(Interpreter voice-over) Hello, everyone. My name is Keith Nolan. I’m a cadet private. My talk today is on the topic of the military. How many of you out there thought you’d ever like to join the military? I see a number of you nodding. And I thought the same thing ever since I was young.
(手譯員旁白)大家好, 我叫凱斯 • 諾蘭。 我是軍校實習二等兵。 我今天的演說主題是軍隊。 在座有多少人有想過要從軍? 我看到一些人點頭。 我很小的時候就有這個念頭了。
Growing up, I’d always wanted to join the military. I loved military history and I’ve read a great deal on the subject. Also, I have various family members, such as my grandfather and great uncle, who fought in World War II. And like them, I wanted the same thing: to serve my country. So the question is: Can I? No, I can’t. Why? Simply because I’m deaf. Regardless of that fact, I still had that longing to join the military.
成長過程中,我一直都想要從軍。 我愛軍史, 我讀了相當多的相關資料。 此外,我有幾位家人, 比如我的祖父和叔公, 都打過二次大戰。 我想要的和他們一樣:為國家效命。 問題是:我能嗎? 不,我不能。 為什麼?就因為我聽不見。 儘管如此,我依然渴望從軍。
For example, after I graduated from high school, three months before 9/11 occurred, I went to a naval recruiting center with high hopes of joining the navy. I went in and a strapping naval man stood up and addressed me. As he was speaking to me, it was impossible for me to read his lips, so I said, “I'm sorry, I’m deaf.” He tore off a little piece of paper and wrote down three words: “Bad ear. Disqual.” He didn't even fully spell out "Disqualified," just: “Bad ear. Disqual.” So I went on my way. I tried various locations a number of different times, trying to join, but over and over again, I got the same response: “Sorry, you’re deaf. We can’t accept you.”
像是我高中畢業後, 在發生 911 事件的3個月前, 我抱著能加入海軍的極大期望 去了海軍的招募中心。 我走進去,一個魁梧的 海軍人員站起來對我說話。 當他對我說話時, 我完全無法讀他的唇, 所以我說:「抱歉,我聽不到。」 他撕下了一張紙,寫下了幾個字: 「失聰。不合。」 他甚至沒有把「不合格」寫完整。 只寫了「失聰。不合。」 所以我就離開了。 我在不同的地點試了好幾次, 試圖想要加入, 但我每次都得到同樣的回應: 「抱歉。你聽不到。 我們不能讓你入伍。」
So I shifted gears and decided to become a teacher. I completed a master's in deaf education and taught for almost two years, until this past spring, when three things occurred that changed that course, the first of which, while I was teaching a high school history class. I’d lectured on the Mexican-American War. The bell had rung, and I was seated at my desk, when one of my students, who is deaf, approached me and said that he’d like to join the military. I said, “Ah, sorry. You can’t. You're deaf.” Then I caught myself. It struck me that all along I had been told no, I can’t, and now I was perpetuating that same message to the next generation, to my own student. That realization had a large impact that really resonated with me.
所以我轉換志向, 決定成為一名老師。 我取得了聽障教育的碩士學位, 教了快兩年的書, 直到這個春天,發生了三件事, 改變了我的道路, 第一件事,當我在教高中歷史課時, 教到美墨戰爭。 下課鈴聲響了,我坐在我的書桌前, 我的一位聽障學生過來找我, 他說他想要從軍。 我說:「啊,抱歉。 你不能,你有聽障。」 接著我回過神來。 我突然想起,長久以來別人 總是告訴我,不,我不能, 而現在我正傳遞著同樣的訊息 延續給下一代,給我自己的學生。 意識到這一點,對我的衝擊很大, 一直在我腦中迴響。
Now, the second thing that happened, my friend had just moved to Israel. Did you know that in Israel they accept deaf people into the military? How can deaf people be in the military, right? Could this really be true? Come on! Well, I went to Israel last summer to see for myself. I interviewed 10 deaf Israeli soldiers, all of those video interviews and questions I’ve compiled, and the findings, I’ll share with you later.
