阿甘正传(英文版)-第10章

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with　banana　trees　an　palms　an　rice　paddies　with　little　gooks　plowin　in　them。　everbody　on　our　side



　



is　real　friendly；　too；　wavin　at　us　an　all。



we　could　see　pleiku　almost　haf　a　day　away　on　account　of　a　humongus　cloud　of　red　dust　that

hovered　over　it。　on　its　outskirts　was　sad　little　shanties　that　is　worst　than　anythin　i　seen　back　in

alabama；　with　folks　huddled　neath　cloth　lean…to'；s　an　they　ain'；t　got　no　teeth　an　they　children　ain'；t

got　no　clothes　an　basically；　they　is　beggars。　when　we　get　to　the　brigade　headquarters　an

firebase；　it　don'；t　look　real　bad　either；　cept　for　all　that　red　dust。　ain'；t　nothin　much　going　on　that

we　can　see；　an　the　place　is　all　neat　an　clean　with　tents　stretched　far　as　you　can　see　in　rows　an　the

dirt　an　sand　aroun　them　raked　up　nice　an　tidy。　don'；t　hardly　look　like　a　war　going　on　at　all。　we

might　as　well　of　been　back　at　fort　benning。



anyhow；　they　says　it　is　real　quiet　cause　it　is　the　beginning　of　the　gook　new　years—　tet；　or

somesuch—　an　they　is　a　truce　goin　on。　all　of　us　is　tremendously　relieved；　because　we　is

frightened　enough　as　it　is。　the　peace　and　quiet；　however；　did　not　last　very　long。



after　we　get　squared　away　in　our　area；　they　tell　us　to　go　down　to　brigade　showers　an　clean

ourselfs。　brigade　showers　is　just　a　shallow　pit　in　the　groun　where　they　has　put　three　or　four　big

water　tank　trucks　an　we　tole　to　fold　our　uniforms　up　on　the　edge　of　the　pit　an　then　get　down　in

there　an　they　will　squirt　us　with　water。



even　so；　it　ain'；t　haf　bad；　account　of　we　been　for　nearly　a　week　without　a　bath；　an　was

beginnin　to　smell　pretty　ripe。　we　is　assin　aroun　in　the　pit；　gettin　hosed　down　an　all；　an　it　is　jus

bout　gettin　dark；　an　all　of　a　sudden　there　is　this　funny　soun　in　the　air　an　some　jackoff　who　is

squirting　us　with　the　hose　holler；　〃inin；〃　and　everbody　on　the　edge　of　the　pit　vanish　into　thin

air。　we　standin　there　butt　neckid；　lookin　at　each　other；　an　then　they　is　a　big　explosion　close　by　an

then　another　one；　an　everbody　start　shoutin　and　cussin　an　tryin　to　get　to　they　clothes。　them

inin　explosions　fallin　all　aroun　us；　an　somebody　shoutin；　〃hit　the　dirt！〃　which　was　kind　of

rediculous　since　we　was　all　press　so　flat　in　the　bottom　of　the　pit　by　now　we　resemble　worms

rather　than　people。



one　of　them　explosions　send　a　bunch　of　shit　flyin　into　our　pit　an　them　boys　on　the　far　side

get　hit　with　it　an　start　screamin　an　yellin　an　bleedin　an　grappin　at　theyselfs。　it　were　all　too

apparent　that　the　pit　was　not　a　safe　place　to　be　hidin。　sergeant　kranz　suddenly　appear　over　the

edge　of　the　pit；　an　he　holler　for　all　us　to　get　the　hell　out　of　there　an　follow　him。　there　is　a　little

break　between　explosions　an　we　haul　ass　out　of　the　pit。　i　e　over　the　top　an　look　down　an

godamighty！　lyin　there　is　four　or　five　of　the　fellers　who　was　squirtin　the　hose　on　us。　they　is

hardly　recognizable　as　people—　all　mangled　up　like　they　has　been　stuffed　thru　a　cotton　baler　or

