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

譯者: Yanqi Yang 審譯者: Xiaoya Song

Every group of female friends has the funny one,

每個女性朋友圈中都有一個開心果，

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

當你想要大哭一場時你可以去找她，

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

當你遭遇困難的時候她會安慰你要加油振作。

And this group was no different.

下面我要講述的這個朋友圈也是一樣，

Except that this was a community of groundbreaking women

除了她們是一群獨具開創性的女子。

who came together --

她們相聚，

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

成為隊友，朋友，最後變為彼此的家人。

in the least likely of places:

在最不可能發生這一切的地方──

on the Special Operations battlefield.

特種部隊戰場上。

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

友情和勇氣鑄造了這群女子，

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

這不僅是因為她們在槍林彈雨鋒奮力拼搏，

but by the fact that they were there

還因為這麼一個事實──

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

在那個時期

remained banned from ground combat,

女性至少在官方是禁止參加地面作戰的，

and America had no idea they existed.

然而美國人對她們的存在也並不知情。

This story begins with Special Operations leaders,

讓我們的故事從特種部隊隊長開始吧。

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

一些經受過殘酷戰爭考驗的美國男士兵說

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

“我們需要女性來幫我們結束戰爭。”

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

然而有些人說 “美國是絕對不會結束戰爭的，

"Needed more knowledge and more understanding."

這需要更多的對戰爭的知識和理解。”

And as everyone knows,

衆所周知，

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

如果想要了解一個社區 或者一個家庭正在發生什麼

you talk to women,

你得和（這個社區或者家庭的）女人聊天，

whether you're talking about Southern Afghanistan,

不管你是聊聊阿富汗南部

or Southern California.

還是加州南部。

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

但是在今天這個故事裡， 男人不能和女人聊天，

because in a conservative and traditional society like Afghanistan,

因為在像阿富汗這種傳統社會裡，

that would cause grave offense.

這種聊天會被視為極大的冒犯。

So you needed women soldiers out there.

所以你需要女兵到那裡去。

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

也就是說，在此時的戰爭中，

那些被陸軍遊擊隊 和海軍海豹突擊隊招募去的女兵

to serve alongside Army Rangers and Navy SEALs,

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

會看到不到百分之五的

of the entire United States military.

美國士兵所經歷的那種戰爭。

Less than five percent.

不到百分之五。

So the call went out.

所以有這樣的口號

"Female soldiers: Become a part of history.

“ 女兵們：成就歷史。

Join Special Operations on the battlefield in Afghanistan."

加入特種部隊在阿富汗的戰場吧。”

This is in 2011.

這發生在2011年。

And from Alabama to Alaska,

從阿巴拉馬州到阿拉斯加州，

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

有一群想要和精英中的精英

alongside the best of the best,

並肩作戰的，

and to make a difference for their country,

想要為國家有所貢獻的女性們

answered that call to serve.

相應了號召。

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

對於她們而言這無關政治，僅僅是真心奉獻。

And so, the women who came to North Carolina

所以她們來到北卡萊羅拉州

to compete for a spot on these teams

爭取留在隊中的名額。

which would put women on the Special Operations front lines,

跟隨隊伍，女兵們會去到特種部隊前線，

landed and found very quickly a community,

迅速安營紮寨，

the likes of which they had never seen.

並結識了素未相識卻志同道合的夥伴。

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

這裡都是強壯威猛的女子，

and as driven to make a difference.

壯志淩雲，無可匹敵。

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

她們無需為自己感到抱歉，

and in fact, they could celebrate it.

相反，她們為此感到慶倖。

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

在那裡她們突然發現，

這有很多和自己類似的人們。

there were lots of people like them.

As one of them said,

就像她們其中一個說：

"It was like you looked around and realized

“ 這種感覺就像你環望四周，

there was more than one giraffe at the zoo."

發現動物園裡不止自己這麼一隻長頸鹿啊。”

Among this team of standouts was Cassie,

在這些精英中有個叫Cassie的年輕女性，

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

她不僅是預備役軍官訓練營學員， 女生聯誼會的一員

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

還輔修女性研究課程。

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

Tristan， 一位西點軍校的田徑明星，

在跑步和行軍時總不穿襪子，

with no socks,

and had shoes whose smell proved it.

鞋子的味道已經出賣了她。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

Amber，有些像小說里的海蒂， 總想著去步兵團，

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

當她發現他們不招女兵時，

she decided to become an intel officer.

她決定成為一個情報員。

She served in Bosnia,

她在波斯尼亞服役，

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

之後協助聯邦調查員 瓦解了賓夕法尼亞州的大毒梟。

And then there was Kate, who played high school football

接下來是Kate，她高中四年

all four years,

都效力於校橄欖球隊，

and actually wanted to drop out after the first,

但其實她第一年的時候就想輟學

to go into the glee club,

去合唱團，

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

但當那些男孩告訴她女孩玩不了橄欖球時

she decided to stay

她決定留下來，

for all the little girls who would come after her.

