如果你逃避兵役会发生什么？：英语精读讲义

It's a cold December night in 1957

1957年一个寒冷的12月夜晚，

and a young man receives a military draft notice calling him to serve in the United States Army. 用詞

一名年轻人收到了一份征兵通知，要求他到美国陆军服役。

At 22 years old,

22岁的他，

he has a promising future ahead of him and at such a young age, he's already successful.

拥有着光明的前途，年纪轻轻就已经功成名就。

But he knows that his career will have to be put to the side 短語動詞

但他知道，他的事业将不得不搁置一边，

as this draft notice is not a request to serve but an order. 語法

因为这份征兵通知不是请求，而是一项命令。

It may be hard to imagine

也许很难想象，

but this young man was none other than Elvis Presley 短語搭配

但这个年轻人正是埃尔维斯·普雷斯利（猫王），

who served in the US Army for nearly three years before being honorably discharged 用詞

他在美国陆军服役了将近三年，随后光荣退伍，

and continuing one of the most famous music careers in history.

并继续书写历史上最著名的音乐生涯之一。

But what would have happened if Elvis stood up to the US Army in 1957 講解

但如果埃尔维斯在1957年反抗美国陆军，

and threw away his draft notice to continue his music career?

扔掉征兵通知继续他的音乐事业，会发生什么呢？

What if you received a draft notice today

如果你今天收到了一份征兵通知，

and didn't answer the call to duty? 習語

却拒不响应使命的召唤，又会怎样？

In this episode of The Infographics Show,

在本期《The Infographics Show》中，

we explore the question,

我们将探讨这个问题：

what happens if you dodge the draft? 用詞

如果你逃避兵役会怎样？

Let's travel back to the 1950s 表達脈絡

让我们回到20世纪50年代，

when the draft was still being implemented

当时仍在实行征兵制，

and millions of men like the King of Rock were subject to being called up 語法

数以百万计像“摇滚之王”这样的男性都有可能被征召入伍。

following a few short years of peace after the end of World War II,

在二战结束经历短短几年的和平之后，

the US found itself embroiled in another international conflict 短語搭配

美国发现自己卷入了另一场国际冲突，

commonly referred to as the Korean War.

通常被称为朝鲜战争。

While a passive military draft was in effect, 短語搭配

在实行被动征兵制的同时，

the United States government was on edge 習語

美国政府也处于紧张状态，

as international threats felt closer to home thanks to nuclear weapons. 習語

因为核武器的存在让国际威胁感觉近在咫尺。

This is one reason why the United States government felt it necessary

这也是美国政府觉得有必要

to ramp up their efforts in increasing the size of the military. 短語動詞

加大力度扩充军队规模的原因之一。

It's no surprise then 表達脈絡

因此毫不奇怪，

that Congress passed the Universal Military Training and Service Act in 1951,

国会在1951年通过了《普遍军事训练与服役法》，

which required all men aged 18 to 26 to register for the draft. 用詞

要求所有18至26岁的男性进行兵役登记。

For men that didn't even want to serve in the military in the first place, 短語搭配

对于那些原本就不想在军队服役的男性来说，

being pulled away against their will was incredibly terrifying. 短語搭配

违背意愿被强行带走是极其可怕的。

Can you imagine leaving home and halting your life at the demand of the US government? 語法

你能想象在美国政府的要求下离开家乡、让生活停滞吗？

Even someone as famous as Elvis Presley,

即使是像埃尔维斯·普雷斯利这样出名的人，

despite passionate protests from his fans, 語法

尽管他的粉丝们进行了激烈的抗议，

could not escape this requirement.

也无法逃避这一要求。

As a result,

因此，

according to the US Justice Department,

根据美国司法部的数据，

over 80,000 men attempted to dodge the draft

有超过8万名男性试图逃避兵役，

from 1950 to 1953 during the Korean War.

时间是在1950年至1953年朝鲜战争期间。

But it wasn't until the Vietnam War in the '60s 語法

但直到60年代的越南战争，

that dodging the draft became well documented and increasingly punished.

逃避兵役才被详细记录并受到越来越严厉的惩罚。

According to global researchers,

据全球研究人员称，

over 570,000 men were classified as draft offenders

超过57万名男性被归类为兵役违纪者，

by the US Justice Department during the 1960s

这是由美国司法部在20世纪60年代统计的，

when the Vietnam War became increasingly unpopular.

当时越南战争变得越来越不受欢迎。

To put that number into perspective, 表達脈絡

为了更直观地理解这个数字，

that's basically the entire population of Wyoming.

