

started out routine enough.

一开始却显得稀松平常。

A team of British paratroopers were deployed on a patrol

一队英国伞兵被派去巡逻，

to provide security for the nearby village of Kajaki,

为附近的卡贾基村提供安全保障，

flush out insurgent forces, 短語動詞

清剿叛乱武装，

and destroy any they discover.

并消灭发现的任何敌人。

Jumping over a dry riverbed,

在跳过干涸的河床时，

Lance Corporal Stuart Hale set off an explosion, 短語動詞

准下士斯图尔特·黑尔引发了爆炸，

and in shock

在震惊之中，

looked down to realize he was missing a finger

他低头意识到自己少了一根手指

and part of his leg.

以及部分腿部。

The rest of the team immediately set off toward the stricken Hale, 短語動詞

队伍的其他成员立即冲向受伤的黑尔，

but realizing they had potentially strayed into a minefield,

但意识到他们可能误入了雷区，

they carefully started clearing a path, 短語搭配

于是开始小心翼翼地清理道路，

using knives and bayonets to prod for mines.

用刀和刺刀探寻地雷。

Once a path was cleared,

一旦清理出一条通道，

they gave morphine to Hale

他们就给黑尔注射吗啡，

and applied a tourniquet to what remained of his leg. 短語搭配

并用止血带绑住他残破的腿。

The team immediately radioed for an emergency medical evacuation, 短語搭配

队伍立即通过无线电请求紧急医疗后送，

but back at Camp Bastion,

但在队伍的大本营

the team's home base,

堡垒营，

a lack of available aircraft by the British 語法

英军缺乏可用直升机

meant that they had to ask their American and French allies,

意味着他们必须向美国和法国盟友求助，

a lengthy and bureaucratic process

这是一个漫长而官僚的过程，

that had to be relayed up the respective chains of command 文化背景

必须经过各自的指挥链层层上报

to grant approval.

才能获得批准。

Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Tootal,

斯图尔特·图托中校，

a commander of the paratroopers stuck in the minefield,

受困雷区伞兵们的指挥官，

knew he had to make a choice.

知道自己必须做出选择。

Wait hours for the men to clear the path out of the minefield

要么等待数小时让士兵们清理出撤离雷区的通道，

or send a Chinook.

要么派出一架支奴干直升机。

However,

然而，

with no winch equipment,

由于没有绞盘设备，

the helicopter would risk landing on a mine itself. 語法

这架直升机本身也面临降落在地雷上的风险。

Urgent requests for American Black Hawks with winches were dispatched,

他们紧急请求配备绞盘的美国黑鹰直升机支援，

even as the Chinook was ordered to rescue the men. 表達脈絡

同时也命令支奴干去营救这些士兵。

The flight crew of the Chinook understood the risks to themselves and the aircraft,

支奴干的机组人员深知自身和飞机的风险，

but made haste to the stricken men regardless. 用詞

但还是义无反顾地冲向受困士兵。

Back at the minefield,

回到雷区现场，

Sergeant Stuart Pearson stumbled onto the cleared path

斯图尔特·皮尔逊中士跌跌撞撞地走在清理好的小路上，

and set off another landmine,

却触发了另一枚地雷，

losing one of his legs as well.

也失去了一条腿。

It became apparent to the paratroopers 語法

伞兵们逐渐意识到，

that the minefield was more extensive than they thought

雷区的范围比他们想象的要大得多，

and that any move could be their last. 習語

任何一步都可能是他们的最后一步。

Fearful of even more casualties,

害怕造成更多的伤亡，

Pearson applied his own tourniquet

皮尔逊自己绑上了止血带，

and gave himself an ampoule of morphine for the pain.

并给自己注射了一安瓿吗啡来止痛。

The rest of the men were ordered to stay put and wait for rescue. 習語

其余的人被命令留在原地等待救援。

Suddenly,

突然，

the dispatch Chinook appeared

派出的支奴干直升机出现了，

and landed on its two back wheels.

并仅用两个后轮着陆。

The pilots trying their best to limit

飞行员尽最大努力限制

how much contact the giant helicopter made with the ground.

这架巨大的直升机与地面的接触面积。

As the pilot signaled to the men to clear a path to the chopper,

当飞行员向士兵们示意清理出一条通往直升机的通道时，

the soldiers shouted at them to take off. 短語動詞

士兵们却大喊着让他们起飞。

The downdraft of the powerful Chinook was tossing rocks around

强大的支奴干产生的下冲气流将石头吹得乱飞，

and threatening to set off even more mines.

随时可能引爆更多地雷。

Unfortunately,

不幸的是，

a stray rock did just that, 表達脈絡

一块飞石正是如此，

setting off one more mine

引爆了另一枚地雷，

and hitting Corporal Mark Wright with shrapnel in the face,

弹片击中了马克·赖特下士的脸部、

chest,

胸部、

arms,

手臂，

and neck.

和颈部。

Next to him,

在他旁边，

a medic was struck in the chest and also down.

一名军医也被击中胸部倒下。

Despite Corporal Wright's injuries, however,

尽管赖特下士伤势严重，

he continued to give first aid to everyone he could reach. 短語搭配

他仍继续为每一个够得着的人进行急救。

Realizing that they were only making the situation worse,

意识到他们只是在让情况变得更糟，

the Chinook pilots aborted the rescue attempt 短語搭配

支奴干飞行员放弃了营救尝试

and headed back to base,

并掉头返回基地，

where Lieutenant Colonel Tootal,

在那里，图托中校

listening in horror over the radio as his men were cut to ribbons, 習語

在无线电中惊恐地听着他的士兵被炸得血肉模糊，

finally had the American Black Hawks he requested.

