芸芸众生名垂青史 -- 遇见一名生还于911的“普通”人 By 晓宁

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昨天去911纪念馆的时候，恰好遇见Gordon向人们讲述自己的故事。Gordon是911事件中唯一一个既是幸存者，又是遇难者家属，又是救援人员的人。我遇见他时，他的第一句话便是，我不是什么英雄，那天冲向现场的消防员、警察、救援队才是英雄，我只是做了我该做的事情。

On my visit to the 911 Memorial Museum, I happened to see Gordon telling people his story. Gordon is the only person who is a survivor, a family member of the victims, and a rescuer on that tragic day. When I met him, his first words were, "I'm no hero. The firefighters, police officers and rescue team members who stormed to the spot that day are heroes. I just did what I should do."

他是美籍华裔，在纽约出生，曾经做过战地医生，911发生那时他是医学研究者，那天正好在世贸中心旁的医院做研究。

He is an Asian American, born in New York. He used to be a military field doctor. When 911 happened, he was a medical researcher and was doing his research in a nearby hospital on that day.

当他看见世贸中心的北塔被飞机袭击后，他并没有随人群一同慌张的离开现场，而是向人潮相反的方向走去，回到世贸中心去。他说：“我曾经做过战地医生，那天飞机撞进世贸中心，那么多伤亡，我是一名医生，我怎能见死不救而离开。”

When he saw the north tower got hit by a plane, he didn't storm out like the panicking crowd. He walked in the other direction, back to the World Trade Center. He said, "I used to be a field doctor. When the plane hit the tower, I can't leave those wounded and dying souls as a doctor."

他描述那天的场景：“所有人都慌张的哭泣的逃离世贸中心，狂奔越远越好，只有我一个人在向着世贸中心走去，我并没有一路小跑，我走的很慢，我并非不害怕，我心里有很多很多恐惧，我曾想过也许我没有办法活着回来，我也不知道我为什么会那么做，但我依然头也不回的向前走，也许唯一一种解释就是这是上帝对我的旨意。”

He described the scene that day for us. "Everyone was storming out of the World Trade Center in tears. Storming as far as possible. Only I walked towards the center. I didn't run. I walked slowly. It wasn't because I wasn't scared. I had a lot of fears. I thought maybe I wouldn't make it. I didn't know why I did it. But I walked on, without looking back. The only explanation is that this is the blessed guidance from God."

于是他回到世贸大楼，后来又来到旁边的医院，在会议室的圆桌上为一名又一名的幸存者进行急救。他所不知道的是，他的姐姐Susan，那天受邀到世贸中心106层的旋转餐厅开会，他在救治一名一名幸存者的时候，他的姐姐已经不幸遇难，却尸骨无存。

So he went back to the building and then came back to the nearby hospital, rescuing another survivor on the conference table. What he didn't know was that his sister Susan who had been invited to a meeting in a restaurant on the 106th floor of the World Trade Center had passed away while he was saving survivors after survivors. Her body couldn't be found.

那天过后，他再也没有清洗过那天穿的鞋。他说，鞋子上面的灰尘，也许有那么几颗，是姐姐的遗骸。

After that day, he never cleaned the shoes he wore that day. He said, maybe a few particles of the dust on those shoes are the body remains of his sister.

Gordon说，那天发生的一切，他这一生都不会忘记，就连那天大楼坍塌后空气里弥漫的尘土飞扬，他到现在为止都记得尘土尝起来的味道。而这些尘土正是十秒内世贸大楼坍塌的遗骸，夹杂着飞机事故着火后塑料钢铁水泥混合在一起燃烧的合成物，是再有毒不过的气体。很多很多当年的救援工在多年后被查处很多种癌症，正是因为当年过量摄入了有毒气体。Gordon也是一样，他在几年前被查出来三种癌症。见到我们的时候，他说，我知道我活不了多久了，但是你们不用担心我，我知道我死后将要去到哪里。

Gordon said he will never forget what happened that day in his life. He still remembered how the flying dust tastes after the fall of towers. All these specks of dust were the remains of the Twin Towers that fell in 10 seconds, mixed with the burning composites of plastic, iron, and concrete after the planes hit the towers. Extremely toxic. Many of the rescue team members are diagnosed with cancer years after 911. Gordon is no exception. A few years ago, he was diagnosed with three types of cancer. When he met us, he said, "I know my days are numbered. But don't worry about me. I know where I'll be going after I'm dead."

我问Gordon：“当年你本可以离开现场，跟所有人一样，你现在回想，会后悔吗？”

I asked Gordon, "You could've left the scene, like everybody else. Thinking back now, do you have any second thought?"

他说：“我曾无数次的想过这个问题，如果再来一次，尽管知道最后也许因病痛而提早离开这个世界，撇下当下所有的恐惧的情绪，我还是会这么做。我并不想当一名英雄，我也不是什么英雄，我只是听从了我内心的声音。”

He replied, "I thought about this question so many times. If I were in that situation again, even though I knew that I had to leave this world prematurely with pains, I'd leave all my fears behind and do the same thing. I wasn't trying to be a hero. I'm no hero at all. I'm just following my heart."

临别之际，我给了他一个拥抱。

Upon bidding farewell, I gave him a hug.

在911博物馆里还有千千万万的这样的故事，我止不住的想，人类在巨大的灾难面前，那种自救的逃生欲是非常强烈的本能，但总有那么一些人，他们在最艰难的时刻，他们自愿的承担起了巨大的责任，保护他人，哪怕代价是自己的生命，这是人类怎样一种伟大的精神。这些人是消防员、是警察、是救援工、是楼上楼下奔跑通知自己的员工尽快离开最终自己却遇难的老板，是一个又一个看似平凡的普通人。

Countless stories like this are stored in the 911 Memorial Museum. I couldn't help thinking that when facing great disasters, the human being has a strong instinct of saving oneself. But there's always a handful of people who will shoulder the great responsibilities in these dire moments to protect the others. Even at the cost of his or her own life. What a great spirit it is for the human race! These people are firefighters, police officers, rescue team, the bosses who told all their employees to escape and they themselves couldn't make it at the end. They are common people, one after another.

这几天读了很多疫情中普通人的故事，我止不住的想，人类所拥有的这些美好品质和精神，不仅仅只体现在有良好教育的精英阶层，它是每一个普通公民心中的正义与善意，这些普通个体在每个时代当权者记录历史的时候通常是被忽略的，但他们却是真正书写历史的人。

I've read many stories about the common people in this pandemic over the last few days. I couldn't help thinking all the beautiful qualities and spirits owned by human beings are not only just shown in the well-educated elites. Every common citizen has just and kindness in their hearts. They, often ignored by the history writers, are the real history writers.

006 睡前英文 | 芸芸众生 名垂青史 by 晓宁 #美国

006 睡前英文 | 芸芸众生名垂青史 by 晓宁 #美国