The infamous and ingenious Ho Chi Minh Trail - Cameron Paterson

惡名昭彰卻匠心獨運的胡志民小徑 - Cameron Paterson

Translator: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

譯者: Hao-Wei Chang 審譯者: Jephian Lin

Deep in the jungles of Vietnam,

在越南叢林的深處

soldiers from both sides

雙方士兵

battled heat exhaustion and each other

和彼此及酷熱搏鬥

for nearly 20 long years.

將近 20 年

But the key to Communist victory

但共產政權的勝利

wasn't weapons or stamina,

並非武器或耐力

it was a dirt road.

而是一條泥濘的道路

The Ho Chi Minh Trail,

胡志明小徑

winding through Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia,

蜿蜒的連接越南、寮國和柬埔寨

started as a simple network of dirt roads

它始於簡單的泥土路網絡

and blossomed into the centerpiece

最後演變成

of the winning North Vietnamese strategy

促成北越勝利的重要一環

during the Vietnam War,

在越戰期間

supplying weapons,

對南方提供武器

troops,

軍隊

and psychological support to the South.

和心理支持

The trail was a network of tracks,

這條小徑是包含了足跡

dirt roads,

泥土道路

and river crossings

渡口的網路

that threaded west out of North Vietnam

它從北越向西穿出

and south along the Truong Son Mountain Range

再沿著越南和寮國

between Vietnam and Laos.

中間的安南山脈往南進

The journey to the South originally took six months.

一趟向南的旅程原本需要六個月的時間

But, with engineering and ingenuity,

但是北越人發揮巧智

the Vietnamese expanded and improved the trail.

並運用工程學改善、延伸道路

Towards the end of war,

在戰爭結束階段

as the main roads detoured through Laos,

利用一條繞道寮國的主道路

it only took one week.

只需一個禮拜就可以到達

Here is how it happened.

一切是這樣發生的

In 1959, as relations deteriorated

在 1959

between the North and the South,

南方和北方關係決裂

a system of trails was constructed in order to infiltrate

為了將士兵、武器和補給運入南越

soldiers, weapons, and supplies into South Vietnam.

北越建了一系列道路作為入侵準備

The first troops moved in single-file

開路先鋒成一字縱隊

along routes used by local ethnic groups,

沿著地方居民使用的小路

and broken tree branches at dusty crossroads

並在泥土路的岔路口

were often all that indicated the direction.

折斷樹枝作為記號

Initially, most of the Communist cadres

最初，參與道路建設的

who came down the trail

的共產黨幹部

were Southerners by birth who had trained in North Vietnam.

都是南越出生、在北越受訓的人

They dressed like civilian peasants

他們穿著和一般農民一樣

in black, silk pajamas with a checkered scarf.

黑色的寬鬆衣褲和方格花紋的頭巾

They wore Ho Chi Minh sandals on their feet,

他們腳上穿著

cut from truck tires,

從輪胎切割製成的胡志明涼鞋

and carried their ration of cooked rice

並用一條背著的亞麻袋

in elephants' intestines,

來攜帶個人米飯

a linen tube hung around the body.

也被叫做「象腸袋」

The conditions were harsh

條件很艱苦

and many deaths were caused by exposure,

很多人死於炎熱

malaria,

瘧疾

and amoebic dysentery.

和阿米巴性痢疾

Getting lost,

迷路

starving to death,

飢餓

and the possibility of attacks by wild tigers or bears

而野生老虎和熊的攻擊

were constant threats.

也是一直存在的風險

Meals were invariably just rice and salt,

食物是一層不變的米和鹽

and it was easy to run out.

而且很容易就耗盡了

Fear, boredom, and homesickness

恐懼、空虛和思鄉

were the dominant emotions.

則是常縈繞心頭的情緒

And soldiers occupied their spare time

於是士兵用寫信

by writing letters,

畫畫

drawing sketches,

和地方居民抽煙喝酒

and drinking and smoking with local villagers.

來打發空閒時間

The first troops down the trail

第一批沿著小徑走下來的部隊

did not engage in much fighting.

沒有遭遇太多敵人

And after an exhausting six month trip,

在筋疲力盡的六個月旅程後

arriving in the South was a real highlight,

抵達南方是最值得紀念的事

often celebrated by bursting into song.

他們通常會高歌慶祝

By 1965, the trip down the trail could be made by truck.

到了 1965 年， 這趟旅程可以用卡車完成

Thousands of trucks supplied by China and Russia

中共和蘇聯支援上千輛的卡車

took up the task amidst ferocious B-52 bombing

成為 B-52 轟炸機最明顯得目標

and truck drivers became known as pilots of the ground.

而卡車司機被稱為「地面飛官」

As traffic down the trail increased,

當用路車輛越來越多

so did the U.S. bombing.

美軍空襲也越密集

They drove at night or in the early morning

駕駛開始在夜晚或清晨開車

to avoid air strikes,

以避免空襲

and watchmen were ready

而哨兵則會準備

to warn drivers of enemy aircraft.

對司機通報敵方飛機的接近

Villages along the trail organized teams

沿著小徑的村民則會 組織團隊

to guarantee traffic flow

來確保車流順暢

and to help drivers repair damage caused by air attacks.

並幫助司機修復空襲所造成的損害

Their catch cries were,

他們的口號是

"Everything for our Southern brothers!"

「一切都是為了我們的南方兄弟！」

and, "We will not worry about our houses

和「在車子還沒通過前，

if the vehicles have not yet gotten through."

我們不會去管自己的房子。」

Some families donated their doors

有些家庭捐出門板

and wooden beds to repair roads.

和木床用來維修道路

Vietnamese forces even used deception

越南軍甚至誘使美軍

to get the U.S. aircraft to bomb mountainsides

對山腳進行轟炸

in order to make gravel for use

以取得建造和維護道路

in building and maintaining roads.

所需的礫石

The all-pervading red dust seeped into every nook and cranny.

這條道路延伸到每一個角落

The Ho Chi Minh Trail had a profound impact

胡志明小徑對於越戰

on the Vietnam War

有深遠的影響

and it was the key to Hanoi's success.

也是河內戰勝的關鍵

North Vietnamese victory was not determined by the battlefields,

北越的勝利並不是在戰場上

but by the trail,

而是由一條小徑決定的

which was the political,

這是政治

strategic,

and economic lynchpin.

戰略

和經濟各層面的結合

Americans recognized its achievement,

美國體認到這條路的重要性

calling the trail,

並將它稱作

"One of the great achievements

「 20 世紀軍事工程上

in military engineering of the 20th century."

最偉大的成就。」

The trail is a testimony to the strength of will

這條道路見證了北越人民

of the Vietnamese people,

的堅韌意志

and the men and women who used the trail

而所有參與建造道路的男女

have become folk heros.

也被尊為民族英雄