读者文摘:自学号角向老兵致敬(3)（在线收听）

"I collapsed at work," he says. "And all of a sudden I was 4-F."

“服兵役的时候我崩溃了，”他说。“突然间我成了4-F。”

4-F: unfit to serve.

4-F意思是不适合当兵。

Gary's father had served during World War II and some of his high school friends had already died in Vietnam,

加里的父亲曾在二战期间服役，他的一些高中朋友已经在越南去世，

but Gary was suddenly freed of his obligation. "I think ashamed is the word," he says.

但加里的义务突然被解除了。他说：“我认为应该感到惭愧。”

"I was ashamed I was happy I didn't have to go."

“我为自己窃喜于不用去而感到羞耻。”

Not a day goes by that Gary does not play taps. Every evening, as the sun sets over his lakeside home,

加里每天都玩起小号。每晚，当夕阳余晖笼罩着湖畔家园时，

he walks to the railing of his deck and points his horn toward the water.

他走到甲板的栏杆边，对着湖水，举起小号。

His neighbors no longer close their windows. In fact, they stop what they're doing, stand at attention, and listen.

他的邻居不再关上窗户，停下来，驻足，凝神倾听。

On some nights, neighbor Alan Greene emerges on his deck to accompany Gary on his flute.

几个晚上，邻居艾伦·格林会来到甲板上，和加里一起吹小号。

"It's a last call; it's daily rest," says Gary. "It's a prayer".

“这是吹的最后一次；属于每日消遣，”加里说。“是祈祷”。