If I tell them everything is okay, that would be a lie. From the world's biggest developing country to the less developed regions of the world, that is the war-torn eastern DR Congo, challenges are self-evident.
如果我说在这儿一切都好，那是骗人。从世界上最大的发展中国家来到一个欠发达的落后地区——饱受战火摧残的刚果(金)，面对的挑战不言而喻。
In such an extremely weak country, military observers need to take care of their own food, daily necessities, housing, etc., that is, they need to rent their own houses, cook their own meals, and when patrolling, drive the vehicle ourselves.
在这样一个极其艰苦的国家，军事观察员们必须自食其力，自行解决饮食起居问题，比如自己租房子，自己做饭，以及在巡逻的时候，自己开车。
Due to the particular nature of the work done by military observers, United Nations did not equip us with weapons or guards. The bare-handed observers’ patrolling investigations were not that easy. While displaying the United Nations peaceful nature, observers’ work exposed them to all sorts of risks.
鉴于军事观察员工作的特殊性质，联合国并未给我们配备武器或警卫人员。然而赤手空拳地巡逻调查可不是件容易事，虽说不带武器执行任务能体现联合国追求和平的本质，但这也把军事观察员暴露在了各种危险之下。
Well, as a soldier, I am prepared for all kinds of hardships. We regularly face lack of water and electricity difficult-to-access roads in the Bukavu Highway where I was deployed. During the dry season, the situation was even worse with patrolling vehicles driving in dusty road affecting their visibility; everything would look blurred with the rising dust.
不过没关系，作为一名战士，我早就做好了应对一切困难的准备。在我所处的任务区，缺水缺电、交通不便都是家常便饭。旱季的时候，情况更糟，巡逻时车辆在尘土飞扬的路上颠簸，激起的尘土把车子笼罩其中，宛如一团移动的尘雾。
If not, much can be seen when driving on dusty roads; what about in the rainy season? Roads are flooded with rain waters and we almost drive on streams; no way for the water to drain itself off the road. With the impressive amount of clay, it is like driving in a mud swamp, with the wheels skidding helter-skelter and making life even more difficult.
如果不是在旱季，在土路上开车会有很多东西可看。可如果到了雨季会怎样？那可就是一片汪洋了，我们仿佛在河里开车！道路根本没有排水系统，“和着”厚厚的泥土，我们像是在泥泞的沼泽地里挣扎，轮子经常打滑，让人感觉生活愈加不易。
"There is no safe drinking water here – nor yet water for domestic for washing; we must move 5 kilometers away to get it."
当地没有安全的可饮用水，甚至连洗洗涮涮的生活用水都没有，我们得跑到五公里开外的地方取水。
CIRHAGABWA village chief, Mr. Kozibwa, trusts MONUSCO military observers. When we get to the village to fetch water, he tells us the difficulties faced by the village. I remember, once, we patrolled to the Sinelac village, where we found a water tap in front of the village office!
CIRHAGABWA村的村长Kozibwa先生，很信任我们“联刚团”军事观察员，每次去他的村子取水时，都会跟我们聊一些村里面对的各种艰辛。记得有一次，我们巡逻到Sinelac村时，意外地在村办门口发现了一个水龙头！
It was indeed the first time to see water tap equipment in a village for the past four months. In most villages one would find water wells. I rushed and tried to turn on the water faucet. I was about to tell the villagers to wash their hands frequently, to heed the hygiene rules so as to protect themselves from the Ebola virus disease. Can you imagine! Not a drop of water in the water pipe. Villagers told me the water pipe did not receive any water supply for a long time.
来当地四个月了，这可是我头一次在一个村子里看到“水龙头”！一般来说，当地大多数村子里都只有水井。我连忙跑过去试着拧开水龙头，心里想着要赶紧告诉村民——你们可以经常洗手了，可以注意卫生以免感染埃博拉病毒了。可谁想得到，竟然一滴水都没流出来！村民告诉我，水管里早就没有水了。
All I had in mind when coming to Africa, it is a vast grassland, a mysterious place. But now I know from what I see on the ground, it has villages with devastated thatched cottage and mud houses, barefoot children and scantily dressed villagers. Every time I see this, I think I should do something. As a result, during each patrol, I carry some snacks for the local people.
来非洲之前，我脑海里想象的是一片广袤的草原，一个神秘的地方。可来了以后，我在各个村子所见到的，只有坍塌的茅草屋、泥坯房、赤脚的孩子和衣不蔽体的村民。面对这赤裸裸的现实，我觉得自己应该做点什么。所以，每次巡逻的时候，我都会带些零食送给当地人。
Once the food package is ripped opened, villagers would swarm up and wipe out the whole package in a matter of seconds. After patrolling the area and distributed the food items for some time, I paused for a while and thought: "food and aid are limited; they can in no way truly and effectively respond to the need of the villagers sustainably."
