「不愛國」的小學生 - 古德明

                
                
A Japanese woman gave the following account of an incident that took place when she was in elementary school in1941.
One day during morning assembly, the principal asked,"Let's say that an American flag is placed here. You are all walking towards it. What would you do?"
Everyone shouted in concert,"Trample on it as we pass by." This was an era when everywhere we looked we saw the demonic caricatures of Churchill and Roosevelt. Among the 1,500 pupils, just one, a girl in my class, replied,"Bow deeply as I pass by." A thunderous roar of denunciation flooded the schoolyard. Her mother was immediately called to the principal's office and cautioned severely about what should be taught at home.
一個日本婦人記述一九四一年她讀小學時的一件事。
一天早會，校長問：「假如這裏放了一面美國旗，而你正朝着這面旗走去，你會怎麼辦？」
大家齊聲喊道：「走過時，就踩在腳下。」當時我們處處都會看到邱吉爾、羅斯福的惡魔形漫畫。一千五百個小學生之中，只有我一個同班同學回答：「走過時，深鞠躬。」學校運動場上，響起一片如雷的責罵聲。那同學的母親馬上被召到校長室，遭嚴厲警告，叫她留意在家裏要教孩子什麼。