Today's interpretation for you is "Judy the Good Dog", the Chinese edition of the book is about 220,000 words, I will spend 25 minutes to explain the essence of the book to you: when people are in a desperate situation, even a little faint light will bring him infinite hope, and as long as people have hope, they have the courage to persevere.
In September 2013, a British film "Railwayman" was released at the Toronto Film Festival, which tells the story of a British soldier Romacks who is captured by the Japanese army and forced to work as a railway laborer in Burma, suffering unimaginable torture. The film is based on a real experience of a writer who lived in World War II and was unfortunately captured by the Japanese army in Singapore, forced to work hard to build the "Death Railway", and experienced the inhumane atrocities of the Japanese army.
The background of the narrative of "Judy the Good Dog" that we are going to talk about today is also related to british prisoners of war and the "Death Railway". In order to fully reproduce the legendary life of a ship's lucky dog "Judy" in World War II, the British writer Damien Lewis visited the veterans who survived in the prisoner of war camp and found a large amount of relevant information. This beloved "good dog Judy" experienced the entire process of World War II, escaped the war several times, and accompanied the British prisoners of war through the most brutal period of the prisoner of war camp. For this reason, in 1946 Judy was awarded the Order of Deacon for his fearless performance in war.
The novel "Judy the Good Dog", borrowed from the eyes of British warship soldiers and the ship "Lucky Dog", describes british soldiers who experienced World War II in Asia in 1936. It recreates the entire process of the Japanese army's war of aggression, reveals their vicious acts of killing people and inhumane atrocities in dealing with prisoners of war. Through the background of the brutal war, it reflects the tenacity and vitality of this British instruction dog in the war, giving courage in times of suffering and its loyal attitude of being dependent on the prisoners of war for life and death. It gave hope to many PRISONERS in desperate situations to survive and helped them survive this journey to hell.
Damien Lewis, the book's author, is a British writer and former war correspondent who was named one of America's "Twenty Most Beloved Writers" in 2006. He has published more than twenty books on the frontline of war, disaster and conflict areas for news media organizations. Before the creation of "Good Dog Judy", another dog-themed "Flying War Dog" had been published.
The inspiration for "Good Dog Judy" came from a stumbling discovery after "Flying War Dogs". After World War II, a total of three dogs received a national award, and Damien Lewis found a photograph of the three dogs that received the prize together. One of them, on the right side of the photo, is a very striking white background spotted English indicator dog. This dog is the protagonist of the book, the English instruction dog "Judy".
The book reflects on the theme of war with small entry points, through a ship lucky dog "Judy", from its birth, its life has been accompanied by war: it sees the arrogance of the Japanese in China, it sees the japanese warplanes in the undeclared war of the mad killing, it sees the Japanese soldiers treating prisoners of war violently. In the face of the ugly humanity of the invaders, "Judy" used its bravery and kindness to face this disaster with British soldiers and war victims, heal their devastated war wounds, and give them the courage and hope to live.
Well, after introducing the basic situation of the book and the author's profile, then I will tell you in detail about the contents of the book.
The first point: the eve of the stormy old Shanghai
The second point: "Judy" runs in the midst of war
The third point: the only prisoner of war dog, but with his life to guard hope
Well, let's take a look at the first key content: the eve of the stormy old Shanghai
Under the barbed wire of a British-run kennel farm, a puppy poked its nose out, and between its inhalations, the bustling and bustling world outside was full of temptations, and this puppy was "Judy". And it is located in 1936 Shanghai, China, this year known as the "bright pearl" of Shanghai, on the surface of calm and prosperity, but secretly is chaotic, full of dangers.
On the streets of Shanghai, rickshaws pull rich people in suits and leather shoes through the dusty streets. The streets are lined with shops and twinkling neon, making it a city where the rich sing and dance. In recent years, however, it has become a troublesome city for foreigners, with frequent civil wars and banditry, especially after the Qing government was forced to sign a treaty with the Japanese Empire to open a treaty port.
The streets of Shanghai are littered with overbearing Japanese soldiers, "Judy," who has been running away from the dog farm for weeks, and sees a hard-working and kind shop owner being verbally abused and beaten by a group of unreasonable Japanese soldiers. "Judy", who tried to rescue her, was also kicked by one of the invaders with a heavy kick in his leather boots and flew to the garbage heap. At this point, "Judy" firmly remembered the smell of these invaders and buried the hatred deeply.
After this ordeal, "Judy" was discovered by the workers of the dog farm, and when the lucky puppy was returned to the dog farm, the British hostess was very surprised, and the puppy was immediately named "Judy". However, they did not realize that this puppy, who had suffered misfortune from the beginning, would stand out in the coming bloody and cruel war, which would destroy almost everything, and become famous all over the world at the end of World War II.