第二件事,是我的朋友 剛搬到以色列。 你們知道在以色列聽障人士 是可以從軍的嗎? 聽障人士怎麼可能從軍,對吧? 這有可能是真的嗎?拜託! 我去年夏天就自己跑去 以色列一探究竟。 我訪談了十位以色列的聽障士兵, 所有的訪談影片、 我匯編的問題及調查結果, 稍後都會和各位分享。
Thirdly, CSUN here, my alma mater, had recently started up an Army ROTC program. ROTC, which stands for Reserve Officer Training Corps, allows students working on their college majors to concurrently participate in the ROTC program. Upon graduation, ROTC students have a military career ready and waiting for them. So if one joined the army, one could commission as a second lieutenant. That's generally the ROTC program here at CSUN.
第三,加州州立大學 北嶺分校,我的母校, 近期開始了一項陸軍 ROTC 計畫, ROTC 代表的是 大學儲備軍官訓練團, 它讓學生可以一邊唸大學, 同時還能參與 ROTC 計畫。 ROTC 學生在畢業之後, 就有個軍人職涯準備好在等著他們。 所以,如果加入陸軍, 就可以被任命為少尉。 加州州立大學北嶺分校的 ROTC 計畫大致就是這樣。
Having learned that, I was intrigued. I already had a profession as a teacher, but I went ahead anyway and sent an email off to the program, explaining that I was a teacher of the deaf, wondering if I could take a few classes with them and perhaps share their lessons with my students. I got an email response back, and surprisingly, it was the first time that I wasn't told, "Sorry, no, you can’t. You’re deaf." It said, "Well, that's interesting. I think maybe we can work something out and you can take a few classes with us." This was unprecedented. So naturally, I was shocked. Although I was teaching, I decided I had to grab the opportunity right away and get my foot in the door. Altogether, that's how it transpired. Now, with all my life experiences, having talked with all the people I had, and given everything I’ve read, I decided to write a research paper called “Deaf in the Military.” I'll share with you what those 98 pages entail.
這點引發了我的好奇心。 我已經有了老師的職業, 但我還是發了一封 電子郵件給這個計畫, 解釋說我是教聽障學生的老師, 不知道我能否去上幾門他們的課, 也許能和我的學生分享所學的新知。 我收到了回信, 很意外,這是第一次對方沒有說: 「抱歉,你不能。你聽不見。」 回信寫著:「這挺有趣的。 我想也許我們能想想辦法, 你可以來上我們的幾門課。」 這是史無先例的。 很自然的,我很驚訝。 雖然我在教書,但我決定 我得要馬上抓住這個機會, 邁出第一步奪得先機。 總之,就是這樣發生的。 現在,以我自身的所有經驗, 加上訪談過的人和閱讀過的素材, 我決定要寫一篇研究論文, 叫做「軍中的聽障者」。 我會和各位分享 這 98 頁論文的內容。
Here in America, we’ve actually had deaf soldiers serving in the past. In fact, during the Texas War of Independence, there was a key character named Deaf Smith, who made a large contribution to that war effort. For the American Civil War, Gallaudet University actually has archived a list of deaf soldiers in that war from the North and the South, showing that deaf soldiers were even fighting against each other. During World War II, there are a few rare examples of deaf people who made it into the military at that time and were able to serve their country as well. History illustrates the fact that America has had deaf soldiers, in contrast to today.
