館長的話:
在美國從軍是十分光榮的事，退伍也容易被優先錄取
可惜在國軍中可能學不到這麼多
譯者/cofecup (咖啡杯)
Top 10: Army Lessons That All Men Can Learn From
我在軍中學到的十件事
The army life might not be for all men, but a closer look will reveal lessons
that you can use in your daily life.
軍中生活並不適合所有的人，不過如果我們仔細來看，其實有些值得我們運用在我們
的日常生活中
Patrick Hennessey 著
“How much can you know about yourself” asked Tyler Durden in Fight Club, “
if you’ve never been in a fight?” I joined the army in 2004, an overly
confident, comfy and bored university graduate who wanted to know the answer
to that question. A year of training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
taught me a thing or two about the army, but nothing that felt quite like
when your grandfather used to say he’d learned everything he ever needed to
know during the war.
在電影《鬥陣俱樂部》裡，泰勒．德頓問說「你如果從來沒有跟人戰鬥過，那你真的
了解你自已嗎？」。為了知道答案，2004年我大學畢業後，我加入了陸軍。參戰過的
祖父輩的人常說。他們覺得他在戰爭軍隊裡中學到的東西足夠他一生受用，但在皇家
軍事學院一年的訓練裡，我覺得我只學到一些有關軍事或部隊的事而已。
Five years later, after tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, I certainly wasn’t
bored. Like all soldiers, I’d grown up a lot and learned some pretty hard
and important truths along the way, lessons about myself and about other
people, lessons that applied as much at home as they did in combat -- and
perhaps why our grandfathers were right all along.
五年後，歷經過了伊拉克與阿富汗的戰鬥任務過程中，我親身體會到許多不變而重要
的真理。我了解而且不再困惑，我覺得我真的有所成長，也許祖父們說的是對的，在
戰鬥中學到的事就算離開了部隊也一樣受用。
Here are the top 10 army lessons that all men can learn from.
這裡有10件事，我認為不只在軍中，對於每個人的生活都能適用。
1. Appearance matters
注重外表不是表面功夫而已
I spent most of the first few months of my training learning how to iron my
new uniform and polish my boots, not to mention having my haircut shorter
than it ever had been and shaving twice a day (as if I could have grown a
beard if I’d wanted). The military’s apparent obsession with appearance is
something that baffles outsiders, but it’s not as silly as it sometimes
seems.
在軍訓初期，我花了幾個月的時間在學怎麼燙制服、怎麼刷皮鞋，理成超短的平頭，
一天還要刮兩次鬍子.。軍中對於儀容的要求常被認為是作作表面功夫而已，但其實注
重外表並不是件愚蠢的事。
Leaving the military and interviewing for civilian jobs, I couldn’t believe
how inappropriately some people dressed. It’s not a question of fashion, but
of self-respect and situational awareness -- what you’d wear in the desert,
you wouldn’t wear at home. I’ve worked with a few different Armies, good
and bad, and there’s truth to the old saying that a smart soldier is a good
soldier and that when you look the part, you act the part.
退伍後，我去一般的公司應徵時，我實在不敢相信許多人真的不懂得穿著。這無關時
尚。這是有關自我尊重與對出席場合的了解。就像是在沙漠裡穿的跟家裡穿的你肯定
不會搞錯一樣。我待過不同的部隊，好壞都有，但就像老兵常說的，聰明的兵才是好
的兵，穿得像樣的，那行動起來也一定不差。
2. You are what you eat (and drink)
吃(喝)什麼像什麼
Soldiers have a complex relationship with food and drink; as Napoleon knew,
an army marches on its stomach. In training, I ate more than I ever have in
my life and still lost weight. Out in the desert we would drink liters and
liters of water a day and still lose guys to dehydration. On operations, a
decent meal in a rear base might be the only thing a squad can look forward
to in weeks.
食物對於士兵來說有特別的意義。如拿破侖所說，士兵是靠肚子打仗的。在訓練過中，
我吃得比過去還要多，但體重還是不斷下降。在沙漠出任務時，我們每天喝的水是以公
升計，但仍因脫水問題而損失人員。在任務過程，部隊每週只盼望能在後方基地吃個像
樣的一餐。
Soldiers learn a great respect for food as fuel and how your body responds to
what you put in it. Those who have ever spent months on end eating
cardboard-tasting rations also value good cooking and real food with real
flavors as well. Guys at home eating trash have no excuses -- cook well, eat
well, live well.
