美国国家公共电台 NPR In A Jail Sentence, A Veteran's Redemption — With Help From A Fellow Vet

In A Jail Sentence, A Veteran's Redemption — With Help From A Fellow Vet¹

play pause stop mute unmute max volume 00:0002:54repeat repeat off Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser² to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: 

It's Friday, which is when we hear from StoryCorps. And today, we hear two veterans who met in a North Carolina courtroom, and we hear about the bond they've formed.

Joe Serna served three tours in Afghanistan as a Green Beret. After retiring, he struggled to adapt to life back home, and he violated probation³ on a DWI charge and came before Judge Lou Olivera, an Army veteran. Judge Olivera sentenced Serna to one night in jail for violating his probation. Serna sat down with that judge for StoryCorps to talk about how his night in a jail cell brought back memories of war.

JOE SERNA: In Afghanistan, it was me and three other guys on the truck, really good friends. And I had an accident where our truck flipped⁴ all the way over into a river. And water came in and rose from the ankles to my waist, eventually to my chin. And it was pitch black. The only air we had was now filled with diesel⁵ fumes⁶. My partner said, I can't feel my lips. I can't feel my arms. Then I heard him gasping⁷.

And I was the only survivor⁸, so I would have relived it over and over and over again in this cell by myself. It was confined space, no windows and the door was solid. And there was just a small piece of glass you can see in and out, and that was it. But I heard the door rattle⁹. The jailer opens it up, and I see you coming in.

LOU OLIVERA: You were sweating. You were shaking. You were wound tight.

SERNA: When you walked in, that all went away. And then when they locked the door, I said to myself, he's going to spend the night here. I've never seen this kind of act from anyone.

OLIVERA: I knew your history, and I talked to the chief jailer. I said, can you put me in a cell with him? He was a veteran himself. He looked at me, and he goes, Judge, give me five minutes. And he made it work.

SERNA: We had a long conversation. A lot of it was about our families. And I felt the compassion¹⁰.

OLIVERA: We all mess up. We all fall short - and sometimes not the best husband or the best father or the best judge.

SERNA: Truthfully, that was the first time I ever opened up to trust another person. It was a game-changer. So thank you for being there for me. It means a lot to have someone in your position that understands.

OLIVERA: That's that brotherhood¹¹, the military. And I get something out of it, too - helps me think about the things I've gone through, the things I've seen in my military life. You're a brother, and I want you to give back.

SERNA: Well, I thank you, Judge.

OLIVERA: You know I love you, man.

SERNA: I love you, too.

INSKEEP: Retired¹² Green Beret Joe Serna talking with judge and retired Army military intelligence officer Lou Olivera. They spoke¹³ in Fayetteville, N.C. And their conversation is part of Who We Are, a series of StoryCorps conversations highlighting the values that make us American.

1 vet   

n.兽医，退役军人；vt.检查

参考例句：

• I took my dog to the vet.我把狗带到兽医诊所看病。
• Someone should vet this report before it goes out.这篇报道发表之前应该有人对它进行详查。

2 browser   

n.浏览者

参考例句：

• View edits in a web browser.在浏览器中看编辑的效果。
• I think my browser has a list of shareware links.我想在浏览器中会有一系列的共享软件链接。

3 probation   

n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期)

参考例句：

• The judge did not jail the young man,but put him on probation for a year.法官没有把那个年轻人关进监狱，而且将他缓刑察看一年。
• His salary was raised by 800 yuan after his probation.试用期满以后，他的工资增加了800元。

4 flipped   

轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥

参考例句：

• The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转，撞毁了。
• The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。

5 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

6 fumes   

n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体

参考例句：

• The health of our children is being endangered by exhaust fumes. 我们孩子们的健康正受到排放出的废气的损害。
• Exhaust fumes are bad for your health. 废气对健康有害。

7 gasping   

adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词

参考例句：

• He was gasping for breath. 他在喘气。
• "Did you need a drink?""Yes, I'm gasping!” “你要喝点什么吗？”“我巴不得能喝点！”

8 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

9 rattle   

v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓

参考例句：

• The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓，笑着叫着。
• She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。

10 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

11 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

12 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

13 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。