11月9日，我的朋友张纯如（艾里斯?张）自杀了。张纯如是三本畅销书的作者，其中包括《南京大屠杀》。她撇下了她的丈夫布雷特以及两岁的儿子克里斯多佛，独自离开了人世。

以下詹姆斯?布拉德利于11月19日星期五在加利福尼亚州的洛斯阿尔多斯城张纯如的墓碑前宣读的颂词。

张纯如颂
作者：詹姆斯?布拉德利
翻译：李芸
提供：戈叔亚

我在此给两岁的克里斯多佛介绍我自己。
我叫詹姆斯?布拉德利。
我的父亲叫约翰?布拉德利。
他是在塞班岛把美国国旗举起的美军士兵之一。

我渐渐长大，但关于那张有名的在塞班岛举起旗子的照片的故事，我并不知道太多，因为他不愿意谈论那张照片。
1994年，我的父亲去世了。
他去世之后，我继续找寻那张他不愿意谈论的照片的故事。

克里斯多佛，你的母亲是张纯如。
她写了一些令人不快的历史事实，这些事实让人难以忘怀。
2004年，你的母亲去世了。
此后，我设想你也会继续找寻那些你母亲无法讲述的故事。

1997年，在你出生的5年前，我正竭尽全力写一本关于那张照片上的6位举起旗子的士兵的书。
我花了两年时间找出版商。
有27位出版商给我回了拒绝信。
我的情绪十分低落。

然而，一个星期天，我感觉到了一丝希望。
一本关于二战的书被列入了《纽约时报》畅销书排行榜的名单中。
那本书名叫《南京大屠杀》。
也就是在那一天，我第一次看见了那个美丽的名字??张纯如。

不知何故，我鼓起勇气给你母亲写了一封信。
她给我回信鼓励我，并送了我一张明信片。
明信片上的人就是你母亲。
我把你母亲艾里斯的照片挂在了书房的墙上。

每天写作时，当我担心害怕的时候，我便对自己说：“如果她能做到，我也能做到。”
《父辈的旗帜》成了《纽约时报》畅销书排行榜中的第一位。27位出版商说“不”。而你母亲却说“行”。
随后，我想写第二本书，却又找不到素材。
我再次向你母亲求助。

她给我发了一封电子邮件，建议我联系一个叫比尔的人，此人住在爱荷华州，有一些“有趣的素材”。
我给比尔打了电话，他给我提供了一些资料，随后我的第二本书《飞行员》出版了。这本书是你母亲送给我的礼物，它在畅销书的排行榜上列居第二位。
《飞行员》的第一句话是这样写的：“一封来自张纯如的电子邮件…”
书的后面是谢词----我借此机会感谢那些使《飞行员》得以出版的人
《飞行员》的谢词是以那个美丽的名字开始的??张纯如。

克里斯多佛，自从写了这些书以后，我已向全世界数以百计的听众作了演讲。
我知道我仅仅是数千位要感谢你母亲的人中的一个。
在找寻关于我父亲的故事的过程中，我了解到了在那场残酷的塞班岛战役中，有200名痛苦呻吟的年轻士兵死在我父亲的怀里，他当时是一位军医。
同样，在找寻你母亲的故事的过程中，你也将会了解到她把数百，数千，不，是成千上万在痛苦及惨叫中死去的受害者记在了她的心里。
张纯如感动了数百万人，她将永远被全世界的人民以各种各样的方式铭记在心。
我只是他们当中的一位。

四年前，我建立了詹姆斯?布拉德利和平基金会。
基金会把美国的高中生送到中国和日本生活学习一年。
基金会的目标是建立跨文化理解，以致将来的某一天，像我父亲那样的手臂不再会抱着将要死去的人……而像你母亲那样的心也不必记住在战争中死去的人。
两天前，我们的董事会开会决定，从现在开始，我们送去中国的美国学生将成为基金会新设立的张纯如纪念奖学金的获得者。
克里斯多佛，当你长大时，我会邀请你来我们的董事会任职，来帮助我们挑选更多的有资格获得张纯如纪念奖学金的学生。到那时，你就能见到许多以你母亲的名义在中国学习的学生。
他们将会告诉你我已经知道的事情：

当他们到达中国时，将在全国的各个机场的书店，各个城市的书店以及图书馆看到那个美丽的名字----张纯如。
中国的学生将通过学习你母亲的书来了解他们国家的历史。
她的照片将是使博物馆的墙壁增色不少，激励着他人寻找真理。
克里斯多佛，当你长大时，我希望你能经历我所经历过的三件事。

有一天，你将了解到你母亲无法讲述的故事。
我希望它将会帮助你懂得你母亲遗产的价值，正如我逐渐懂得我父亲遗产的价值一样。
我希望有一天你坐在你母亲的照片下工作，并能感受到许多人和我所能感受到的她的那种特殊的鼓舞人心的温暖的力量。
此后，当你在艰难却有收获的内心旅途中找到你在这个世界上唯一的使命时----当你找到你个人的真理时----我希望你会感谢你勇敢的母亲，她曾经毫无畏惧地把真相告诉了全世界。
或许你也会为她写一篇谢词，和我现在写过的谢词一样。

一篇以那个光彩夺目、充满希望、美丽的名字----张纯如开始的谢词。



My friend Iris Chang committed suicide on November 9th.  Iris was the author of three books, including The Rape of Nanking.  She leaves her husband Brett, and 2-year-old son, Christopher.
Below is the eulogy I delivered at her gravesite in Los Altos, Ca. on Friday, November 19.

