? ? ?A new episode in my life started. Arrangements were made for me to?go to school in Rotterdam for my last year. I would live with my grandmother?and aunt and spend the weekends at home with my mother?and sisters in The Hague. I was glad to be back in Holland.?The curriculum at school was, of course, quite different from that of?the English school in Cairo. In some subjects I was behind, in some?ahead, especially in languages, but, on the whole, I did not find it too difficult?to adjust myself. I made new friends and, naturally, I felt?more integrated and part of the scene than I had done in Cairo. The?winter of 1940 was cold and there was a lot of ice so that I was able to?go for long skating trips on the canals around Rotterdam. There were?still ample food supplies although a distribution system was being put?in place. Of the war, which anyway had not yet started in earnest, we?noticed very little. Occasionally a British or German aircraft was?brought down which had violated Dutch neutrality. The members of?the crew would be interned if they were alive or buried with military?honours if they had been killed. Among the population there was, in?general, a feeling of quiet confidence that Holland could manage to remain?neutral, as it had done in the First World War, provided it took?care not to offend either side, especially its more irascible Eastern?neighbour. The German invasion of Norway and Denmark shook this?confidence to its roots and the mood became more pessimistic. In spite?of the strict neutrality, the sympathies of the vast majority of the?Dutch people lay with the British and the French, especially the?former. In spite of colonial rivalries, at times of great dangers in their?history - the Eighty Years War and the French occupation under?Napoleon - the Dutch had always looked to Britain for help. Since it?was a constant of British policy on the continent that the Low?Countries should remain independent, they never did so in vain. Also,?being a commercial and seafaring nation, they felt closer in spirit to?the British than to the Germans whose martial traditions were foreign?to them and which they feared and disliked, especially in their recent?national-socialist manifestation.

【我生命中新的一篇就此開始了。最后一學(xué)年準(zhǔn)備安排我去鹿特丹上學(xué)。我會和我的祖母住在一起，周末我會和母親和妹妹們在海牙的家里度過。我很高興回到荷蘭。當(dāng)然，學(xué)校的課程與開羅的英語學(xué)校完全不同。在某些科目上我落后了，在某些科目上則領(lǐng)先，尤其是在語言方面，總的來說，我并不覺得適應(yīng)新生活很難。我結(jié)交了新朋友，自然而然地，我感覺比在開羅時更容易融入到周圍去。 1940 年的冬天很冷，河面結(jié)了很多冰，所以我可以在鹿特丹周圍的運河上進行長時間的滑冰。盡管當(dāng)時正在建立戰(zhàn)時系統(tǒng)，但仍然有充足的食物供應(yīng)。這場戰(zhàn)爭無論如何還沒有真正開始。我們幾乎沒有注意到，偶爾會有一架英國或德國飛機因違反荷蘭中立原則而被擊落。船員如果還活著，將被拘留，如果他們被殺，他們將會被以軍事榮譽埋葬?？傮w而言，民眾對于荷蘭能夠保持中立充滿信心，就像它在第一次世界大戰(zhàn)中所做的那樣，只要它不冒犯任何一方，尤其是更殘暴的東部鄰國。然而，德國對挪威和丹麥的入侵動搖了這種信心的根基，人民的情緒變得更加悲觀。盡管荷蘭嚴(yán)格保持中立，但絕大多數(shù)荷蘭人同情英國和法國，尤其是英國。盡管英荷之間有殖民競爭，但在荷蘭歷史上的重大危險時期——八十年戰(zhàn)爭和被拿破侖統(tǒng)治下的法國占領(lǐng)——荷蘭人總是向英國尋求幫助。由于低地國家應(yīng)該保持獨立是英國在歐洲大陸的一貫政策，荷蘭人的求助從來沒有白費。此外，作為一個商業(yè)和航海國家，他們在精神上更接近英國人，而不是德國人，德國的軍事傳統(tǒng)對他們來說是陌生的，他們害怕和厭惡，尤其是在德國最近的納粹表現(xiàn)中?！?/span>

? ? ?When I was woken in the early hours of Friday the 10th of May by?the sound of an explosion, my first reaction was that a passing car?must have burst a tyre. I turned over to go to sleep again when there?was another explosion followed by machine-gun fire. My grandmother?came into my room with a worried look asking me what I thought?those explosions could be. 'Probably a German or Allied aircraft?which has violated our neutrality,' I said, half believing this and half?wanting to put her mind at rest.