somethin。　i　ain'；t　never　seen　nobody　dead；　an　it　is　the　most　horrible　and　scary　thing　ever　happen　to

me；　afore　or　since！



sergeant　kranz　motion　for　us　to　crawl　after　him；　which　we　do。　if　you　could　of　looked　down

on　it　from　above；　we　must　of　made　a　sight！　a　hundrit　fifty　or　so　fellers　all　butt　neckid　squirmin

along　the　groun　in　a　long　line。



they　was　a　bunch　of　foxholes　dug　in　a　row　an　sergeant　kranz　put　three　or　four　of　us　in　each

hole。　but　soon　as　we　get　in　em；　i　realize　i'；d　of　almost　rather　stayed　back　in　the　pit。　them　foxholes

was　filled　waist　stinkin　deep　with　slimy　ole　water　from　the　rain；　an　they　was　all　sorts　of　frawgs　an

snakes　and　bugs　crawlin　an　leapin　an　squirmin　aroun　in　them。



it　went　on　the　entire　night；　an　we　had　to　stay　in　them　foxholes　an　didn'；t　get　no　supper。　jus

afore　dawn；　the　shellin　eased　up；　an　we　was　tole　to　haul　our　asses　outta　the　foxholes　an　get　our

clothes　an　weapons　an　prepare　for　the　attack。



since　we　was　relatively　new；　they　was　really　not　much　we　could　do—　they　didn'；t　even　know

where　to　put　us；　so　they　tole　us　to　go　guard　the　south　perimeter；　which　is　where　the　officers'；

latrine　was　located。　but　it　were　nearly　worse　than　the　foxholes；　account　of　one　of　the　bombs　has

hit　the　latrine　an　blowed　up　about　five　hundrit　pounds　of　officer　shit　all　over　the　area。



we　had　to　stay　there　all　that　day；　no　breakfast；　no　lunch；　an　then　at　sundown　they



　



menced　shellin　us　again　so　we　had　to　lie　there　in　all　that　shit。　my；　my；　it　were　repulsive。



finally　somebody　remember　we　might　be　gettin　hungry；　an　had　a　bunch　of　c…ration　cases

brought　over。　i　got　the　cold　ham　an　eggs　that　was　dated　1951　on　the　can。　they　was　all　kinds　of

rumors　goin　on。　somebody　said　the　gooks　was　runnin　over　the　town　of　pleiku。　somebody　else

says　the　gooks　got　a　atomic　bomb　an　is　just　shellin　us　with　mortars　to　soften　us　up。　somebody

else　says　it　ain'；t　the　gooks　shellin　us　at　all；　but　austrailians；　or　maybe　the　dutch　or　the

norwegians。　i　figger　it　don'；t　matter　who　it　is。　shit　on　rumors。



anyhow；　after　the　first　day；　we　begun　tryin　to　make　ourselfs　a　livable　place　on　the　south

perimeter。　we　dug　us　foxholes　an　used　the　boards　an　tin　from　the　officers'；　latrine　to　make　us　little

hooches。　the　attack　never　e　tho；　an　we　never　saw　no　gooks　to　shoot　at。　i　figger　maybe　they

smart　enough　not　to　attack　a　shithouse　anyway。　ever　night　for　about　three　or　four　days　they

shellin　us　tho；　an　finally　one　mornin　when　the　shellin　stops；　major　balls；　the　battalion　executive

officer；　e　crawlin　up　to　our　pany　mander　an　say　we　has　got　to　go　up　north　to　help　out

another　brigade　that　is　catchin　hell　in　the　jungle。



after　a　wile；　lieutenant　hooper　say　for　us　to　〃saddle　up；〃　an　everbody　stuffin　as　many　c…

rations　an　han　grenades　in　his　pockets　as　he　can—　which　actually　present　sort　of　a　dilemma；　since

you　can'；t　eat　a　han　grenade　but　you　might　nevertheless　e　to　need　it。　anyway；　they　load　us　on

the　heliocopters　an　off　we　flew。



you　could　see　the　shit　third　brigade　had　stepped　into　even　fore　the　heliocopters　landed。