The British also had a presence in Shanghai, and their warships patrolled the banks of the Huangpu River day and night to protect the safety of their merchant ships. There is a custom in The United Kingdom that people will find a favorite animal as a mascot, and the same is true on British warships. Because life is very lonely and boring for foreigners far from home, a ship needs a lively animal to regulate their lives, which is also a good way to boost morale, and the officers and men of the ship will even record it as a military task.
Other officers and men of the warship, in order to add some lively atmosphere to the ship, some chose parrots, some chose cats, and some even chose monkeys. There is no doubt that our protagonist, the English instruction dog "Judy", with his foie gras-colored spots, was finally chosen as the auspicious pet on the British Royal Navy's "Midge" ship, becoming a puppy favored by all soldiers, as a member of the official ship, and also set a special number prefixed with "MX".
On the first day of "Judy"'s embarkation, the entire crew held a welcoming ceremony to welcome the team, and the lieutenant solemnly introduced the puppy crouched among the members with pink tongues: Gentlemen, come and see the first lady on our gunboat, the Royal Navy "Judy". The attention received by this puppy is unique, not only so that all officers and men are welcomed in line, but even the officers and men on the ship can stop the military operations being carried out for this "lucky dog".
The puppy "Judy", who had just boarded the ship, was very curious about everything on the ship, and when he was lying on the side of the moving warship, he accidentally fell into the rushing water. This situation quickly spread throughout the ship, and the entire crew hurriedly launched an emergency rescue, they ignored the cruising task, the captain immediately issued an order to stop the advance, let several crew members risk their lives to drive the dinghy to the rescue, after several twists and turns in the rough waters, rescue the puppy Judy. And they were replying to the flag of the warship, and only four words were used for this thrilling rescue operation: baptism completed.
A puppy falls into the water, the entire warship stops moving, and the crew risks their lives to rescue them, which is inconceivable in reality. And this rescue operation, but the humorous way of replying to Judy's "baptism", is indeed a sublimation of humanitarianism and optimism. It is also their respect for life that makes these soldiers who fall into the cruel living environment of the concentration camp produce strong vitality, constantly struggling on the death line, and finally surviving.
After experiencing this escape from death, "Judy" began to use it to give back to the soldiers. With its keen sense of smell, sight, and hearing, as well as its agile instincts as an indication of the dog's vitality, it acts as an alarm on the ship. As long as it barked feverishly, the sergeants were bound to find that there was some danger approaching, or a stinking flat-bottomed boat carrying manure, or a Japanese air raid, or a "water bandit" who tried to attack the warship late at night. This mutual help and trust made the feelings between the ship soldiers and "Judy" deeper and deeper.
On the eve of the stormy war, the deep feelings of intimacy and hardship between man and dog are particularly precious. At this time, China was already forced to get involved in the War of Resistance Against Japan under japan's aggressive momentum. The fall of Nanking forced British and American warships to fly their own flags in response to the increasingly dangerous situation and unite to cruise the Yangtze River to protect their own interests. But they did not expect that this war, which seemed to have nothing to do with them, would soon be attacked by Japanese warplanes, shattering their illusions.
In this war that was gradually spreading, all the members of the British gunboats, including their mascot "Judy", were absolutely on the side of Chinese. This is not only because they have formed a deep friendship with Chinese in their duty work, but also because they are angry about the tragedy of the Nanjing Massacre. They watched the Japanese army step by step, the Chinese soldiers persevered, and everyone tried their best to exert international humanitarianism and rescue the victims of the disaster.
At this time, the two-year-old "Judy" is in the fire of war, and is about to usher in its first marital love. The British instruction dog "Paul" on a French warship deeply attracted the attention of "Judy". And the male dog "Paul" kept running and barking in order to chase after his own love, and because of this, he was planted in the water and won the heart of "Judy" with his humorous courtship. The crew of the two warship commanders solemnly discussed the wedding of the two "Ship Lucky Dogs" and jointly held a wedding for them.
As war swept through humanity to show its bloody violence, the wedding of two dogs made this dark age feel a little warm for British and French soldiers. Death and destruction threaten and devour human life, but "Judy" begins to give birth to new life. This little bit of protection of the puppy's kindness also preserved the conscience of the soldiers on this gunboat. They began to secretly assist China, using Morse code to send messages to the Chinese Air Force during the Indiscriminate Bombardment of the Japanese Army, and did everything possible to rescue survivors of Chinese ships that had been attacked.
