David Campbell is a Melbourne writer.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　作者 David Campbell 是一位墨爾本作家.

Surely even a child can understand the difference between good and evil. 即使是一個小孩子也能明白善良與邪惡的分別.

Dad ... what's a terrorist? 爸爸,什麼是恐怖份子?

Well, according to the Oxford dictionary a terrorist is "a person who uses violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims". Which means that terrorists are very bad men and women who frighten ordinary people like us, and sometimes even kill them.

嗯,根據牛津字典,一個恐怖份子是"一個使用暴力和恐嚇來實現政治目的的人"，意思是說恐怖份子是非常壞的男人和女人,他們恐嚇那些像我們一樣的平民,甚至要殺死他們.

Why do they kill them? 為什麼要殺死他們?

Because they hate them or their country. It's hard to explain ... it's just the way things are. For many different reasons a lot of people in our world are full of hate.

因為他們憎恨他們或者是他們的國家.這是很難解釋的....世界就是這個樣子.由於很多原因我們這個世界上有很多人都充滿了仇恨.

Like the ones in Iraq who are capturing people and saying that they'll kill them if all the soldiers don't leave? 就像那些伊拉克人把人抓起來還說如果所有軍隊不離開伊拉克，他們就會殺死那些人?

Exactly! That's an evil thing called "blackmail". Those innocent people are hostages, and the terrorists are saying that if governments don't do what they want the hostages will be killed.

一點都不錯!這是一種叫"敲詐恐嚇"邪惡行為.這些無辜的人叫"人質",而那些恐怖份子說如果這些政府不按照他們所說的去做,這些人質就會被殺害.

So was it blackmail when we said we'd attack Iraq and kill innocent people unless they told us where all their weapons were?

那麼,當我們說如果不告訴我們他們的武器在哪裡的話我們就會攻擊伊拉克和殺死無辜人民,那是不是敲詐恐嚇?

No! Well ... yes, I suppose. In a way. But that was an "ultimatum" ... call it "good blackmail.

不!嗯,.....是的,我想.... 從一方面來說吧. 但那是一個"最後通牒"....把它叫做"善良的敲詐恐嚇"吧.

Good blackmail? What's that? 善良的敲詐恐嚇?那是什麼?

That's when it's done for good reasons. Those weapons were very dangerous and could have hurt a lot of people all over the world. It was very important to find them and destroy them.

那是當這是為了善良的原因而做事的時候的稱呼.... 那些武器是非常危險的,會傷害世界上的很多人.把它們找出來毀滅掉是很重要的.

But Dad ... there weren't any weapons.

但爸爸....根本什麼武器都沒有.

True. We know that now. But we didn't at the time. We thought there were.

是的.我們現在知道了.但那時候我們不知道.我們以為有.

So was killing all those innocent people in Iraq a mistake?

那殺死那麼多無辜伊拉克人是一個錯誤?

No. It was a tragedy, but we also saved a lot of lives. You see, we had to stop a very cruel man called Saddam Hussein from killing a great many ordinary Iraqi people. Saddam Hussein stayed in power by giving orders that meant thousands of people died or were horribly injured. Mothers and fathers. Even children.

不.那是一個悲劇,而且我們也拯救了很多生命.你看,我們必須阻止一個很慘忍的名叫薩達姆·胡辛的人去殺害很多伊拉克平民.薩達姆·胡辛留在台上意味着數以千計的人民傷亡，母親和父親們，甚至兒童們.

Like that boy I saw on TV? The one who had his arms blown off by a bomb? 就象那個我在電視上看到的男孩?雙臂被炸彈炸掉的那個?

Yes ... just like him. 對....就像他一樣.

But we did that. Does that mean our leaders are terrorists? 但那是我們幹的.這是不是說我們的領導人是恐怖份子?

Good heavens, no! Whatever gave you that idea? That was just an accident. Unfortunately, innocent people get hurt in a war. You can't expect anything else when you drop bombs on cities. Nobody wants it to happen ... it's just the way things are.

我的天,不. 什麼讓你那樣子想的? 那只是一個意外! 很不幸的,無辜的人民在戰爭中會受到傷害. 當你轟炸城市的時候,這是預計之內.沒人想要這事發生...這只是現實而已.

So in a war only soldiers are supposed to get killed? 所以戰爭中,只有士兵應該被殺?

Well, soldiers are trained to fight for their country. It's their job, and they're very brave. They know that war is dangerous and that they might be killed. As soon as they put on a uniform they become a target.