这基本上相当于怀俄明州的全部人口。

It's important to keep in mind, though, 短語搭配

不过，需要记住一点，

that of those 570,000 men,

在这57万名男性中，

only 210,000 were formally accused of dodging the draft 用詞

只有21万人被正式指控逃避兵役，

and of those 210,000,

而在这些被指控的21万人中，

only 3,250 men were jailed.

只有3250人被送进监狱。

That means that less than 2% of accused draft dodgers

这意味着根据这些统计数据，只有不到2%的被控逃避兵役者

were significantly punished according to these statistics.

受到了重大惩罚。

That seems like an awfully low percentage

这个比例似乎低得离谱，

when you consider that dodging the draft is classified as a felony crime. 講解

尤其是考虑到逃避兵役被定性为重罪。

In fact,

事实上，

you'd have better odds of being asked to come on down on The Price Is Right. 文化背景

你被邀请去参加《The Price Is Right》节目的几率甚至还要大些。

So why does it seem like the consequences of dodging the draft are so low?

那么，为什么逃避兵役的后果看起来如此之轻呢？

It turns out that there are many creative ways to dodge the draft 表達脈絡

事实证明，逃避兵役有许多有创意的方法，

and avoid doing the time for the crime. 習語

不仅能逃避兵役，还能免于牢狱之灾。

According to researchers,

据研究人员称，

some of those men drafted to serve the US military in the Vietnam War

在越南战争期间被征召到美军服役的一些男性，

avoided service through a number of outrageous but perfectly legal means,

通过许多离谱但完全合法的手段逃避了服役，

including emigrating to Canada,

包括移民到加拿大，

purposefully failing their physicals, 用詞

故意让自己体检不合格，

and even becoming missionaries.

甚至去当传教士。

In fact,

事实上，

in what was possibly a regrettable interview for the Free Press,

在一次可能令他后悔的《自由新闻》采访中，

American singer Ted Nugent allegedly admitted that he stopped all personal hygiene

美国歌手泰德·纽金特据称承认他停止了所有的个人卫生习惯，

and made sure to urinate and defecate on himself before his physical

并确保在体检前在自己身上大小便，

just to avoid serving in the Vietnam War. 語法

只是为了避免在越南战争中服役。

Can you imagine being the physician that had to examine him?

你能想象负责检查他的医生是什么感受吗？

Perhaps unsurprising,

也许并不意外，

his stunt allegedly worked.

他的把戏据说奏效了。

According to Nugent in this interview,

根据纽金特在这次采访中的说法，

he was successfully able to defer his service. 用詞

他成功地推迟了服役。

While he probably made a physician second-guess their career choices, 用詞

虽然他可能让那位医生对自己的职业选择产生了怀疑，

perhaps it was for the best that Nugent didn't serve in the Vietnam War 短語搭配

但也许纽金特没有在越南战争中服役是件好事，

as he's reported to have said, 語法

因为据报道他曾说过，

"The men who went should be applauded

“那些去参军的人应该受到赞赏，

but if I would have gone over there, 語法

但如果我去了那里，

I'd have been killed or I'd have killed all the hippies in the foxholes.

我可能会被杀，或者我会在散兵坑里杀光所有的嬉皮士。

I would have killed everybody."

我会把所有人都杀了。”

It is worth noting that the facts behind the story are extremely controversial 短語搭配

值得注意的是，这个故事背后的真相存在极大的争议，

but if true, 語法

但如果是真的，

this would definitely make for one of the most interesting draft dodging stories in US history.

这绝对算得上是美国历史上最有趣的逃避兵役故事之一。

Like Ted Nugent's story,

就像泰德·纽金特的故事一样，

we'll never truly know the full extent to which men dodged the draft 短語搭配

我们永远无法真正了解男性逃避兵役的全部程度，

but needless to say, 表達脈絡

但不用说，

men were highly motivated to do just about anything

当时的男性有极大的动力去做任何事情，

to avoid serving in the military or serving time in jail.

