我不行？我能行！

by Sourena Vasseghi

翻譯：寒星

我不行？我能行！

by Sourena Vasseghi

翻譯：寒星

Because I was born with severe1）cerebral palsy， my parents—eager to find help for my condition—moved us from Iran to the United States when I was only eighteen months old. And if that were not2）challenging enough，I would later discover that for most of my life， I had been followed by two killers.

1） cerebral palsy 大腦性癱瘓，腦癱

2） challenging ［?t??lInd?I?］ adj. 挑戰(zhàn)性的，考驗意志的challenge ［?t??lInd?］ n. 挑戰(zhàn)

I grew up attending schools where having a3）handicapped student was4）novel， but that never5）proved to be a problem for me. I always felt accepted by my classmates and everyone at school. But I thought I could never move out of my parents' supportive home and have the kind of college experience most teens do. You see， I'd always6）relied on my parents for the most basic of tasks.

Then one day， one of my professors at the community college suggested I move out of the house and7）apply to the University of Southern California. I wanted to tell him， “How could you possibly understand the efort and8）intricacy it takes for me to meet my basic needs every day—let alone live away from home？”

But I must admit， I was inspired. Why stop my creative mind from exploring9）possibilities and solving challenges that living on campus would bring？ I realized the powerful diference between saying “I can't” and asking “How can I？” By saying “I can't，” I was already beaten； by asking “How can I？”， my brain would10）automatically11）churn out possible12）solutions.

My deciding to go to USC wasn't as simple as packing my bags， telling Mom and Dad to “just send money，” and13）wheeling myself out the door. It became a long，14）grueling journey15）fueled by research，16）sacrifce， and problem-solving along the way.

Not long after starting my search， I found a roommate willing to help me in the mornings and at nights. Then， in my classes， I fgured out that by making friends， I could ask for17）assistance with things that came up like helping me type papers. I had to18）arrange taking tests with staff members in the office of19）disability； they would provide me with someone to fll in my answers on the tests. I'd have to meet a friend regularly or hire an assistant to help me at lunch and dinner. Getting these arrangements set up meant I could enjoy a wonderful new experience—living on campus for two years while earning a marketing degree.

My disability didn't go away. I didn't “overcome” cerebral palsy. But those two killers I mentioned—negative thinking and20）reduced expectations—add a highly21）destructive22）element to the world. Yet no one has to accept these23）deal breakers，no matter what disability comes with the package.

Today， I run my own business as a professional speaker，business24）consultant， and award-winning author. And what keeps me going is25）constantly asking—and answering—these two questions: How can I do what seems impossible？ And how can I love my life just the way it is？

3） handicapped ［?h?ndIk?pt］ adj. 身體有缺陷的

4） novel ［?n?v?l］ adj. 新奇的，不平常的

5） prove to be 原來是……，證明是……

6） rely on 依賴，依靠

7） apply to 向……詢問、接洽

8） intricacy ［?IntrIk?sI］ n. 錯綜復(fù)雜，難懂

9） possibilities ［?p?sI?bIlItIs］ n. 潛在價值，發(fā)展前途

10） automatically ［???t??m?tIklI］ adv. 自動地，無意識地

11） churn out 艱苦地做出

12） solution ［s??lu???n］ n. 解決辦法

13） wheel ［wi?l］ v. 推動，轉(zhuǎn)動

14） grueling ［?gr??lI?］ adj. 折磨的，使筋疲力盡的

15） fuel ［fju??l］ v. 推動，支持，激起

16） sacrifce ［?s?krIfaIs］ n. 犧牲，獻(xiàn)身

17） assistance ［??sIst?ns］ n. 協(xié)助，援助

18） arrange ［??reInd?］ v. 安排

19） disability ［?dIs??bIlItI］ n. 殘疾

20） reduced ［rI?dju?st］ adj. 減少的

21） destructive ［dI?str?ktIv］ adj. 破壞性的

22） element ［?elIm?nt］ n. 元素，因素

23） deal breaker 交易破壞者

24） consultant ［k?n?s?lt?nt］ n. 顧問

25） constantly ［?k?nst?ntlI］ adv. 經(jīng)常地，不斷地

參考譯文

我一出生便患有嚴(yán)重的腦癱癥，我的父母急切地想找到能改善我病情的方法，于是我們一家從伊朗移居到了美國，那時的我才一歲半。如果說這樣的考驗還不夠嚴(yán)峻的話，那么我后來還發(fā)現(xiàn)，在我的大半輩子里，一直都有兩大殺手尾隨在我身后。

我從小就讀的都是普通學(xué)校，迎來一個身患?xì)埣驳膶W(xué)生對他們來說是一件新鮮事，不過那對于我來說從來都不是問題。我一直都覺得班里的同學(xué)、學(xué)校里的每一個人都能接納我。但是，我想我絕不可能搬出對我支持滿滿的父母家，去體驗大多數(shù)年輕人都能體驗到的大學(xué)生活。你懂的，我的日常生活起居基本上都依賴父母的照料。

然后有一天，社區(qū)學(xué)院里的一位教授提議我搬出來，報讀南加州大學(xué)。我想對他說：“你怎么可能理解，為了解決每天基本的生活起居問題我得付出多大努力，那會有多繁瑣復(fù)雜？更別說從家里搬出去獨立生活了！”

但是我必須承認(rèn)，我被打動了。為什么要阻止自己充滿創(chuàng)造力的大腦去尋找大學(xué)校園生活會帶來的潛在價值，并用其去解決校園生活所帶來的難題呢？我意識到了嘟囔“我不行”和反問“我如何能行？”之間的巨大差別。當(dāng)說出“我不行”時，我已經(jīng)被打敗了；而反問自己“我如何能行？”時，我的大腦便會自動蹦出許多可能的解決方案。

作出就讀南加州大學(xué)的決定，并不是收拾行李、給父母丟下一句“寄錢來就好”，然后自己開動輪椅出家門那么簡單。它成了一段既漫長又累人的征途，一路上全靠調(diào)查研究、付出犧牲和解決問題支撐著我前行。

開始調(diào)查研究沒多久，我便找到了一個愿意在早上和夜里幫助我的室友。然后，在不同的課上，我發(fā)現(xiàn)通過結(jié)交朋友，我可以向他們尋求援助，例如幫我打字將論文輸入電腦。我還需要就我進(jìn)行考試之事與殘疾學(xué)生辦公室的工作人員協(xié)調(diào)好；他們會讓某個工作人員幫我填寫考試答案。我需要定期與某個朋友見面，或者雇用一名助手在午餐和晚餐時幫助我進(jìn)食。做好這些安排意味著我可以享受一段美好的新歷程—一邊攻讀市場營銷學(xué)位，一邊體驗兩年的校園生活。

我的殘疾不曾消失。我也沒有“克服”腦癱。但是我剛才提到的兩大殺手—悲觀思維和低期望值—為世界增加了一大毀滅性元素。但不管身患多嚴(yán)重的殘疾，任何人都不需要去接納那些隨疾患而來的“毀滅者”。

如今，我經(jīng)營著自己的事業(yè)，是一名職業(yè)講師、商業(yè)咨詢師和獲獎作家。而支撐我走下去的是不斷地自問—并自答—這兩個問題：我如何才能完成那些看似不可能的任務(wù)？我該如何熱愛我生命原本的模樣？

Turning “I Can't” into “How Can I？”