Trump’s ‘marching orders’ to the Pentagon： Plan a grand military parade
President Trump’s vision of soldiers marching and tanks rolling down the boulevards of Washington is moving closer to reality in the Pentagon and White House， where officials say they have begun to plan a grand military parade later this year showcasing the might of America’s armed forces。
总统特朗普让士兵踏着正步，让坦克隆隆滚过华盛顿大道，在五角大楼和白宫里，这一愿景距离实现更近一步了，官员表示他们开始计划今年下半年举行盛大阅兵式，展示美国军事实力。
Trump has long mused publicly and privately about wanting such a parade， but a Jan。 18 meeting between Trump and top generals in the Pentagon’s tank — a room reserved for top-secret discussions — marked a tipping point， according to two officials briefed on the planning。
特朗普早就在公开和私下琢磨搞一场阅兵，但1月18日，特朗普和国防部军头们密会标志着转折点到来，两名知悉内情的官员称。
Surrounded by the military’s highest-ranking officials， including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen。 Joseph F。 Dunford Jr。， Trump’s seemingly abstract desire for a parade was suddenly heard as a presidential directive， the officials said。
坐在包括国防部长马蒂斯、参谋长小约瑟夫·敦福德等军队高官之中，特朗普那个看起来抽象的愿望突然成了一道总统指令，官员们说。
“The marching orders were： I want a parade like the one in France，” said a military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the planning discussions are supposed to remain confidential。 “This is being worked at the highest levels of the military。”
“阅兵令到：我想要和法国那样的一场阅兵，”一位不愿意透露姓名的军官说，因为计划提供讨论仍然涉密。“这只在军队高层讨论。”
Shows of military strength are not typical in the United States — and they don’t come cheap。 The cost of shipping Abrams tanks and high-tech hardware to Washington could run in the millions， and military officials said it was unclear how they would pay for it。
展示军事实力在美国并不常见，而且也不便宜。把艾布拉姆斯主战坦克和高科技硬件送到华盛顿成本巨大，军队官员表示还不知道谁来掏钱。
A White House official familiar with the planning described the discussions as “brainstorming” and said nothing was settled。 “Right now， there’s really no meat on the bones，” said the official， who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions。
熟悉内情的一位白宫官员形容讨论是一场“头脑风暴”，表示一切还没敲定。“现在，骨头上还没有肉，”这位不愿意透露姓名的官员谈到这次内部讨论时说。
After The Washington Post first published this story， White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement confirming that plans are underway。
“President Trump is incredibly supportive of America’s great service members who risk their lives every day to keep our country safe，” Sanders said。 “He has asked the Department of Defense to explore a celebration at which all Americans can show their appreciation。”
《华盛顿邮报》捅出这条消息后，白宫新闻发言人萨拉·哈科比·桑德斯发表声明，确认筹划正在进行中。“特朗普总统非常支持美国伟大的军人，他们每天冒着生命危险保卫国家安全，”桑德斯说。“他要求国防部安排一场典礼，让所有美国人都表达谢意。”
The Pentagon also confirmed the plans following The Post’s initial report。 “We are aware of the request and are in the process of determining specific details。 We will share more information throughout the planning process，” Defense Department spokesman Thomas Crosson said in a statement。
五角大楼也在《邮报》首报后确认了该计划。“我们知道这个要求，正在敲定具体细节。我们将在计划过程中披露更多信息，”国防部发言人托马斯·克洛松在声明中说。
The inspiration for Trump’s push is last year’s Bastille Day celebration in Paris， which the president attended as a guest of French President Emmanuel Macron。 Trump was awestruck by the tableau of uniformed French troops marching down Avenue des Champs-Elysees with military tanks， armored vehicles， gun trucks and carriers — complete with fighter jets flying over the Arc de Triomphe and painting the sky with streaks of blue， white and red smoke for the colors of the French flag。
Aboard Air Force One en route home from Paris in July， aides said Trump told them that he was dazzled by the French display and that he wanted one at home。
特朗普去年在巴黎参加法国国庆节阅兵式深受触动，当时他是法国总统马克龙的座上宾。特朗普被行进在香榭丽舍大道上整齐划一的法国军队震撼，坦克、装甲车、武装卡车和运输车排成长龙，战斗机从凯旋门上空飞过，给苍穹喷上法国国旗的蓝白红彩烟。7月乘坐空军一号回国途中，幕僚说特朗普告诉他们说，法国军演让他目眩神迷，自己也想在美国搞上一出。
It was still on his mind two months later when he met with Macron on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York。“It was one of the greatest parades I’ve ever seen，” Trump told reporters。 “It was two hours on the button， and it was military might， and I think a tremendous thing for France and for the spirit of France。”
两个月后，他还在纽约联合国大会会晤马克龙时仍然念念不忘。“这是我见过最伟大的阅兵之一，”特朗普对记者说。“整整两个小时，这是军事实力，我认为这是法国最惊人的地方，展示了法国的精神。”