在美國,過去其實有過聽障士兵。 事實上,在德克薩斯獨立戰爭中, 有個關鍵人物, 叫德夫(聾子)史密斯, 他對於那場戰爭有很大的貢獻。 至於南北戰爭, 高立德大學有一張記錄清單, 列出在該戰爭中的聽障士兵, 北方和南方都有, 顯示聽障士兵甚至還彼此對打。 在二次世界大戰期間, 還有幾個聽障人士從軍 並為國家效命的罕見例子。 歷史說明事實上美國有過聽障士兵, 現今卻不是如此。
In my paper, I also discuss the deaf Israeli soldiers. I learned that they serve in non-combat roles. The deaf soldiers are not on the front lines engaged in fire, but rather, are behind the lines serving in supportive roles. There are a plethora of various non-combat jobs accessible to the deaf: intelligence, computer technology, map drawing, supply, military dog training -- the list goes on. The communication between deaf Israeli soldiers and other soldiers who are hearing is carried out with the same approaches deaf people in general use with the hearing public on a daily basis. You can use your voice, lip-read, gestures, sometimes another soldier knows sign language and that can be utilized, pen and paper, texts, computers, emails -- seriously, there’s no magic wand necessary. It's the same thing we do every day. Interpreters are used there primarily for boot camp training. For the average work, it’s not necessary to have an interpreter by your side. The Israeli Army is comprised of small groups. Each of these units with deaf soldiers have developed their own way of communicating with each other, so there’s no need for interpreters. The top picture is of one soldier I met. The bottom photo is of Prime Minister Begin with a deaf soldier in Israel.
在我的論文中,我也討論了 以色列的聽障士兵。 我發現,他們扮演的是 非戰鬥的角色。 聽障士兵不會在最前線與敵人交戰, 而是在戰線後方扮演支援的角色。 有很多各式各樣的非戰鬥工作 可以讓聽障者擔任: 情報、電腦科技、地圖繪製、補給、 軍事犬訓練-- 還有很多。 聽障的以色列士兵 和其他聽力正常的士兵之間的溝通, 使用的方式就是聽障人士日常生活中 和一般大眾溝通的方式。 你可以用你的聲音、唇語、手勢, 有時也有其他會手語的士兵可協助, 紙筆、訊息、電腦、電子郵件-- 說真的,並不需要魔杖也行。 這就是我們每天在做的事。 手譯員主要在新兵訓練時才會用到。 一般的工作並不需要 有位手譯員在你身邊。 以色列軍隊是由小團體組成。 每一個有聽障士兵的單位都發展出 他們自己彼此溝通的方式, 所以並不需要手譯員。 上面的照片是我 見到的其中一位士兵。 下面的照片是比金總理 與一位聽障的以色列士兵。
Another part of my paper touches on disabled soldiers in the US Military. Obviously, military work can be dangerous and involve injury. One example here is Captain Luckett. Due to an explosion, he lost his leg. He’s recovered and currently has a prosthetic leg. Now that he’s strong, he's back in combat, still fighting in Afghanistan. It’s remarkable. And guess what? He’s not the only one. There are 40 other soldiers like him, amputees who are serving in combat zones. Incredible.
我的論文另一個部分是在談 美軍裡身心障礙的士兵。 顯然地,軍方的工作 具危險性且隨時會受傷。 路賽特上尉就是一個例子。 在一次爆炸中,他失去了一條腿。 他目前已經康復並裝上了義肢。 他很堅強,他已經回去打仗, 仍然在阿富汗戰鬥著。 很不可思議。 猜猜如何?他不是唯一的一位。 另外還有 40 名像他這樣的士兵, 雖被截肢但仍然在戰區服役。 相當了不起。
Also, we have a blind soldier here. While he was in Iraq, an explosion from a suicide car bomber destroyed his eyesight. He’s recovered and hasn’t left the army. The army has retained him on active duty, and he’s currently running a hospital for wounded soldiers. I also found out online about another soldier, who is deaf in one ear. He’s developed civil programs in Iraq, one of which actually started a school for the deaf in Iraq. All of this is incredible. But I am going to ask all of you: If the US Military can retain their disabled soldiers, why can’t they accept disabled citizens as well? Moreover, out of all the US Military jobs, 80% are non-combat positions. There are many jobs that we in the Deaf community can do. If I were to be in the military, I’d like to do intelligence work. But there is an array of other things we can do, such as mechanics, finance, medicine, etc.