【5月10日星期五的凌晨，當(dāng)我被一聲爆炸聲吵醒時，我的第一反應(yīng)是一輛經(jīng)過的汽車爆胎了。我翻了個身想再去睡覺，這時又傳來一聲爆炸聲，接著是機槍的槍聲。我的祖母走進我的房間，一臉憂慮地問我這些爆炸是怎么回事?！翱赡苁堑聡蛎塑姷娘w機違反了我們的中立原則，”我說，我半數(shù)是因為相信這一點，半數(shù)是想讓她放心?！?/span>

? ? ?Still, I got up and looked out of the window. People, most of them?still half dressed, were standing in little groups in the street or leaning?out of the windows. Some had even climbed on the roof tops. All were?looking up at the sky where several aircraft were giving each other?chase and firing bursts of machine-gun fire. From the direction of the?port came the sound of heavy explosions. This was clearly more than an?aircraft violating our neutrality. 'War, invasion, Germans' - these?menacing words came drifting up to me from the excited groups in the?street below. I switched on the radio. The announcer, his voice heavy?with foreboding, kept on repeating the same news. In the early hours of?the morning German troops had crossed the frontier and were now?engaged in heavy fighting with the Dutch Army which had been?ordered to resist. War had been declared, the Dutch Ambassador in?Berlin recalled and the Allies asked for assistance.

【盡管如此，我還是站了起來，看著窗外。人們或三五成群地站在街上，或把頭探出窗外，其中大多數(shù)還沒穿好衣服。有些人甚至爬上了屋頂。所有人都抬頭仰望天空，幾架飛機在互相追逐，并發(fā)出陣陣機關(guān)槍的射擊聲。從港口的方向傳來沉重的爆炸聲。這顯然不僅僅是一架飛機侵犯了我們的中立?！皯?zhàn)爭，侵略，德國人”——這些威脅性的話語從下面街道上震驚的人群中向我涌來。我打開收音機。播音員的聲音充滿了不祥的感覺，他不停地重復(fù)著同樣的新聞。凌晨時分，德國軍隊越過邊境，與奉命抵抗的荷蘭軍隊展開激戰(zhàn)。戰(zhàn)爭已經(jīng)開始，荷蘭駐柏林大使被召回，同時向盟國請求援助。】

? ? ?That morning the atmosphere in the streets was reminiscent of a?public holiday. The streets were full of people who, having had no experience?of war, were quite heedless of the danger from the air.Their mood reflected patriotic fervour mingled with indignation at the?treachery and meanness of this attack by a powerful neighbour on a?small country which only wished to live in peace. There was no?question of going to school and my friends and I made our way to the?centre of the city from where the sound of battle came. We were all in?a state of joyful excitement, most inappropriate to the occasion. This?mood was heightened by one particular news item broadcast in the?course of the morning. The government, as a gesture of hostility?towards the enemy, had abolished the teaching of German in the?schools. On reflection, this seemed a particularly irrelevant measure.?One would have thought that, at that juncture, it would have had?more important things to worry about. But as schoolboys we were, of?course, delighted.

【那天早晨，街上的氣氛讓人想起假日。街上到處都是沒有戰(zhàn)爭經(jīng)驗的人，他們完全沒有注意到來自空中的危險。他們的情緒反映了愛國熱情，并夾雜著對一個強大的鄰國對一個只希望和平生活的小國進行這次背叛和卑鄙攻擊的憤慨。因為不需要上學(xué)，我和我的朋友們來到了市中心，從那里傳來了戰(zhàn)斗的聲音。我們都處于一種興高采烈的興奮狀態(tài)，這與當(dāng)時的場合極不相稱。上午播出的一條特別的新聞加劇了這種情緒。作為對敵人敵視的一種表示，政府在學(xué)校里廢除了德語教學(xué)。仔細(xì)想想，這似乎是一個特別無關(guān)緊要的措施。人們可能會認(rèn)為，在這個時刻，它有更重要的事情要操心。但作為小學(xué)生，我們當(dāng)然很高興?！?/span>

? ? ?When we got near to the centre of the city, we were driven back by?gunfire. As they crossed the frontier, the Germans had simultaneously?dropped paratroops over Rotterdam to occupy the airfield and the?bridges across the river Maas, which linked the Northern with the?Southern Netherlands. These objectives were stubbornly defended by?the Marines, garrisoned in Rotterdam, but they were suffering heavy?casualties and the Germans kept dropping new waves of paratroops.?In a few places, not far from our home, bombs had fallen and houses?been hit.

【當(dāng)我們接近市中心時，我們被炮火喝退了。當(dāng)?shù)聡嗽竭^邊境時，他們同時在鹿特丹空降傘兵，以占領(lǐng)機場和連接荷蘭北部和南部的馬斯河上的橋梁。這些要地被駐扎在鹿特丹的海軍陸戰(zhàn)隊頑強地守衛(wèi)著，但他們遭受了嚴(yán)重的傷亡，德國人不斷派出新的傘兵。在離我們家不遠(yuǎn)的幾個地方，炸彈落下，有房屋被擊中?！?/span>

? ? ?In the course of the day the reality of war began to make itself felt?and drove away the euphoria of the first hours. There was no question?now of leaving for The Hague to join my mother and sisters. The?Germans had also dropped paratroops on an airfield between?Rotterdam and The Hague and were using the autobahn between the?two cities as a landing strip. It would have been impossible to get?through. In a few days when the situation might be clearer, I would?attempt the journey.