Seated next to Macron， Trump added： “We’re going to have to try to top it。”
坐在马克龙旁边，特朗普说：“我们也打算好好整一出。”
Several administration officials said the parade planning began in recent weeks and involves White House Chief of Staff John F。 Kelly， but they cautioned that it is in the preliminary stages。 D.C。 officials said they had not been notified of parade plans。
几名政府官员将表示阅兵计划最近几周开始，白宫幕僚长约翰·凯利参与其中，但他们警告说现在还只是开始。华府官员表示他们还没有接到阅兵计划的通知。
A date has not been selected， although officials said Trump would like to tie the parade to a patriotic holiday。 Officials are weighing weather patterns as well as competing events， such as the massive annual Independence Day celebration on the Mall。
日子也没选定，尽管官员说特朗普想把阅兵与爱国主义节日结合起来。官员们在考虑天气情况和活动安排是否冲突，例如每年国庆日有大型庆典。
Trump officials had discussed Memorial Day on May 28， and July 4， but the Pentagon prefers Veterans Day on Nov。 11 — in part because it would coincide with the 100th anniversary of the victorious end of World War I and therefore be less associated with the president and politics。 “That’s what everyone is hoping，” said the military official。
特朗普官员谈到了5月28日阵亡将士纪念日，还有7月4日，但五角大楼官员更倾向于11月11日老兵日，部分原因是那正值第一次世界大战胜利结束100周年，因此不会特别让人联想到总统和政治。“大家都希望如此，”这位军官说。
It is unclear what role Trump would play， whether he may perhaps serve as a grand marshal or observe the spectacle from a reviewing stand。
特朗普会扮演什么角色还不清楚，他可能是大元帅，抑或在观礼台上欣赏盛景。
The location is still being discussed， though Trump has said he would like it to proceed along Pennsylvania Avenue， which links the Capitol and the White House。 It would be the same route as Trump’s inaugural parade and pass by his family’s showpiece：Trump International Hotel。
地点仍然在讨论，尽管特朗普说他希望在宾夕法尼亚大道上，大道上有国会和白宫。这也是特朗普就职游行的那条路，路过自家的特朗普国际酒店。
Even before he was sworn in as president， Trump was dreaming of America’s war machine on display in front of the White House or Capitol。
特朗普就职前就梦想着在白宫和国会山展示美国的战争机器。
“We’re going to show the people as we build up our military，” Trump said in aninterview with The Washington Postbefore his inauguration。 “。 。 。 That military may come marching down Pennsylvania Avenue。 That military may be flying over New York City and Washington， D.C。， for parades。 I mean， we’re going to be showing our military。”
“我们的军队建设，人民也要看得见，”特朗普就职前接受《华盛顿邮报》采访时说。“军队要在宾夕法尼亚大道上行进。在纽约和华盛顿阅兵。我的意思是，我们要展示我们的军队。”
But big military parades — even those launched with the best of intentions — carry risks and troublesome historical echoes。
但大型阅兵，纵使有初衷很好，也有风险，并导致让人担忧的历史遗产。
With a few exceptions — such as PresidentGeorge H.W。 Bush’s 1991 parade downConstitution Avenue celebrating victory in the Persian Gulf War — presidents have avoided displays of military hardware that are more associated in the American mind with the Soviet Union’s Red Square celebrations or， more recently， North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s efforts to show off his Taepodong missiles。
除了少数几次例外，包括老布什总统1991年在宪法大道阅兵庆祝海湾战争胜利，美国总统一般都不会展示军事硬实力，美国人认为这是苏联红场干的事，或是朝鲜领导人金正恩展示大浦洞导弹才搞的事。
“I don’t think there’s a lack of love and respect for our armed forces in the United States，” said Douglas Brinkley， a presidential historian at Rice University。 “What are they going to do， stand there while Donald Trump waves at them？ It smacks of something you see in a totalitarian country — unless there’s a genuine， earnest reason to be doing it。”
“我不觉得在美国对军人缺少爱和尊重，”莱斯大学总统历史学家道格拉斯·布林克利说。“他们要做的就是站在那，等特朗普向他们招手？感觉有点像极权国家，除非你有真心诚意的理由要这样做。”
The White House official rejected the suggestion that some associate a military parade with strongmen， saying it would be a “celebration of the men and women who give us freedom。”“That’s the opposite of a totalitarian government，” the official said。
白宫官员拒绝有人将阅兵与强人联系在一起，表示“这是赞美那些给我们以自由的男男女女。”“与极权政府刚好相反。”这名官员说。
Weaponry on the streets of Washington is not unheard of。 Presidents Harry S。 Truman and John F。 Kennedy had military equipment during their inaugural parades， in 1949 and 1961 respectively， during key junctures in the Cold War， said Michael Beschloss， another presidential historian。
在华盛顿大街上展示武器并非没有先例。哈利·杜鲁门和约翰·肯尼迪分别在1949年和1961年就职游行上拉来了武装，当时是冷战的关键节点，另外一位总统历史学家迈克尔·比齐罗斯说。