Well, that's the first important point for you above: the eve of the stormy old Shanghai. Having said that, let's talk about the second point: "Judy" running in the midst of war
At the beginning of World War II, Japan was still jealous of the forces of Britain, France, and the United States, and did not dare to interfere too much in the small frictions between them. But Japan's aggressive attitude has shown itself. They wantonly attacked warships along the Yangtze River, but they did not hesitate to declare that it was a "misunderstanding", and they ignored the protests of Britain and the United States.
In the absence of any power on the part of the British government, Judy bravely confronted these invaders for the first time. "Judy", who was walking on the shore with the crew, encountered several Japanese soldiers in charge of vigilance, and when it smelled the leather boots of the Japanese soldiers, the previous memory came to mind, and it was the leather boots of this smell that gave it a heavy blow, and the hatred in "Judy's" heart was ignited, and it roared desperately at the Japanese soldier, the sailor had never seen such an angry "Judy", but in order to protect "Judy", he did not hesitate to throw the small Japanese soldier who had just raised his gun into the river.
The incident soon led to the japanese coming to the door to ask the teacher about the crime. But the captains of the British warships used their superior diplomacy and large amounts of rum to temper the aggressiveness of the Japanese officers. One of Judy's rants provoked several repeated accusations from Japanese officers, who needed good Words of Comfort from the British before they could stop. However, the Japanese warplanes bombed British and American warships but they were able to end it hastily, which shows how arrogant the Japanese army was at that time.
Although the Japanese army has not yet entered a state of hostility with the British, their bloody killings and frequent incidents have become very obvious. The British fleet received orders from the Admiralty and quickly left Shanghai to assemble in Singapore. Singapore was also a British garrison at the time, considered a fortified british fortress, and once Japan declared war on Britain, it was an impregnable coastal fortification.
But this excessive optimism soon turned into a tragedy. On December 8, 1941, japan, while attacking Pearl Harbor in the United States, bombed the unprepared Singapore and sank along with British Royal Navy warships. Judy's ship, relying on its super-hearing "early warning system", dodged the Japanese fighters that were raging several times. However, this rescue fleet could not save the entire Singapore from decay, but only assisted tens of thousands of British soldiers and refugees in Singapore to evacuate the besieged island city.
When assisting the rescuers, "Judy" constantly ran on the front line of the rescue and used it to comfort the suffering people on the ship. It scurried all day, from one man on board to another, wagging its tail and rubbing its nose in the palms of those who were sad and sad, trying to attract children who were shivering under gunfire with a lively run, and playing their favorite games with those who were still in the mood to play. "Judy" seems to realize the seriousness of the matter, and is gradually learning how to soothe people who are hurting in their hearts.
In the fear and trauma caused by war, even the slightest bit of kindness can be remembered. "Judy" in the invasion of Japanese warplanes, through keen hearing and roar to warn the gunboats, to make a gesture of relief for the fleeing people, to show the fangs of hatred against the Japanese invaders, these are considered brave acts. Because its behavior catered to the comfort and understanding that people needed most in their minds at that time. This is also the most impressive impression of "Judy" in the process of gradual growth.
In 1942, when several British gunboats transporting victims were transporting refugees, they were again bombarded by Japanese warplanes and warships, and although the British warships resisted heroically, they were still hit by shells like raindrops. Several warships were sunk one by one, refugees and soldiers were forced to jump into the sea, and "Judy" was lost in the attack.
The disappearance of "Judy" made the entire gunboat officers and men sad, but they could not take care of it, at this time the Japanese fighters were killing the people who fell into the water, in the merciless strafing of the machine guns, the lifeboats were smashed, and countless people swam desperately in the hellish sea to the nearby desert islands, and the tragic horn was as miserable as hell. The exterminated Japanese were like devils, and their human nature, distorted by war, had long since been wiped out in a series of killings.
Judy's warship was severely attacked and ran aground near the desert island, leaving the surviving sergeant civilians short of food and clothing, especially fresh water. When they build a raft to get survival supplies from the damaged warship, they accidentally rescue "Judy" trapped in the wreck, "Judy" is worthy of the ship's lucky dog, in such a tribulation, it is still difficult not to die.
The moment the tired "Judy" boarded the raft, he began its redemptive mission, it barked at the sea, then jumped into the sea, swam around the raft, "Judy" extraordinary perception detected the presence of sharks in the water, in order to distract the shark, with his own body to protect its human friends. When he left the dangerous waters, "Judy" immediately returned to his mischievous nature, and his friends who threw the water on his body were all over the place.
