雙語暢銷書《我是馬拉拉》第12章:血色廣場(6)
My father brushed it off. But I was worried.
He was outspoken and involved in so many groups and committees that he often wouldn't come home till midnight.
他在外直言不諱，同時參加了許多團體及委員會，通常都是午夜才能回到家。He started to sleep at one of his friend's houses to protect us in case the Taliban came for him.
爲了保護我們，他開始在朋友的家裏借宿，以免塔利班對他下手。
He couldn't bear the thought of being killed in front of us.
他無法想象自己死在我們面前的情景。I could not sleep until he returned and I could lock the gate.
我夜不成眠，直到他返家，我才能鎖上大門，安然入睡。When he was at home my mother would place a ladder in the back yard up to the outside wall so he could get down to the street below if he was in sudden danger.
當他在家時，母親會擺一把梯子靠在後院的外牆旁，以備情況危急時，可以直接翻牆逃走。He laughed at the idea. 'Maybe Atal the squirrel could make it but not me!'
父親覺得這個主意很好笑。“松鼠似的阿塔爾應該辦得到，我可沒辦法！”My mother was always trying to think up plans for what she would do if the Taliban came.
母親總在設想各種各樣的對策，以應對隨時可能突然來襲的塔利班。She thought of sleeping with a knife under her pillow.
她想到上牀睡覺時，可以在枕頭下藏一把刀。I said I could sneak into the toilet and call the police.
我說我可以偷偷溜進廁所，然後去找警察。My brothers and I thought of digging a tunnel.
我和弟弟們想過挖一條地道。Once again I prayed for a magic wand to make the Taliban disappear.
再一次，我希望真主賜給我一把魔杖，好讓我把塔利班統統都變不見。One day I saw my little brother Atal digging furiously in the garden.
有一天，我看見我的小弟弟阿塔爾在花園裏發瘋似的掘地。'What are you doing?' I asked him.'Making a grave,' he said.
“你在幹什麼？”我問他，“挖一個墳墓。”他說。Our news bulletins were full of killings and death so it was natural for Atal to think of coffins and graves.
我們的緊急插播新聞永遠都離不了謀殺和死亡，因此對阿塔爾來說，棺木和墳地是生活的一部分。Instead of hide and seek and cops and robbers, children were now playing Army vs Taliban.
以前孩子們都玩躲貓貓、官兵捉強盜，現在他們都玩軍隊大戰塔利班。They made rockets from branches and used sticks for Kalashnikovs; these were their sports of terror.
他們用粗樹枝當作火箭，細木當作突擊步槍，這些就是他們的“恐怖遊戲”。
