我最恨的人 竟是那个救我的人
二战时，一个名叫罗迪克英国战俘，被押送到了一座德国集中营，这里关押著近千名英国士兵。他们被迫忍受著非人的折磨，天天像牲口似的，从事著沉重的劳动。

一天，纳粹发布通告，在战俘中招募汽车司机。几乎没有一个英国汽车兵愿意承担这项工作，原因很简单，开车的任务是，专门运送死去战友的遗体。

出人意料的，罗迪克站了出来。被俘前，罗迪克是英军一名汽车兵，他对纳粹说，他很乐意干好这件事。

罗迪克如愿以偿地在集中营里做了一名司机，像那些敌人一样，他开始变得粗暴残忍。不仅对战俘们吆五喝六，拳打脚踢。甚至，有的战俘明明还没死，他也会把他们扔上车。

渐渐地，战友们厌恶，憎恨他。他们私下里以各种方式警告罗迪克。在战友们的心目中，罗迪克是不折不扣的卖国贼。

纳粹却越来越喜欢罗迪克，他在集中营里获得了高度的信任。一开始，纳粹兵一定会押车，后来索性由他一个人出入集中营了。罗迪克的战友在暗地里袭击他，好几次他险些被昔日战友打死。

在一次被战俘们无情的报复殴打之后，一个雨天，他在孤独凄惨的境况下，死在了集中营一个阴湿的墙角里。

六十年过去了，忽然一天，英国一家报纸，登载了一篇题为《救我的人，是我最恨的人》的文章，作者写道：

“集中营里有一个叫罗迪克的叛徒，甘愿为纳粹卖命。那天，生病的我并没有死，他却强行把我扔上卡车，对纳粹说准备把我埋掉。

可是，令我震惊的是，车到半路，罗迪克停了车，扛起奄奄一息的我，放到一棵大树的隐蔽处，并留下了几块黑面包和一壶水，急促地对我说，如果你能活著，请来看这棵树。然后，他就急匆匆开车走了……”

登载这则篇幅很短的故事不久，报社陆续接到十二通电话。十二个打来电话的，无一例外，都是曾经成为战俘的二战老兵，他们来自同一座集中营，就是罗迪克所在的那座集中营。

十二个老兵叙述的故事，几乎和报上登载的那个故事一模一样：他们都因为被罗迪克放在一棵大树下，从而死里逃生。

老兵们都回忆说，每当罗迪克驾车离开时，对每一个战友说的都是，如果你活著，请来看这棵树。

编辑凭职业嗅觉，敏感的他判定，这棵被罗迪克反复提到的树，一定大有内容。

老编辑立即组织了十三位老兵，去寻找那棵大树。当一行人来到目的地，山谷依旧，大树依旧。一个老兵率先扑进大树的怀抱，啜泣中，他在树洞里找到只早已锈蚀了的铁盒子。

打开了盒子。一本破损的日记本和很多张泛黄、发霉的照片赫然呈现在大家眼前。

他们小心翼翼地翻开了日记本：

今天我又救出了一位战友，这已经是第28个了……但愿他能活下去……今天又有20位战友死去……昨天深夜，战友们又一次狠狠地打了我……可我一定要坚持下去，无论如何也不说出真相，那样，我还能救出更多的人……亲爱的战友们，我只有一个唯一的希望，如果你活著，请来看看这棵树。

老编辑的声音早已哽噎，老兵们的泪流早已满面。站在树下的每一个头发花白的人，直到此时才完全清楚，罗迪克一共救了三十六名英国战俘。

World War II: The Person I Hate the Most Is the One Saving My Life
 
During World War II, a German concentration camp held nearly 1,000 British prisoners of war, and Roddick was among them. They had to endure inhumane torture and heavy labor every day and were treated like animals.

One day, the Nazis issued a notice to recruit drivers from among the prisoners of war. Almost no British soldier was willing to take on this task because they would be transporting the remains of their fellow soldiers.

Unexpectedly, Roddick stood up. Before being captured, Roddick served as a driver in the British Army. He told the Nazis that he would do it well and happily.

Roddick got his wish and became a driver in the camp. Like those in charge, he became rude and cruel. He not only yelled, punched, and kicked the prisoners of war, but also threw them into the truck even if they were still alive.

Gradually, his fellow soldiers became disgusted and began to hate him. They warned Roddick in various ways in private. In their eyes, Roddick was 100 percent a traitor.

The Nazis liked Roddick more and more and he gained a high degree of trust in the camp. At first, the Nazi soldiers would escort the truck, but later, they allowed him to leave and enter the camp freely. Roddick’s former comrades attacked him in secret and nearly killed him several times.

One rainy day, after being beaten relentlessly by the prisoners of war who were seeking revenge, he died miserably in a damp corner of the camp.

Sixty years later, a British newspaper published an article entitled: The one who saved me is the one I hate the most. The author wrote: “There was a traitor named Roddick in the concentration camp who was willing to work for the Nazis. That day, I did not die when I was sick, but he forcibly threw me into the truck and told the Nazis that he would bury me.

However, what shocked me was that when the truck was halfway to its destination, Roddick stopped the vehicle, carried me out, and put me under the shelter of a big tree. Leaving me a few pieces of brown bread and a pot of water, he hurriedly said to me: ‘Please come to see this tree if you survive.’ Then, he drove away in a hurry…”

Soon after publishing this short story, the newspaper received 12 calls one after another. The 12 callers, without exception, were all World War II veterans who had become prisoners of war. They came from the same concentration camp where Roddick served.

The stories told by the 12 veterans were almost the same as the story published in the newspaper — they all escaped and were placed under a big tree thanks to Roddick.

The veterans all recalled that whenever Roddick drove away, he asked every soldier to please come to see this tree if they survived. The editor of the newspaper judged that this tree repeatedly mentioned by Roddick must hold some secret, so he immediately organized the 13 veterans to go look for it.

When they arrived at the location, the valley and the giant tree remained the same. A veteran rushed to hug the tree with his arms outstretched. While weeping, he found a rusty iron box in a hole in the tree. Opening the box, they found a tattered diary and many yellowed and moldy photos.

They opened the diary carefully and read: “Today I rescued another fellow soldier. He was the 28th one. I hope he can survive. Today, another 20 soldiers died. Late last night, my fellow soldiers beat me again. But I must stick to it and never tell the truth. In this way, I can rescue more people. Dear friends, I have only one hope. If you survive, please come to see this tree.”

The old editor’s voice choked with emotion, and the eyes of the veterans were already full of tears. No one standing under the tree had any clue. They came to realize that Roddick had saved 36 British prisoners of war.

Translated by Joseph Wu and edited by Helen

https://visiontimes.com/2020/10/10/world-war-ii-the-person-i-hate-the-most-is-the-one-saving-my-life.html