為小學妹們樹立榜樣。

For them, biology had shaped part of their destiny,

對她們而言，生理侷限了她們部份命運，

and put, as Cassie once said,

就像Cassie曾經說過，

"everything noble out of reach for girls."

“高尚的事物對女孩來說遙不可及。”

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

然而，現在就有一個機會 和精英中的精英在一起，

on a mission that mattered to their country,

在緊要關頭為國效力，

not despite the fact that they were female,

女性身份在這時對於她們來說並非劣勢，

but because of it.

反而成了優勢。

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

這群女子在很多方面和大多數女性一樣。

They wore makeup, and in fact,

她們也會梳妝打扮，事實上

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

她們會聚在洗手間畫眼線和眼影，

They also wore body armor.

也會穿上防彈衣。

They would put 50 pounds of weight on their backs,

她們會肩負50磅的負荷

and board the helicopter for an operation,

登上直升飛機執行任務，

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

任務完畢回來后看上一部“伴娘我最大”。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

They even wore a thing called Spanx,

她們甚至還穿著Spanx(彈性塑身內衣品牌），

because, as they found very quickly,

因為很快她們就發現

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

那些為男士訂做的制服 該緊身的時候過於寬鬆，

and small where they should be big.

該寬鬆的時候又過於緊身。

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

所以Lane, 一位伊拉克戰爭老兵， 在我左手邊的那位──

decided she was going to go on Amazon

決定去亞馬遜

and order a pair of Spanx to her base,

買一套彈性塑身內衣來打底，

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

這樣在晚上執勤時褲子會穿著更舒服。

These women would get together over video conference

這些女性會一起開視訊會議，

from all around Afghanistan from their various bases,

不管她們在阿富汗的那個區域，

and they would talk about what it was like

她們都會討論

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

成為女兵是怎樣一種體驗。

They would swap jokes,

她們會相互調侃，

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

會談及工作以及工作以外的事，

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

聊聊她們取得的成績和需要改善的地方。

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

她們也會聊聊作為女兵在特種部隊前線

out on the Special Operations front lines,

一些輕鬆愉快地回憶，

including the Shewee,

比如“噓噓斗”，

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

它能讓你像個男人一樣小便，

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

但據說精確度只有百分之40。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

These women lived in the "and."

這些女性生活在“並且”之中

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

她們證明了你可以是女性，並且很英勇。

You could wear mascara and body armor.

你可以塗上睫毛膏並且穿上防彈衣，

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

你可以熱愛健身，並且喜歡十字繡。

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

你可以喜歡縱身跳下直升機的感覺， 並且享受烘焙餅乾的時刻。

Women live in the and every single day,

這些女性每天都活在“並且”之中，

and these women brought that to this mission as well.

這也體現在她們執行任務時候。

On this life and death battlefield they never forgot

在這片生死戰場上，她們從未忘記

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

是女性的身份把她們帶到前線，

but being a soldier is what would prove themselves there.

但是作為戰士也恰恰 體現了她們在那裡的價值。

There was the night Amber went out on mission,

有一晚Amber外出執行任務，

and in talking to the women of the house,

和一個主婦聊天時，

realized that there was a barricaded shooter lying in wait

覺察到有一名隱藏的狙擊手

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

在埋伏等待進入房間的阿富汗和美國士兵。

Another night it was Tristan who found out

另一晚則是Tristan，

that there were pieces that make up explosives

她發現她們所處的房子周圍

all around the house in which they were standing,

有很多炸藥，

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

而事實上，那晚 從她們所在地到執行任務的地點，

and where they were about to head that night.

一路上都鋪滿了炸藥。

There was the night another one of their teammates proved herself

另一個夜晚，一個隊友證明了自己

to a decidedly skeptical team of SEALs,

作為海豹突擊隊隊員應有的警覺性，

when she found the intel item they were looking for

因為她發現她們要找的情報

wrapped up in a baby's wet diaper.

就裹在一個嬰兒濕濕的尿布上。

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

還有一個夜晚，Isabel，另一名隊友，

found the things that they were looking for,

發現了目標

and received an Impact Award from the Rangers

並被陸軍遊騎兵授予影響力獎，

who said that without her,

他們說如果沒有她，

the things and the people they were looking for that night

他們那晚搜尋的目標

would never have been found.

根本沒法找到。

That night and so many others,

許多夜晚，許多女兵，

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

她們用行動證明了自己， 不是為了隊中的彼此，

but for everybody who would come after them.

而是為了後繼者，

And also for the men alongside whom they served.