我們還有一位失明的士兵。 當他在伊拉克時, 自殺汽車炸彈客的爆炸攻擊 毀了他的視力。 他康復了而且沒有離開軍隊。 軍隊留住他讓他繼續值勤, 他目前負責醫院裡受傷士兵的照管。 我也在網路上發現有另一名士兵, 他的一隻耳朵失聰。 他在伊拉克發展民間專案計畫, 其中一項就是在伊拉克 成立一間聽障學校。 這些都很了不起。 但我想要問在座所有人: 如果美軍能讓這些成為身障的 軍人繼續執勤, 為何他們不能接受身障的公民從軍? 此外,在所有的美國軍方工作中, 有 80% 是非戰鬥的職務。 有許多工作都是我們 聽障族群可以做的。 如果我在軍中,我會想做情報工作。 但還有一大堆我們可以做的事, 比如機工、財務、醫療等等。
So to summarize, I’ve presented three premises to support my argument, the first being, Israeli defense openly accepts deaf soldiers. If you have the qualities and skills required, they’ll take you. Secondly, the US Military has accommodations for retaining their disabled soldiers. And lastly, 80% of occupations in the military are non-combat. Now, can we Deaf Americans serve our country? Yes! Of course! Absolutely, without a doubt!
總結一下,我提出了三項 前提假設來支持我的論點, 第一,以色列國防軍 公開接受聽障士兵。 如果你有其所需的特質和技能, 他們就會招募你。 第二,美國軍方有無障礙設施 提供給身障的士兵。 最後,80% 的軍中職務 是非戰鬥性質的。 所以,我們聽障美國人 可以為國家效命嗎? 可以!當然!絕對可以,毫無疑問!
Now I’ll explain a bit about my experience in the Army ROTC, which began last fall. I have been involved with that thus far and it’s still going on now. Really, I need to preface this by saying that this is the first time my battalion had ever had a deaf cadet. They had never experienced that before. So of course, they were taken aback, wondering, initially, how I would do this or that, how would we communicate and such, which is a natural reaction, considering that many of them had never interacted with a deaf person prior to me. Plus, I was taken aback by this -- it was the real thing, the army. I had to learn a whole new world, full of military jargon, with its own culture and everything. So we started out slow, getting to know each other and learning how to work together, progressively.
讓我解釋一下我在 陸軍 ROTC 的經歷, 從去年秋天開始。 迄今我一直都在這個 計畫中,現在還是。 我需要先做個引言, 我要說這是我所屬的營 第一次有聽障軍校生。 他們從沒有過這種經驗。 當然,一開始他們很震驚也很納悶, 我要如何做這個或那個, 我們要如何溝通等等, 這是自然的反應, 畢竟他們當中很多人 從來沒有和聽障人士互動過, 我是第一個。 此外,我對此事也很訝異—— 要玩真的了,軍隊。 我得要學習一個全新的世界, 充滿了軍中的行話, 有它自己的文化和一切。 我們開始先慢慢來,互相認識彼此, 一步步學習如何一起共事。
For example, on the first day of class, I had no uniform. So I showed up in regular clothes, while the other cadets were all in uniform. I found out that every morning at 5:30, there was physical training, PT. On Fridays, there would be field training -- labs -- off-campus, and occasionally, we would have weekend training at a military base. So I showed up, ready, each morning at 5:30, with all the cadets in uniform and me in civilian clothes. They told me, “Hey, you know, you don't need to work out. You can just simply take classes.” I told them I wanted to, anyway. They acknowledged that, and I continued to show up every morning to train.
