驻外军人与父亲的家书(3)
Dear F –
亲爱的父亲：
Just a hurried line as we start off tonight. The front line trenches are nine miles off from here so it wont be a very long march.
我们今晚出发时，只是匆匆准备了一下。前线战壕距这里有九英里，所以不会行军太长时间。
This is the great effort to break through and end the war.
这是突破战线和结束战争的伟大努力。
The guns have been going deafeningly all day, without a single stop.
一整天，枪声在耳畔此起彼伏，一刻没停歇。
We have to push through at all costs so we won’t have much time in the trenches, which is great luck.
我们必须不惜一切代价完成任务，因此我们待在战壕里的时间就没剩多少了，这真是太幸运了。
Funny to think one will be in the thick of it tomorrow.
一想到明天将在枪林弹雨中穿行，我甚至觉得好笑。
One’s first experience of shell fire not in the trenches but in the open.
第一次接触炮弹，不是在战壕里，而是在野外。
This is one of the advantages of a Flying Division, you have to keep moving.
这算是飞行师的优势吧，你必须得不停歇地移动。
We marched 18 miles last night in the pouring wet.
昨晚我们顶着倾盆大雨，行进了18英里。
It came down in sheets steadily.
片状雨水劈头盖脸地浇下来。
They are staking a tremendous lot on this great advancing movement as if it succeeds the war won’t go on for long.
他们在这场声势浩大的行军路上押下了巨大赌注，就好像这场战事不会持续太久。
You have no idea what enormous issues depend on the next few days.
你永远不知道未来几天会发生什么重大事件。
This will be my last letter most likely for some time as we won’t get any time for writing this next week, but I will try and send Field post cards.
这恐怕是短期内我最后的一封信，因为下周就抽不出空写家书了，但我会尽量试着给你寄战场的明信片。
Well so long old dears.
好好保重，老家伙们。
Dear love
致我的挚爱
John
约翰