Substances and food are relieved, but fresh water is nowhere to be found. As everyone looks around for water to take care of hungry and thirsty refugees, "Judy" once again embodies its extraordinary sixth sense, and with the persistence of its English instruction dog, it sticks to a certain point on the coastline until the Marines discover its abnormality and dig a clear and sweet spring in its locked position. In extreme circumstances, "Judy" once again saved people in distress to prove that it was worthy of being the ship's lucky dog.
In the true records of British history, the day they were attacked took place on 15 February 1942, the darkest day in British history. Singapore, where they were killed, was also an important port for east-west exchanges at that time, as early as the 18th century, it was set up by the British as an overseas trade base, became the overseas trade center of the British Empire, and took free trade measures, attracting merchants from Asian countries, the Middle East and even the Americas to engage in maritime trade.
After the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Pacific War broke out and the Japanese 25th Army on the Indian Peninsula began to attack Malaya and Singapore. On 14 February 1942, Singapore was besieged and fresh water was cut off. On the 15th, the British commander-in-chief, Deshua, finally announced his unconditional surrender at 8:30 p.m., and nearly 80,000 defenders became prisoners of the Japanese army.
"Judy"'s Marine Corps, after experiencing this attack, fled to a nearby city called Padang, these surviving British sergeants did not expect that they were about to become ordeal prisoners of war, there would be countless male prisoners of war as victims, under the pressure of Japanese soldiers, they were used as laborers to build airports and railways, and began a humiliating life of 3 years and 6 months. "Judy" will also experience one of the most difficult periods of her life during this time. Let's talk about the third point: the only prisoner of war dog, guarding hope with his life
The soldiers and refugees who had been attacked began an unusually difficult escape, and in the midst of this ragged procession, "Judy" still exercised her loyalty. Exploring safe routes that can be passed, alerting to any dangers that may arise in the hot jungle, warning people at any time not to fall into the swamp, bravely rushing towards the crocodiles that stand in the way, "Judy" through it, trying to open up a way for this team to survive.
The five weeks of arduous trekking did not keep the refugee contingent out of danger, and when they arrived in padang, the city of Sumatra, they were waiting for disarming and complaining. The Dutch governor who guarded Padang believed that it was the retreat of the British and American armies that led to the fall of Singapore, which led to the war. In view of the brutal massacre of the Japanese army in Nanjing, China, they had given up resistance and opted for surrender.
It can be seen that the war correspondent was born Damien. This description of Louis once again shows that Japan's aggression against China has been premeditated for a long time, and that Japan's wanton massacre is an absolute deterrent to invade and occupy the entire Asian region, deliberately. Japan's ferocity stemmed from their inflated aggressive ambitions, so they were able to carry out an inhuman killing of 300,000 civilians in Nanjing. It is conceivable that their treatment of prisoners of war would be equally inhumane, no less cruel than Germany's treatment of Jewish concentration camps.
In the face of a heavily armed enemy, this ragged contingent of different countries, different formations of navies, armies and air forces, striving to seek the self-esteem of soldiers in defeat and humiliation, they stand up with their chests up, like real warriors, showing their unyielding spiritual strength. This astonishing and grand war made their hearts palpitate, but the primitive instinct to survive began to fill their hearts, and they clearly realized that in this harsh environment, only by maintaining an indomitable spirit could they have the courage to live.
In this environment, the survival instinct of judy, the lucky dog " who also became a "prisoner of war", was first revealed, and in the absence of food supply, it began to track and kill any food that moved, even if it had a little food value: lizards, rats, snakes and birds, and it would be eaten by its hungry claws. Hunger was the greatest challenge for "Judy" and the prisoners of war, who, like the world's forgotten crowds, lived under the guns and sticks of the extremely brutal and cruel Japanese, and spent every day in a long and difficult hunger.
But this was only the beginning, and the evil purpose behind the Japanese army was to drag down these huge poows of war through heavy engineering construction and build this Japanese war fortress with their white bones. Driven by the Japanese army, what awaited the prisoners of war was another, more dehumanizing journey to hell. The Japanese army soon moved the prisoners to a village in Graugarh, where they built a Medan airfield and railroad in the jungle to meet Japanese heavy bombers.
Predictably, it will be a slaughter without bullets. As the forced labor program becomes more onerous and diverse, food and medicine are withheld, and once they are tired or sick, they can only wait weakly for death except to be beaten. Any reasonable request from the PRISONERs of war was dismissed contemptuously, and life here was like grass, which could be taken away by the guards at any time and at any time with laughter.
