2015-08-10

【Aiden in English】

        Without discipline, nothing can be done. Some kids just are way too violent. I don’t know what their parents teach them. But whatever it is with them, the new generation of kids hurt! 

        Never in my life have I seen such a fearful stick. It gets even more intimidating that it’s being wielded by a cranky six years old. The day was another regular one, other than the fact that mom nearly took me to her work place by accident. It was a minor issue, but that cost me about twenty minutes, which was why I was late to the GHCS camp. I taught the classes, and helped when I was supposed to help. In the afternoon, as the day’s final activity, all the kids put on their sunblock, grabbed whatever they wanted to play outside, and lined up for the great outdoors. 

        When I was a kid like their ages, I loved to “sword fight”. I would use sticks, rolled up newspapers, and basically whatever long and hard thing I could find. Now I’ve grown up and see how stupid I used to look. But these kids were rather different than the way I used to handle swords. They got newspapers that, in their hands, seemed like battle axes that were on fire. They whacked hard! As a teacher assistant, I wasn’t allowed to harm any kids, but the contract never said anything about not having fun. So, I turned around and picked up a stick. Yeah, you’re probably right. This was a bad idea, but what the heck?! It’s the kid’s fault for starting it, which was true. The assault on kids ten and above was started by a whiny kid who probably got cranky because he didn’t take a nap. Oh well, but he still was asking for it. I, on the other hand, felt obligated to give it to him, full force. Eventually, it wasn’t me who hit him, but another pissed-off twelve years old who bashed him in the side of his head. He started to cry, which should’ve seen it coming. He sulked off a few meters away and just stared at us like a weirdo with a puffy face. After the outdoor time, the kid told the teacher that we hit him, which kind of made him look sillier than he already was. I guess he’s jerk and a hypocrite. 

        The newspapers were actually for Kung-Fu lessons, but I think that the teacher went too far. You know how dangerous it was to teach such skill to someone who handled could not.

【紅霞譯文】

        沒有規矩，難以成方圓。有些孩童行為野蠻，我不知道其父母如何管教子女，跟這類淘氣包無論做什麼事情，同伴們肯定遭殃。

        我有生以來從未見過如此可怕的棍子，年僅六歲調皮搗蛋的男孩手裡拿着這種玩藝真會把人嚇死。今天可謂極其普通的日子，可媽媽偏偏出了紕漏，差點帶我跟她一起去公司上班，這麼小小的一個失誤，讓我白白搭進了廿分鐘光景，結果等趕到光華中文學校，夏令營已經開始。我有教課任務，同時還要義工服務，一定隨叫隨到。在下午進行最後一項活動之前，所有營員都已塗抹防曬霜，並帶上戶外所需用品，正排好隊伍朝戶外開拔。

        記得我像這些營員這麼大的時候，特別喜歡“舞劍”，隨手撩起棍棒、捲起報紙以及任何又長又硬的東西當替代物。現在長大了，我逐漸意識到過去的舉止行為十分幼稚。眼下這幫小不點與我當時玩劍的方式大不相同，緊攥在他們手心的報紙看上去宛若金火閃閃的斧子，他們不管三七二十一到處亂舞！身為助教，我不能不管，但又不允許強行制止，以免誤傷營員，況且夏令營合同上從未明文禁止娛樂形式。我只好藉助轉身之際順手抄起一根棍子，你大概是對的，這麼做並非恰當，但突發狀況下哪顧得上周全考慮呀？！本來錯就出在挑頭惹事的那個孩子身上，他可能因為缺覺而亂發脾氣，可挨打的對象都是十來歲的大孩子們，他完全自討苦吃。我只好任其折騰，最後倒不是因為我的阻止才停止交鋒，而是被一位十二歲惹得發毛的男生打中了腦袋，他嚎啕大哭，其實這種結局早在預料之中。他站在離我們幾米遠的地方，像個怪物一樣氣鼓鼓地瞪着大家。等室外活動結束，他向老師狀告我們打人，充分暴露出不講道理的惡習，我覺得他已渾到自欺欺人的地步。

        話說營員們玩的報紙，本來都是為功夫課準備的，我認為老師太過大意，要知道對年幼孩子教授舞劍技能是很危險的，因為他根本不懂得適可而止。