嗯,士兵是接受專門訓練去為國家作戰.那是他們的工作,他們也很勇敢.他們知道戰爭是危險的,而且他們會被殺死.他們穿上制服的時候就成為了一個目標.

What uniforms do terrorists wear? 恐怖份子穿什麼制服?

That's just the problem ... they don't! We can't tell them apart from the civilians. We don't know who we're fighting. And that's why so many innocent people are getting killed ... the terrorists don't follow the rules of war. 那就是問題所在....他們不穿制服. 我們沒法子分辨他們和一般市民有什麼不同.我們不知道我們跟誰戰鬥.這個就是為什麼那麼多無辜人民被殺,...因為恐怖份子不遵守戰爭規則.

War has rules? 戰爭有規則?

Oh, yes. Soldiers must wear uniforms. And you can't just suddenly attack someone unless they do something to you first. Then you can defend yourself. 啊,是啊.士兵必須穿制服.還有,你不能夠突然去攻擊別人，除非別人先動手。然後你就可以正當防衛自己。

So that's why we attacked Iraq? Because Iraq attacked us first and we were just defending ourselves? 那這就是為什麼我們攻擊伊拉克？因為伊拉克先攻擊我們而我們只是防衛自己?

Not exactly. Iraq didn't attack us ... but it might have. We decided to get in first. Just in case Iraq used those weapons we were talking about. 不完全是這樣.伊拉克沒有攻擊我們....不過它可能那樣子做.我們決定先下手為強，以防萬一伊拉克真的使用了那些武器.

The ones they didn't have? So we broke the rules of war? 那些他們根本沒有的武器？所以我們就違反了戰爭規則？

Technically speaking, yes. But ... 技術上來說,是的,但是....

So if we broke the rules first, why isn't it OK for those people in Iraq who aren't wearing uniforms to break the rules? 那既然我們先犯規,為什麼那些伊拉克人就不應該犯不穿制服的規啊?

Well, that's different. We were doing the right thing when we broke the rules. 嗯,那是不同的。我們是在做正義的事而犯規.

But Dad ... how do we know we were doing the right thing? 但爸爸....我們怎麼知道我們在做正義的事?

Our leaders ... Bush and Blair and Howard ... they told us it was the right thing. And if they don't know, who does? They say that something had to be done to make Iraq a better place.

我們的領導們....布什和布萊爾還有霍華德（澳大利亞總理）...他們告訴我們這是對的.如果他們都搞不清楚,誰搞得清楚？他們說為了把伊拉克變成一個更好的地方,一定要做點事.

Is it a better place? 現在那裡是一個更好的地方了?

I suppose so, but I don't know for sure. Innocent people are still being killed and these kidnappings are terrible things. I feel very sorry for the families of those poor hostages, but we simply can't give in to terrorists. We must stand firm.

我想大概是吧,我不大清楚。無辜的人還是被殺，而那些綁架是很可怕的事。我為那些可憐的人質家庭感到可惜,但我們不能向恐怖份子投降.我們必須立場堅定.

Would you say that if I was captured by terrorists? 如果我被恐怖份子抓了,你會不會也那樣子說?

Uh ... yes ... no ... I mean, it's very difficult ... 嗯,....是.....不是.....我的意思是...那是很困難的....

So you'd let me be killed? Don't you love me? 所以你會讓我被殺掉？你不愛我嗎？

Of course! I love you very much. It's just that it's a very complicated issue and I don't know what I'd do ... 當然!我非常愛你。只不過這是很複雜的事情而我不知道我應該怎麼做...

Well, if somebody attacked us and bombed our house and killed you and Mum and Jamie I know what I'd do. 嗯,如果有人攻打我們，炸了我們的房子，殺死你、媽和Jamie(XDJM)，我知道我會怎麼做。

What? 什麼?

I'd find out who did it and kill them. Any way I could. I'd hate them for ever and ever. And then I'd get in a plane and bomb their cities. 我會找出誰幹的然後把他們幹掉.用任何我可以使用的辦法.我會永遠憎恨他們.然後我會開飛機去轟炸他們的城市.

But ... but ... you'd kill a lot of innocent people. 但是....但是....你會殺死很多無辜的人啊.

I know. But it's war, Dad. And that's just the way things are. Remember? 我知道.但這是戰爭，爸爸。而且這只是現實而已.記得嗎?