士兵們學會了食物就是燃料，只有正確的吃才能確保能發揮應有的體力。為了攝取足夠
養分，我們在戰場上可能整個月都只能吃像是味道像是厚紙板一樣的軍糧。所以我們回
到家，可以吃真正的食物時，就沒有理由去吃垃圾食物。只有吃得好，才能活得好。
3.You can’t do everything on your own
你不可能凡事都自已搞定
More of us live on our own and work for ourselves than at any other time in
history, but all soldiers know that there are just some things you can’t do
on your own.
在我們的生活中也許大部分的人工作、生活只靠自己。但是士兵們知道有些事就是無法
一個人作到。
At the most basic level, the “buddy system” keeps you alive in a
fight, but understanding that there are times when the individual is less
than the team is an important life lesson.
在基本的作戰層級中，團體行動可以讓你更容易存活下來，但是要知道生活上單打獨鬥
也是一樣不如團體行動。
As a soldier, you’re always a small cog in a bigger machine, trusting
invisible comrades to your flanks, in the air, even back in base watching
over you on GPS and drone live-feeds.
作為一個士兵，你是一個巨大機器的小零件，你也許看不到每個支援你的人，但真的有
許多同伴在你的週邊，也許在空中也許在後方基地利用GPS提供你支援。
I’ve seen civilian mates get frustrated when there’s a specific problem
they can’t solve themselves or get uncomfortable trusting others with
important stuff -- learn to be a team player and everything runs more smoothly
我看過許多平民的朋友 因為有些無法自已解決的問題或是因為無法相信別人而在生活
上處處受挫。學著和團體行動，你會發現許多事比自已來還簡單得多。
4.Value your sleep
看重你的睡眠品質
In training, it sometimes felt like you’d barely closed your eyes after an
exhausting day before you were being woken at 4:00 a.m. by a screaming
sergeant for a room inspection.
在訓練過程中，在忙累了一整天以後，還是很難閤上眼好好休息，尤其是在士官長半夜
4點大吼把你叫起來作內務檢查的時候。
Out on operations the tempo is high and the enemy is no respecter of fatigue,
and months can pass when more than four uninterrupted hours of sleep can seem
a distant and luxurious memory. However, anyone who’s worked in the army has
seen firsthand how sleep deprivation degrades performance, how quickly tired
soldiers make the wrong choices and lose their edge.
在作戰任務時，敵人更不可能給你時間去好好休息，幾個月下來，能夠有4個小時不被打
擾的睡覺就像是遙遠的夢想一樣。但任何一個待過軍中的人都看過睡眠不足如何降低一
個人的行為能力。一個疲倦的士兵很快地就會作出錯誤決定而讓自已身處危險。
I’ve noticed a macho culture among civilian friends, particularly in
high-powered office jobs, boasting about working 36 hours straight on a deal
as if it’s a good thing; however, someone that tired, or jittery on
caffeine, can’t perform and is no good to anyone. Soldiers know sleep is the
ultimate restorative, which is why they try to get their heads down whenever
they can -- we should all try to do the same more often.
我注意到一些民間的朋友，尤其是在大型單位裡，為了表現自已的男子漢般的工作能力
，往往連續工作36小時不間斷，而且還覺得是件好事。但是人在疲累又喝下大量咖啡因
對誰都不是件好事。士兵知道睡覺是最好的恢復方式，所以只要情況允許都會試著低頭
休息一下，對於一般人來說也該試試。
5.Confidence is king - be decisive
保持信心，果斷地作決定
There’s as fine a line between arrogance and confidence as there is between
stupidity and bravery, but there’s no place for uncertainty or hesitancy on
the battlefield. Individuals and teams get in trouble when they get caught in
the middle ground; out in the open in a vulnerable position or not exactly
certain of their objectives or location.
在自負與自信間可以找到一條界線，同樣的我們也能在勇敢與無知間找到那個區別。但
是在戰場上沒有地方遲疑或猶豫不定。當部隊被包圍，處在無法防守的位置或是搞不清
楚他們的目標跟所在地時，就是最危險的時候。
As a leader at any level, having confidence in your decisions is crucial and
at any level once you’ve decided on a course of action, carrying it out to
the best of your abilities is invariably the way to get it done.
