Gayle Tzemach Lemmon: Meet the first women to fight on the front lines of an American war

翻译人员: Li Li 校对人员: Shuyu Liu

Every group of female friends has the funny one,

每个女性朋友圈里都有一个搞笑的人

the one you go to when you need a good cry,

当你需要大哭一场时你可以去找她

the one who tells you to suck it up when you've had a hard day.

当你遭遇不顺时她会告诉你忍忍就过了

And this group was no different.

而以下这个朋友圈也一样

Except that this was a community of groundbreaking women

除了这是一群卓越的女子

who came together --

她们聚在一起——

first to become teammates, then friends, and then family --

先成为队友，然后朋友，最后家人——

in the least likely of places:

在最不可能发生这一切的地方：

on the Special Operations battlefield.

在特种部队的战场上

This was a group of women whose friendship and valor was cemented

这群女子她们友谊和英勇的凝结

not only by what they had seen and done at the tip of the spear,

不单是靠她们在枪林弹雨中奋斗来的

but by the fact that they were there

还因为这么一个事实

at a time when women -- officially, at least --

事实就是那时候女人

remained banned from ground combat,

在官方上是不能参加地面作战的

and America had no idea they existed.

美国对她们的存在并不知情

This story begins with Special Operations leaders,

故事是从特种部队的队长开始的

some of the most tested men in the United States military, saying,

一些经受过考验的美国男士兵说

"We need women to help us wage this war."

“我们需要女人来帮我们发动战争。”

"America would never kill its way to the end of its wars," it argued.

“美国绝不会让战争结束的。”是这样说的

"Needed more knowledge and more understanding."

“需要更多的认识和理解。”

And as everyone knows,

每个人都知道

if you want to understand what's happening in a community and in a home,

如果你想知道一个社区或一个家庭里发生了什么

you talk to women,

你得找女人聊天

whether you're talking about Southern Afghanistan,

不管你是聊阿富汗南部

or Southern California.

还是加州南部

But in this case, men could not talk to women,

但在这种情况下， 男人不能和女人聊天

because in a conservative and traditional society like Afghanistan,

因为在一个保守的传统的社会，像阿富汗

that would cause grave offense.

会被视为大不敬

So you needed women soldiers out there.

所以你需要女兵到那里去

That meant, at this time in the war, that the women who would be recruited

也就是说，在此时的战争中， 那些被陆军游骑兵

to serve alongside Army Rangers and Navy SEALs,

和海军海豹突击队招募去的女士们

would be seeing the kind of combat experienced by less than five percent

会看到不到百分之五的美国士兵

of the entire United States military.

所经历的那种战斗

Less than five percent.

不到百分之五

So the call went out.

所以有这样的口号：

"Female soldiers: Become a part of history.

“女兵们：改变历史

Join Special Operations on the battlefield in Afghanistan."

加入特种部队在阿富汗的战场吧。”

This is in 2011.

这是2011年的

And from Alabama to Alaska,

从阿拉巴马州到阿拉斯加州

a group of women who had always wanted to do something that mattered

一群想要和精英中的精英并肩作战

alongside the best of the best,

想要有所作为

and to make a difference for their country,

想为她们国家做贡献的女士们

answered that call to serve.

响应了号召

And for them it was not about politics, it was about serving with purpose.

对她们来说，这不是政治， 而是真心服务

And so, the women who came to North Carolina

所以，她们来到北卡罗来纳州

to compete for a spot on these teams

去争取留在队中的名额

which would put women on the Special Operations front lines,

以到达特种部队的前线

landed and found very quickly a community,

她们迅速安定下来，形成团队

the likes of which they had never seen.

认识了素未谋面却志同道合的伙伴

Full of women who were as fierce and as fit as they were,

全是强壮威猛的女子

and as driven to make a difference.

壮志凌云，无可匹敌

They didn't have to apologize for who they were,

她们无需为自己感到抱歉

and in fact, they could celebrate it.

相反，她们应该为此感到庆幸

And what they found when they were there was that all of a sudden,

她们在那里意识到的

there were lots of people like them.

是忽然间多了很多像自己一样的人

As one of them said,

其中一个说

"It was like you looked around and realized

“就像你四周看看，然后意识到

there was more than one giraffe at the zoo."

