【英文夜读】My Buddy on the Top Bunk

Onhearingthesong"My Buddy ontheTopBunk",Icouldfeelmyeyesbegintowater.Thesong'snostalgiclyricsbroughtChentomymind’seye.IcouldseeChen-themanwhohelpedmethroughtimesoftroubleanddespair-tellingmehowtopreparefortrainingandexams,orevenjusthelpingmewithmychores.Eventoday,IstillfeelthatIowehimforallhehasdonetohelpme.

ChenandImetduringrecruitment.Initially,Chendidnotleaveadeepimpressiononme.WhenIfirststartedtonoticehim,itwasonthetestofthethree-kilometerlong-distancerun.Aman,quietandunassuming,wassuddenlyatthefrontofthepack.Fromthenon,Ibegantotakeacloserlookathim.Hehadadarkcomplexionandasteelyandcoldexpression.Inhiseyes,Inoticedtheinnatedeterminationofasoldier,whichissometimeshardtoseeinsomenewrecruits.

Bychance,wewereassignedtothesameplatoonduringrecruitment.Oneday,wewerescheduledtostandguard.Itwasnoon,andtheheatwasunbearable.Iwassweatingandfrequentlylookingattheclock,hopingthattheshiftwouldendassoonaspossible.Chenheldasteelgunandremainedmotionless,beginning-to-end.Whenourdutywasover,Idraggedmyheavybodybacktothedormitory.Seeingmetiredandexhausted,Chenthoughtfullythrewabottleofwatertome.

Thatafternoon,thetwoofustalkedalotandgottoknoweachotherbetter.WhenIaskedhimwhyhehadbecomeasoldier,heansweredwithoutthinking.Hesaid:"Ialwaysdreamedofenteringamilitaryschool,andIwillcontinuetoworkhard.Oneday,Iwillcommandathousandtroopsonthebattlefield,sothattheenemyhasnoreturn!"Hishonestyandambitionimpressedmesomuch.Iwasinspiredbyhislong-termgoals.

Afterourbasictraining,ChenandIwereassignedtodifferentcompanies.Thoughwewereindifferentunits,wewerebothplayingimportantrolesinbuildingastrongarmy.WheneverItalkedtohimonthephone,wesharedourhappinessandsorrows.

Afterayearandthreemonths,ImetChenagaininthePLAcollegeentranceexamtrainingprogram.SinceIdidn'tdowellinmathematicsandchemistry,preparingforthemevokedsomestress.EverytimeIlookedatthemodeltest,filledwithterribleredcrosses,Iwantedtoquit.YetChen,atthiscriticalmoment,wasalwaysaroundencouragingmeandhelpingmefixmymistakes.Forourshareddreamofdoingwell,westartedearly,workedlateandspentnight-and-daystudying.

Finally,onthatgloriousdayofAugustthe1st,ChenandIreceivedacceptancelettersfromthesamemilitaryacademy!WhileIwashappy,Iknewthat,withouthimbymyside,Iwouldhavebeendischargedfromthearmyaftermytwo-yearsofservice.Toagreatextent,Cheninfluencedmeandchangedmylife.

Unlikethearmy,thecentraltaskofamilitaryschoolistostudy,andChenisanoutstandinglearner.Inadditiontothecoresubjectsrequiredatuniversity,heisalsoakeenstudentofmilitarytheory,familiarwithSunTzu'sArtofWar,andknowledgeableaboutotherwar-relatedprinciples.Ifhestartstalkingaboutlifeexperiencesorkeybattlesofworld-renownedgenerals,nooneelsecanfindachancetospeak.

Hehasparticipatedinmanyactivitiesandwonmanyawardsinthepastthreeyears.Iknowthatinsomewayshehascontributedgreatlytooursharedcause.Somepeopleenviedhim,hopingtobecomeasgoodashim.Otherswerejealousofhim,sayingthatheisjustworkinghardforthesakeoffuturepost-selection.ButthesepeopledidnottaketherequiredactionstodowhatChenhasdone.AndChenisneverbotheredbywhatotherssay,whetheritbetheirgossipormisunderstanding.Hefirmlybelievesthatstrivingforexcellence,forone'scountry,isthebestchoice.

Ialwaysconsidermyselfincrediblyluckytohavesuchalike-mindedbrother.Heaccompaniedmethroughtherecruitmentandmilitarytraining.Webothencouragedandhelpedeachother,runningtogetheronouridealroad,lookingbackwithstoriesalongtheway,lookingdownwithfirmsteps,andlookingupwithaclearvisionofthefuture.