無論是身為何種層級的領導者，都要對自已的決定有信心，並相信行動方案是有效而經
過思考的。並能依著自已的能力來完成任務。
6.Learn from the experience of others
從其他人身上學習經驗
Old hands often say there’s nothing new in war, just stuff you haven’t yet
learned. When you’re young and ambitious, the grizzled old timer telling you
how he did it may seem prehistoric, but he’s seen and knows a lot more than
you. In the army, you quickly learn to listen to and respect the opinions of
senior guys -- those opinions often save your life.
老兵常說戰場上無新鮮事，只是你還沒看過而已。當你還年輕氣盛時，這些話聽起來就
是陳腔爛調。但別人就是比你看得多，知道的也比你多。在軍中，尊重跟聽取這些資深
同伴的意見，可以讓你學得更快，更重要的，在必要時救你一命。
7.There are worse things than being bored
無所事事是最糟糕的事
Most soldiers join the military for a bit of excitement, and nothing gets the
adrenaline pumping like being in contact with others. However, an adrenaline
high has a bad come down and after a while soldiers who were keen to get out
and see some "action" would be quiet and happy back in a rear base.
許多士兵加入軍隊是為了追求一點快感，沒有什麼比與敵人對峙時更能激發腎上線素。
在經過一番刺激的行動後，士兵已經不那麼激動而是平靜而滿足地回到基地，
We live in a society relentlessly chasing the next thrill, where being bored
is the ultimate sin. Guys coming back off a hard tour will tell you that just
sitting around and relaxing is actually a luxury to be enjoyed from time to
time -- the alternative could always be a lot worse.
我們活在一個隨時追求下一個刺激的社會，無聊是罪大惡極的事，只有那些結束辛苦而
繁重的工作後回來的人會覺得能夠坐著放空休息一下是件享受的事，不然無所事事放空
是很糟的。
8.You can’t rely on technology
你不能完全依賴科技
We live in a technology-driven age and nowhere more so than on the
battlefield: drones overhead, thermal-imaging systems, advanced weapons, and
virtually indestructible vehicles. But a wise man once said that to take a
town, some bastard still has to crawl into the middle of it and raise a flag.
Iraq and Afghanistan have reminded those who had forgotten that soldiering
still requires face-to-face interaction and boots on the ground and, what is
more, that technology can always fail you. To the guys who couldn’t find the
party because their iPhone map app wasn’t working: Next time check a real
map!
我們生活的這個時代，科技控制了一切，戰場上也一樣：有無人飛行器、有熱感影像系
統，各種先進武器，還有許多虛擬訓練載具。不過有智者說過，要攻下城鎮還是需要一
些勇敢的傢伙爬進去，把旗子立起來才算數。
伊拉克與阿富汗的行動提醒大家士兵仍然是要近距離面對面的用身體去戰鬥，而且最重要
的是，科技產品總是會失靈。所以這裡告訴那些沒有I-phone地圖就找不到路的人，學著
用真的紙本地圖吧！
9.You always have something more to give
你其實還有更多力量
I think it would be fair to say that before I joined the army, I didn’t
really know my limits. These days, very few of us have ever been really
uncomfortable, really tired or really in pain. The mind starts to play tricks
on you when you get to extremes -- it tells you that you can’t go faster, can
’t keep running, can’t push through the barrier, but you almost always can.
Knowing that you have that capacity somewhere inside you not only gives you
confidence in whatever it is you’re doing, it’s the difference between
success and failure and, for soldiers, often life and death. Dig deeper into
your reserves, you’ll be surprised what you have in there.
我覺得我可以這麼說，在我加入陸軍以前我不知道我的極限在哪裡。在那些日子裡，很
少人會真的極度地身體不適、疲勞以及疼痛。但你的意志會作怪，開始告訴你，你的極
限就是如此，告訴你自己再也跑不動了，你再也爬不過那個欄杆，但你其實是可以作到
的。
無論你在進行那種工作，知道自已內在還有力量可以使用，除了給自已更多的信心也是
結果成功與失敗的差別。對於士兵來說，就是生與死的差別了。你會驚訝從自已從內在
深處挖出來的力量。
10.Appreciate your friends
感謝你的朋友
Most servicemen are patriots, a few may be religious, but none of them die
and get injured for their country or their God; they do it for the men on
either side of them. We live in an age when “buddy movies” suggest the
height of male friendship is getting a friend out of trouble with a stripper
in Vegas. I’ve seen men dead on their feet with exhaustion and knowing the
threat outside the gate, stand up and volunteer to go straight back out on
patrol because their mates were in trouble -- that’s true ”bromance,” and
it’s a precious thing.
