“一封書信，一段歷史”
2020年9月3日，是中中國人民抗日戰爭暨世界反法西斯戰爭勝利75週年紀念日。
80多年前，在民族生死存亡之間，無數熱血青年為家國決意赴死。
歲月流轉，當年的那場戰爭早已離我們遠去，但戰場上留下的一封封書信，卻成為歷史永恆的見證。
現在，重讀這些信件，依然能從中感受到他們對侵略者的滿腔怒火，對親人的無盡思念，對國家、民族的赤誠之心。
在前兩期中，我們回顧了中國抗日名將張自忠、以及四行倉庫保衛戰的指揮者謝晉元，在民族危難之際留下的句句肺腑、字字千鈞的抗戰家書。
September 3 marks the 75th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. During the 14-year war against Japanese invasion, more than 3.8 million Chinese soldiers lost their lives. According to data released by China's State Council Information Office, the total number of Chinese casualties, both military and non-military, exceeded 35 million, accounting for a third of the total deaths in World War II.
In this episode, we focus on a letter written by Captain Norman Skinner, of Britain's Royal Army Service Corps, to his wife in 1944 just days before he was killed during the D-Day landings.
“與你重聚，永世不分離”
諾曼·斯金納（Captain Norman W. G. Skinner），英國皇家陸軍後勤部隊上校。1944年6月7日犧牲於法國諾曼底，終年38歲。
說到二戰史上最關鍵的戰役，諾曼底登陸無疑是其中之一——
1944年6月6日，15.6萬盟軍從英國跨越英吉利海峽，搶灘登陸法國諾曼底，攻下了猶他、奧馬哈、金灘、朱諾和劍灘五處海灘；此後，盟軍士兵如潮水般湧入法國，勢如破竹，成功開闢了歐洲大陸的第二戰場。
然而，這場勝利讓盟軍付出了巨大的傷亡代價，諾曼底登陸日此後也被很多人看作是“歷史上最漫長的一天”。
Captain Norman W. G. Skinner, who was with the Britain's Royal Army Service Corps, was among the 156,000 allied troops who set sail from England for Normandy, France, on June 5, 1944, to take part in the D-Day landings, one of World War II's defining moments.
He landed on the Sword Beach on June 6 but was killed the following day, leaving two young daughters.
Before setting sail to Normandy, Captain Skinner wrote a letter to his wife Gladys on June 3, 1944. The letter, in which he talked of his deepest love towards his wife and his children as well as his sadness for not being able to be with them, was later found in his pocket when he died at the age of 38.
2019年6月5日是諾曼底登陸75週年紀念日。
在當天的紀念儀式上，英國前首相特蕾莎·梅朗誦了二戰老兵——英軍上校諾曼·斯金納寫給妻子的一封家書。
斯金納上校於1944年6月6日隨部隊抵達諾曼底五處登陸灘頭之一的劍灘，卻於次日不幸陣亡，留下妻子和兩個年幼的女兒。
At the commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings on June 5, 2019, Former British Prime Minister Theresa May recited this heartfelt letter, relaying the words of Captain Skinner that touched the hearts of hundreds of millions of people.
人們後來在他遺體的上衣口袋裡發現了這封信。信件寫於1944年6月3日，即諾曼底登陸前夕。
信中字字句句飽含樸實真摯的情感，七十多個春秋過去，讀來依舊感人至深——
My darling, this is a very difficult letter for me to write. As you know, something may happen at any moment and I cannot tell when you will receive this. I had hoped to be able to see you during last weekend, but it was impossible to get away and all the things I intended to say must be written.
親愛的，這封信著實讓我難以啟筆。如你所知，世事無常，我無法預知你何時能收到這封信。上週末，我原想能與你見上一面，但我無法脫身，於是只能將我想說的話，述於筆尖。
I'm sure that anyone with imagination must dislike the thought of what's coming, but my fears will be more of being afraid than of what can happen to me. You and I have had some lovely years, which now seem to have passed at lightning speed.
我可以肯定，任何稍有想象力的人，都一定不會對即將發生的事情太過樂觀。但我所擔心的，不是自己是否遭遇不測，而是自己會感到恐懼。我們度過的那些美好歲月，現在回想起來，如閃電般匆匆而過。
My thoughts at this moment, in this lovely Saturday afternoon, are with you all now. I can imagine you in the garden having tea with Janey and Anne, getting ready to put them to bed.
週六下午的天氣好極了，而此刻我的心緒已飄向你們身邊。我想著你與珍妮和安妮在花園中品茶，很快就要帶他們上床睡覺了。
Although I would give anything to be back with you, I have not yet had any wish at all to back down from the job we have to do.
雖然我願不惜任何代價只為回來與你在一起，但我從未想過放棄我們眼下必須完成的任務。
There is so much that I would like to be able to tell you. Nearly all of which you've heard many, many times. But just to say that I mean it even more today. I'm sure that I will be with you again soon and for good.
我實在有太多太多的話想對你傾訴。這些話，雖然你已聽過千百遍，但它們從未像今天那樣情深意切。我相信很快便能與你重聚，永世不分離。
Please give my fondest love to my Anne and my Janey. God bless and keep you all safe for me.
請把我最深的愛獻給我的安妮和珍妮，願上天保佑你們所有人平安。