比如,開課的第一天,我沒有制服。 所以我穿著便服出席, 所有其他軍校生都穿著制服。 我發現,每天早上 5:30 都有體能訓練,簡稱 PT。 在星期五,會有實地演練 ——實驗室——在校區外, 我們偶爾會在軍事基地做週末訓練。 所以我每天早上 5:30 都出現且準備好了, 所有的軍校生都穿制服, 只有我穿便服。 他們告訴我:「嘿, 你知道嗎,你不需要鍛練。 你可以單純來上課就好了。」 我告訴他們,不論如何 我都想要參加。 他們認可了這一點,我每天 早上就持續出現參加訓練。
When Friday came, I asked if I could do the field training. I was told no, just stick with class. I insisted that I wanted to try. Somewhat reluctantly, they let me attend the lab, but only as an observer; I would only be allowed to sit and watch, not participate. Alright, so, I showed up on Friday, and watched as the cadets learned marching drill commands, like how to stand at attention, how to properly salute, and all the basics. I had to ask again if I could join. Finally, I got the go-ahead. I went to get in formation. I figured I better stand in the second line, so I could watch what the cadets were doing in the row ahead of me. But the officer who opened the door for me to join the ROTC program spotted me in the back and said, “Hey! Uh-uh. I want you in the front. You want to be a soldier? You've got to learn the commands just like the rest of them. You’re not going to follow other people. Learn it yourself!” I thought, "Wow. He’s viewing me like any person, giving dignity to who I am." I was impressed by that.
星期五到來時,我詢問 我能否去實地演練。 他們說,不行,上課就好。 我堅持我想要試試看。 雖有些不願意, 但還是讓我去了實驗室, 但只能當觀察者; 我只可坐在旁邊看,不能參與。 好,所以我星期五出席了, 看軍校學生學習行軍口令的操練, 像是如何立正、如何恰當地敬禮, 所有的基礎。 我得要再問一次我能否加入。 終於,我獲准了。 我也進了列隊中。 我想我站在第二排會比較好, 我可以看前排的軍校生在做什麼。 但同意讓我加入 ROTC 計畫的軍官 發現我在後面,說:「嘿! 呃,我要你到前面來。 你想要成為士兵? 你就得和所有其他人 一樣學會聽命令。 你不能跟著其他人做。 你要自己學!」 我心想:「哇。 他把我當一般人看待, 讓我很有尊嚴。」 那讓我印象深刻。
So as the weeks went by, I still didn’t have a uniform. I asked if it would be possible to get one, but I was told it wasn't. So I continued on that way, until one day, I was informed that I’d be getting a uniform. "Please!" I said, “Really? Why? What changed?” I was told, “We see your motivation, you show up every morning, dedicated, and always gave a 110% effort.” They wanted to give me the uniform. It was remarkable. We went to the warehouse to get my uniform. I assumed I’d just get a uniform and a pair of boots, nothing more. But they filled two duffel bags chock-full of gear: helmet, ammo vest, shovel, sleeping bag -- the whole nine yards. I was astonished. And I have to tell you, each morning that I get up and put on my uniform, I feel privileged. It’s truly an honor to wear the uniform.
幾週過去了,我仍然沒有制服。 我詢問有沒有可能拿到一件, 但我被告知不能。 我就繼續這樣下去, 直到有一天,我收到通知 說我會拿到一件制服。 「拜託!」我說:「真的假的? 為什麼?什麼改變了?」 我被告知:「我們看到你的動力, 你每早都出席、全心投入, 永遠付出 110% 的努力。」 他們想要給我一件制服。 那很不可思議。 我們到倉庫去拿我的制服。 我預期我會拿到一件制服、 一雙靴子,就這樣。 但他們把兩個圓筒包塞滿了裝備: 頭盔、戰術背心、鏟子、 睡袋——應有盡有。 我驚呆了。 我得告訴各位, 每天早上我起床穿上制服, 我感到好幸運。 能穿上制服真的是我的榮幸。
So, moving along, when it came time to train at the garrison base, at first, I was told I couldn’t go. There was concern on the ROTC's part that if the interpreter were to get injured during the training, it would be a liability issue. So we had to figure out all those issues and confusion, but we worked it out, and in the end, they let me go. That's how events were unfolding; I was permitted to do more and more.