多數的軍人是愛國的，而有些有虔誠的信仰，但他們沒有一個是為了國家或是他們的神
而受傷或陣亡的，他們是為了和他們同一陣營的弟兄們而犧牲。電影裡也許會看到男性
情誼就是幫你的朋友從賭城的脫衣酒吧裡的麻煩事脫困。
但我看過因體力透支而腳動不了的弟兄，明知道關卡外的威脅還未解除，仍勉強站起來
自願回去支援。因為他知道他的弟兄有麻煩，那是真正的「兄弟情」而且是非常珍貴的。
===============================================
Patrick Hennessey’s memoir, The Junior Officers’ Reading Club: Killing Time
and Fighting Wars, was a bestseller in England and will be published in the
U.S. on September 7th. Hennessey joined the British Army and completed
officer training at Sandhurst (Britain's West Point), where he was awarded
the Queen’s Medal, shortly after completing his English degree at Oxford in
2004. He served in the Balkans, Africa, Southeast Asia, the Falkland Islands,
Iraq, and Afghanistan, where he became one of the youngest captains in the
army and was commended for gallantry. Patrick currently lives in London,
where he is studying law and hopes to specialize in conflict and
international humanitarian law.
本文作者Patrick Hennessey的回憶錄 The Junior Officers’ Reading Club: Killing
Time and Fighting Wars已是英國暢銷書，同時在9月7日在美國出版，Hennessey 在2004
年從取得牛津英文學位後加入英國陸軍短時間內在桑德豪斯(英國西點軍院)完成軍官訓練
並榮獲女王勳章，他曾服役於巴爾幹半島、非洲、東南亞、福克蘭群島，伊拉克、阿富汗
，並成為最年輕的陸軍上尉，Patrick 現居倫敦，正攻讀法律並期望未來在國際衝爭與人
權問題中有所發揮。
在美國從軍是十分光榮的事，退伍也容易被優先錄取
可惜在國軍中可能學不到這麼多
譯者/cofecup (咖啡杯)
Top 10: Army Lessons That All Men Can Learn From
我在軍中學到的十件事
The army life might not be for all men, but a closer look will reveal lessons
that you can use in your daily life.
軍中生活並不適合所有的人，不過如果我們仔細來看，其實有些值得我們運用在我們
的日常生活中
Patrick Hennessey 著
“How much can you know about yourself” asked Tyler Durden in Fight Club, “
if you’ve never been in a fight?” I joined the army in 2004, an overly
confident, comfy and bored university graduate who wanted to know the answer
to that question. A year of training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
taught me a thing or two about the army, but nothing that felt quite like
when your grandfather used to say he’d learned everything he ever needed to
know during the war.
在電影《鬥陣俱樂部》裡，泰勒．德頓問說「你如果從來沒有跟人戰鬥過，那你真的
了解你自已嗎？」。為了知道答案，2004年我大學畢業後，我加入了陸軍。參戰過的
祖父輩的人常說。他們覺得他在戰爭軍隊裡中學到的東西足夠他一生受用，但在皇家
軍事學院一年的訓練裡，我覺得我只學到一些有關軍事或部隊的事而已。
Five years later, after tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, I certainly wasn’t
bored. Like all soldiers, I’d grown up a lot and learned some pretty hard
and important truths along the way, lessons about myself and about other
people, lessons that applied as much at home as they did in combat -- and
perhaps why our grandfathers were right all along.
五年後，歷經過了伊拉克與阿富汗的戰鬥任務過程中，我親身體會到許多不變而重要
的真理。我了解而且不再困惑，我覺得我真的有所成長，也許祖父們說的是對的，在
戰鬥中學到的事就算離開了部隊也一樣受用。
Here are the top 10 army lessons that all men can learn from.
這裡有10件事，我認為不只在軍中，對於每個人的生活都能適用。
1. Appearance matters
注重外表不是表面功夫而已
I spent most of the first few months of my training learning how to iron my
new uniform and polish my boots, not to mention having my haircut shorter
than it ever had been and shaving twice a day (as if I could have grown a
beard if I’d wanted). The military’s apparent obsession with appearance is
something that baffles outsiders, but it’s not as silly as it sometimes
seems.