“Set against the backdrop of American history， it does seem to hark back to the harsh days of the Cold War，” Beschloss said。 “Those parades were a counterpoint to the parades in front of Lenin’s tomb at Red Square 。 。 。 One reason the Soviets had those parades was to distract the world from the fact that the Soviet military was actually much weaker than the Soviets were claiming。”
“从美国历史看，这看来要追溯到冷战的峥嵘岁月，”比齐罗斯说。“这些阅兵主要与红场列宁墓前的阅兵针锋相对……苏联人阅兵的理由是让世界忽视苏联军队事实上比自称的要弱得多。”
But generally， the United States has shied away from parading its military assets， calculating that doing so was not necessary for the world’s preeminent superpower。
但总的来说，美国不太喜欢展示军事实力，他们认为这对于世界超级大国而言没有必要。
There is no law or regulation preventing Trump from putting on a military parade， but there are plenty of potential complications that military leaders are likely to raise with the president。 One worry is practical： that 70-ton tanks built for the battlefield would chew up Pennsylvania Avenue blacktop。
当然也没有法律或法规禁止特朗普阅兵，但有很多复杂的问题，军队领导可能会提出来。其中一个担心很实际：在战地使用的70吨的坦克会把宾夕法尼亚大道柏油马路压成渣。
The military might also want to weigh in on the kind of equipment on parade。 One concern is that big displays of missile launchers might evoke Pyongyang-style nationalism more than American patriotism。
军队可能也要考虑阅兵时该展示什么装备。有人担心大规模展示导弹发射器会激起平壤式的民族主义而非美国式的爱国主义。
A parade would probably be interpreted as another stroke of nucleargamesmanship。 Tensions between North Korea and the United States have risen over the past year asTrump and Kim have taunted each otherwith playground nicknames and threats。
阅兵可能被解读为掀起新一轮核竞赛。过去一年朝鲜和美国间的紧张态势不断升级，特朗普和金正恩相互起绰号，相互威胁。
After Kim warned last month that he had a “nuclear button” on his desk， Trump replied： “Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button， but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his， and my Button works！”
上个月金正恩警告说他桌子上有“核按钮”时，特朗普回嘴说：“他那个穷的都吃不上饭的政体里，有没有人能告诉他，我也有核按钮，但比他的更大更强，我的按钮按了管用。”
The White House official said a parade would have nothing to do with Trump’s feuds with Kim but would be designed as a broad show of strength to send a warning to all of America’s adversaries。
白宫官员表示阅兵和特朗普与金正恩较劲毫无关系，但会通过展示强大的军事实力，向美国的对手发出警告。
Then there are the domestic pitfalls。 At a time when Mattis and his top generals have been complaining about the state of military readiness and lobbying Congress for more money， pulling equipment off line for a costly parade could send the wrong signal。
此外还有国内的难题。马蒂斯和将军们一直抱怨战略储备不足，游说国会拿出更多的钱，可把军备从前线拉下来举办一场昂贵的阅兵会发出错误的信号。
There are personal risks for Trump， as well。 Although he attended a military high school， Trump did not serve in the armed forces， avoiding the draft during the Vietnam War by claiming bone spurs。 Critics have called Trump disingenuous for basking in the military’s glory。
特朗普个人也冒风险。尽管他高中读军校，却没有服役，自称有骨刺逃过了越战。批评者指出特朗普沉浸在军事荣耀中太虚伪了。
Honoring the troops without politicizing their service has long been a dilemma for presidents。 President Barack Obama’s frequent focus on wounded troops fighting to resume their lives struck the wrong chord with some conservatives。
向军人致敬却不让其政治化，这历来是美国总统的两难之处。贝拉克·奥巴马经常关注死里逃生的受伤军人，这让保守派听了不爽。
One of George W。 Bush’s biggest blunders as president came in 2003 when he landed on an aircraft carrier bearing a “Mission Accomplished” banner to claim victory in the Iraq War.Former aides say Bush would have loved a big parade， but they recognized a problem： The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan never ended。 Such subtleties — the United States is now dropping bombs in seven countries — don’t seem to have factored into Trump’s calculations。
小布什犯了一个大错是2003年，他登上一艘航母，航母挂着“任务完成”的旗帜，宣称在伊拉克战争中取得胜利。曾经的幕僚表示小布什其实也想搞大阅兵，但他们发现一个问题：伊拉克和阿富汗的战争没有结束。这些细节，例如美国正向七个国家扔导弹，对特朗普而言算不上什么。
With the midterm elections approaching and Trump’s approval ratings at historic lows， the lure of honoring the troops is powerful。
中期选举临近，特朗普支持率创历史新低，向军队致敬的吸引力更强大。
“Who flipped the coin for the Super Bowl on Sunday？” asked Peter Feaver， a former Bush White House official and professor at Duke University。 “It was Medal of Honor winners。 Why？ The military brings us together。”
“周日的超级碗谁扔的硬币？”布什政府的官员、杜克大学教授彼得·菲弗说。“是荣誉勋章获得者？为什么？军队让我们团结起来。”
But Feaver also issued a warning for Trump， who is known for his excesses。
“A military parade，” he said， “is the kind of thing that can easily be overdone。”
但菲弗也警告特朗普，特朗普总以过犹不及著称。他说，“阅兵，是很容易做过火的一件事。”
来源：英文联播
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