纽约时报中文网 - 中英对照版-中英应对中国威胁和台湾战争可能性美军重返丛林

One by one, the American soldiers slid down a muddy hillside to a river deep in the Hawaiian jungle. With guns on top of rucksacks, they kicked their way across, wobbling in the current, trying to stay quiet.

这些美国士兵们逐个从一个泥泞的山坡滑下来，踏入夏威夷丛林深处的一条河里。他们朝着对岸摇摇晃晃地破流而行，枪放在背包上，试图不发出任何声响。

It was a sluggish advance stinking of sweat and silt — reminiscent of Vietnam, and similar to what they might face in a potential fight with China almost anywhere in the Pacific.

这趟充满了汗水和淤泥臭味、速度缓慢的行进让人想起了越南，也是美军一旦在太平洋任何地方与中国发生战斗时可能面临的情况。

“It’s incumbent on us to become resident professionals,” said Col. Christopher D. Johnson, who traversed the river arm in arm with a junior officer. “Firemen don’t figure out how to work a fire engine at the fire, right?”

“我们必须成为驻地专业人士，”克里斯托弗·约翰逊上校说，他与一名下级军官互相挽着胳膊渡过了河。“消防员不是在火灾发生时才搞清楚如何使用消防车的，对吧？”

Military strategists like to say the jungle is neutral, helping neither friend nor foe, but for most of the 79 students last month at the U.S. Army’s only jungle school, “the J” was just plain new. It was nothing like home or deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, which explained why they were there: To deter China and work effectively with partners in the region, American ground forces need more jungle expertise.

军事战略家们喜欢说，丛林是中立的，既不帮朋友也不帮敌人，但对美国陆军唯一一所丛林学校上个月的79名学员中的大多数人来说，“J班”显然是全新的经历，与他们在老家或被部署到伊拉克和阿富汗时的经历完全不同，这解释了他们为什么要在丛林里训练的原因：为了威慑中国，为了与太平洋地区的伙伴有效地合作，美国地面部队需要有更多的丛林专业知识。

The Marine Corps has been assigning a significant portion of its force to the muggy, rainy terrain of Okinawa, Japan, and training with partners near the Equator. For the Army, Hawaii has become a regional proxy. Commanders are pushing more soldiers through its jungles as the 25th Infantry Division expands instruction at its expeditionary school and leads a new Pacific training rotation that brought together 5,300 troops in November for simulated battles with other services and nations.

美国海军陆战队已将其相当部分的兵力派往日本冲绳的闷热多雨地带，同时也在与赤道附近的合作伙伴们一起训练。对美国陆军来说，夏威夷已成为太平洋地区的代表。指挥官们正在让更多的士兵接受丛林训练，第25步兵师已扩大了其远征学校的教学范围，并在领导一项新的太平洋轮换训练项目，今年11月，该项目曾将5300名士兵汇集在一起，参加与其他军种和国家进行的模拟战斗。

The jungle buildup, with roots in the “pivot to Asia” under President Barack Obama, highlights the challenge the U.S. military faces as it tries to prioritize China and unbind itself from decades of war in the Middle East, even as conflict there pulls America back in.

丛林训练的增加源于奥巴马总统执政期间开始的“转向亚洲”战略，凸显了美国军队试图在战略上优先考虑中国，同时试图从中东数十年的战争中脱身时面对的挑战，尽管中东的冲突正在将美国再次拉入。

For Hawaii, the shift has been slow but undeniable: Government records point to new command centers, piers, runways and barracks, along with a boost in training tempo, sending more planes over beaches and warships in and out of Pearl Harbor.

对夏威夷来说，虽然“转向亚洲”的速度缓慢，但已在不可否认地发生：政府的记录显示已建设了新的指挥中心、码头、跑道和军营，训练的节奏加快，沙滩上空出现了更多的飞机，珍珠港的军舰出入次数增加。

Residents have expressed ambivalence about the escalated activity. But some military officials worry they are still not doing enough to prepare American troops, especially the Army’s 452,000 soldiers, for what they might face in the region.

当地居民对这些逐步扩大的活动表现出矛盾的情绪。但一些军事官员担心，他们尚未让美国军队，尤其是陆军的45.2万名士兵为该地区可能出现的情况做好充分准备。

Tensions have been increasing around Taiwan, with China sending more fighter jets near the island democracy, where the capital sits in the middle of a mountainous jungle. In the South China Sea, China’s Coast Guard last week rammed ships from the Philippines — a country that the United States is sworn by treaty to defend, and where it is expanding military bases in areas with dense vegetation and king cobras.

台湾海峡的紧张局势不断加剧，中国向这个民主自治的岛屿附近派出了更多的战斗机，它的首府就坐落在一个丛林覆盖的山区。中国的海警船上周在南中国海撞击菲律宾船只，美国对保卫菲律宾有条约上的承诺，并正在那里植被茂密、有眼镜王蛇出没的地区扩建军事基地。

Gen. Charles A. Flynn, the commander of U.S. Army Pacific, said that China had been on “an incremental, insidious and irresponsible path for decades.” Now more than ever, the “total Army,” he said, needs to prioritize relevant Pacific experience.

