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D-Day + 2 To our astonishment, just two days after we had received our confidential orders to join the D-Day landing troops, and after a day fighting and seeing many of my friends killed by the enemy, we found ourselves outside a peaceful village in France. It was so sudden, after the mess and confusion of war on the beach. It was late afternoon, and the sun was setting on a perfect country scene of farm buildings, a main street, a few shops, a garage and a church. But we hesitated because we were aware that there might still have been enemy soldiers. Our lieutenant told Private Kowalski and me to advance and check the village. As we entered the main street, a young woman on a tractor drove out of the garage, saw us and called out something in French. Immediately five men came out of the bar, and two more from a farmyard, holding guns. I took off my helmet and yelled, “American! Put your guns down!” they gathered round us, shouting and shaking our hands, some women appeared and kissed us. We soon understood that the enemy had abandoned the village, so Kowalski went back to the others to let them know it was safe. I walked into a barbershop and stroked my chin, to show I needed to shave. The barber had a magnificent moustache, which he used wax to keep in shape. He filled a tin with cold water, and took out a razor from a drawer. He used a leather sharpener on the razor, and then gave me the best shave I had had in years. Finally he picked up a pair of scissors and a comb, and cut my hair. When the rest of our company arrived, they unloaded their baggage and bedding while the villagers brought out some jars of wine, and laid a table in the middle of the street, which they then covered with plates of potatoes and carrots, ham and sausages. Someone shouted “Cheers!” in English and we all drank to liberation and to the French constitution. Some of our boys had never tasted wine before, and spat it out, thinking it was vinegar. We gave stockings to the women, which they loved, and in return, they gave us perfume for our girlfriends. I was too ashamed to admit that I was too young to have a girlfriend. But the villagers treated us like heroes, and for a brief moment, I felt that all the fear and danger had been worthwhile. But I also remembered my fiends who had died earlier that day, and wondered if they would have agreed. D日登陆+2 使我们吃惊的是,就在我们接到加入D日登陆部队的机密命令后两天,经过一天的战斗,并目睹我的很多朋友被敌军残杀后,我们发现我们来到了一个宁静的法国村庄外面。它是那么突然,在混乱的局面之后,海岸上留下了战争的迹象。已是傍晚,太阳正在落山,照在农场建筑物上、大街上、几个商店、车库和教堂上,勾勒出完美的乡村美景。但是我们犹豫了(并没有贸然进村),因为我们知道或许那里还有敌兵。我们的陆军中尉告诉士兵科瓦尔斯基和我继续前进并搜查村子。 当我们进入主大街时,一个年轻妇女把拖拉机从车库开出来,看到我们并用法语大声喊着什么。立刻从酒吧里走出五个人,又从一个农家院子走出两个人,举着枪。我摘下头盔并喊道:“美国人!把枪放下!暠他们围着我们,喊叫着,握着我们的手。一些妇女跑过来吻我们。我们很快明白了敌人已经放弃了整个村子,因此科瓦尔斯基回到其他人那里通知他们已经安全了。我走进一家理发店,摸了摸我的下巴来表明我需要刮胡子。理发师蓄着漂亮的胡子,还用蜡定了型。他装满了一罐凉水,并从抽屉里拿出剃须刀。他用一个皮磨器放在剃须刀上,接着给我刮胡子———这是我有生以来刮得最好的一次。最后,他拿起一把剪刀和梳子给我理发。 当连队其他人员赶到后,村民们在他们卸下行李和铺盖时拿出几瓶葡萄酒,在街中间摆开桌子,然后在上面摆满了一盘盘的土豆、胡萝卜、火腿和香肠。有人用英语大喊:“干杯!暠,于是我们都为解放和法国宪法干起了杯。我们的一些男孩们以前从未尝过酒,都吐出来了,以为是醋。 我们送给妇女们她们非常喜欢的长袜,作为回礼,她们拿出香水要我们送给女朋友。我太害羞了以致没有承认我太小了还没有女朋友。但是村民们把我们当成英雄来对待,一时间,我觉得所有的恐怖和危险都是值得的。但是那天我也想起了很早牺牲的朋友,想知道他们是否也会同意我的想法。 |
