100th anniversary of the start of The Great  War. It tells a story of “ordinary people in  

大戰開始100週年。它講述了一個 "普通人在

extraordinary times”, the work of the Post Office  in ensuring that people separated by the war  

非常時期"，郵政局在確保因戰爭而失散的人們的工作。

were still able to communicate and  share their experiences by letter.  

仍能通過書信交流和分享經驗。

We were inspired by the way that something so  simple could be of such enormous importance,  

我們受到啟發，如此簡單的東西竟然有如此巨大的意義。

how it touched every family, and provided a  lasting testimony to those who lived, and died.

它是如何觸動每一個家庭，併為那些活著的人和死去的人提供了一個持久的見證。

(FX: typewriter, morse code, radio static...)

(特效：打字機，摩斯電碼，無線電靜電...)

Imagine a world where the letter is king There's no Facebook,  

想象一個字母為王的世界，沒有Facebook。

no Twitter, no WhatsApp, no Bing... No laptops, no tablets, no mobile phones,  

沒有Twitter，沒有WhatsApp，沒有Bing... ...沒有筆記本電腦，沒有平板電腦，沒有手機。

no telephone boxes, no dialling tones. 

沒有電話盒，沒有撥號音。

No answering machines, no faxes, no  pagers. A home phone is for those 

沒有答錄機，沒有傳真，沒有傳呼機。家庭電話是為那些

born to wealth or high wages... Now you may think this  

生於富貴或高薪...現在你可能會認為

world sounds like utter bliss! Go back one hundred years and that's how it is. 

這個世界聽起來像極了幸福!回到一百年前，就是這樣的。

If you want to share news with a friend  out of sight then you walk, meet and talk. 

如果你想在視線之外和朋友分享消息，那麼你就走走，見見，聊聊。

Or you stop, sit and write! If you want to share news with a distant relation,  

或者你停下來，坐下來寫!如果你想和遠方的親戚分享消息。

a letter's the best means of communication! 

書信是最好的溝通方式!

That means you need paper, a pen and some ink.  You need to make time to record what you think. 

這意味著你需要紙、筆和一些墨水。 你需要抽出時間來記錄你的想法。

And once you have written what you want to say –  Buy a stamp, find a post box, and it's on its way. 

而一旦你寫好了你想說的話--買一張郵票，找一個郵筒，它就在路上了。

And if you think this sounds  like a terrible chore. 

如果你認為這聽起來像一個可怕的家務活，

Now imagine you're doing this and  fighting a war! In a trench, in the dirt  

現在想象一下，你這樣做是在打仗!在戰壕裡，在泥土裡

and the smoke and the stink. You want to write home to say  

和煙霧和臭味。你想寫信回家說

you're in the pink. With shells whistling  round, you might write to your folks. 

你在粉紅色的。炮彈呼嘯而來，你可以給你的家人寫信。

To send you some comforts; a cake or some smokes. Some hand knitted mittens or socks would be nice. 

要送你一些安慰；一個蛋糕或一些煙。一些手工編織的手套或襪子會很好。

Or that powder you put in  your clothes to kill lice! 

或者是你放在衣服裡的殺蝨子的粉末！

Because when you're in danger  and far from your home,  

因為當你遇到危險，遠離家鄉的時候。

a letter reminds you, you're not on your own. 

一封信提醒你，你不是一個人。

On land or at sea, in khaki or blue, a  letter says someone is thinking of you. 

無論是在陸地還是在海上，無論是卡其色還是藍色，一封信都說明有人在想你。

And it's more than just words  scratched on paper with pen.  

而這不僅僅是用筆在紙上劃出的文字。

You can read it for comfort again and again. When your rations are gone and you're  

你可以反覆讀它來安慰自己。當你的口糧用完了，而你又

shivering with cold. For the man in  the front line, a letter's like gold. 

冷得發抖。對於身處前線的人來說，一信如金。

Because knowing that  everything at home is alright,  

因為知道家裡的一切都好。

is good for morale and keeps men in this fight. A letter from home when conditions are chronic,  

是有利於提高士氣，讓男人在這場戰鬥中。狀況長期存在時，一封家書。

lifts the spirits of men in sore need of a tonic. So, imagine this world of carnage and mud. 