在軍訓初期，我花了幾個月的時間在學怎麼燙制服、怎麼刷皮鞋，理成超短的平頭，
一天還要刮兩次鬍子.。軍中對於儀容的要求常被認為是作作表面功夫而已，但其實注
重外表並不是件愚蠢的事。
Leaving the military and interviewing for civilian jobs, I couldn’t believe
how inappropriately some people dressed. It’s not a question of fashion, but
of self-respect and situational awareness -- what you’d wear in the desert,
you wouldn’t wear at home. I’ve worked with a few different Armies, good
and bad, and there’s truth to the old saying that a smart soldier is a good
soldier and that when you look the part, you act the part.
退伍後，我去一般的公司應徵時，我實在不敢相信許多人真的不懂得穿著。這無關時
尚。這是有關自我尊重與對出席場合的了解。就像是在沙漠裡穿的跟家裡穿的你肯定
不會搞錯一樣。我待過不同的部隊，好壞都有，但就像老兵常說的，聰明的兵才是好
的兵，穿得像樣的，那行動起來也一定不差。
2. You are what you eat (and drink)
吃(喝)什麼像什麼
Soldiers have a complex relationship with food and drink; as Napoleon knew,
an army marches on its stomach. In training, I ate more than I ever have in
my life and still lost weight. Out in the desert we would drink liters and
liters of water a day and still lose guys to dehydration. On operations, a
decent meal in a rear base might be the only thing a squad can look forward
to in weeks.
食物對於士兵來說有特別的意義。如拿破侖所說，士兵是靠肚子打仗的。在訓練過中，
我吃得比過去還要多，但體重還是不斷下降。在沙漠出任務時，我們每天喝的水是以公
升計，但仍因脫水問題而損失人員。在任務過程，部隊每週只盼望能在後方基地吃個像
樣的一餐。
Soldiers learn a great respect for food as fuel and how your body responds to
what you put in it. Those who have ever spent months on end eating
cardboard-tasting rations also value good cooking and real food with real
flavors as well. Guys at home eating trash have no excuses -- cook well, eat
well, live well.
士兵們學會了食物就是燃料，只有正確的吃才能確保能發揮應有的體力。為了攝取足夠
養分，我們在戰場上可能整個月都只能吃像是味道像是厚紙板一樣的軍糧。所以我們回
到家，可以吃真正的食物時，就沒有理由去吃垃圾食物。只有吃得好，才能活得好。
3.You can’t do everything on your own
你不可能凡事都自已搞定
More of us live on our own and work for ourselves than at any other time in
history, but all soldiers know that there are just some things you can’t do
on your own.
在我們的生活中也許大部分的人工作、生活只靠自己。但是士兵們知道有些事就是無法
一個人作到。
At the most basic level, the “buddy system” keeps you alive in a
fight, but understanding that there are times when the individual is less
than the team is an important life lesson.
在基本的作戰層級中，團體行動可以讓你更容易存活下來，但是要知道生活上單打獨鬥
也是一樣不如團體行動。
As a soldier, you’re always a small cog in a bigger machine, trusting
invisible comrades to your flanks, in the air, even back in base watching
over you on GPS and drone live-feeds.
作為一個士兵，你是一個巨大機器的小零件，你也許看不到每個支援你的人，但真的有
許多同伴在你的週邊，也許在空中也許在後方基地利用GPS提供你支援。
I’ve seen civilian mates get frustrated when there’s a specific problem
they can’t solve themselves or get uncomfortable trusting others with
important stuff -- learn to be a team player and everything runs more smoothly
我看過許多平民的朋友 因為有些無法自已解決的問題或是因為無法相信別人而在生活
上處處受挫。學著和團體行動，你會發現許多事比自已來還簡單得多。
4.Value your sleep
看重你的睡眠品質
In training, it sometimes felt like you’d barely closed your eyes after an
exhausting day before you were being woken at 4:00 a.m. by a screaming
sergeant for a room inspection.
