The War was Great, not Great
當雨滴打在戰壕里的士兵的身上的時候，它還不叫第一次世界大戰。那時候的人不會知道還會有第二次，他們只知道這是一場空前的戰爭，因此他們叫它the Great War。
當然就規模和傷亡來看，一戰不及二戰。二戰告訴世界的是：在戰爭里，真的沒有地方是安全的，所有的地方都是戰場，即使你不是士兵，你的家鄉並沒有被攻陷，即使你只是一個留守後方期待你的家人能夠早早歸來的平民，你也有可能被敵軍飛機炸死。
不過一戰到底是第一次。從此以後，雖然人們繼續歡笑，但說到底，不一樣了。
P. G. Wodehouse小說裡的天真爛漫無所事事的英國上流階級蛀蟲們再也無法天真爛漫無所事事了。他們來到戰場，心裡想著莎士比亞、彌爾頓、華茲華斯和濟慈的詩，念叨著什麽時候能回去和小姐太太們打網球。最後他們死在炮彈下，死在毒氣中，死在醫院裡。而就算他們回去了，又怎麼樣呢？世界已經不是那個世界了。
（因此可以對比一下Hugh Laurie演的兩個角色：他在《Jeeves and Wooster》裏面飾演Bertie Wooster這個二百五大少爺，每天要煩的是如何擺脫麻煩的婚約和幫助那群比他更二百五的朋友。在《Blackadder Goes Forth》裏面演的是George，一個同樣二百五的大少爺，他心裡想的是光榮的戰爭，到了最後，他發現自己劍橋的同學都死了，而他們打的這場戰爭，是血腥而且毫無意義的。
我得說最後一集Blackadder給大家上歷史課的時候真是神吐槽：
George: The war started because of the vile Hun and his villainous empire-building!
Blackadder: George, the British Empire at present covers a quarter of the globe, while the German Empire consists of a small sausage factory in Tanganyika. I hardly think we can be entirely absolved from blame on the imperialistic front.
George: Oh... Oh no, sir! Absolutely not! [quietly to Baldrick] Mad as a bicycle!
Baldrick: I heard that it started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich 'cause he was hungry.
Blackadder: I think you mean it started when the Archduke of Austro-Hungary got shot.
Baldrick: Nah, there was definitely an ostrich involved, sir.
Blackadder: Well, possibly. But the real reason for the whole thing was that it was too much effort not to have a war.
George: By Gum, this is interesting! I always loved history. The Battle of Hastings, Henry VIII and his six knives and all that!
Blackadder: You see, Baldrick, in order to prevent a war in Europe, two super blocs developed: us, the French and the Russians on one side; and the Germans and Austro-Hungary on the other. The idea was to have two vast, opposing armies, each acting as the other's deterrent. That way, there could never be a war.
Baldrick: Except, well, this is sort of a war, isn't it?
Blackadder: That's right. There was one tiny flaw in the plan.
George: Oh, what was that?
Blackadder: It was bollocks.）
所以我能理解Wilfred Owen爲什麽那麼看不起《In Flanders Fields》以及所有被用來讓戰爭和流血變成光榮的詩。他是一個士兵，他能看到戰爭的醜惡和恐怖。而那些在家的詩人，他們不用親身經歷戰場上的槍林彈雨，只需要動筆寫點輕飄飄的字，就讓那些無意義的死亡變成了一種看上去偉大的事情。這是最大的侮辱。
（當然Owen更會鄙視我，因為我對戰爭更是一點概念沒有。）
當然就規模和傷亡來看，一戰不及二戰。二戰告訴世界的是：在戰爭里，真的沒有地方是安全的，所有的地方都是戰場，即使你不是士兵，你的家鄉並沒有被攻陷，即使你只是一個留守後方期待你的家人能夠早早歸來的平民，你也有可能被敵軍飛機炸死。
不過一戰到底是第一次。從此以後，雖然人們繼續歡笑，但說到底，不一樣了。
P. G. Wodehouse小說裡的天真爛漫無所事事的英國上流階級蛀蟲們再也無法天真爛漫無所事事了。他們來到戰場，心裡想著莎士比亞、彌爾頓、華茲華斯和濟慈的詩，念叨著什麽時候能回去和小姐太太們打網球。最後他們死在炮彈下，死在毒氣中，死在醫院裡。而就算他們回去了，又怎麼樣呢？世界已經不是那個世界了。
（因此可以對比一下Hugh Laurie演的兩個角色：他在《Jeeves and Wooster》裏面飾演Bertie Wooster這個二百五大少爺，每天要煩的是如何擺脫麻煩的婚約和幫助那群比他更二百五的朋友。在《Blackadder Goes Forth》裏面演的是George，一個同樣二百五的大少爺，他心裡想的是光榮的戰爭，到了最後，他發現自己劍橋的同學都死了，而他們打的這場戰爭，是血腥而且毫無意義的。
我得說最後一集Blackadder給大家上歷史課的時候真是神吐槽：
George: The war started because of the vile Hun and his villainous empire-building!
Blackadder: George, the British Empire at present covers a quarter of the globe, while the German Empire consists of a small sausage factory in Tanganyika. I hardly think we can be entirely absolved from blame on the imperialistic front.
George: Oh... Oh no, sir! Absolutely not! [quietly to Baldrick] Mad as a bicycle!
Baldrick: I heard that it started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich 'cause he was hungry.
Blackadder: I think you mean it started when the Archduke of Austro-Hungary got shot.
Baldrick: Nah, there was definitely an ostrich involved, sir.
Blackadder: Well, possibly. But the real reason for the whole thing was that it was too much effort not to have a war.
George: By Gum, this is interesting! I always loved history. The Battle of Hastings, Henry VIII and his six knives and all that!
Blackadder: You see, Baldrick, in order to prevent a war in Europe, two super blocs developed: us, the French and the Russians on one side; and the Germans and Austro-Hungary on the other. The idea was to have two vast, opposing armies, each acting as the other's deterrent. That way, there could never be a war.
Baldrick: Except, well, this is sort of a war, isn't it?
Blackadder: That's right. There was one tiny flaw in the plan.
George: Oh, what was that?
Blackadder: It was bollocks.）
所以我能理解Wilfred Owen爲什麽那麼看不起《In Flanders Fields》以及所有被用來讓戰爭和流血變成光榮的詩。他是一個士兵，他能看到戰爭的醜惡和恐怖。而那些在家的詩人，他們不用親身經歷戰場上的槍林彈雨，只需要動筆寫點輕飄飄的字，就讓那些無意義的死亡變成了一種看上去偉大的事情。這是最大的侮辱。
（當然Owen更會鄙視我，因為我對戰爭更是一點概念沒有。）
还没人转发这篇日记