提起男人的精神 在痛需要補品。所以，想象一下這個充滿血腥和泥濘的世界。

Where a few yards of land  gained is paid for in blood. 

凡是得到的幾碼地，都是用血來換的。

And you haven't the first idea when it will end. And the next whizz-bang might land on you  

而你根本不知道什麼時候會結束。而下一個爆炸可能會落在你身上

or your friend. Where a simple thing,  somehow, can make you feel better. Like  

或你的朋友。凡是一件簡單的事情，某種程度上，可以讓你感覺更好。就像...

receiving a parcel, or opening a letter. 

收到包裹，或打開信件；

Letters from home were recognised as a vital part  of keeping up the morale of the men at the front.  

家信被認為是保持前線人員士氣的重要一環。

Along with rations and ammunition,  letters and parcels had to get through! 

除了口糧和彈藥，信件和包裹也要通過!

The Army had its own postal service - the Royal  Engineers Postal Section, or REPS for short. 

軍隊有自己的郵政服務--皇家工程師郵政科，簡稱REPS。

Here's how it works! From Tommy in the  

這就是它的工作原理!從湯米在

trench..... To sweetheart at home! So Tommy writes his letter or postcard.  

壕.....給家裡的甜心!所以湯米寫了他的信或明信片。

He's going to use a pencil: easier to use in a trench than pen and ink. He writes...

他要用鉛筆：在戰壕裡比筆墨更容易使用。他寫道...

"On Active Service” on it and it doesn't need a stamp. The letters are collected at Field Post Offices,  

"現役 "字樣，不需要蓋章。這些信件在外地郵局領取。

in barns, tents or dugouts. FPOs offer the  same services as a normal Post Office. 

在倉庫、帳篷或帳篷裡。FPO提供與普通郵局相同的服務。

You can find a Field Post Office easily  enough, they have a white and red flag. 

你很容易就能找到外地郵局，他們有白旗和紅旗。

The letters are postmarked, put into sacks, and  taken by lorry to the large Army Post Offices,  

信件被蓋上郵戳，裝進麻袋，用卡車運到大型的軍隊郵局。

usually at each Divisional railhead,  where they are loaded onto trains. 

通常是在每個分部的軌口，在那裡將它們裝上火車。

Trains then transport them  to Boulogne, Calais or Le Havre, where  

然後，火車將他們運送到布洛涅、加來或勒阿弗爾，在那裡

they are loaded onto steamships. Then it's  the short journey across the channel!

他們被裝上汽船。然後就開始了穿越海峽的短途旅行!

And into the care of the Post Office. The letters are then taken by rail or road

並交由郵局保管。然後，這些信件會通過鐵路或公路

to London. Where they are sorted again and  sent on to the families waiting for news.  

到倫敦。在那裡，他們被再次分類，並送往等待消息的家庭。

Sometimes the letters offer  a real insight into the war. 

有時，這些信能讓人真正瞭解戰爭。

From an officer of the Argyll  and Sutherland Highlanders. 

阿蓋爾和薩瑟蘭高地軍的一名軍官。

“It's a war with no glamour or glory such as  one expects in a world wide show like this.  

"這是一場沒有任何魅力和榮耀的戰爭，如人們所期待的這樣一場世界性的演出。

Modern weapons are too deadly  and the whole art of war,  

現代武器的殺傷力太大，整個戰爭藝術。

and all tactics as laid down in  our books have been quite altered.  

而我們書中所規定的所有戰術都有了很大的改變。

No advancing across the open by short rushes. Now  it's all digging new lines of trenches by night.” 

不能通過短兵相接的方式在空地上推進。現在都是在晚上挖新的戰壕線。"

Sometimes they are slightly briefer.  From a private of the Royal Fusiliers. 

有時他們會稍微簡短一些。 來自皇家燧發槍隊的一名阿兵哥。

“I hope this letter finds you as it leaves  me. I've got a bit of shrapnel in my bottom” 

"我希望這封信能找到你，就像它離開我一樣，我的屁股上有一點彈片"我的屁股上有一點彈片"

Some are even more to the point!  From a gunner of the Royal Artillery. 