在訓練過程中，在忙累了一整天以後，還是很難閤上眼好好休息，尤其是在士官長半夜
4點大吼把你叫起來作內務檢查的時候。
Out on operations the tempo is high and the enemy is no respecter of fatigue,
and months can pass when more than four uninterrupted hours of sleep can seem
a distant and luxurious memory. However, anyone who’s worked in the army has
seen firsthand how sleep deprivation degrades performance, how quickly tired
soldiers make the wrong choices and lose their edge.
在作戰任務時，敵人更不可能給你時間去好好休息，幾個月下來，能夠有4個小時不被打
擾的睡覺就像是遙遠的夢想一樣。但任何一個待過軍中的人都看過睡眠不足如何降低一
個人的行為能力。一個疲倦的士兵很快地就會作出錯誤決定而讓自已身處危險。
I’ve noticed a macho culture among civilian friends, particularly in
high-powered office jobs, boasting about working 36 hours straight on a deal
as if it’s a good thing; however, someone that tired, or jittery on
caffeine, can’t perform and is no good to anyone. Soldiers know sleep is the
ultimate restorative, which is why they try to get their heads down whenever
they can -- we should all try to do the same more often.
我注意到一些民間的朋友，尤其是在大型單位裡，為了表現自已的男子漢般的工作能力
，往往連續工作36小時不間斷，而且還覺得是件好事。但是人在疲累又喝下大量咖啡因
對誰都不是件好事。士兵知道睡覺是最好的恢復方式，所以只要情況允許都會試著低頭
休息一下，對於一般人來說也該試試。
5.Confidence is king - be decisive
保持信心，果斷地作決定
There’s as fine a line between arrogance and confidence as there is between
stupidity and bravery, but there’s no place for uncertainty or hesitancy on
the battlefield. Individuals and teams get in trouble when they get caught in
the middle ground; out in the open in a vulnerable position or not exactly
certain of their objectives or location.
在自負與自信間可以找到一條界線，同樣的我們也能在勇敢與無知間找到那個區別。但
是在戰場上沒有地方遲疑或猶豫不定。當部隊被包圍，處在無法防守的位置或是搞不清
楚他們的目標跟所在地時，就是最危險的時候。
As a leader at any level, having confidence in your decisions is crucial and
at any level once you’ve decided on a course of action, carrying it out to
the best of your abilities is invariably the way to get it done.
無論是身為何種層級的領導者，都要對自已的決定有信心，並相信行動方案是有效而經
過思考的。並能依著自已的能力來完成任務。
6.Learn from the experience of others
從其他人身上學習經驗
Old hands often say there’s nothing new in war, just stuff you haven’t yet
learned. When you’re young and ambitious, the grizzled old timer telling you
how he did it may seem prehistoric, but he’s seen and knows a lot more than
you. In the army, you quickly learn to listen to and respect the opinions of
senior guys -- those opinions often save your life.
老兵常說戰場上無新鮮事，只是你還沒看過而已。當你還年輕氣盛時，這些話聽起來就
是陳腔爛調。但別人就是比你看得多，知道的也比你多。在軍中，尊重跟聽取這些資深
同伴的意見，可以讓你學得更快，更重要的，在必要時救你一命。
7.There are worse things than being bored
無所事事是最糟糕的事
Most soldiers join the military for a bit of excitement, and nothing gets the
adrenaline pumping like being in contact with others. However, an adrenaline
high has a bad come down and after a while soldiers who were keen to get out
and see some "action" would be quiet and happy back in a rear base.
許多士兵加入軍隊是為了追求一點快感，沒有什麼比與敵人對峙時更能激發腎上線素。
在經過一番刺激的行動後，士兵已經不那麼激動而是平靜而滿足地回到基地，
We live in a society relentlessly chasing the next thrill, where being bored
is the ultimate sin. Guys coming back off a hard tour will tell you that just
sitting around and relaxing is actually a luxury to be enjoyed from time to
time -- the alternative could always be a lot worse.
我們活在一個隨時追求下一個刺激的社會，無聊是罪大惡極的事，只有那些結束辛苦而
繁重的工作後回來的人會覺得能夠坐著放空休息一下是件享受的事，不然無所事事放空
是很糟的。
8.You can’t rely on technology
你不能完全依賴科技
We live in a technology-driven age and nowhere more so than on the
battlefield: drones overhead, thermal-imaging systems, advanced weapons, and
virtually indestructible vehicles. But a wise man once said that to take a
town, some bastard still has to crawl into the middle of it and raise a flag.