终于等到了他请求的美国黑鹰直升机。

These choppers were equipped with winches, 短語搭配

这些直升机装备了绞盘，

which they could lower to the stricken men and hoist up,

可以将其降下并吊起受困士兵，

avoiding setting off more mines.

从而避免引爆更多的地雷。

Back at the minefield,

回到雷区现场，

Corporal Paul Hartley began using his medical rucksack

保罗·哈特利下士开始利用他的医疗背包

to clear a path to the wounded

为伤员清理出一条通道，

by throwing it in front of him,

他把背包扔在自己身前，

hoping to set off any mines.

希望借此引爆任何地雷。

Reaching the seriously injured Corporal Wright,

当靠近重伤的赖特下士时，

a man nearby,

旁边的一名士兵，

Fusilier Andy Barlow,

步枪兵安迪·巴洛，

stepped back just a few inches to make room.

为了腾出空间向后退了几英寸。

A mine exploded under his foot,

一枚地雷在他脚下爆炸，

and he too would lose his leg.

他也因此失去了一条腿。

The men fearful of moving even a single inch

战士们连一英寸都不敢动，

were forced to tend to their own wounds

被迫只能自行处理伤口，

as best they could, 短語搭配

尽其所能，

struggling to remain conscious through blood loss

在失血的情况下努力保持清醒，

and to handle the pain now that the morphine had run dry. 習語

并在吗啡用尽后忍受剧痛。

Corporal Wright,

赖特下士，

the most seriously injured,

伤势最重的人，

remained conscious the entire time

全程保持清醒

and in command of the incident,

并指挥着现场，

encouraging the men and maintaining morale and calm.

鼓励士兵们并维持着士气与冷静。

The men did their best to keep their spirits up 習語

士兵们尽最大努力保持精神状态，

and not slip into deadly shock

避免陷入致命的休克，

by talking about family and girlfriends,

他们谈论着家人和女友，

encouraging each other the best they could.

竭尽所能互相鼓励。

After what seemed like an impossibly long wait, 語法

经过一段似乎无比漫长的等待后，

the American Black Hawks finally arrived

美国的黑鹰直升机终于抵达，

and began hoisting their wounded allies up one by one. 短語搭配

开始将受伤的盟军逐一吊起。

Corporal Wright remained conscious for part of the flight back to base,

赖特下士在飞回基地的前半段航程中保持着清醒，

but despite the best efforts of the American medic, 短語搭配

尽管美国军医全力抢救，

died of his wounds. 短語搭配

他还是因伤势过重而牺牲。

With his fellow soldiers being treated by medics 語法

随着他的战友们接受了军医治疗

and safely on their way back home,

并安全踏上回家之路，

however, his duty was done.

他的使命也终于完成。

For his courage and gallantry,

因为他的无畏与英勇，

he would be awarded the George Cross, 文化背景

他被追授乔治十字勋章，

the British military's highest honor,

这是英国军方的最高荣誉，

and mourned by his fiancee and the nation both.

他的未婚妻与整个国家都为之哀悼。

Perhaps most tragically of all, 表達脈絡

也许最令人悲痛的，

however, is the fact that the mines

是这样一个事实：

those British paratroopers had inadvertently stumbled into

这些英国伞兵们无意中踩到的地雷，

had not been planted by the Taliban or other insurgents.

并非塔利班或其他叛乱分子埋设。

They were Soviet-made mines planted over 30 years ago 文化背景

它们是30多年前埋下的苏制地雷，

and forgotten years after the Cold War had ended.

并在冷战结束后被遗忘多年。

The Russians inadvertently inflicted the only military casualties of the conflict

俄罗斯人无意中对他们昔日的敌人，

on their once enemies.

造成了这场冲突中唯一的军事伤亡。

Yet mines have been used by militaries all over the world

然而，世界各地的军队都曾使用地雷，

and almost always simply forgotten after a conflict,

且几乎总是在冲突后将其抛之脑后，

claiming lives for decades after their planting. 語法

在埋设后的数十年里持续夺走生命。

In countries around the world,

在世界各国，

one in five landmine victims are children, 語法

五分之一的地雷受害者是儿童，

and an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people

据估计有1.5万到2万人

are killed or maimed by landmines each year. 用詞

每年因地雷丧生或致残。

With their express intent to maim and not kill, 用詞

由于地雷的明确意图是致残而非致死，

landmines are the single most immoral weapon of war,

它们是战争中最不道德的单一武器，

and thankfully international outrage has led to the UN's 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, 講解

值得庆幸的是，国际社会的愤慨促成了联合国1997年的《禁止使用、

Stockpiling, Production,

储存、生产

and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines.

和转让杀伤人员地雷公约》。

To date, 短語搭配

迄今为止，

150 nations have joined the treaty,

已有150个国家加入了该条约，

though sadly it's estimated that millions of mines remain buried and forgotten, 語法

但令人悲哀的是，据估计仍有数以百万计的地雷被埋藏和遗忘，

waiting for their next victim. 習語

等待着下一个受害者。

Should weapons expressly made to maim and not kill 語法

这种专门用来致残而非致死的武器，

be legal for use in war?

在战争中究竟是否应该合法？

How would you get out of an active minefield?

你会如何逃离一片活跃的雷区？

And if you liked the video,

如果你喜欢这个视频，

make sure you check out Battle of Thermopylae:

请务必观看《温泉关战役：

Spartans versus Persians.

斯巴达人对阵波斯人》。

As always,

像往常一样，

don't forget to like, share, and subscribe.

别忘了点赞、分享和订阅。

See you next time.

下次见。