以避免在军队服役或在监狱服刑。

Flash forward to present day, 表達脈絡

快进到今天，

some may be surprised to note that while the draft does not exist in the United States today,

有些人可能会惊讶地发现，虽然今天美国并没有征兵制，

young men are still required to register

但年轻男性仍然被要求进行登记，

as if one existed or could exist in the future. 語法

就好像现在存在征兵制或未来可能会存在一样。

Men between the ages of 18 and 25

18至25岁的男性，

are still required to register into what's called the Selective Service System, 文化背景

仍然被要求在一个叫做‘兵役登记系统’中注册，

which is essentially a backup plan in case a draft needs to take place 語法

这本质上是一个备用计划，以防需要进行征兵，

and not registering can have some pretty big consequences,

而不登记可能会带来相当严重的后果，

including lack of access to federal loans,

包括无法获得联邦贷款，

not being able to apply for government jobs,

无法申请政府工作，

and in some states,

在某些州，

they even forbid you from getting a driver's license. 語法

他们甚至会禁止你考取驾照。

The reality today is that dodging the draft is not the issue 語法

今天的现实是，逃避兵役不是问题，

but dodging the registration for the draft is

但逃避兵役登记是个问题，

and it's a harsh reality that many young men are living with.

这是许多年轻男性面临的残酷现实。

One young man in particular,

特别是有一位年轻男子，

Daniel Deffell Davis,

丹尼尔·德菲尔·戴维斯，

found himself in a situation where he did not register for the Selective Service 短語搭配

他发现自己陷入了在18至25岁之间

between the ages of 18 and 25.

没有在兵役登记系统中注册的困境。

He was in various foster homes and prisons when he was younger

他年轻时待过多个寄养家庭和监狱，

and didn't even know that he had to register for the Selective Service 語法

甚至不知道自己必须进行兵役登记，

until he came face-to-face with an opportunity to turn his life around. 習語

直到他面前出现了一个可以扭转人生的机会。

Tragically,

可悲的是，

when he finally had the opportunity to go to college,

当他终于有机会上大学时，

he found that he was unable to

他发现自己无法如愿，

because he could not apply for a federal student loan

因为他不能申请联邦学生贷款，

due to his lack of registration into the Selective Service. 短語搭配

原因正是他没有在兵役登记系统中注册。

He said,

他说，

"Quote, as far as the Selective Service goes, 語氣意圖

“原话是，就兵役登记而言，

I don't feel as though I should be punished. 語氣意圖

我不觉得我应该受到惩罚。

I'm someone trying to rehabilitate myself and go to school." 用詞

我是一个试图自我改造、想要去上学的人。”

Davis is currently trying to build a legal case 短語搭配

戴维斯目前正试图发起法律诉讼，

but it's quite clear that not registering for the Selective Service

但很显然，没有在兵役登记系统中注册

has already taken a toll on his life. 習語

已经给他的生活带来了沉重的打击。

We imagine that some of our fans may be double-checking their Selective Service registrations right now.

我们猜想现在我们的一些粉丝可能正在反复确认他们的兵役登记情况。

Beyond punishing young men for not registering

除了惩罚那些没有登记

into a military draft system that does not actually exist,

加入一个实际上并不存在的军事征兵系统的年轻男性之外，

there is significant controversy surrounding

围绕着另一个问题也存在重大争议，

if women should have to register into the Selective Service System.

那就是女性是否应该在兵役登记系统中注册。

As recent as February 2019,

就在2019年2月，

a federal judge ruled that banning women 用詞

一名联邦法官裁定，禁止女性

from Selective Service registration is unconstitutional.

进行兵役登记是违宪的。

This is not a new thought,

不过，这并不是一个新想法，

though,

因为就连艾森豪威尔总统在1948年

as even President Eisenhower was quoted in 1948

谈到女性征兵问题时也曾被引述道：“我坚信，在下一场战争中，

on the issue of women being drafted saying, "I am convinced that in another war, 語氣意圖

她们必须像男人一样被征召。

they have got to be drafted just like men. 語法

我对此深信不疑。”

I'm convinced of that."

在我们有生之年，我们会看到年轻女性

Will we see young women have to register for the Selective Service

像男性一样必须进行兵役登记吗？

just like the men in our lifetime

还是说非自愿兵役制会因为其

or could involuntary military service be abandoned altogether

对像丹尼尔·德菲尔·戴维斯这样的人产生的负面影响而被彻底废除？

because of the negative impact it has on people like Daniel Deffell Davis? 短語搭配

这些可能是很快就必须回答的问题，

These are questions that may have to be answered soon 表達脈絡

因为全球政治局势似乎变得越来越紧张。

as global politics seemingly become more tense.

请在评论区告诉我们你对征兵的看法。

Let us know in the comments what you think about the draft.

为了逃避兵役，你会怎么做？

What would you do to dodge the draft?

感谢观看，

Thanks for watching

像往常一样，

and as always,

别忘了点赞、分享和订阅。

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

我们下次再见。/n”/n”]},{

See you next time.

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