所以,繼續說下去, 到了要到駐防基地訓練時, 一開始,我被告知我不能去。 ROTC 那邊有人有所考量, 怕手譯員會在訓練中受傷, 那就有責任問題了。 所以我們得要想辦法 處理這些問題和困惑, 但我們想出辦法了, 最終,他們讓我去了。 事情就這樣發展下去, 我獲准能做的事情越來越多。
Once, at the garrison base, during one of the training days, a huge Chinook helicopter with its tandem rotors landed right down to us, forcefully spinning exhilaration in the air. All of us cadets were supposed to be getting on board. Everyone was geared up and ready. However, the cadre had decided I wasn’t going to be able to ride the Chinook. They were afraid if the pilot shouted out orders, how would I be able to follow the instructions? I’d potentially cause a disruption. So I had to stand aside, while the others were filing toward the helicopter. I could see the cadre huddled up, discussing, mulling it over. At the last minute, one of them said, “Come on! Get on the helicopter!” I rushed over and got in. It was such a thrill.
有一次,在駐軍基地的某個訓練日, 一台有著前後主旋翼的大型 契努克直升機降落在我們面前, 空氣中充滿了興奮氣息。 我們所有的軍校生都應該要登機。 大家都整裝準備好了。 然而,幹部決定 我不能夠登上契努克。 他們害怕如果駕駛員大聲喊出命令, 我要如何遵從指示? 我有可能會打斷工作的進行。 所以我得要退開, 其他人則排隊前往直升機。 我可以看到幹部聚在一起, 討論和仔細考量。 最後一分鐘,其中一人說: 「來吧!上直升機!」 我飛奔過去上了直升機,真是興奮。
And that was the spirit of learning about and supporting one another that carried over. And since then, I’ve been involved in everything they do, without any separation. This is where my passion lies. I love them. I’ll show you some pictures here.
那就是了解彼此、支持彼此的精神 發揮作用。 從那之後,我參與了 他們的每一件任務, 沒有被分開。 這就是我的熱情所在。 我愛他們。讓我展示一些照片。
Bruin Battalion, Bravo Company -- that’s the name of the group I belong to. The cadre are the officers and sergeants who oversee the ROTC program. In the beginning, you can see, it was a bit of an awkward phase. But once they learned more about me and what I’m capable of doing, there's been tremendous support and unity. The cadets, my fellow peers -- well, when you train and sweat together, you feel the bond of camaraderie right away. A brother- or sisterly cohesiveness makes them like family. In training and military science classes, we learn theories of warfare, how to lead soldiers, how to do reconnaissance, strategies, how to knock out a bunker and land navigation, where you’re finding your way out in the mountains. As far as accommodations, I’ve been provided with interpreters through the National Center on Deafness, NCOD, here at CSUN. And I really have to thank them, because it's hard to find interpreters who are willing to wake up at 4:30 in the morning, or sometimes even 3:30 in the morning.
棕熊營B連——那是 我所屬團隊的名稱。 幹部是負責管理 ROTC 計畫的軍官和中士。 在一開始,各位可以看到, 算是尷尬期。 但當他們更了解我 以及我能做什麼之後, 就有大量的支持和團結。 軍校生,我的同袍—— 當你們一起訓練和流汗, 你馬上就會感受到同袍情誼。 兄弟或姐妹的凝聚力 讓他們就像家人。 在訓練中以及軍事科學課程中, 我們學到了戰爭的理論、 如何領導士兵、如何勘察、 制定策略、如何攻打地堡, 還有地面導航,在山中 要能找到你要走的路。 在適應上,國家聽障中心(NCOD) 提供手譯員到加州州立大學 北嶺分校給我。 我很感謝他們, 因為很難找手譯員 會願意在早上 4:30 起床, 有時甚至是早上 3:30。
That's the officer who emailed me back, saying I think you can have a few classes with us. That's Lieutenant Mendoza. That’s my interpreter there, before class starts. This is a picture from last fall, when we were new to training.
