Is It Worth It 是否值得

曲永華

人們常說，戰友情是無價的。本文講述一位戰士在昔日的好友從戰場上倒下的時候，毅然沖出戰壕，奇跡般地找到他的朋友，并冒著槍林彈雨的危險把他背起來并成功帶回陣地的故事。這告訴我們，在生活中有很多時候判斷一件事是否值得做取決于你怎么看待它。鼓起勇氣做一些你的心靈指引你去做的事吧。

Horror gripped the heart of the World War I soldier， as he saw his life-long friend fall in battle. Caught in a trench with continuous gunfire whizzing over his head， the soldier asked his lieutenant if he might go out into the “No Mans Land” between the trenches to bring his fallen comrade back.

“You can go，” said the lieutenant， “①but I dont think it will be worth it. Your friend is probably dead and you may throw your own life away.”

The lieutenants words didnt matter， and the soldier went anyway. Miraculously he managed to reach his friend， hoist him onto his shoulder， and bring him back to their companys trench. As the two of them tumbled in together to the bottom of the trench， the officer checked the wounded soldier， then looked kindly at the soldier.

“I told you it wouldnt be worth it，” he said. “Your friend is dead， and you are mortally wounded.”

“It was worth it， though， sir，” the soldier said.

“How do you mean， ‘worth it？” responded the lieutenant. “Your friend is dead！”

“Yes sir，”the private answered.“But it was worth it because when I got to him， he was still alive， and I had the satisfaction of hearing him say， ‘Jim， I knew youd come.”

Many a time in life， whether a thing is worth doing or not really ②depends on how you look at it. Take up all your courage and do something your heart tells you to do so that you may not ③regret not doing it later in life. May each and everyone of you④ be blessed with the company of true friends.

[精彩譯文]

第一次世界大戰期間，當一位戰士看到他昔日的好友在戰場上倒下的時候，恐懼向這位戰士的心頭襲來。而他只能隱蔽在戰壕里，炮火不斷地從頭上呼嘯而過。戰士向中尉請示能否去無人陣地把倒下的戰友背回來。

“你可以去，”中尉說，“但是我認為這么做不值得。你的朋友或許已經犧牲了，更何況你會白白搭上自己的性命。”

戰士不顧中尉的警告，毅然沖出戰壕。他奇跡般地找到他的朋友，把他背起來并成功帶回他們的戰壕。當兩個人一起跌入戰壕的時候，中尉趕忙查看傷員的傷勢，然后和藹地看著戰士。

“我告訴過你，這么做不值得，”他說，“你的朋友已經犧牲了，你也受傷了。”

“可是我認為很值得，長官，”戰士說。

“‘值得是什么意思？”中尉很困惑，“你的朋友已經犧牲了。”

“是的，長官，”戰士說，“但這的確是值得的，因為當我發現他的時候，他還活著，他對我說，‘吉姆，我知道你一定會來的，我就已經很滿足了。”

在生活中，事情是否值得做取決于你怎么看待它。鼓起勇氣做一些心靈指引你做的事。這樣你才不會在日后因為沒做到而感到遺憾。愿每個人都能有真正的朋友相伴。

[新鮮詞]

1. horror? [?h?r?（r）] n. 恐怖

2. grip [ɡr?p] vt.緊握;吸引住

3. trench [trent?] n.戰壕

4. whiz [w?z] n. 颼颼聲

5. lieutenant [lef?ten?nt] n. 陸軍中尉

6. hoist [h??st] vt. 升起，提起

7. mortally [?m?：t?li] adv.致命地;非常，很

[難點解讀]

1. but I dont think it will be worth it.但是我認為這么做不值得。

worth it 值得花費時間（精力），值得一干，有必要。

例如：Everything in life， if it is worth it， will take time.

生活中的每件事，如果它是有價值的，一定需要時間。

2. depend on 取決于……

例如：Whether we will go for a picnic tomorrow depends on the weather.

我們明天是否去野餐取決于天氣。

3. regret not doing it 后悔沒做某事。

例如：I regret not taking part in the Olympics.

我后悔沒有參加奧運會。

4. be blessed with幸運地享有……

例如：May you be blessed with all things bright and beautiful at Christmas time and always.

祝你在圣誕節和將來都是歡快美麗的。