英语美文欣赏：花旗国少年生活 - 童子军团

英语美文欣赏：花旗国少年生活 - 童子军团
童子军团这个词对于中国人来说也许有点陌生，这是个什么样的组织，为什么有那么多人都会参加？让出生于美国的Diana为我们介绍一下吧！ 
    
   As far as I know, the Boy Scouts movement was founded by a British man. Then one day in 1909 in London, England, An American Visitor, William D. Boyce, lost his way in a dense fog1. He stopped under a street lamp and tried to figure out2 where he was. A boy approached3 him and asked if he could help. The boy told the American about himself and about his brother scouts. Boyce became very interested. After finishing his errand4, he had the boy take him to the British Scouting office. Boyce was so impressed with what he learned that he decided to bring Scouting home with him. On February 8, 1910, Boyce and a group of outstanding leaders founded the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). From that day forth5, Scouts have celebrated February 8 as the birthday of Scouting in the United States. 
   The boy Scouts in America is very popular. It’s probably a bit strange for Chinese teenagers. What is that for? Actually, the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated to provide a program for community organizations that offers effective character, citizenship, and personal fitness training for youth. Specifically, the BSA endeavors6 to develop American citizens who are physically, mentally, and emotionally fit and have a keen respect for the basic rights of all people and are prepared to participate in7 and give leadership to American society and so on. And while they are in BSA, they will learn so many skills, which are very important for their future life, such as the first aid, camping, stalking skills8, equipment maintenance etc. It’s really like learning from life. And there won’t be any spoiled kids fooling around9 any more. 
   Take this true story for an example, on Nov. 4, 1999, Christopher Bell, 15, heard cars crashing behind his home in Birmingham, Ala. He saw fellow Scout Doug Sweet, 18, lying in the road and called 9-1-1. Chris ran to see if he could help. After checking the area around the car, Chris determined that leaking10 fuel wasn’t dangerous. Chris borrowed a blanket from a bystander and covered Doug to keep him warm and guard against shock. An ambulance took Doug to the hospital. He suffered a severe injury to his elbow, a broken leg and a cut forehead. Life Scout Christopher Bell received a Heroism Award for the rescue. 
   Here are the boy scouts laws: there’re TRUSTWORTHY, LOYAL, HELPFUL, FRIENDLY, COURTEOUS, KIND, OBEDIENT, CHEERFUL, THRIFTY, BRAVE, CLEAN, REVERENT. Through this, we can see what they are trying to present. And in the scouts they have a scouts oath: On my honor I will do my best, to do my duty to God and my country, and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. And their motto is to be prepared. Probably it’s only a few simple words but don’t you think that is what we really should do? 
     
   据我了解，童子军是一位英国人创建的。而后在1909年的一天，一位名叫威廉·D·博伊斯的美国游客在英国伦敦大雾迷茫的大街上迷了路，正当他驻足在一盏街灯下思索着行走的路线时，一个男孩儿主动走近他，问他需不需要帮助。这个英国男孩儿告诉了博伊斯关于他自己和童子军团的事情，博伊斯立即对这一组织产生了极大的兴趣。在忙完自己的事情后，他就跟随这个男孩儿到了英国童子军司令部。在司令部里了解到的事情使博伊斯非常感动。于是，他便决定把这一组织形式带回国内。回国不久的一天，也就是1910年2月8日，博伊斯以及一些精英终于组织成立了美国童子军。从那时开始，美国童子军把每年的2月8日定为童子军的生日。 
   童子军在美国很受欢迎。但对于中国少年来说，童子军可能有点陌生。它是做什么的呢？实际上，美国童子军是一项给美国青少年提供各方面教育的社区组织，比如性格锻炼、公民教育和个人塑身训练等。确切地说，美国童子军致力于培育美国公民强健的体魄、坚强的意志和情感，而且让大家深深尊重人民基本的权力，且随时准备着参与并引导美国社会。在参加童子军期间，童子军们会学到非常多的生活技巧，例如急救、野营、追踪捕猎及器具维修等等。这真正实现了从生活中学习，就不会再有那些不明事理被宠坏的孩子了。 
   有一个真实的事例：在1999年11月4 日，在亚拉巴马州伯明翰市，一名名叫克里斯托夫·贝尔的15岁的童子军突然听到在他家后面撞车的声音。他越窗而望，看到他的军友，18岁的道格·斯威特躺在大街上。于是他急忙拨打了911。打完电话后，克里斯就跑去看看有没有什么可以帮上忙。他察看了道格的车子，看到漏油情况不严重，又从路人那里借来一条毯子给道格盖上，让道格可以保持体温，压压惊。一辆救护车把道格送到了医院。道格的肘关节伤得很重，腿断了，额头也有不少伤口。因为这次救援行动，童子军克里斯获得了英雄奖。 
   童子军也有他们的法律，它们是：可信、忠诚、帮助、友好、谦恭、宽容、服从、愉快、节俭、勇敢、公正、恭敬。从这里我们就可以清楚地看出他们想表达的理念。而且童子军还有自己的誓言：我以人格担保，为上帝和国家尽职尽责，遵纪守法，永助人民。身体强壮，头脑清醒以及品行端正。他们的格言则是：时刻准备着。也许这些只是些简单的词语，但难道这不就是我们正应该去做的吗？