South Koreans tend not to think about North Korea very much. But for me, this year will be different. Just after the new year began, my 19-year-old son suspended his university studies to join a frontline unit for his compulsory military service.

韓國人往往不太關心朝鮮問題。但對我來說，今年將會不同。就在新年開始后，我19歲兒子會中斷了大學的學業(yè)，加入了一支前線部隊，開始履行他的義務兵役。

Attending a ceremony for the new recruits in the freezing Seoul weather, many parents were visibly worried as to how their sons would adapt to military life. The general in charge of the frontline unit stressed the “sacred duty” of South Korean men to guard the nation against the threat of nuclear-armed North Korea.

在首爾寒冷的天氣里參加新兵入伍儀式時，許多家長都表現(xiàn)出明顯的擔憂，擔心他們的兒子能否適應軍旅生活。負責前線部隊的將軍強調(diào)，韓國男子的 "神圣職責 "是保衛(wèi)國家，抵御擁有核武器的朝鮮的威脅。

Some tearful mothers rushed to their boys to say goodbye after the brief ceremony, ignoring the efforts of military guards to block them. The young draftees, with their newly-shaved buzz cuts, waved to their families and friends as they left for the camp where they would begin their five-week basic training.

在簡短的儀式結束后，一些母親淚流滿面的和自己孩子作道別，無視軍方士兵的阻攔。這些新兵理發(fā)后揮手向家人和朋友告別，然后前往開始為期五周的基礎訓練營地。

Tensions are mounting once again on the Korean peninsula. But along with other parents, I am more worried about what awaits my son on our own side of the border. The bullying and hazing of conscxts has led to shooting rampages and suicides in the past.

朝鮮半島的緊張局勢再次升級。但和其他家長一樣，我更擔心我兒子在這邊的境況。過去，新兵遭受欺凌和虐待曾導致槍擊事件和自殺。

My son asked me at the dinner table just days before joining the army: “What should I do if I am pushed to choose between killing myself or shooting someone else?” Horrified by his question, I can only hope that the so-called “barracks culture” has improved.

我兒子在參軍前幾天在餐桌上問我：“如果我被迫選擇自殺或開槍打死別人，我該怎么辦？”面對他的問題，我只能希望所謂的“軍營文化”已經(jīng)有所改善。
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網(wǎng) http://www.top-shui.cn 轉載請注明出處


Thankfully, he called me a few days later, announcing that his first few days in the army were much better than expected. “The food here is great, much better than what I eat at home,” he said in a cheerful voice. I was too relieved to be offended.

值得慶幸的是，幾天后他給我打來電話，宣布他在部隊的頭幾天比預期的要好得多。"他興高采烈地說："這里的伙食很好，比我在家里吃的好多了。我松了一口氣。

Still, like many potential Korean conscxts and their parents, I hope that the country will soon be able to eliminate the draft and move to an all-volunteer armed force.

然而，像許多潛在的韓國應征者和他們的父母一樣，我希望這個國家很快能夠取消征兵制，轉為全志愿的武裝部隊。
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網(wǎng) http://www.top-shui.cn 轉載請注明出處


Conscxtion is a sensitive social issue in South Korea. Military service is enshrined in the country’s constitution, requiring all able-bodied men aged between 18 and 35 to serve the military for 18 to 21 months. Even members of BTS, the K-pop sensation, could not avoid it.

征兵在韓國是一個敏感的社會問題。軍隊服役是在憲法中所規(guī)定的，要求所有18到35歲之間的健康男性服役18到21個月。即使是韓國流行樂天團BTS的成員也無法逃避。

Military service is seen as a rite of passage for Korean men, but many conscxts also view it as lost time, given they have to suspend their career or education to take part. “There will be almost no draftee who wouldn’t feel it is a waste of time, even if it is to serve the nation,” says my 26-year-old nephew, who completed his service four years ago.

服兵役被視為韓國男性的成人禮，但許多應征者也認為這是浪費時間，因為他們不得不中斷自己的職業(yè)或學業(yè)來參軍?！皫缀跛袘髡叨加X得這是浪費時間，即使是為了報效國家，” 我26歲的侄子說，他在四年前完成了自己的服役時間。

Only elite athletes such as Olympics medallists and internationally renowned classical musicians are officially exempt from service, although there are regular controversies about the fairness of the exemption standards.

只有奧運獎牌獲得者和國際知名的古典音樂家等人，才會被正式豁免服役，雖然豁免標準的公平性經(jīng)常引發(fā)爭議。

South Korea keeps an active-duty force of about half a million troops, but the country’s falling birth rate will compel it to downsize its forces. Still, calling for an all-volunteer force remains a taboo for Korean politicians.

韓國保持著大約五十萬人左右的現(xiàn)役部隊，但該國日益下降的出生率也在迫使其縮減軍隊規(guī)模。然而，呼吁建立一支全志愿軍仍然是韓國政治家的禁忌。

Among ordinary Koreans, there is anger that wealthy and powerful elites, including the scions of big family-run conglomerates, have been able to evade conscxtion. They fear that an all-volunteer force would mean units filled exclusively with those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

普通韓國人對有錢有勢的精英（包括家族大企業(yè)的后代）能逃避征兵感到怒不可遏。他們擔心，一支全義務部隊將意味著軍隊人員完全被弱勢背景的人填滿。

“It wouldn’t work. Other countries with the system are already struggling to recruit soldiers,” says Chun In-bum, a retired South Korean lieutenant-general. “Only people from certain social classes will become soldiers, which is very risky and unhealthy.”

“這行不通。其他有這一制度的國家已經(jīng)在招募士兵方面遇到困難，”退役韓國中將全仁范說道?！爸挥衼碜蕴囟ㄉ鐣A層的人才當兵，這非常危險和不正常的?！?/b>

The difficulty of maintaining the current size of the country’s standing forces has forced military authorities to review the possibility of recruiting orphans (considered a vulnerable group) and North Korean defectors, both of whom are currently exempt. It has also rekindled debate over whether mandatory military service should also apply to women.

由于難以維持常備軍的現(xiàn)有規(guī)模，當局不得不重新考慮招募孤兒（被視為弱勢群體）和朝鮮叛逃者的可能性，而這兩種人目前都不在招募之列。這也重新引發(fā)了關于強制兵役是否也應適用于女性的爭論。

But Kim Hyung-nam, a co-ordinator at the Center for Military Human Rights, says that reforming the barracks culture should be the top priority, whether it is a conscxtion-based or all-volunteer force.

但軍事人權中心的協(xié)調(diào)員金亨南表示，無論是基于征兵還是全面實行志愿兵役，改革軍隊文化應該是首要任務。
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網(wǎng) http://www.top-shui.cn 轉載請注明出處


“We are still seeing non-combat deaths of around 100 a year, the bulk of them being suicides,” he says. “Young men hate to join the military and will not volunteer unless their treatment improves.”

“我們每年大約有一百名士兵是非戰(zhàn)斗死亡，其中大部分是自殺，”他說?！澳贻p人不愿意加入軍隊，除非他們的待遇得到改善?！?br />