有的更是一針見血! 來自一個皇家炮兵的炮手。

“You can send me another tin of Boracic  ointment. It's very useful!” Some  

"你可以再給我送一罐硼砂膏。它非常有用！"一些

are just downright strange! From Dick to Molly. 

只是徹頭徹尾的奇怪！從Dick到Molly.

“A Happy Christmas. I am sending this to my aunt  to forward to you as I do not know the address.  

"聖誕快樂。因為我不知道地址，所以我把這個寄給我姑姑轉交給你。

Please tell me your name as I have forgotten it.” But they ALL get through! 

請告訴我你的名字，因為我已經忘記了。"但他們都能通過！

From an Officer, somewhere in France. “30th December 1914. I got 3 letters,  

來自法國某地的一名軍官"1914年12月30日我收到了3封信。

posted in Ireland on the 26th, and in England  on the 28th this afternoon. So letters are  

26日貼在愛爾蘭，28日下午貼在英國。所以信件是

reaching us as quickly as if there were  no war! It's really rather wonderful!” 

就像沒有戰爭一樣迅速地到達我們這裡!真的是相當的精彩！"

It's amazing to imagine that a system that  relied on handwritten instructions, typed orders,

想象一下，一個依靠手寫指令、打字命令的系統，真是不可思議。

and manpower could be so incredibly efficient! 

和人力可以有如此驚人的效率!

And as the war went on the post office came to  rely less on manpower and more on woman power. 

而隨著戰爭的進行，郵局開始減少對人力的依賴，更多的是依靠女性的力量。

Men to the trenches! Women to the benches! Jobs that had previously been thought of as  

男人去戰壕！女人去坐板凳！以前被認為是...

a male only preserve had to be  done by whoever was available  

只有男性才能保存，必須由誰來做。

and that meant Woman porters, sorters, drivers.  

這意味著女搬運工、分揀工、司機。

Women were even delivering the post! Christmas, 1914, Princess Mary began a  

女人甚至還在送信!1914年聖誕節，瑪麗公主開始了

fund to provide a brass tin of sweets, tobacco,  pencils, writing paper, and pictures of the royal  

基金提供糖果、菸草、鉛筆、書寫紙和皇家圖片的銅罐。

family to every member of the armed services. That's soldiers AND sailors. 

家庭對每一個武裝部隊的成員。那就是阿兵哥和水兵。

The idea caught on, the public raised money,

這個想法被抓住了，公眾籌集了資金。

the tins were manufactured and sent out! It was a triumph for morale boosting!

罐頭被製造出來了!這是一次鼓舞士氣的勝利!

But it was a nightmare for logistics!

但對於物流來說，這簡直就是一場噩夢!

The post office and REPS were just about able to  cope, although not everyone got their gift on

雖然不是每個人都能收到禮物，但郵局和REPS還能勉強應付。

Christmas day. Happy New Year! Letters home that Christmas of 1914 talked about strange events at the front. 

聖誕節新年快樂！1914年聖誕節回家的信中談到了前線的奇怪事件。

From a private of the Queen's Westminster Rifles “Friday 25th. Christmas Day. Freezing and a bit  

從女王西敏寺步槍隊的一個私人 "25日星期五。聖誕節。凍結和有點

misty. We started walking about behind the  trench and after a bit we got out the front  

霧濛濛的。我們開始在戰壕後面走來走去，過了一會兒，我們從前面的

and then we saw Germans doing the same, we  waived and they did until at last we got so close  

然後我們看到德國人也在做同樣的事, 我們放棄了,他們也放棄了 直到最後我們離得如此之近...

that five of us went over to meet five of them and  started exchanging keepsakes, buttons and the like.

我們五個人過去見了他們五個人，開始交換紀念品、鈕釦等。

It seemed the weirdest thing in the world  that we were talking to the men

我們和男人說話似乎是世界上最奇怪的事情了

that we were trying to shoot the day before."