【在這一天的過程中，戰(zhàn)爭的現(xiàn)實開始顯現(xiàn)出來，驅(qū)散了最初幾個小時的歡愉?，F(xiàn)在我已經(jīng)不需要再去海牙找我的母親和妹妹們了。德國人還在鹿特丹和海牙之間的一個機場空投了傘兵，并利用鹿特丹和海牙之間的高速公路作為降落跑道。那是不可能通過的。過幾天情況可能會比較明朗的時候，我就會嘗試去匯合?！?/span>

? ? ?In Rotterdam the fighting in the centre of the city continued over?the next few days. Though the Germans had managed to establish a?foothold there, the Marines were holding out. Elsewhere, the Dutch?Army was retreating westwards on all fronts. Little or no help was?forthcoming from France and Britain which were too busy stemming?the German tide in Belgium and Northern France.

【在鹿特丹，市中心的戰(zhàn)斗持續(xù)了幾天。盡管德國人已經(jīng)在那里建立了立足點，但海軍陸戰(zhàn)隊仍在頑強抵抗。在其他地方，荷蘭軍隊在所有戰(zhàn)線上向西撤退。法國和英國幾乎沒有提供任何幫助，因為它們正忙于遏止德國在比利時和法國北部的攻勢?！?/span>

? ? ?Then came the 14th of May. The sky was cloudless, as it had been?all those four days of war. We were just sitting down to lunch when?they came. The sirens sounded and their wailing merged with the?heavy drone of aircraft. Wave after wave of enemy bombers came?flying in and, turning almost overhead for their run in, dropped their?bombs and incendiaries on the centre of the city. Time and time again?came the sickening whine of the Stukas as they dived, followed by explosion?after explosion and, time and time again, we thought our?end had come. I don't think the attack lasted more than twenty?minutes, but to us it seemed to be going on for ever as we sat under the?table in the dining-room with kitchen pans on our heads, in?accordance with instructions given over the radio. Gradually the noise?died down like a thunderstorm drifting away. The high diminishing?drone of a laggard enemy aircraft, a few explosions at ever longer?intervals, then all was quiet until we became aware of a roar. At first it?puzzled us, but soon we recognised it for the roar of flames. I looked?out of the window. Our square was still standing but over it hung a?thick pall of black smoke totally obscuring the sky. The entire old?centre of the city was burning.

【然后到了5月14日。天空萬里無云，就像前四天的戰(zhàn)爭一樣。敵人來的時候，我們正坐下來吃午飯。警報器響起，哀號聲與沉重的飛機轟鳴聲混在一起。一波又一波的敵人轟炸機飛進來，幾乎就在人們的頭頂上，飛機把炸彈和燃燒彈扔在城市中心。斯圖卡號俯沖時，一次又一次傳來令人作嘔的哀鳴，接著是一聲又一聲的爆炸聲，一次又一次，我們以為我們的末日到了。我想，進攻持續(xù)的時間不超過二十分鐘，但是，在我們看來，進攻似乎永遠(yuǎn)不會停止。我們按照廣播的指示，坐在餐室的桌子底下，把廚房的鍋頂在頭上。喧鬧聲漸漸平息下來，像一場雷雨漸漸遠(yuǎn)去。一架落后的敵機發(fā)出的高度遞減的轟鳴聲，間隔越來越長的幾次爆炸，然后一切都變得安靜，直到我們聽到一聲轟鳴。一開始我們很困惑，但很快我們就認(rèn)出那是火焰的轟鳴聲。我向窗外望去。我們的廣場仍然矗立著，但上面籠罩著一層厚厚的黑煙，完全遮住了天空。整個城市中心都在燃燒?！?/span>

? ? ?The streets were full of people fleeing from the burning hell. Some?were half dressed, others were pushing prams and handcarts with the?few belongings they had managed to snatch with them. Many were?injured, dazed or crying. In a nearby church an emergency hospital?was immediately set up to deal with the casualties. I worked there all?night, together with many other people from our neighbourhood.?We felt both grateful and guilty that we should still have a roof over?our heads.

