华盛顿一间简陋的公寓里,作家、历史学家安德鲁·卡罗尔站在餐桌前,细心地端详着一大堆信件。这些信件的共同点是:它们曾经的主人都是参加历次战争的美国士兵。从时间上观察,这些信件从美国独立战争(1775~1783年)到伊拉克战争,跨度两百余年;从形式上看,其中既有细心手写的传统书信,也有匆忙写就的电子邮件,其中有些带着弹孔,有些染上了战场的泥土和鲜血,还有些完成时间距写信者阵亡仅几小时。 Andrew Croll, a writer and historian in a shabby apartment in Washington, stood at his table, carefully reading a bunch of letters. What these letters have in common is that they used to be American soldiers who participated in all previous wars. Observed from time, these letters spanned over two hundred years from the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) to the Iraq war. From a formal point of view, they contained both well-written handwritten traditional letters and eagerly written e-mails, of which Some with bullet holes, some infected with the soil and blood on the battlefield, and others just a few hours after they were killed by writers.