也為了和她們並肩作戰的男兵們。

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

我們聽過不少 “成功男人的背後總有一個好女人”。

And in this case,

而在這裡

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

站在女兵身邊的男兵們， 他們也渴望看到這群女兵成功。

The Army Ranger who trained them had served 12 deployments.

訓練她們的陸軍游騎兵曾在12個部署服役。

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

當他被告知他將訓練這群女兵時

he had no idea what to expect.

他壓根沒報什麼期望。

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

但是在2011年夏天 和女兵一起訓練的結束的第八天，

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

他告訴了他陸軍遊騎隊戰友： “我們剛剛見證了歷史，

These may well be our own Tuskegee Airmen."

她們會成為屬於我們自己的塔斯克斯飛行員。” （二戰中美國軍事史上最早的非裔美籍空軍）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

At the heart of this team was the one person

這隻團隊的核心人物

who everyone called "the best of us."

是被大家稱為“馬中赤兔”的女士。

She was a petite blonde dynamo,

她是一名身材矮小卻盡力充沛的金髮美女，

who barely reached five-foot-three.

身高還不到160cm，

And she was this wild mix of Martha Stewart,

她是Martha Stewart（美國女性財富人物）

and what we know as G.I. Jane.

和魔鬼女大兵G.I.Jane的狂野結合體。

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

她是會為丈夫準備晚餐的賢妻，

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

她丈夫在肯特州 後備役軍官訓練軍團一直鼓勵她、

and to trust herself,

信任她，

and to test every limit she could.

充分挖掘她的潛能。

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

她也喜歡負重50磅跑上數英里，

and she loved to be a soldier.

她也深愛戰士這個職業。

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

她會在坎大哈（阿富汗某城市） 放上一個麵包機，

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

烤些葡萄乾麵包然後上健身房

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

做25到30個引體向上。

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

如果你需要多一雙靴子，

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

或是做一桌精美的晚餐，她會隨叫隨到。

Because she never, ever would talk to you

她從不提及

about how good she was,

自己有多厲害，

but let her character speak through action.

而是用實際行動告訴你她是個怎樣的人。

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

相比錯誤而容易的道路， 她總是選擇正確而艱難的那一條。

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

她也能在四米半的繩子面前

climbing it using only her arms,

僅用雙臂爬過去，

and then shuffling away and apologizing,

然後下來道歉，

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

因為她知道她本該手腳並用的爬過去，

as the Rangers had trained them.

就像陸軍遊騎隊當時的訓練一樣。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Some of our heroes return home to tell their stories.

我們的英雄有些會回來 和我們分享她們的故事，

And some of them don't.

有些卻再也回不來。

And on October 22, 2011,

在2011年10月22號

First Lieutenant Ashley White was killed alongside two Rangers,

中尉Ashley White 和兩名陸軍遊騎隊隊員犧牲了，

Christopher Horns

她們是Christopher Horns

and Kristoffer Domeij.

和Kristoffer Domeij。

Her death threw this program built for the shadows

她的犧牲把這個鮮為人知的計劃

into a very public spotlight.

變成了公眾的焦點。

Because after all,

但畢竟因為

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

女兵不允許參加戰爭的禁令 仍在很多地方生效。

And at her funeral,

在她的葬禮上，

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

特種部隊的領導出席並公開致辭，

not just to the courage of Ashley White,

不單單是對Ashley White的英勇表示肯定，

but to all her team of sisters.

更是對她的所有女兵戰友的肯定。

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

“請大家不要弄錯，” 他說：“這些女士都是戰士，

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

她們為美國女兵

in the United States Army."

撰寫了新篇章。”

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

Ashley的媽媽是一名助理教師和校巴司機，

who bakes cookies on the side.

她還兼職烘焙餅乾。

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

她記不太清那段不堪回憶的日子，

in which grief -- enormous grief --

那是悲痛──巨大的悲痛──

mixed with pride.

夾雜著自豪的日子。

But she does remember one moment.

但她卻記得這麼一個時刻，

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

一名懷抱嬰兒的陌生人走到她面前，

and she said, "Mrs. White,

對她說：“懷特太太，

I brought my daughter here today,

我今天把我女兒帶到這裡來，

because I wanted her to know what a hero was.

因為我想讓她知道什麼是英雄，

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

我還想讓她明白女人也可以成為英雄。”

It is time to celebrate all the unsung heroines

是時候為那些無名女英雄歌頌了，

who reach into their guts

她們渾身是膽，

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

無所畏懼，迎刃而上。

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

這群毫無血緣關係的姐妹們 這輩子都相互牽掛，

did indeed become part of history,

她們也確實成就了歷史。

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

她們為後繼者開創了這一條路，

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

就像當初踩在前輩們的肩膀上一樣。

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

這些女士證明了英雄不問出處，

And women can be heroes, too.

女人也可以成為英雄。

Thank you so much.

謝謝大家。

(Applause)

（掌聲）