【街上到處都是逃離燃燒的地獄的人。一些人衣衫不整，另一些人推著嬰兒車和手推車，里面裝著他們從車上搶來的幾件東西。許多人受傷，他們或暈?；蚩奁Ｔ诟浇囊蛔烫美?，立即建立了一家緊急醫(yī)院來處理傷員。我和鄰居們一起在那里幫工了一整夜。我們感到既感激又內(nèi)疚，因為我們還能有個棲身之所。】

? ? ?That same evening came another heavy blow. It was announced?that Holland, threatened with similar attacks on other big cities, had?surrendered. The Queen and the government, together with virtually?the whole fleet, had left for England to continue the struggle from?there. The next day the German Army entered the city. It was a bitter?sight, but as I watched them in their tanks and armed vehicles, I felt an?inner certainty that the day would come when British troops would?march through these same streets to liberate us. I saw?before my eyes a?Scots regiment, their kilts swinging and pipes swirling coming down?the road to our square, as I had seen them many times in Egypt. I saw?it almost as if it was a vision.

【就在那天晚上，又來了一個沉重的打擊。據(jù)宣布，荷蘭已經(jīng)投降，因為德國威脅要對其他大城市發(fā)動類似的襲擊。女王和政府，連同幾乎整個艦隊，已經(jīng)逃到英國，繼續(xù)在那里進行斗爭。第二天，德國軍隊進入這座城市。這是一幅痛苦的景象，但當(dāng)我看著他們坐在坦克和裝甲車?yán)飼r，我內(nèi)心確信，總有一天英國軍隊會穿過這些街道來解放我們。我眼前看到一個蘇格蘭軍團，他們的方格呢裙搖擺著，風(fēng)笛打著漩，沿著大路來到我們的廣場，就像我在埃及看到過很多次的那樣。我仿佛看到了幻象。】

? ? ?Soon help began to arrive from all over the country which,?recovering from the shock, found that so far the war had been too?short to do much damage. Order was re-established, the dead were?buried and a beginning made with clearing away the rubble. After a few?days, things began to settle down and I decided to venture on my?bike to The Hague to find out how my mother and sisters were.

【很快，來自全國各地的援助開始陸續(xù)到來，他們從震驚中恢復(fù)過來，發(fā)現(xiàn)到目前為止，戰(zhàn)爭時間太短，造成的損害不大。秩序恢復(fù)了，死者被埋葬，開始清理廢墟。幾天后，事情開始安定下來，我決定冒險騎自行車去海牙，看看我的母親和姐妹們怎么樣了?！?/p>

? ? ?When I arrived at our flat, I rang the bell, but nobody answered. I rang?again, then opened the door with my key. Nobody was there. This?was strange. Even stranger were some dirty teacups on the table. I had?never known my mother go out without washing up first. I decided to?enquire from the neighbours. When the woman next door saw me, she?raised her hands in astonishment and said, 'What! You are still here??We thought you had gone to England with your mother and sisters.'

【當(dāng)我到達(dá)我們的公寓時，我按了門鈴，但沒有人應(yīng)聲。我又按了一次門鈴，然后用鑰匙打開了門。沒有人在那里。奇怪。更奇怪的是桌子上有一些臟茶杯。我從來沒見到過母親不先洗碗就出門。我決定問問鄰居們。隔壁的女人看到我時，驚訝地舉起雙手說:“什么!你還在這兒?我們還以為你和你的母親和妹妹們?nèi)ビ四??！薄?/p>

? ? ?'To England?' I exclaimed in great surprise. 'I know nothing about?that.' As British subjects we had been registered at the British?Consulate. On the third day of the war my mother had been warned by?telephone that if she wished to avail herself of the last opportunity?to flee to England, she must report at the Consulate by five o'clock that?afternoon. When she said that she would like to leave but did not want to?go without me, she was told that, no doubt, I would also have been?warned. My sisters at that time were two attractive teenagers and?fearing the worst of the behaviour of the German soldiery, my mother?felt that she should take them to safety, if she had the opportunity. In?haste they had packed a few belongings and left in the hope of seeing?me on the boat. This was all the neighbour could tell me.

【“到英國?”我非常驚奇地叫道?！拔覍Υ艘粺o所知?！弊鳛橛鴩瘢覀冊谟I(lǐng)事館登記過。戰(zhàn)爭爆發(fā)的第三天，我母親接到電話警告說，如果她想利用最后的機會逃往英國，她必須在當(dāng)天下午五點以前到領(lǐng)事館報到。當(dāng)她說她想要離開，但沒有我她不會走的時候，她被告知，我也會毫無疑問地被通知到的。我的姐姐當(dāng)時是兩個漂亮的少女，她們害怕德國士兵的惡劣行為，母親覺得如果有機會，她應(yīng)該把她們帶到安全的地方。匆忙中，她們收拾了一些東西就離開了，希望能在船上見到我。鄰居只能告訴我這些?！?/p>