9/11读者剧场,2012年秋季
I remember going to school
就像四年级的其他日子一样。
我记得我们的老师
扎着栗色的头发
扎着马尾辫，摇摆着
她在黑板上写的时候来来回回。
The intercom made crackling noises
announcing that the airplane crashed in N.Y.
我记得看着老师的蓝眼睛睁大了
她的白板笔掉在地上。
她让我们不要担心
她跑向教室的电话。
�Mike, call Anne and Kris. I don�t know
their numbers and I don�t remember where
他们的工作在那个城市。Mike, please, I�ll have a lot
对付这些孩子；检查一下
my aunt and her husband.�
我记得古拉特女士试图
deep breaths and calmly explain to
课堂上发生了什么。我什么都不知道。
I remember going throughout the rest of the day
trying to think of any family I had in
可能在纽约；
我一个也没找到。
I remember feeling relieved,
with the weight of the world not yet weighing
直到我回到家
and saw the plane crash into the tall buildings,
在每一个新闻频道里，一遍又一遍
my parents flipped through.
Kc
It was a blank sunny Tuesday, and the
加利福尼亚的天空晴朗而完美。
爸爸喝着咖啡，我记得我吃了麦圈
为什么我们总是记得
这些创伤性事件中最无意义的细节是什么？
I may have also been wearing a black T-shirt.
我们没有意识到有些事情已经发生了
happened until we both got to school—he
作为一个老师，我作为一个学生，
午饭前我们各奔东西。
Then my friends approached me, questioning,
worry and fear in their eyes.
你听说发生什么事了吗？� �Did you?�
在几乎每一节课上，老师
打开新闻直播，因为
没人能不去想它
或谈论它
老师们很快就意识到了这一点他们的教训
plans were meaningless.
In French II, a girl�s cousin had been on
其中一架飞机。（我后来才知道）。
In Chemistry, we watched in collective
当电视屏幕上显示图像时，一片寂静
黑头发的男人和男孩在地球另一端跳跃的画面
up and down, leaping and chanting nonsense
sounds at us with flags in their fists and
hatred in their eyes.
我们心中充满恐惧，紧张情绪高涨。
Later I met my dad in his classroom and
he told me how the jewelry class teacher
first told him about it. 爸爸喊道,
�You�re shitting me!�
“我没有骗你！”� Mr. Dwyer replied.
Apparently this is how teachers converse
when not in the presence of their students.
双子塔倒塌数小时后
and we had all seen our share of the
重复的片段:
喷射机在空气中喷射
the beams, the glass and metal casements,
The ashen clouds billowing through
街上,
还有那些把自己扔出去的人
窗户看起来像黑色的布娃娃。
米歇尔
我很困惑
这是什么意思？什么将这意味着什么?
很多人又跑又叫，
这么多烟
My mom is doing my hair before she
takes me to school
How is everyone else reacting?
We are sitting in our classroom,
waiting for our teacher to come.
他进来了，一脸怒容。
He is angry, the most American man
他是我见过的最愤怒的人。
这真的很严重。
我们校长上了广播
系统告诉我们不必担心；
we are safe in this school.
每个人都面无表情地看着他们的的脸。
I can�t read their thoughts
他们和我一样困惑吗？
but the principal hardly
uses the P.A. system and today he did.
我的老师从不安静或
他是愤怒的今天。
我从来不知道那些高楼大厦
为了这个国家。
但我知道每一个人
meant a great deal to someone.
飞机和里面的人
well� and the Pentagon
那么多的面孔和灵魂
走了，却从未被遗忘。
伊芙琳
seeing those people on TV so scared
还有他们的脸，我甚至都画不出来
用语言表达他们脸上的表情
were trying to say.
I was sitting in the living room
my hand over my stomach,
pregnant with my first child. 第一个
thing that crossed my mind was
我能见到他吗过
know what it is to be a mother?�
只有上帝知道答案
only he knew all the answers to what
发生了。
为什么?如何?Was this for real?
我们应该生活在最
safe and perfect country.
我为什么要成为这个国家的一部分？
I thought about the people in the planes
in the towers
you just never know what could happen
None of them or us knew that September 11th
would be a date never forgotten and always remembered.
Johana
每个人都盯着电视看。沉默。
Breakfast gets cold. Well, not my cereal.
火。烟。人们尖叫。混乱。Sirens.
这就像一部动作片，但我知道这是真的。
It�s a lot scarier than any movie I�ve ever seen.
But I knew anytime someone messed with America
兰博会照顾他们。
Why can�t Rambo kill the bad guys and save the
people in trouble, like he does in the movies?