动物园里不只自己这么一只长颈鹿呀。”

Among this team of standouts was Cassie,

在这些精英中，有一个叫凯西的人

a young woman who managed to be an ROTC cadet, a sorority sister

她是一位年轻的后备军官训练军团学员 也是姐妹会的一员

and a Women's Studies minor, all in one person.

她还副修女性研究课程 技集一身

Tristan, a West Point track star, who always ran and road marched

特里斯坦，一位西点军校的田径明星 她在跑步和行军时

with no socks,

总不穿袜子

and had shoes whose smell proved it.

鞋子的味道已经出卖了她

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Amber, a Heidi look-alike, who had always wanted to be in the infantry,

安珀，有点像小说里那个海蒂， 总想去步兵团

and when she found out that women couldn't be,

当她发现他们不招女兵时

she decided to become an intel officer.

她决定去当情报员

She served in Bosnia,

她在波斯尼亚服役

and later helped the FBI to bust drug gangs in Pennsylvania.

不久后协助联邦调查员 瓦解了宾夕法尼亚州的大毒枭

And then there was Kate, who played high school football

然后这个是凯特 她高中四年

all four years,

都是校橄榄球队的

and actually wanted to drop out after the first,

但其实她在第一年的时候就想退出

to go into the glee club,

她想去合唱团

but when boys told her that girls couldn't play football,

但当那些男孩子跟她说女孩子玩不了橄榄球时

she decided to stay

她决定留下来

for all the little girls who would come after her.

身先士卒为小学妹们树立榜样

For them, biology had shaped part of their destiny,

对她们来说，生理的东西决定了她们部分命运

and put, as Cassie once said,

就像凯西曾说过

"everything noble out of reach for girls."

“高尚的事物对女孩子来说遥不可及”

And yet, here was a chance to serve with the best of the best

但是，在这里就有一个机会 和精英中的精英一起

on a mission that mattered to their country,

在紧要关头为她们的国家服务

not despite the fact that they were female,

女性身份在这里并非劣势

but because of it.

反倒成了优势

This team of women, in many ways, was like women everywhere.

这群女子，在很多方面，都和大多数女子一样

They wore makeup, and in fact,

她们也梳妆打扮

they would bond in the ladies' room over eyeliner and eye pencil.

事实上，她们会在洗手间聚在一起 画画眼线和眼影

They also wore body armor.

但她们也穿防弹衣

They would put 50 pounds of weight on their backs,

她们会在背上放置50磅（约45斤）的负重

and board the helicopter for an operation,

登上直升机执行任务

and they would come back and watch a movie called "Bridesmaids."

然后会回来看一部叫《伴娘我最大》的电影

(Laughter)

（笑声）

They even wore a thing called Spanx,

她们甚至还穿着“斯班克斯” （弹性塑身内衣品牌）

because, as they found very quickly,

因为，她们很快发现

the uniforms made for men were big where they should be small,

那些为男士定做的制服 该小的时候却过于宽松

and small where they should be big.

该宽松时却显窄小

So Lane, an Iraq War veteran -- you see her here on my left --

所以蕾恩，一名伊拉克战争老兵—— 我左边的那位——

decided she was going to go on Amazon

决定去亚马逊购物平台

and order a pair of Spanx to her base,

买一副弹性塑身内衣来打底

so that her pants would fit better when she went out on mission each night.

让自己在晚上执勤时裤子感觉更舒适

These women would get together over video conference

这些女士会一起开视频会议

from all around Afghanistan from their various bases,

不管她们各自在阿富汗的哪个基地

and they would talk about what it was like

她们都会讨论

to be one of the only women doing what they were doing.

成为女兵做着独一无二的事是怎样一种体验

They would swap jokes,

她们会互相讲笑话

they would talk about what was working, what wasn't,

她们会谈及工作及工作之外的事

what they had learned to do well, what they needed to do better.

聊聊她们取得哪些成就 还有哪方面的不足

And they would talk about some of the lighter moments of being women

她们也会聊作为女兵上阵特种部队前线

out on the Special Operations front lines,

一些轻松愉快的时候

including the Shewee,

比如“嘘嘘斗”

which was a tool that let you pee like a guy,

它能让你像个男人一样尿尿

although it's said to have had only a 40 percent accuracy rate out there.