我們前一天想拍的。"

Families were getting news of the war that  wasn't in the newspaper. The Christmas Truce of 1914  

家家戶戶都能得到報紙上沒有的戰爭消息。1914年的聖誕休戰

was a moment of respite that would not  be repeated. The High Command didn't approve. 

是一個不會再出現的喘息時刻。高層指揮部並沒有準許。

Luckily the army had a way of piching the flow of information. Censorship! 

幸運的是，軍隊有一個方法來控制資訊的流動。審查制度！

Every letter from a private soldier had  to be read by their officer, who could put  

阿兵哥的每一封信都必須由他們的軍官來讀，他可以把他們的信寫下來

a “blue pencil” and scratch out anything  he thought was unsuitable. 

一支 "藍鉛筆"，把他認為不合適的東西劃掉。

It made many officers feel uncomfortable.  From an officer of the Royal Field Artillery: 

這讓很多軍官感到不舒服。 從皇家野戰炮兵的一名軍官口中得知。

“It is always with mixed feelings that I  personally view the arrival of fresh paper,  

"我個人總是懷著複雜的心情來看待新紙的到來。

because the soldiers write such  awful things in their letters,  

因為阿兵哥們在信中寫下了如此可怕的事情。

mostly rot, or else a repetition of a few remarks  which they could quite easily put on a postcard,  

大多是腐爛的，否則就是重複一些他們很容易放在明信片上的言論。

and I have to read them all through!  But it certainly makes them happy  

我必須把它們全部讀完! 但這肯定會讓他們高興

and that is the great thing” For young officers, public school educated,  

而這就是偉大的事情 "對於年輕官員來說，公辦學校教育。

with little experience of the working class man, their men's letters gave a window into Tommy's world. 

他們對工人階級的經驗很少，他們的信件為湯米的世界提供了一個窗口。

“They have big hearts, these soldiers, and  it is a very pathetic task to have to read  

"他們的心胸很大，這些阿兵哥，要念書是一件很可憐的事。

all their letters home. Some of the older men,  with wife's and families, who write every day,  

他們所有的信都回家了。一些上了年紀的男人，有妻子的，有家庭的，他們每天都在寫信。

have in their style a wonderful simplicity  which is almost great literature. There  

在他們的風格中，有一種奇妙的簡單，這幾乎是偉大的文學。有

is much to be learned from a soldier's letter.” “I have just censored the letters of my men.  

從一個阿兵哥的信中可以學到很多東西。""我剛剛刪掉了手下的信件。

By Jove! If you could read some of  these letters, they would do you good.  

由Jove！如果你能讀一讀這些信，它們會對你有好處。

The tenderness of these great, rough  fellows is wonderful. I love them all.” 

這些偉大的、粗獷的傢伙的溫柔是美好的。我愛他們所有人。"

Wherever the British Army sent its soldiers,  the men of the Royal Engineers Postal Section were never far behind. 

無論英軍把阿兵哥送到哪裡，皇家工兵郵政科的人都不會遠遠地跟在後面。

To Gallipoli. Salonika and Mesopotamia. West Africa and Italy. 

到加利波利。薩洛尼卡和美索不達米亞。西非和意大利。

The Balkans and Russia. The officers wanted  

巴爾幹半島和俄羅斯。官員們想要

to keep their men occupied. A busy soldier,  so the thinking went, didn't have time  

讓他們的人忙起來。忙碌的阿兵哥，所以他們認為，沒有時間... ...

to ponder the situation he was in. And letter writing provided a partial  

來思考他所處的處境。而寫信則為他提供了部分

solution. Give the men something to occupy themselves. Remind them of what they are fighting  

解決辦法：給他們一些東西來充實自己提醒他們，他們正在戰鬥

for. Behind the lines in France and back in Blighty  

為。 在法國的戰線後，回到布賴特的戰線上

a whole industry sprang up producing postcards  of all types to be sent to and from the frontlines! 

整個行業興起，生產各種類型的明信片，寄往前線和從前線寄來！這就是我們的目標。

There was the patriotic! God save the King!  The anti Kaiser! Down with Little Willy! 

