Well today it happened…
好吧这是今天发生的事情

A day we never want to happen,
我们从不曾希望会有这样一天

but continually prepare for
但却一直做着准备

throughout the school year.
贯穿这一整个学年

We had a tornado touch down near the school,
飓风在学校附近登陆了

and as expected,
应验了我们的预期

went into our emergency tornado procedures.
我们开始按照预演的应灾步骤进行

I wasn’t even in the classroom when it happened.
一切发生时，我甚至并不在教室里

I had taken a student with me
那时我带着一个学生

to the workroom
两人一起去了储备室

to help gather items for a project.
一起去拿教学需要的教具

When the sirens starting wailing
警报响起的时候

I immediately grabbed my student’s hand
我立刻抓住学生的手

and ran as fast as I could
用最快的速度

back to the classroom.
跑回了教室

Never did I imagine
我从不曾想到过

needing to put our tornado drills to use.
应对飓风的程序会真的派上用场

I never imagined
我从未想过

actually needing to line my students up on the wall,
我真的会让学生们在墙边排队站好

have them crouch down
让他们全部下蹲

with their knees and heads touching the ground,
膝盖和头触着地面

hands on the backs of their heads.
手放在他们的后脑勺上

Their hearts beating so fast
他们的心慌跳得那么快

(and mine, if we are honest)
（老实说，我的也是）

they couldn’t catch their breath,
他们不能呼吸

or the fear filled eyes
他们眼中写满了恐惧

looking up at me
抬头看着我

as they ask if
问我

their mommies, daddies,
他们的爸爸妈妈

maw maws, and friends
爷爷奶奶，还有朋友们

were going to be okay.
会不会安然无恙

Never did I imagine
我从未想过

the eery silence that would come over the whole school,
寂静笼罩整个校园

with hundreds of students lined up against the walls of one building.
成百上千的学生聚集在同一幢教学楼里，靠墙而立

Never did I imagine
我从未想过

the way I would feel,
自己会是这样的心情

and other teachers along with me,
其他老师也和我一起

as we tried our best to comfort our students,
我们尽全力安抚我们的学生

assure them of their safety,
让他们相信他们是安全的

and promise them everything would be alright;
承诺一切都会没事

when we truly didn’t know
其实我们自己也不知道

what the outcome would be.
事情最后的结果会是什么样

Today has taken a toll on me,
今天的灾难让我深受其害

as I am sure
我相信

it has on the hundreds and thousands of teachers
其他成百上千的老师

in the local areas and surrounding areas.
在本地和临近地区的他们亦是如此

But at the same time,
但与此同时

I am beyond proud,
我又感到无比的骄傲

surprised,
惊喜

and elated
且欢欣鼓舞

at how my students handled themselves today.
因为我的学生们今天的表现太棒了

In the midst of a very scary, emotional , and dangerous situation,
期间在十分恐怖，危险，让人心惊胆战的情况下

my students handled themselves
我的学生们都能镇定自若

with the attitudes and mindset of children much older than them.
态度和心境都像是比他们年长许多的孩子

Never in my life
这一生中

have I seen my students follow directions
我都没见过学生们这样好的服从指令

so quickly, precisely,
迅速，准确

and without hesitation.
毫不犹豫

Even though some tears were shed,
虽然我们都流下了眼泪

and some hearts were beating fast,
虽然我们都心跳如鼓

my students were brave.
我的学生们却十分勇敢

They had such an unshaking trust in my assistant
他们对我的指导存有不可动摇的信任

and myself
对我本人亦是如此

that they were able to be 100% calm
所以他们才能100%镇定

and collected the entire time.
一直十分镇定

They were brave beyond their years today
这一天他们表现出了超出年龄的勇敢

and for that,
为此

I am eternally grateful.
我莫大的感恩

Tomorrow will bring a new set of challenges;
明天还会有许多新的挑战

and will be a day used to encourage,
这一天我仍会鼓励

instill ,
训导学生们

and prepare the students
让他们做好准备

for the next time this might happen.
以防下一次再有这样的事情发生

Right now,
此刻

I look back on the day
我审视着这一天

thankful for everyones safety, courage, and bravery.
为每个人的安然无恙，为他们的勇气和淡定而心存感恩

But also heartbroken
同时又感到心碎

at the thought of
想到

millions of students,
数以百万的学子

all over the country,
范围覆盖全国

having the same scenarios play-out at their schools.
都在他们的校园里经历着同样的事情

The fear I saw in my students eyes,
我在我的学生们眼中看到的恐惧

I imagine
我想

in the eyes of every student out there.
一定也会出现在其他学校的每个学生眼中

I can only wish for those students,
我只能为那些学生祝福

their parents,
为他们的家长

and especially their teachers.
尤其他们的老师祝福

For behind every great, brave,
因为，在每一个优秀，勇敢

and courageous student,
镇定的学生背后

is a long line of individuals
都有许多成年人

who have made it their life’s goal
立下了一生的志愿

to empower, train, and teach them.
要训练，教导他们，给他们力量