美国陆军太平洋地区司令查尔斯·弗林上将说，中国“几十年来一直走在逐年增加的隐袭、不负责任的道路上”。他说，“全体陆军”现在比以往任何时候都更需要优先考虑相关的太平洋实践。

“It’s more pragmatic,” he said in an interview at the Army’s new headquarters in Honolulu. “Hawaii gives us an invaluable platform,” he added, “to train and generate readiness.”

“这更讲求实效，”他在檀香山的陆军新总部接受采访时说。“夏威夷为我们进行训练、做好准备提供了一个有重大价值的平台，”他补充道。

‘Learn to Live With It’

‘学会忍受它’

On the first day of jungle school at Lightning Academy, Adam Elia, a staff historian for the 25th Infantry Division, posted a presentation on the wall of an outdoor classroom.

在“闪电官校”(Lightning Academy)丛林学校开学的第一天，第25步兵师的在编历史学家亚当·埃利亚在一个室外教室的墙上贴了一套演示图片。

He showed grainy photos of the division from World War II, fighting in Guadalcanal, where it earned its nickname Tropic Lightning for a quick assault against Japanese troops. He stressed that history offered several lessons about jungle warfare: The climate and terrain slow down efficiency, separate units into small teams, make communication difficult and increase the chance for disease.

他演示的图片包括第25步兵师在第二次世界大战期间在瓜达尔卡纳尔岛作战的模糊照片，该师对岛上日军的快速攻击为其赢得了“热带闪电”的称号。他强调说，那段历史提供了有关丛林战的几条经验教训：气候和地形导致了效率降低，将部队分割成小队，导致通讯困难，还增加了引发疾病的可能性。

“It’s not the enemy,” Mr. Elia said. “Learn to live with it.”

“这不是敌人，”埃利亚说。“要学会忍受它。”

The soldiers nodded. Their class of 90 had already lost 11 students to a swimming test and a hilly, humid run that had to be completed in 40 minutes. Those who remained were mostly from the 25th, playing various roles, but their ranks and patches had all been replaced with a number scrawled on their fatigues.

课堂上的士兵们点着头。这个开学时有90个人的班已经淘汰了11名学员，有的是被游泳测试淘汰的，有的是因为没能在 40分钟内完成一段在潮湿的丘陵地区的跑步。剩下的学员大多来自25师，在那里分别承担不同的职责，但他们迷彩服上的军衔标识已被写着数字的小布块遮盖。

Maj. Gen. Marcus Evans, who came to Hawaii in August to lead the 25th after serving at U.S. Special Operations Command, said the school aimed to build “leadership, and physical and mental toughness, and then, finally, the ability to work with your peers.”

今年8月上任的25师师长马库斯·埃文斯少将曾在美国特种作战司令部工作，他说，丛林学校的目的是培养“领导力、体力和精神上的坚韧，最后是与同侪一起工作的能力”。

When the course started a decade ago, after the military’s jungle school in Panama was closed in the 1990s, it was more about getting a feel for the environment. But instructors sent to other programs, from Brunei to Brazil, soon developed a more demanding regimen.

新的丛林学校始于十年前。美军在巴拿马的丛林学校已在20世纪90年代关闭。新课程开始的时候，曾更多的是让士兵对那种环境有所感受。但被派往文莱和巴西等地其他项目的教官很快就制定了一套要求更高的训练规则。

During downtime between classes on how to waterproof a rucksack or set up an ambush, last month’s jungle students worked on ropes and pulleys for a test they have to pass to graduate. Map and compass navigation has also become mandatory.

丛林学校上个月的学员们上了如何对背包进行防水处理的课后，还要上如何设埋伏的课，他们在这两堂课之间的休息时间努力练习一个使用绳索和滑轮的测试，那是他们毕业必须通过的测试。用地图和指南针来确定位置和方向也已成为必修课。

The analog instruction remains necessary even with the Pentagon’s relentless push for new technology. Army commanders note that artificial intelligence and drones cannot hold territory or manage resupply in soggy gulches where electricity and clean water are scarce.

在五角大楼不停地推动新技术的时候，仍有必要让学员学会不依赖电子设备的方法。陆军指挥官们指出，在潮湿的急流峡谷里，由于缺少电力和清洁水，人工智能和无人机无法坚守阵地或管理补给。

For many American soldiers, learning about the jungle — including jaguars and trench foot — has meant confronting the limits of American technological prowess, inspiring a greater degree of humility.

对许多美国士兵来说，对丛林——包括美洲豹和壕沟足——有所了解，意味着让他们无法回避美国技术实力的极限，也使他们产生了更大程度的谦逊。

During the river crossing, even competent officers drifted and needed help. At one point, as the cloudy sky turned charcoal gray at sunset, a soldier’s M4 machine gun fell to the murky bottom, slowing everyone down until it could be recovered.