Iris Chang Eulogy by James Bradley

I stand here with a message for two-year-old Christopher.

My name is James Bradley.

My father was John Bradley.

My father was one of the guys who raised the flag on Iwo Jima.

Growing up, I didn’t learn much about the famous Iwo Jima flagraising photo from him, because he couldn’t talk about it.

My father died in 1994.

After his death I went on a quest to learn about that of which he could not speak.

Christopher, your mother was Iris Chang.

She wrote haunting words about difficult historical truths.

Your mother died in 2004.

Later I imagine you will also go on a quest to learn about that of which your mother could not speak.

In 1997?five years before you were born--I was struggling in my effort to write a book about the six flagraisers in the photo.

For two years I had tried to find a publisher.

Twenty-seven publishers wrote me rejection letters.

My spirits were low.

Then one Sunday I felt a beacon of hope.

A book about World War II was on the New York Times bestseller list.

It was The Rape of Nanking.

And it was on that day that I first saw those two beautiful words . . . Iris Chang.

Somehow I got up the courage to write a letter to your mother.

She responded with a picture postcard encouraging me.

The picture on the postcard was a photo of her.

I hung the postcard photo of Iris on the wall of my study.

Every day as I wrote through my fears, I said to myself, “If she can do it, I can do it.”

Flags of Our Fathers became a New York Times #1 bestseller.  Twenty-seven publishers had said “no.”  Your mother had said, “Do it.”

Then I wanted to write a second book, but I couldn’t find a story.

I turned once again to your mother.

She emailed me a suggestion that I contact a guy named Bill in Iowa who had some “interesting information.”

I phoned Bill who then gave me the story that became my second book, FLYBOYS.  This book, a gift from your mother, became a #2 bestseller.

The opening line of FLYBOYS begins with the words, “The email was from Iris Chang  .. . “

At the back of the book is the Acknowledgement?my opportunity to thank those who made FLYBOYS possible.

The Acknowledgment in FLYBOYS begins with those beautiful two words   . . .
“”Iris Chang . . .”

Christopher, since writing these books I have addressed hundreds of audiences around the world.

And I have learned I am just one of thousands who owes thanks to your mother.

In my quest to find out about my father, I learned that in the brutal battle of Iwo Jima my dad?a medical officer?held over 200 screaming young boys in his arms as they died.

And in your quest to find out about your mother, you will learn that she held hundreds . . . thousands . . . no, hundreds of thousands--of tortured dead and screaming victims in her mind’s eye.

Iris Chang touched millions and will be remembered on all continents in countless ways.

Here is just one of them.

Four years ago I established the James Bradley Peace Foundation.

The foundation sends American high school students to China and Japan for one year to live and study.

The goal of the foundation is to create understanding across cultures so that someday arms like my father’s won’t hold the dying . . . and minds’ eyes like your mother’s won’t have to hold war’s dead.

Two days ago our board met and decided that from now on, the American students we send to China will do so as recipients of our foundation’s new Iris Chang Memorial Scholarship.

Christopher, when you are older, I invite you to come and sit on our board. Come help us choose more students worthy of the Iris Chang Memorial Scholarship.  By then you’ll be able to meet the many students who will have studied in China in your mother’s name.

They will tell you what I already know:

About how when they entered China they saw the beautiful words Iris Chang in the airport bookstores . . . city bookstores . . . and libraries across the land.

How Chinese students study your mother’s words to learn their country’s history.

And how her photo graces museum walls there, motivating others to search for the truth.

Christopher, as you grow older, my hope is that you can experience three things that I have.

Someday you will learn that of which your mother could not speak.
I hope it will help you understand your mother’s legacy as I have come to understand my father’s.

I hope you will someday work sitting under a photo of your mother and feel the warm power of her special inspiration felt by so many others and me.

And later--when you make that difficult but rewarding inner journey to discover your unique mission in the universe?when you find your personal truth---I hope you will acknowledge the example of your valiant mother who once fearlessly told truth to the world.

Perhaps you will write an acknowledgement to her, a thank-you like I once did.

A thank-you that begins with two bright and hopeful words.

Those two beautiful words . . .
. . .  Iris Chang . . .

-----End---