但据说精准度只有40%

(Laughter)

（笑声）

These women lived in the "and."

这些女士生活在“并且”中

They proved you could be fierce and you could be feminine.

她们证明了你可以作为女性，并且很勇猛

You could wear mascara and body armor.

你可以涂上睫毛膏并且穿上防弹衣

You could love CrossFit, and really like cross-stitch.

你可以对高强度健身上瘾，并且对十字绣欲罢不能

You could love to climb out of helicopters and you could also love to bake cookies.

你可以热衷在直升机爬下的感觉， 并且享受烘焙曲奇的时刻

Women live in the and every single day,

女士们每天都活在这些“并且”当中

and these women brought that to this mission as well.

而且这帮女士把它带到任务中去

On this life and death battlefield they never forgot

在这片生死战场上，她们从未忘记

that being female may have brought them to the front lines,

是女人的身份把她们带到前线

but being a soldier is what would prove themselves there.

但成为战士，是她们证明自己的在那里的价值

There was the night Amber went out on mission,

有一晚安珀外出任务

and in talking to the women of the house,

和房子里的女人们交谈

realized that there was a barricaded shooter lying in wait

她意识到有一名隐蔽的枪手

for the Afghan and American forces who were waiting to enter the home.

在埋伏等待进到房子里的阿富汗和美国士兵

Another night it was Tristan who found out

另一晚，则是特里斯坦

that there were pieces that make up explosives

她发现在他们所处的房子周围

all around the house in which they were standing,

有好些炸药

and that in fact, explosives lay all the way between there

在他们所处的位置和那晚需要前去的地方之间

and where they were about to head that night.

一路上都铺满了炸药

There was the night another one of their teammates proved herself

有一晚，另一个队友证明了自己

to a decidedly skeptical team of SEALs,

作为一名海豹突击队应有的警觉性

when she found the intel item they were looking for

她发现在寻找的情报信息

wrapped up in a baby's wet diaper.

就裹在婴儿那湿湿的纸尿布上

And there was the night that Isabel, another one of their teammates,

还有一晚，伊萨贝尔，另一名队友

found the things that they were looking for,

发现了目标事物

and received an Impact Award from the Rangers

并获得了陆军游骑兵授予的影响力奖

who said that without her,

他们说如果没有她

the things and the people they were looking for that night

他们那晚搜寻的目标

would never have been found.

根本就没法找到

That night and so many others,

这么多个夜晚，这么多位女兵

they went out to prove themselves, not only for one another,

她们用行动证明了自己 不是为了队中的彼此

but for everybody who would come after them.

而是为了后来的人

And also for the men alongside whom they served.

也是为了和他们一起服役的男兵

We talk a lot about how behind every great man is a good woman.

我们听过不少“每个成功男人背后总有一个好女人”

And in this case,

而在这里

next to these women stood men who wanted to see them succeed.

站着这群女兵身边的男兵 他们想看到这群女兵成功

The Army Ranger who trained them had served 12 deployments.

训练她们的陆军游骑兵已经在12个部署服役过

And when they told him that he had to go train girls,

当他被告知他将训练这群女兵时

he had no idea what to expect.

他根本没有什么期望

But at the end of eight days with these women in the summer of 2011,

但在2011年夏天和女兵一起的 八天训练的最后时刻

he told his fellow Ranger, "We have just witnessed history.

他告诉他的陆军游骑队战友 “我们刚见证了历史

These may well be our own Tuskegee Airmen."

她们会成为属于我们自己的塔斯克基飞行员” （二战中美国军事历史上最早的非裔美籍的空军力量）

(Applause)

（掌声）

At the heart of this team was the one person

这支团队的核心人物

who everyone called "the best of us."

是一个大家称为“马中赤兔”的女士

She was a petite blonde dynamo,

她是一位身材娇小精力充沛的金发美女

who barely reached five-foot-three.

身高还不到一米六

And she was this wild mix of Martha Stewart,

她是玛莎·斯图尔特（美国女性财富人物）

and what we know as G.I. Jane.

和魔鬼女大兵G.I. Jane的狂野结合体

She was someone who loved to make dinner for her husband,

她是会为丈夫准备晚餐的贤妻

her Kent State ROTC sweetheart who pushed her to be her best,

她丈夫在肯特州后备役军官训练军团 一直支持鼓励她

and to trust herself,

信任她

and to test every limit she could.

