美語情景對話 第1095期: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.

託德：梅格，我們談談軍隊吧。你曾在軍隊服役。

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。我曾在美國陸軍國民警衛隊服役。我17歲入伍。在美國，各州對國民警衛隊的規定和要求都不相同。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.

託德：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。事情發生得非常快。我當時是高中生，有一天我接到了徵兵人員打來的電話。一開始，我不想去軍隊服役，不過依據印第安納州的規定，如果你入伍並服完兵役，那之後你念州立大學的話，他們會支付你的大學學費。而普渡大學在印第安納州，我想念普渡大學，所以這看起來是個不錯的方法。

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

託德：那真不錯。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。依據規定，那是最短的服役時間。我可以繼續服役，可是我想嘗試做其他的事情。

Todd: Did it go by fast?

託德：服役的時間過得快嗎？

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，真的非常快。有的時候時間過得很快，有時過得很慢。我認爲在接受基礎訓練時，時間過得非常慢。我幾乎每天都是數着時間過的，因爲我非常想結束訓練，回到家人身邊。當時我只有17歲，可以說有時快有時慢。現在回想一下，我不敢相信6年就那樣過去了，而現在距離那時又過了好多年了。總體來說，時間過得很快。

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

託德：好，那很好。女生在軍隊服役是什麼感受？

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：我是醫療兵。醫療隊裏女生很多。男女兵的比例接近50對50，雖然我沒有具體的數據，不過至少在當時，整體來說陸軍的男女比例並不是這樣的。所以，我在服役時，周圍有很多女兵。就我個人來說，當然極具挑戰性，尤其是基礎訓練期間，當時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。每個人的要求都是一樣的。你絕對不想成爲最差的那個。我認爲其他女生可能更痛苦，因爲她們也跟不上。這很難做到。不過也許我天生就適合軍隊。所以我還好，而我當然想努力訓練，在身體方面達到要求，這對女性來說並不簡單。

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

託德：嗯，這很吸引人。你看上去健康又強壯，服役時你一定非常健康。

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。特別是基礎訓練期間，因爲基本上一直在跑。無論你要去哪裏，都是跑着去的，他們會讓你跑去各個地方。早餐、午餐和晚餐都要在5分鐘內吃完。所以，每次都要吃得非常快。還要進行體能訓練，障礙訓練，一直帶着厚重的揹包和武器。所以那時可能是我最健壯的時期。現在我肯定沒有那時強壯。

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?

託德：好。如果你有女兒，你會建議她去參軍嗎？或者說你會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：我不會建議她們參軍。我想，我不會和別人說：“哦，你應該去參軍”。不過，如果有女生對軍隊感興趣，或者想參軍，那我一定會建議她們去軍隊，就我個人來說，軍隊生活很美好。我在服役期間養成了領導力和優秀的品德，現在這些特質依然使我受益。所以，如果有女生想參軍，我一定會建議她們“去試試”。

Todd: Awesome. Thanks. Thanks, Meg.

託德：太棒了。謝謝，謝謝你，梅格。

Meg: Yeah.

梅格：不客氣。

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重點講解：
1. at first 最初；起初；開始時；
例句：At first, he seemed surprised by my questions.
起初，他似乎對我的問題感到驚訝。
2. go by （時間）流逝，過去；
例句：My grandmother was becoming more and more sad and frail as the years went by.
隨着時間的流逝，我的祖母變得日益傷感和虛弱。
3. look back 追憶；回顧；
例句：She can look back on her career with great satisfaction.
她回顧自己的經歷覺得心滿意足。
4. as a whole 整體而言；總體上；
例句：As a whole, this article is well written.
總的說來，這篇文章寫得很好。
5. keep up with 跟上（活兒、人等）；同…做（或理解）得一樣好；
例句：He made an arduous effort to keep up with the rest of the class.
他努力跟上班上其他同學。