那是愛國的!上帝保佑國王! 有反德皇的！打倒小威利！

Flags of the Allies! Ships of the Navy! 

盟國的旗幟！海軍的艦艇！

You could go to a photographer's studio and have  your picture taken. Have it copied as a postcard,  

你可以去攝影師的工作室拍張照片。把它複製成一張明信片。

and send that home.

並將其送回家。

Vesta Tilley, the Music Hall star,

維斯塔-蒂爾利，音樂廳的明星。

sold postcards of herself dressed as an  officer, to raise money for soldier's funds. 

賣出自己裝扮成軍官的明信片，為阿兵哥籌款。

But more often than not it was humorous postcards,  

但更多時候是幽默的明信片。

poking fun at “Tommy in the  Trench” and gently mocking the changing  

戲謔 "戰壕裡的湯米"，輕描淡寫地嘲諷變幻莫測。

world on the home front that made their way  backwards and forwards across the channel. 

世界上的主陣地，在海峽兩岸來回走動。

“Well if you knows of a better 'ole, go to it!” In 1916, 16,000 sacks of mail were being  

"如果你知道有更好的，就去找吧！"1916年，16,000袋郵件被... ...

transported daily. 16,000 sacks to be sorted, sent  and delivered! And nearly all of it came through London. 

每天運輸。16,000個麻袋要分揀、發送和運送！而幾乎所有的貨物都是通過倫敦運來的。而且幾乎所有的東西都是通過倫敦運來的

The existing sorting offices at Mount Pleasant  just wasn't big enough to cope.

歡樂山現有的分揀辦公室不夠大，無法應付。

So the Post Office built “Home  Depot”, in Regents Park. A 

所以郵局在攝政公園建了 "家得寶"。A

huge wooden shed. More sheds were added  to keep pace with the growing number of military fronts  

巨大的木棚。隨著軍事戰線的不斷擴大，又增加了更多的棚子。

and the growing number of men being sent out. It was massive! A vast complex of sorting rooms,  

以及越來越多的人被送出去。它是巨大的！一個龐大的分揀室建築群。

storerooms and offices covering five acres.  That's the same as three football pitches. 

倉庫和辦公室，佔地五畝。 這相當於三個足球場的面積。

Hundreds of women cross  referencing, checking lists and card indexes,  

數百名婦女交叉參考、檢查清單和卡片索引。

working in shifts to keep the post moving. By the end of the war, Home Depot was the largest

輪流工作，以保證崗位的運轉。到戰爭結束時，家得寶是最大的。

man-made wooden construction in the world. And the letters home kept coming in...

人造木結構的世界。家裡的信也不斷地來... ...

“My Darling Mother and Father, I am writing on the eve of my first action.  

"我親愛的母親和父親，我在第一次行動的前夕寫信。

Tomorrow we go to the attack in the greatest  battle the British Army has ever fought. I  

明天我們去攻打英國軍隊有史以來最偉大的戰役。I

cannot quite express my feelings on this night  and cannot tell if it's God's will that I shall  

我不能完全表達我在這個夜晚的感受，也不知道這是否是上帝的旨意，我應

come through - but if I fall in battle then I have  no regrets save for my loved ones I leave behind.  

熬過來了--但如果我在戰場上倒下了，那麼我就沒有遺憾了，除了我留下的親人。

If I do fall do not let things be black for you.  

如果我真的倒下了，不要讓事情對你來說是黑色的。

Be cheerful and you will be  living life always to my memory.” 

愉快地生活，你將永遠活在我的記憶中。"

”We are just off to the front and  may be in action in a few hours time.  

"我們只是去了前線，可能幾個小時後就會有行動。

In case of my misfortune to go under... to my boy,  I wish him to be a good, brave and real English  

如果我不幸被打倒了... 我希望我的孩子能成為一個好的、勇敢的、真正的英國人。

laddie. Do not worry or fret as that is no use,  but be as cheerful as possible to help others.” 