The prisoners of war were furious and began to try to secretly destroy the sleepers and delay the progress of the project. But soon, Japanese guards began to use more brutal methods of repression, and the prisoners of war saw the Japanese soldiers use shovels to cut off the head of a laborer in public, and under the dehumanizing rule of the Japanese army, the cursed railway would swallow the lives of 20 Allied prisoners of war and 400 local laborers every kilometer.
The PRISONERS had realized that in this lost world, their chances of survival were slim, and perhaps they were already "dead" to the outside world. There is no time here, only life is worse than death, and they are like walking dead step by step to destruction.
In a weak curse and frustration, "Judy" became a symbol of needless tenacity. She stared at the prisoners of war, with a tender look in her eyes, a stoic but still caring look, as if to express sympathy, to understand. More importantly, it seems to be smiling, shining with a full maternal radiance, which makes people's hearts return to peace. The presence of "Judy", its indomitable spirit, gave these prisoners of war the courage to stand up and face the unknown ending.
The PRISONERs of War protected the lucky dog with unimaginable wit, and even relied on a rare dog-loving Japanese officer to win the number of the prisoner of war camp for "Judy" "Prisoner of War 81A-Medan". The "Judy", who was given the number of prisoners of war, was not looked at differently by the Japanese guards, but became the target of their laughter and anger, ready to shoot at any time. Here, "Judy" is in a worse and more dangerous situation than a prisoner of war.
The sincere "Judy" never gave up on his friends who loved him, helping hungry and weak prisoners of war, stealing fruits from Japan in honor of the emperor, and wandering around several labor camps to help them transport food. He even bravely and tactfully covered the confrontational behavior of the prisoners of war on many occasions, diverting the attention of the Japanese guards and protecting the lives of many prisoners of war.
"Judy" loyally guarded its friends, knowing that she could survive in the forest on her own, but never thought of escaping from this hellish concentration camp, and it seemed clear that these people on the brink of death needed a kind of companionship and encouragement to endure this disaster. In this kind of concentration camp where they are on the brink of death every day, "Judy" has been with them for three and a half years. Until one day, august 6, 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a fatal blow that caused Japan to announce its surrender.
The defeated Japanese troops quietly withdrew from the camp, and early that morning the prisoners of war were still waiting in confusion for the beginning of a day of purgatory labor, but they were surprised to hear a loud, persistent, joyful bark of a dog, which was impossible in peacetime. Because of the already hysterical Japanese guards, "Judy" has already developed the habit of haunting and dodging their shooting. When the prisoners of war learned the truth about freedom, they thought with emotion that such a happy news was very appropriate for the miraculous survivor of "Judy" to announce.
The British instruction dog, which had escaped countless disasters under the barbed wire of the prisoner-of-war camp, had finally returned to its native Britain. Here it was enthusiastically pursued by the British media and military, and the one that survived the HellRail and is now a household name for its POW dogs excitedly walked into the cheering crowd. It was awarded the "Order of Deacon" by the famous British animal organization, known as the "Victoria Cross of animals". The medal of "Judy" reads: For him in the Japanese prisoner of war camp to inspire the great courage and endurance of countless companions around him, but also for the wisdom and alertness that saved countless lives.
"Judy" was buried at 5 p.m. on February 17, 1950, not far from the home of its last owner, Frank, in a simple wooden coffin wrapped in a flying jacket that had been given when it became the official mascot of the Royal Air Force. The most famous heroic dog in British history has lived a full 14 years since its birth. With the loyalty of a dog, it has saved countless human beings and touched thousands of people. It tells people that no matter at any time, in any environment, we must have the courage to face it, and only by persevering can we win the final victory.
Well, that said, we're talking about pretty much today, so let's review the main points we've said today.
First of all, we talked about the early experience of "Judy", how the British ship soldiers treated this "lucky dog", and formed an unbreakable friendship with "Judy", which led to "Judy"'s persistent loyalty to them, reflecting the deep feelings of closeness and suffering between people and dogs.
Secondly, we talked about the undeclared war of the Japanese army against China, "Judy" and the British soldiers working together to save the victims, and secretly assisting the Chinese army in carrying out a just anti-fascist struggle. In the shelling of bombing and massacres, innocent war victims are accompanied, their wounded hearts are soothed, and their courage to live is given.
Finally, we talk about the brutal rule of the harsh Japanese guards, "Judy" used her extraordinary life to record the prisoners of war and dogs with loyalty and protection to help each other through the journey through hell. "Judy's inseparability" stimulated the prisoners of war's inner sense of survival, survived the catastrophe of this war, and thus won the support of Britain and even the world. Let us see in this book that "Judy" used her legendary life to send a call to mankind to stay away from war, cherish peace, and cherish life.
![British actress Judy Comer[fig]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)