they　was　all　sorts　of　smoke　an　stuff　risin　up　outta　the　jungle　an　huge　chunks　had　been　blown

outta　the　groun。　we　had　not　even　got　to　earth　afore　they　menced　shootin　at　us。　they　blowed

up　one　of　our　heliocopters　in　the　air；　an　it　was　a　dreadful　sight；　people　set　on　fire　an　all；　an　nothin

we　could　do。



i　am　the　machine　gun　ammo　bearer；　cause　they　figger　i　can　carry　a　lot　of　shit　on　account　of

my　size。　before　we　lef；　a　couple　of　other　fellers　axed　if　i　would　mind　carryin　some　of　their　han

grenades　so'；s　they　could　carry　more　orations；　an　i　agreed。　it　didn'；t　hurt　me　none。　also；　sergeant

kranz　made　me　carry　a　ten…gallon　water　can　that　weighed　about　fifty　pounds。　then　jus　fore　we

lef；　daniels；　who　carries　the　tri…pod　for　the　machine　gun；　he　gets　the　runs　an　he　can'；t　go；　so'；s　i　got

to　tote　the　tri…pod　too。　when　it　all　added　up；　i　might　as　well　of　been　toting　aroun　one　a　them

nebraska　corn　shucker　jackoffs　as　well。　but　this　ain'；t　no　football　game。



it　is　gettin　to　be　dusk　an　we　is　tole　to　go　up　to　a　ridge　an　relieve　charlie　pany　which　is

either　pinned　down　by　the　gooks　or　has　got　the　gooks　pinned　down；　dependin　on　whether　you　get

your　news　from　the　stars　an　stripes　or　by　just　lookin　aroun　at　what　the　hell　is　goin　on。



in　any　event；　when　we　get　up　there；　all　sorts　of　crap　is　flyin　aroun　an　they　is　about　a　dozen

fellers　badly　hurt　an　moanin　and　cryin　an　they　is　so　much　noise　from　all　quarters　that　nobody　can

hardly　hear　nothin。　i　be　crouchin　down　real　low　an　tryin　to　get　all　that　ammo　an　the　water　can　an

the　tri…pod　plus　all　my　own　shit　up　to　where　charlie　pany　is；　an　i'；m　strugglin　past　a　slit

trench　when　this　guy　down　in　it　pipe　up　an　say　to　the　other；　〃lookit　that　big　bozo—　he　look　like

the　frankenstein　monster　or　somethin；〃　and　i'；m　bout　to　say　somethin　back；　cause　things　seem　bad

enough　already　without　nobody　pokin　fun　at　you—　but　then；　i'；ll　be　damned！　the　other　guy　in　the

slit　trench　suddenly　jump　up　an　cry　out；　〃forrest—　forrest　gump！〃



lo　an　behole；　it　were　bubba。



briefly；　what　had　happen　was　that　even　if　bubba'；s　foot　was　hurt　too　bad　to　play　football；　it

were　not　bad　enough　to　keep　from　gettin　him　sent　halfway　roun　the　earth　on　behalf　of　the　united

states　army。　anyhow；　i　drag　my　sorry　butt　an　everthin　else　up　to　where　i　sposed　to　be；　an　after　a

wile　bubba　e　up　there　an　in　between　the　shellin　（which　stop　ever　time　our　airplanes　appear）

bubba　an　me　caught　up　with　each　other。



　



he　tells　me　he　hear　jenny　curran　done　quit　school　an　gone　off　with　a　bunch　of　war

protesters　or　somethin。　he　also　say　that　curtis　done　beat　up　a　campus　policeman　one　day　for

givin　him　a　parkin　ticket；　an　was　in　the　process　of　drop…kickin　his　official　ass　aroun　the　campus

when　the　authorities　show　up　an　thowed　a　big　net　over　curtis　an　drug　him　off。　bubba　say　coach

bryant　make　curtis　run　fifty　extra　laps　after　practice　as　punishment。



good　ole　curtis。　　


。。！