小夥子。不要擔心或發愁，因為那是沒有用的，要儘可能開朗地去幫助別人。"

"My Dear Boy Fred, this is  a letter you will never see  

"我親愛的孩子弗雷德，這是一封你永遠也見不到的信

unless your Daddy falls in the field. It is his  farewell words to you in case anything happens."

除非你爸爸倒在田裡。這是他對你的臨別贈言，以備不測。"

"Dearest Win, I am writing just a line in case of accidents.  

"最親愛的溫，我只寫一句話，以防意外。

Just to let you know I have always loved you dear.  You are the best little girl on God's earth have I  

只是想讓你知道，我一直都很愛你，親愛的。 你是上帝賜予我的最好的小女孩

told you before. But I am writing this because  I have a feeling I shall not come back again.  

以前告訴過你。但我之所以寫下這些，是因為我有一種感覺，我不會再回來了。

My last wish is that you marry a good man and be  happy and to think of your Humble now and then. 

我最後的願望是你能嫁個好男人，幸福的生活，時常想起你的謙謙。

“A parcel came in our trenches with our rations,  addressed to a bomber, a personal friend of mine  

"我們的戰壕裡來了一個包裹，裡面有我們的口糧，寄給一個轟炸機，我的一個私人朋友。

who had been killed the previous day. It is the  practise for such parcels to be split up among the  

前一天被殺的人。按照慣例，這樣的包裹會被分給不同的人。

addressee's friends. This parcel contained many  little things which we find useful in the trenches  

收件人的朋友。這個包裹裡有很多我們在戰壕裡發現有用的小東西。

and among them a pair of gloves. These were given  to a fellow who lost his, but half an hour later  

其中還有一雙手套。這些手套給了一個丟了手套的人，但半小時後...

he called us together again and said “I say, you  chaps, listen to this. I can't use these gloves.  

他又把我們叫到一起，說："我說，你們這些小夥子，聽好了。我不能用這副手套。

He then read out not in a steady voice, a short  message written on a slip of paper which he had  

然後，他不緊不慢地念出了寫在一張紙條上的簡短資訊，他已

found tucked inside one of the gloves. It was just  to say that they were sent to dear Harry with his  

發現塞在其中一隻手套裡。只是想說這些東西是寄給親愛的哈利的

mother's love and nobody save her had ever touched  them. Just before packing them up she had put them  

母親的愛，除了她，沒有人碰過它們。就在收拾它們之前，她把它們

on, so Harry could imagine when he wore them  that he was holding his mother's hand...” 

所以當哈利戴上它們的時候，他可以想象自己正握著母親的手... ..."

By the time the “War to end all  Wars” finally came to its end, the  

到了 "結束一切戰爭的戰爭 "終於結束的時候。

Post Office had handled more than two billion letters. To and from soldiers, sailors, airmen, nurses,  

郵局已經處理了超過20億封信件。阿兵哥、水手、飛行員、護士之間的來往。

prisoners of war, and families back home. They had dealt with 114 million parcels 

戰俘和家鄉的家人。他們已經處理了1.14億個包裹

But when “the boys  came home” it was all forgotten. The  

但當 "孩子們回家 "時，一切都被遺忘了。那

letters home got put away. Slowly pushed to  the back of drawers. “Home Depot” closed,  

回家的信被收了起來。慢慢推到抽屜後面。"家信寶 "關上了。

fell into disuse and is now but a memory. People wanted to move on. They wanted to look to the future.  

荒廢了，現在只是一個記憶。人們想繼續前進。他們想展望未來。

The past is the past after all. So imagine again, this world we have lost. 

過去畢竟是過去。所以再想象一下，這個我們已經失去的世界。

When victory was won at a terrible cost. As the words of these people reach down  

當勝利是以可怕的代價贏得的。當這些人的話語傳到下面

through the years. To tell us their  feelings, their hopes and their fears. 

多年來。告訴我們他們的感受，他們的希望和恐懼。

When we look at their  letters and postcards because, 

當我們看到他們的信件和明信片時，因為。

They were ordinary people, They were people like us.

他們是普通人，他們是像我們一樣的人。

(FX: Typewriter, morse code, radio static)

(FX：打字機，摩斯密碼，無線電靜電)