德文郡
I�ve been here less than a year and already I hate it.
发生了一件大事，很多人死了，还有穆斯林
are getting blamed. We didn�t do it. Well, I didn�t. 我才10岁。
事情发生的时候我在学校。 I am sad though. 我是
为所有失去生命的人感到抱歉。My whole family
is sorry, but we didn�t do it. 我妈身上的那个东西
头不是抹布；it�s a scarf. Don�t call her a terrorist. 她
is a nice person if you know her. 等等，你
甚至不知道伊斯兰教是什么意思？我打赌你不知道。
我决定将 wear my scarf too, just like my mom. 这种方式
我的朋友可以看到我还是原来的我。I hate the people
who give Muslims a bad name.
阿米娜
我回家高兴地看到
我的家人。
It�s early.
I surprise them. They wake and make my favorite
strawberry waffles.
We share smiles as I share my training.
她尖叫，我不知道为什么。
The Pentagon, the Twins, the fields.
Smoke, everywhere. 我们看
Quietly a second plane hits and
它
崩溃。
We collapse
当它落下的时候。
人们倒下倒下
我
fall into her arms and
崩溃，欢迎的吻转身
痛苦地告别。
How am I supposed to save those that collapsed, when I
too am falling?
佩雷斯就是一个例证
The TV was on when I woke up
电视是从来没有 on when I woke up
Right away I saw images of burning
buildings and rubble
My mom was sitting on the couch
难以置信地
我看了看电视，看了看她，又看了看电视
The Twin Towers� was all she said
Counselors came into class that day
They told us to write about how we
感觉
I felt confused, I was thirteen
苏珊娜哭了;she had family in
纽约
Words like Terrorism, Al Qaeda, Iraq,
and war were everywhere
San Francisco is next
Classmates began talking of war and
草案
My mind jumped to my two older brothers
They won�t go
他们会吗?
不，别这么想
Images of the planes flying into the
塔
双子塔倒在地上
People screaming, crying, running
一遍又一遍地回放
好几个星期
归零地
科里
那些微小的数字自由下落
死定了
这是他们最后一次自由选择。
我的选择:看屏幕
或者转过头去。
老师，我的父母
�,他们不知道该说什么。
他们无法解释或理解
就像我一样。
我们都坐在沉默
想知道为什么。
Onette
7th年级。
困惑。 我真的不明白。
The TV was on in the living room and I ate my
早餐。那天早上谁也没说一句话
我想那是因为它是
早....。
我突然想到坐在教室里。
Social Studies.
这就是我得到解释的地方
发生了。
电视也在那里。
All class. It didn�t stop. 一次也没有。
The teacher was talking but I didn�t hear her,
我的眼睛，我的思想，我的耳朵都停留在
电视就像你手指上的强力胶。
现在我明白了。现在我明白了。
阿什利
我们坐在红绿灯前
再右转一次
我会在学校的教室里
六年级学生
我和他至今都不是朋友
电台播音员不停地重复
飞机撞进了双子塔
妈妈沉默了。
我不明白。
学校里的孩子们都在谈论这件事。
我不明白。
我感到孤独。
我想知道飞机上的那些人是否感到孤独。
考特尼
飞机撞上建筑物。
On my TV screen.
它没有触动我。
It didn�t touch me because it was
就像电影一样。
上课中断了
为了集会。
我们聚集在这里是因为
已经发生的悲惨事件
It was a tragedy.
就像我课本上写的那样
就像那些离我那么远的人。
The tragedy across country
没有碰我。
不能碰我
In my history class, Mrs. Reynolds
停顿了一下，她的眼睛闪闪发光，
moist all of a sudden
I didn�t know where it came from
讲座悬在半空中。
对不起，对不起
She�s sorry for the tears in her eyes.
我愁眉苦脸，因为没人应该
apologize for crying.
��年代错了什么?� someone asks.
另一个暂停。
�My cousin works in that building.�
And only then did it happen.
直到那时它才触动了我。
奥利维亚
恐慌、恐怖主义、袭击。
I remember this day because my mom came
把我弟弟和我从学校弄出来，
说我们得跟爸爸说再见了。
他很快就要走了。
我们回到家，大部分时间都在等着
for the call�
And Daddy was at war days before they
在新闻上宣布了。
最初的几年是最轻松的，
人们支持军队，飘扬旗帜，
我们都为自己是美国人而自豪。
Then the attitudes changed, all
of a sudden nobody cared about the
troops anymore, they were blamed for
the failing economy, and no flags
不再是半旗飘扬了。
America had recovered while our
men were still at war, and there
孩子们还在长大吗
without fathers and sons and sisters.
