David Campbell is a Melbourne writer.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　作者 David Campbell 是一位墨尔本作家.

Surely even a child can understand the difference between good and evil. 即使是一个小孩子也能明白善良与邪恶的分别.

Dad ... what's a terrorist? 爸爸,什么是恐怖份子?

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,根据牛津字典,一个恐怖份子是"一个使用暴力和恐吓来实现政治目的的人"，意思是说恐怖份子是非常坏的男人和女人,他们恐吓那些像我们一样的平民,甚至要杀死他们.

Why do they kill them? 为什么要杀死他们?

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.

因为他们憎恨他们或者是他们的国家.这是很难解释的....世界就是这个样子.由於很多原因我们这个世界上有很多人都充满了仇恨.

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来还说如果所有军队不离开伊拉克，他们就会杀死那些人?

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.

一点都不错!这是一种叫"敲诈恐吓"邪恶行为.这些无辜的人叫"人质",而那些恐怖份子说如果这些政府不按照他们所说的去做,这些人质就会被杀害.

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

那么,当我们说如果不告诉我们他们的武器在哪里的话我们就会攻击伊拉克和杀死无辜人民,那是不是敲诈恐吓?

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

不!嗯,.....是的,我想.... 从一方面来说吧. 但那是一个"最后通牒"....把它叫做"善良的敲诈恐吓"吧.

Good blackmail? What's that? 善良的敲诈恐吓?那是什么?

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.

那是当这是为了善良的原因而做事的时候的称呼.... 那些武器是非常危险的,会伤害世界上的很多人.把它们找出来毁灭掉是很重要的.

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

但爸爸....根本什么武器都没有.

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

是的.我们现在知道了.但那时候我们不知道.我们以为有.

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

那杀死那么多无辜伊拉克人是一个错误?

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.那是一个悲剧,而且我们也拯救了很多生命.你看,我们必须阻止一个很惨忍的名叫萨达姆·胡辛的人去杀害很多伊拉克平民.萨达姆·胡辛留在台上意味着数以千计的人民伤亡，母亲和父亲们，甚至儿童们.

Like that boy I saw on TV? The one who had his arms blown off by a bomb? 就象那个我在电视上看到的男孩?双臂被炸弹炸掉的那个?

Yes ... just like him. 对....就像他一样.

But we did that. Does that mean our leaders are terrorists? 但那是我们干的.这是不是说我们的领导人是恐怖份子?

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. 什么让你那样子想的? 那只是一个意外! 很不幸的,无辜的人民在战争中会受到伤害. 当你轰炸城市的时候,这是预计之内.没人想要这事发生...这只是现实而已.

So in a war only soldiers are supposed to get killed? 所以战争中,只有士兵应该被杀?

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,士兵是接受专门训练去为国家作战.那是他们的工作,他们也很勇敢.他们知道战争是危险的,而且他们会被杀死.他们穿上制服的时候就成为了一个目标.

What uniforms do terrorists wear? 恐怖份子穿什么制服?

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. 那就是问题所在....他们不穿制服. 我们没法子分辨他们和一般市民有什么不同.我们不知道我们跟谁战斗.这个就是为什么那么多无辜人民被杀,...因为恐怖份子不遵守战争规则.

War has rules? 战争有规则?

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.士兵必须穿制服.还有,你不能够突然去攻击别人，除非别人先动手。然后你就可以正当防卫自己。

So that's why we attacked Iraq? Because Iraq attacked us first and we were just defending ourselves? 那这就是为什么我们攻击伊拉克？因为伊拉克先攻击我们而我们只是防卫自己?

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. 不完全是这样.伊拉克没有攻击我们....不过它可能那样子做.我们决定先下手为强，以防万一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? 那些他们根本没有的武器？所以我们就违反了战争规则？

Technically speaking, yes. But ... 技术上来说,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? 那既然我们先犯规,为什么那些伊拉克人就不应该犯不穿制服的规啊?

Well, that's different. We were doing the right thing when we broke the rules. 嗯,那是不同的。我们是在做正义的事而犯规.

But Dad ... how do we know we were doing the right thing? 但爸爸....我们怎么知道我们在做正义的事?

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.

我们的领导们....布什和布莱尔还有霍华德（澳大利亚总理）...他们告诉我们这是对的.如果他们都搞不清楚,谁搞得清楚？他们说为了把伊拉克变成一个更好的地方,一定要做点事.

Is it a better place? 现在那里是一个更好的地方了?

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。无辜的人还是被杀，而那些绑架是很可怕的事。我为那些可怜的人质家庭感到可惜,但我们不能向恐怖份子投降.我们必须立场坚定.

Would you say that if I was captured by terrorists? 如果我被恐怖份子抓了,你会不会也那样子说?

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

So you'd let me be killed? Don't you love me? 所以你会让我被杀掉？你不爱我吗？

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 ... 当然!我非常爱你。只不过这是很复杂的事情而我不知道我应该怎么做...

Well, if somebody attacked us and bombed our house and killed you and Mum and Jamie I know what I'd do. 嗯,如果有人攻打我们，炸了我们的房子，杀死你、妈和Jamie(XDJM)，我知道我会怎么做。

What? 什么?

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. 我会找出谁干的然后把他们干掉.用任何我可以使用的办法.我会永远憎恨他们.然后我会开飞机去轰炸他们的城市.

But ... but ... you'd kill a lot of innocent people. 但是....但是....你会杀死很多无辜的人啊.

I know. But it's war, Dad. And that's just the way things are. Remember? 我知道.但这是战争，爸爸。而且这只是现实而已.记得吗?