那位是回信告訴我說 可以跟他們一起上幾門課的 那位軍官。 那是曼杜札中尉。 那是我的手譯員, 這是開始上課之前。 這張照片是去年秋天拍的, 我們剛開始訓練。
This is Lieutenant Colonel Phelps, this being his name sign. He's the commanding officer of the entire Bruin Battalion. Every time I see him walk by, it’s rather inspiring. I mean, the way he presents himself, you can see he’s the epitome of a soldier. Plus, he doesn't view me as a deaf person. He looks at my skills and capabilities instead. He’s really pushed for me, and I respect him for all that.
這位是菲爾普斯中校, 這是他的名牌。 他是整個棕熊營的指揮官。 每次我看到他走過去, 就覺得很受鼓舞。 我是指他顯現出來的樣子, 你可以看出他是軍人的典範。 此外,他不把我當聽障人士看待。 他反而是看我的技能和能力。 他對我要求很高,對此我很尊敬他。
That’s me during one of the exercises. This is that Chinook helicopter I almost didn’t get on. Every cadet has a mentor. My mentor is Cinatl. He’s a really sharp soldier. He teaches me all the finer points and how to execute them ideally.
那是我,正在訓練。 這是我差點沒上去的契努克直升機。 每位軍校生都有一位導師。 我的導師是席納托。 他是位很嚴格的軍人。 他教我所有行家才知道的細節, 以及如何完美地執行。
This top picture is when a group of us went to Las Vegas to compete in a test, to see if we could match the German troops' physical training standards. It involved swimming, timed sprints, marksmanship and numerous fitness events. I passed them and satisfied the requirements to be awarded the gold German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge right here. This is one of the sergeants, Sergeant Richardson. I love this guy. He doesn't take baloney from any of us cadets.
上面的照片是我們一群人 前往拉斯維加斯 去參加一項測驗競賽, 看我們能否符合德國 軍隊的體態訓練標準。 它包括游泳、定時衝刺、 射擊術以及許多健身活動。 我通過了並符合了各項要求, 獲頒德國聯邦國防軍陸軍的 專科獎章,就在這裡。 這是其中一位中士,理查森中士。 我很愛這傢伙。他不理會 我們軍校生的胡扯。
Here I am one morning, when we trekked seven and a half miles with a 40-pound rucksack in less than two hours. Here are a few of my fellow cadets. I've been with them long enough that I’ve developed name signs for them. On the right, here, is Trinidad. I gave him this name sign because he's always very sarcastic. He's a veteran, having served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The female is Frigo, whose nickname is "Refrigerator," hence her name sign. We’re always competing intellectually in class. The cadet on the end is Jarvy. He's a top athlete. I've given him this sign because of the scar he has here.
這是我,在一個早晨, 我們背著 40 磅的帆布背包 跋涉了 7 英哩半, 花了不到2小時。 這裡是幾位軍校生伙伴。 我和他們相處得夠久, 我幫他們發明了手語名字。 右手邊的是特立尼達。 我給他這個手語名字是 因為他總是很會諷刺人。 他是個老兵,在伊拉克 和阿富汗服役過。 這位女性是佛里歌, 她的暱稱是「冰箱」, 所以才有這個手語名字。 我們總是在課堂上做腦力競賽。 最後的軍校生是賈維, 他是頂尖運動員。 我給他這個手語名字, 因為他這裡有個疤。
Do you know who this is? This is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is the highest-ranking military officer and principal military advisor to President Obama and Secretary of Defense Gates. He gave a talk at UCLA to a full house. Afterwards, I lined up to shake his hand. Having done so, I greeted him, “It’s a great pleasure to meet you.” I signed and my interpreter voiced for me. Admiral Mullen turned to the interpreter and said, “It’s nice to meet you,” addressing the interpreter, who refrained to clarify. He seemed a little confused and just quickly moved on to shake hands with the rest of the soldiers. So I’m not sure whether he really knew that I'm deaf or not.