2006年8月27日，我满16岁。
It was the day my father died.
我母亲埋葬了她的痛苦
那天也没告诉我。
我想她是想帮我一把
祝你生日快乐。
我父亲战死沙场
everyone else has forgotten about.
现在我哥哥接电话了
爸爸离开的地方
去打一场没人在乎的战争
对了。
Second generation West Point cadet.
权力和声望。
上帝保佑美国。
谢利
一节课接着一节课地坐着——从0到7
我们看了电视上的恐怖场面
We were told to talk, say what you want
但谁的话都听不懂。
我们相隔如此遥远
这里充满了我们自己，仿佛是另一个世界。
我们试着设身处地为他们着想，
并为许多没有回家的人哀悼
对他们的妻子，丈夫，孩子，母亲，父亲，
兄弟姐妹们。
合唱团老师让我们唱歌
爱国歌曲，我们中的一些人哭着走完全程。
这似乎是毫无意义的，而新闻
was only confusing us more
随着细节的公布，我们开始
understand, and mourn for more.
我们离得那么远，吃得那么饱
of ourselves�
It seemed a world away�
We were only 16�
艾丽西亚
�Mr. President,� he said, �there has been an �attack,��
我就一直在看这本图画书
假装我对这里很感兴趣
when I�d rather be wrapped up in bed,
like a burrito. “乔治·布什的墨西哥卷饼，嘿嘿。
What do you suppose I should do, Daddy?
我该怎么办，切尼？
我该怎么办，威格斯先生？
Mr. Wiggles is my teddy bear,
sitting all alone in my bed,
without me to keep him company!
但那不好；I can�t do that.
I�m the President of the United States.
And people are looking to me for leadership.
And I ask myself: �What would Mr. Wiggles do?�
And then it hits me, like a Rock-�em Sick-�em robot,
威格斯先生会揍恐怖分子的。
�Look out, terrorizers. 威格斯先生来了
乔恩
So sleepy. 我为什么醒了？
一个电话。From Karen ——纽约
发生了一件事
Mom cried. 我去上学了。
Tried to stay home – anything to
get out of going to school.
Mom said I had to go.
组装。
崩溃。崩溃。崩溃。
再三。
Every teacher with their opinion. 他们的演讲。
再三。
我的科学老师把它关掉了
我们担心我们被
desensitized.
那是真的
只是
另一个
对我们有特殊的影响。
I didn�t fully understand the significance
not even a week later
也许一年后
在我表哥的战争之后
then I realized
为什么我妈妈哭了。
莫妮卡
It started like any other day. 嗡嗡的声音
惊恐在我耳边回响，促使我
jump out of bed and run into the kitchen.
�What�s for breakfast?� a groggy voice trailed behind
me, following me up the stairs. Probably Applejacks
我喊道。 I grabbed two bowls and filled
然后，他们走到冰箱前取最后一夸脱
milk to find only juice and beer. I slammed the fridge
关上了门，飞快地跑下楼梯。I wrenched
open my parents� bedroom door. �Mom, we�re out of milk,�
我说。 What I saw confused me; 我的母亲
usually still in bed at this time was in her room
several inches from the television, mouth agape revealing
a shocked expression, my words moving past her ears like that
一个陌生人的。
安德鲁
�Good morning, Dad,� I said.
My dad nodded and said, �Hey, Son.�
As we sat down at the breakfast table, my father
我一边看报纸一边研究剧本。
�Ready for the big game on Friday night?他问。
�I don�t know, Middletown is kinda tough,� I replied.
这样吧，今天下班后我们一起
go out and throw a couple of footballs to get you
warmed up? I hear scouts
都来看比赛了。� he said.
�Sure, Dad. 我得去上学了，今晚见？�
�Of course, Son,� he replied.
Those were the last words I heard from him.
因为那些该死的恐怖分子。
All he did was show up to work at the Tower.
他无意伤害任何人。
All he wanted to do was put a day�s work in and then throw
a football around with his son.
All I hear are those words over and over again.
“当然可以，儿子。
旧金山
有时候我觉得我太投入工作了
That�s how it was on Sept. 11, 2001.