食品包装袋一撕开，村民们便一拥而上，短短几秒内将食物一扫而光。在分发了几次食物之后，我暂停了这一举动，因为觉得：“村民们缺吃少穿，给吃的固然重要，但并不是长久之计，不能真正有效地改善村民们的现状。
Knowledge can change life
知识改变命运
"How can the villagers be actually lifted from poverty to prosperity?" I come up with the idea: knowledge can effectively change the course of life. So, I stopped taking candies and biscuits when patrolling, but started bringing some books, notebooks, pens, and foot balls for the children. I also asked my comrades to join in the efforts, contributing pens with cartoon books and toys from China, hoping to develop children's interest in learning.
“如何帮助村民真正地摆脱贫困走向富足？”思来想去，我认为唯有知识才能改变命运。从那以后，巡逻时我就不再发放糖果饼干，而是送给孩子们书、本子、笔和足球。我还动员我的战友们也参与进来，贡献出他们从中国带来的笔、漫画书和玩具，希望当地的孩子们能对学习产生兴趣。
"Knowledge can indeed change fate, sports can make one feel stronger and sturdier," I told the children in the village, adding ‘’if you want to get rid of poverty, this is the only path to take.’’ There is no shortcut to success. The elder children nodded sensibly, and the younger children looked at their older brothers and sisters, trying to understand what I meant. However, more importantly, I could feel from their look, they were more curious with a longing desire for happiness.
我告诉孩子们，“知识能改变命运，运动则让人更强大、更坚强。如果你们想摆脱贫穷，那这是唯一可走的路。”成功无捷径。大点儿的孩子会懂事地点点头，年纪小的会看向他们的哥哥姐姐，试着去理解我话里的意思。重要的是，我从他们的神情里，读出了对幸福的好奇与渴望。
The local people who have seen so many patrols became familiar with the Military observers. A local village woman, Florence, is a mother with three children who went through a terrible ordeal in which all her family members perished in a fire accident. This made her life, which was already tough, even worse. She looked helpless as she sat on the ashes and wept. I was so sad that I put $50 in an envelope with some words to comfort her in Swahili; it read: "Florence, don't cry, be strong! We stand with you!"
巡逻的次数多了，不少当地人也熟悉了我们这些军事观察员。Florence曾是三个孩子的妈妈，不幸地，一场大火噩梦般地夺走了她所有的亲人。原本困苦的生活变得更为艰难。每每看到她坐在灰烬中无助地抽泣，我心里就很难受。于是我把50美金连同几句话装进信封递给了她。我在纸上用斯瓦希里语写道：“Florence，别哭，要坚强！我们与你同在！”
I also gave her clothes and shoes, hoping to cheer her up. The $50, for me, is nothing, but it is the equivalent of Florence’s monthly salary. This small gesture not only conveyed our sympathy, but also, more importantly, was meant to help her family out of the stormy situation. She had no mobile phone and couldn't speak English. She asked someone to send me a congratulatory text message. She has now rebuilt her home to start a new life and will never forget the help of the Chinese military observer.
我还送了她一些衣服和鞋子，希望她振作起来。50美元对我来说不算什么，但却是Florence一个月的工资。微不足道的举手之劳，一方面表达了我们的同情和关切，另一方面，更是想实实在在地帮她渡过难关。Florence没有手机，也不会说英语，她便请人捎信儿给我，说她现在已经重建了新家，开启了新生活，她永远不会忘记一位中国军事观察员给予她的帮助。
As military observers, we put together the first-hand information received during the patrol investigations and report them to relevant departments every day. It makes me happy to see how our efforts can help make some difference in the country. The good news is when the Congolese government takes positive actions. As an example, the road leading to Nyangezi in Bukavu was half rehabilitated.
每天，我们军事观察员都会汇总在巡逻调查时收集到的一手信息，并及时报送给有关部门。对我来说，看到自己的努力在一点点帮这个国家变好，是一件开心幸福的事。好消息是，刚果政府也采取了让人欣慰的积极行动，比如，通向Nyangezi 的路已经修复近半了。
Each year, many military observers from across the world join the peacekeepers as military observers and we continue to receive great stories about our MILOB team – as the saying goes: "Before coming to Africa, one is afraid of Africa; while being in Africa, one loves Africa." Now, I have fallen in love with Africa as well its people and its land. I will continue to work hard with my teammates for peace and happiness to prevail in DR Congo!
每年，都会有来自世界各地的军人加入进军事观察员的序列，续写军事观察员这支队伍的传奇。有句话讲得好：“来非洲之前，你会怯怕它，来了之后，你会爱上它。”现在，我已经爱上了这片土地和这里的人们。未来，我会继续同我的战友们一道，努力使和平与幸福之风吹遍刚果大地。（全文完）
附上“联刚团”记者采写的
一篇杨欢欢少校的新闻报道
此文也发表在“联刚团”官网上
她发挥性别优势与
当地的妇女儿童打成了一片，
深受刚果人民的欢迎！