你們知道這是誰嗎? 這是美國參謀長聯席會議的主席。 他是軍方最高階級的軍官, 也是歐巴馬總統和國防部長蓋茲的 首席軍事顧問。 他在加利福尼亞大學 洛杉磯分校的演說坐無虛席。 演說後,我排隊去和他握手。 握手後,我問候他: 「很榮幸見到您。」 我比手語並讓我的手譯員幫我發聲。 馬倫上將轉向手譯員說: 「很高興見到你。」 他對手譯員說話, 手譯員並沒有說明我是聽障者。 他似乎有點困惑,很快就繼續 去和其他士兵握手去了。 我不確定他是否知道我聽不見。
So everything’s been moving along, gung-ho, full speed ahead, until two weeks ago, when something occurred. Well, the ROTC has four levels. I’m currently doing the first two levels, which finishes up this May. The third level will begin in the fall. But in order to move up, you need to pass a medical exam. Obviously, I’m deaf, so I’d fail a hearing test. So we sat down, and I was told that if I wanted to continue to the third level, I couldn’t do any of the PT workouts in the morning, nor the Friday lab field trainings, nor the army base trainings. My uniform, I would have to give back as well. I could take the classes, audit them, and that’s all. It really hit me. It was a huge blow.
一切就這樣走下去, 很有熱忱地全速前進, 直到兩週前, 發生了一件事。 ROTC 有四個等級。 我目前在前兩級, 在今年五月就會結束。 第三級秋天會開始。 要向上一級晉升,得要通過體檢。 很顯然,我聽不到, 所以我的聽力測試沒有過。 我們坐下來談, 我被告知,如果我 想要持續到第三級, 我早上就不能做任何 PT 訓練, 星期五也不能做實驗室實地演練 或是陸軍基地訓練。 我也得要把制服還回去。 我可以修課旁聽,就這樣。 這對我來說是個很大的打擊。
Many of the officers and cadets have empathized with this sudden shock of disappointment, and are wondering why this has to be the case. Colonel Phelps has tried to speak with the higher-ups in the chain of command and explain to them that I’m one of the top cadets, having passed all the events and receiving high marks on my exams. But their response is unwavering: policy is policy, and if you’re deaf, you’re disqualified. I know that the cadre has tried to find various ways. They found out that there's a deaf cadet at The Citadel, a military college in South Carolina. That particular cadet will be completing his fourth year there and graduating this May. Yet, he's in the same predicament that I'm in -- unable to join the army because he’s deaf.
許多軍官和軍校生都對於這突如其來 讓人震驚的失望都感同身受, 且很納悶為什麼會這樣。 菲爾普斯上校試圖和指揮系統的 高層談過, 向他們解釋,我是 最優秀的軍校生之一, 通過所有的項目, 考試成績也非常高。 但他們的回應很堅決: 政策就是政策,如果你是 聽障人士,你就不合格。 我知道幹部試了很多方式。 他們發現在南加州的 西塔岱爾軍事學院, 也有一個聽障的軍校生。 那個軍校生將會完成第四年的學業, 在今年五月畢業。 然而,他和我的處境相同—— 因為他是聽障人士而無法加入軍隊。
Yet, all of my fellow cadets and the officers have told me not to give up; the policy must change. I was advised to talk with my congressman. And I've brought this issue to Henry Waxman, the district congressman here in LA, to get the ball rolling with his advocacy for my cause. However, I need your help and support to lobby. All of us, you know?
但,我所有的軍校生伙伴 和軍官都告訴我 不要放棄;政策必須要改變。 我得到的建議是去和國會議員談談。 我帶著這個議題去找 亨利 • 威克斯曼, 他是洛杉磯選區的國會議員, 請他支持我的理想讓我繼續走下去。 然而,我需要你們的 協助和支持來進行遊說。 所有的人一起。
If you remember back in US history, African-Americans were told they couldn’t join the military, and now they serve. Women as well were banned, but now they've been allowed. The military has and is changing. Today is our time. Now it’s our turn.
如果你們還記得在美國歷史上, 非裔美國人曾經不能夠從軍入伍, 但現在他們能服役了。 女性過去被禁止,現在則被允許了。 軍方已經而且正在改變。 現在,是該換我們的時候了。
Hooah!
呼啊!(陸軍俚語)
(Applause)
(掌聲)