Iraq and Afghanistan have reminded those who had forgotten that soldiering
still requires face-to-face interaction and boots on the ground and, what is
more, that technology can always fail you. To the guys who couldn’t find the
party because their iPhone map app wasn’t working: Next time check a real
map!
我們生活的這個時代，科技控制了一切，戰場上也一樣：有無人飛行器、有熱感影像系
統，各種先進武器，還有許多虛擬訓練載具。不過有智者說過，要攻下城鎮還是需要一
些勇敢的傢伙爬進去，把旗子立起來才算數。
伊拉克與阿富汗的行動提醒大家士兵仍然是要近距離面對面的用身體去戰鬥，而且最重要
的是，科技產品總是會失靈。所以這裡告訴那些沒有I-phone地圖就找不到路的人，學著
用真的紙本地圖吧！
9.You always have something more to give
你其實還有更多力量
I think it would be fair to say that before I joined the army, I didn’t
really know my limits. These days, very few of us have ever been really
uncomfortable, really tired or really in pain. The mind starts to play tricks
on you when you get to extremes -- it tells you that you can’t go faster, can
’t keep running, can’t push through the barrier, but you almost always can.
Knowing that you have that capacity somewhere inside you not only gives you
confidence in whatever it is you’re doing, it’s the difference between
success and failure and, for soldiers, often life and death. Dig deeper into
your reserves, you’ll be surprised what you have in there.
我覺得我可以這麼說，在我加入陸軍以前我不知道我的極限在哪裡。在那些日子裡，很
少人會真的極度地身體不適、疲勞以及疼痛。但你的意志會作怪，開始告訴你，你的極
限就是如此，告訴你自己再也跑不動了，你再也爬不過那個欄杆，但你其實是可以作到
的。
無論你在進行那種工作，知道自已內在還有力量可以使用，除了給自已更多的信心也是
結果成功與失敗的差別。對於士兵來說，就是生與死的差別了。你會驚訝從自已從內在
深處挖出來的力量。
10.Appreciate your friends
感謝你的朋友
Most servicemen are patriots, a few may be religious, but none of them die
and get injured for their country or their God; they do it for the men on
either side of them. We live in an age when “buddy movies” suggest the
height of male friendship is getting a friend out of trouble with a stripper
in Vegas. I’ve seen men dead on their feet with exhaustion and knowing the
threat outside the gate, stand up and volunteer to go straight back out on
patrol because their mates were in trouble -- that’s true ”bromance,” and
it’s a precious thing.
多數的軍人是愛國的，而有些有虔誠的信仰，但他們沒有一個是為了國家或是他們的神
而受傷或陣亡的，他們是為了和他們同一陣營的弟兄們而犧牲。電影裡也許會看到男性
情誼就是幫你的朋友從賭城的脫衣酒吧裡的麻煩事脫困。
但我看過因體力透支而腳動不了的弟兄，明知道關卡外的威脅還未解除，仍勉強站起來
自願回去支援。因為他知道他的弟兄有麻煩，那是真正的「兄弟情」而且是非常珍貴的。
===============================================
Patrick Hennessey’s memoir, The Junior Officers’ Reading Club: Killing Time
and Fighting Wars, was a bestseller in England and will be published in the
U.S. on September 7th. Hennessey joined the British Army and completed
officer training at Sandhurst (Britain's West Point), where he was awarded
the Queen’s Medal, shortly after completing his English degree at Oxford in
2004. He served in the Balkans, Africa, Southeast Asia, the Falkland Islands,
Iraq, and Afghanistan, where he became one of the youngest captains in the
army and was commended for gallantry. Patrick currently lives in London,
where he is studying law and hopes to specialize in conflict and
international humanitarian law.
本文作者Patrick Hennessey的回憶錄 The Junior Officers’ Reading Club: Killing
Time and Fighting Wars已是英國暢銷書，同時在9月7日在美國出版，Hennessey 在2004
年從取得牛津英文學位後加入英國陸軍短時間內在桑德豪斯(英國西點軍院)完成軍官訓練
並榮獲女王勳章，他曾服役於巴爾幹半島、非洲、東南亞、福克蘭群島，伊拉克、阿富汗
，並成為最年輕的陸軍上尉，Patrick 現居倫敦，正攻讀法律並期望未來在國際衝爭與人
權問題中有所發揮。
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