淌水过河时，就连能干的军官也可能被水流冲走，需要帮助。有一次，多云的天空在日落时变得漆黑时，一名士兵的M4机枪掉进了浑浊的河水里，减慢了所有人行进的速度，直到枪被找回。

“You can’t underestimate the water,” said 2nd Lt. Kendall Elms, a skinny Midwesterner drip-drying by the river. “Never underestimate nature.”

“不要低估水的力量，”肯德尔·埃尔姆斯少尉说，这名身材瘦削的中西部人正在河边晾湿衣服。“永远不要低估大自然。”

Sense of Urgency

紧迫感

The landscape of the 50th state — more than a century after the U.S. military overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy — is still heavily tattooed with the marks of militarization. The sunken steel digging into Pearl Harbor is well known, but the Army controls around 175,000 acres of Hawaiian land, out of 222,000 under military management.

夏威夷是美国的第50个州。虽然美军推翻当地君主制是一个多世纪前的事情，但夏威夷的风景线上仍布满了带有军事性质的痕迹。人们都知道沉在珍珠港的航空母舰，但不知道夏威夷有近9万公顷的土地由军方管理，其中的7万多公顷控制在陆军手里。

And with an eye toward China, American military designs continue to find new forms.

美国着眼于中国的军事布局不断在寻找新的形式。

In a coastal corner of Oahu about 40 miles from Honolulu, two giant white globes sit atop a hillside. A sign for the U.S. Space Force hints at their links to distant satellites.

在距离檀香山60公里左右的欧胡岛靠近海岸的一角，小山坡顶上有两个巨大的白色球体。那是美国太空部队与遥远的卫星存在连接的标志。

A few hundred yards up the road, fences block access to the Makua Valley, a training ground where old ordnance lurks beneath a carpet of green foliage. After residents lobbied against it, the Pentagon has agreed to never again conduct live fire training there, but it has resisted returning the land.

从那里沿着路走几百米，能看到被栏杆挡住进入马库阿山谷的道路，那个山谷是个训练场，茂密的绿荫下隐藏着老式的军械。在居民游说反对后，五角大楼已同意永远不在那里再进行实弹射击训练，但一直拒绝将土地还给当地政府。

For commanders like General Evans and General Flynn, now isn’t the time to let go of anything that might be useful. As every branch of the U.S. military does more with regional partners like the Philippines — which will host a major training exercise next year, with a lot of jungle activity — there is a profound sense of urgency.

对埃文斯和弗林等指挥官来说，现在不是放弃任何可能有用的东西的时候。随着美军的各个军种与菲律宾等区域伙伴进行更多的合作（菲律宾明年将举行一场大型训练演习，其中包括大量丛林活动），军方有一种深刻的紧迫感。

General Flynn said he wanted the National Guard and Reserves to train in Hawaii.

弗林说，他希望国民警卫队和预备役部队来夏威夷训练。

General Evans said he wanted the 25th to tailor its approach to the region’s challenging geography.

埃文斯说，他想对25师根据该地区充满挑战的地理进行调整。

“Our mission command posts have got to get smaller, they’ve got to become more agile,” General Evans said.

“我们的行动指挥所必须变得更小，它们必须变得更灵活，”埃文斯说。

He listed two more areas of needed growth: protecting supplies in a contested environment, and working more effectively with the armies of other nations.

他列出了另外两个需要发展的方面：在一个激烈角逐的环境下保护供应，以及与其他国家的军队进行更有效的合作。

All three skills could be vital in a battle for Taiwan, which Beijing has threatened to take by force, and Hawaii has become a testing ground for them all. The latest rotation for the Army’s Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center involved an exercise with a handful of nations simulating a fight against a major power, island-hopping across Hawaii and to Palau.

这三方面的能力对台湾可能发生的战争至关重要，中国政府威胁武力收复台湾，而夏威夷则已成为检验这三方面能力的试验场。美国陆军的太平洋联合多国战备中心最近的轮换包括与少数国家进行的、从夏威夷到帕劳逐岛展开的与某个大国的模拟战。

But even as the military’s posture shifts, questions remain about whether more must be done.

但就在军方的看法发生变化时，是否需要采取更多行动的问题仍然存在。

Army leaders still often struggle to give the region its due. Lightning Academy is on track to graduate only around 600 students this year, and today’s jungle warriors have yet to receive at least one sign of respect.

陆军将领们仍在努力提高对太平洋地区的重视程度。闪电官校今年预计只有约600名学员毕业，而且，今天的这些丛林勇士们还缺少至少另一种受到尊重的迹象。

Under current rules, the jungle tab they earn for finishing the course can be worn only by those assigned to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

根据现行规定，只有那些毕业后分配到美国印太司令部工作的人才能佩戴他们完成课程后获得的丛林臂章。

If they take a job at the Pentagon, they must take off their jungle patch, as if their expertise is no longer relevant.

如果他们被分配到五角大楼工作，就必须摘下他们的丛林臂章，就好像是他们学到的专门技能不再相关了。