充分挖掘她的潜能

She also loved to put 50 pounds of weight on her back and run for miles,

她也喜欢负重50磅跑上数英里

and she loved to be a soldier.

她深爱战士这个职业

She was somebody who had a bread maker in her office in Kandahar,

她会在坎大哈（阿富汗一城市） 办公室里放一个面包机

and would bake a batch of raisin bread, and then go to the gym

烘焙些葡萄干面包然后上健身房

and bust out 25 or 30 pull-ups from a dead hang.

然后做上25到30个引体向上

She was the person who, if you needed an extra pair of boots

如果你需要多一双靴子

or a home-cooked dinner, would be on your speed dial.

或是一桌精美晚餐 她几乎是随叫随到

Because she never, ever would talk to you

她从不会对你说

about how good she was,

自己有多厉害

but let her character speak through action.

而是用行动来告诉你她是怎样一个人

She was famous for taking the hard right over the easy wrong.

她坚持真理，朝抵抗力最大的路径走

And she was also famous for walking up to a 15-foot rope,

她也能走到四米半的绳子前

climbing it using only her arms,

仅用双臂就爬上去

and then shuffling away and apologizing,

然后下来道歉

because she knew she was supposed to use both her arms and her legs,

因为她知道她本该手脚并用地爬上去

as the Rangers had trained them.

就像陆军游骑队当时训练的一样

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Some of our heroes return home to tell their stories.

我们的英雄们有些回家告诉我们发生的事

And some of them don't.

有些则再也回不来

And on October 22, 2011,

在2011年10月22号

First Lieutenant Ashley White was killed alongside two Rangers,

中尉艾希莉·怀特和两名陆军游骑队牺牲了

Christopher Horns

他们是克里斯多夫·霍恩斯

and Kristoffer Domeij.

以及克里斯托弗·杜米基

Her death threw this program built for the shadows

她的牺牲把这个鲜为人知的项目

into a very public spotlight.

变成了众人的焦点

Because after all,

因为毕竟

the ban on women in combat was still very much in place.

女兵不准参加战斗的禁令仍在很多地方生效

And at her funeral,

在她的葬礼上

the head of Army Special Operations came, and gave a public testimony

特种部队的领导出席 并公开致辞

not just to the courage of Ashley White,

不单对艾希莉·怀特的英勇表示肯定

but to all her team of sisters.

还有她的所有女兵队友

"Make no mistake about it," he said, "these women are warriors,

“不要弄错，”他说，“这些女士都是战士

and they have written a new chapter in what it means to be a female

她们为美国女兵

in the United States Army."

撰写了新的篇章。”

Ashley's mom is a teacher's aide and a school bus driver,

艾希莉的母亲是一名助理教师 以及校巴司机

who bakes cookies on the side.

她还兼职烘焙曲奇

She doesn't remember much about that overwhelming set of days,

她记不太清那段不堪回忆的日子

in which grief -- enormous grief --

悲痛——巨大的悲痛——

mixed with pride.

夹杂着自豪的日子

But she does remember one moment.

但她却记得这么一个时刻

A stranger with a child in her hand came up to her

一名怀抱婴儿的陌生人来到她面前

and she said, "Mrs. White,

跟她说，“怀特太太，

I brought my daughter here today,

我今天把我女儿带到这里

because I wanted her to know what a hero was.

因为我想让她知道什么是英雄

And I wanted her to know that heroes could be women, too."

我想让她知道女人也可以成为英雄。”

It is time to celebrate all the unsung heroines

是时候为那些无名女英雄颂歌了

who reach into their guts

她们浑身是胆

and find the heart and the grit to keep going and to test every limit.

无所畏惧，迎刃而上

This very unlikely band of sisters bound forever in life and afterward

这群毫无血缘关系的姐妹们这辈子都心牵彼此

did indeed become part of history,

确实改变了历史

and they paved the way for so many who would come after them,

她们为后继者踏出了这一条路

as much as they stood on the shoulders of those who had come before.

就像当初踩在前者的肩膀一样

These women showed that warriors come in all shapes and sizes.

这些女士证明了英雄不问出处

And women can be heroes, too.

女人也可以成为英雄

Thank you so much.

谢谢大家

(Applause)

（掌声）