I was in my office at Western Carolina University
cramming to be ready for class—my freshman
排字工人阶级。
First Gayle came to my office door – did I know
that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center
在纽约吗？
我默默地问自己，世贸中心是什么？
Then Sandra appeared – speaking of a second plane –
我包装材料类,前往
电脑教室,我发现教授在我面前
液晶显示器还开着，CNN正在播放节目。
As my students and I watched
人们从摇摇欲坠的摩天大楼上跳下
people jumped to their death – live in front of
我们
我的一个学生含泪离开了
Her father worked at the Pentagon�
华纳博士
我记得一觉醒来，眼前是眼花缭乱、混乱不堪的画面
the television
太年轻了，不懂，但我母亲的眼泪已经足够了
to scare me.
第一座塔已经倒塌了。
When we saw the second tower fall, we thought it was
第一次的重播。
Then the reality sunk in.
The planes hit on the other side of the country, but the
impact was felt in every home.
我的小学出奇地安静，
But the moment of silence was so loud.
苏菲
At Holy Family School
Prayer services were nothing new.
We crowded into the big church,
A moment of silence.
为遇难者家属祈祷。
As the TV pictures flashed in our minds.
这对有些人来说太过分了。
The church was hot
and crowded with students.
Some hadn�t had breakfast.
Some were just glad
to get out of class.
Our own small tragedy struck.
只有两个人坐在长椅上，
他的眼睛转了一下。
He slowly fell over,
His head smacking against the pew.
他开始发抖。
A scream erupted,
like those we heard on TV.
�He had a seizure,�
老师们解释道。
他有癫痫吗？
否
他病了吗？
否。
一场悲剧袭击了这个国家
And we remembered those who were lost,
我们也有自己的悲剧。
The screams echoed from the TV
and from the seizure.
11岁时，
many of us couldn�t understand
令人震惊的悲剧。
We couldn�t even understand
the small tragedy
in the church.
我们所知道的
是恐惧
and the pain
和在一起
就这样发生了
because it was necessary.
Tragedy fed the family of our nation,
as did tragedy feed the family of our school.
At least �
that�s what they say.
茱莉亚
I wake up in a cold sweat.
就是今天。
I have been preparing myself for this, body
还有过去几个月的事。
I thought I was ready, but that doesn�t stop
this sick to my stomach feeling.
这是我从那以后第一次坐飞机
my wife died in an accident.
I try to tell myself that everything is going to
是可以的。
当我终于在椅子上休息时，我知道
今天就是我的死期。
When the plane is in the air, the shadows make 他们的
way to the cockpit.
There is no resistance.
We are but men and women.
我终于要回家了。
艾伦
他们不告诉我发生了什么事，
my parents and my teachers.
我问妈妈
为什么她表现得很奇怪。
她只是问我是否准备好上学了。
I was, so we left.
我们俩都没说话。
没有汽车按喇叭。
第一节课由校长发言
给我们通过对讲机
对我们所有人说。
他说，老师
were not allowed to turn
看电视，看新闻。
There was to be no straying
from typical course work.
Didn�t the principal know that our
老师们从不使用电视
to watch the news?
我问我的朋友发生了什么事
and why was everyone
looking so off today.
He said he was wondering the same
的事情自己。
said it was his birthday and everyone had forgot
我告诉他生日快乐
I told him maybe it was the makings
of a surprise party.
He smiled at me
并说
你认为呢?
布雷特
刚洗完澡，
我打开了电视。
我注意到我在梳头发
all the channels had the
same news.
我停了下来。
I sat down. 我心想：
飞机坠毁? 双子塔吗?
奇怪。
可能是个意外
couldn�t be on purpose, so I
finished getting ready for
化学类。
片刻之后，他坠毁了
从门进来，刚从PT出来。
在几百英里之外
从我家里拿去上大学
让我很紧张，但是
look in his eyes frightened me.
“我们要开战了，”他说。
我想这不是意外。
Danessa
I remember staring at the television,
暴露在我不知道存在的暴力中。
I was numb.
我们都处于危险之中吗？ 可能不会。
I still wondered.
为什么有人会做出这样的行为？
很明显，我们的国家并不是我想象的那样。
I had school that day. I arrived to an environment feeling different.
There were tears all around. 除了恐惧，我什么也感觉不到。
I was overrun with emotion as I entered my classroom.
我害怕吗？ Absolutely afraid.
I knew we would fight back, but I didn�t want that.
我只是想有安全感。
How could I know if we were safe�
I was ten years old with hardly any life experience.
瑞安
我从没想过会是今天
我会跳下去送死
From the 22nd floor balcony
我没有别的选择
飞机撞上了大楼
Blocking off any safe passage to the ground
碎石和金属像雨点般落在我身上
碾压了我的许多同事
Lying in pools of their own blood
Teary-eyed.
Others merely injured or missing limbs
我打电话给家人道别
我的爱是永恒的
安德烈