To learn is to be free | Shameem Akhtar

A room full of boys.

翻译人员: mange he 校对人员: Yanyan Hong

在一个全是男孩儿的房间里，

A girl child, hardly nine or ten years old,

有一个小女孩儿， 看起来不到九岁或十岁。

she is sitting in the center of the room, surrounded by books.

她坐在房间中央，被一堆书围着。

She is the only girl among boys,

她是一群孩子中唯一一个女孩儿，

and is barely missing her female cousins and friends,

却几乎不会想念她的表妹和朋友们，

who are inside the home instead of the school,

她们正呆在家中，

because they are not allowed to get an education alongside boys.

因为她们不被允许 跟男孩子一起得到教育。

There isn't a single functional girls' school in her village.

在女孩所在的村庄里， 没有一所女子学校。

She was born in a Baloch conservative tribe,

她出身于一个传统的俾路支部落，

where women and girls are a matter of honor.

在那里，女人和女孩 与家族荣耀息息相关。

She is the eldest in her family,

她是家中的长女，

and when she was about to be born, her parents wanted a baby boy.

当她快出生时，她的父母 期待的是一个男孩儿。

But they had bad luck; a baby girl arrived.

但他们的运气不好， 得到了一个女孩儿。

It was customary in her family to keep girls inside the homes.

在她的家庭中，让女孩们 待在家里是一种习俗。

But her uncle, who was a university graduate,

但她的叔叔身为一个大学毕业生，

he wanted to give her an opportunity to see the world,

想要给予她一个机会 看一看这个世界，

to be part of the society.

并成为社会中一员的机会。

Luckily, she has a name that can be used for both men and women.

幸运的是，她有一个中性化的名字。

So he saw a chance to change her course of life.

所以她的叔叔看到了 一个改变她人生轨迹的机会。

So he decided to raise her as a boy.

他决定把她作为一个男孩儿养大。

At three months old,

在她三个月大的时候，

she went from being a baby girl, to baby boy.

她从一个小女孩变为一个小男孩。

She is given a boy's getup.

她穿着男孩的服饰，

She is allowed to go outside

被允许走出家门，

and get an education alongside boys.

并与一群男孩们一起得到教育。

She is free, she is confident.

她是自由的，也是自信的。

She observes, she notes small, everyday injustices

她注意了到日常生活中 各种细微的不公之处，

faced by women and girls in her village.

都是村庄里的 女人和女孩们所经历。

When newspapers arrive at her home,

当有报纸被送到家门口，

she watches as it passes from the eldest man to the youngest man.

她看着报纸从最年长的男人 传到最年轻的男人。

By the time women get hold of the paper,

当女人拿到报纸时，

上面的新闻早就已经过时了。

it is old news.

She completes her eighth-grade year.

她完成了八年级的课程，

Now fear starts to come in.

恐惧却开始席卷而来。

This will be the end of her education,

这将是她接受教育的终点，

because the only option for high school for further study

因为进入高中深造的唯一机会

is five kilometers away.

在五公里外的地方。

Boys have bicycles, they are free.

男孩们有自行车， 他们是自由的。

But she knows

但她知道，

her father will not allow her to travel on her own,

她的父亲不会允许她独自出行，

even if she were posing as a boy.

即使她以男孩的形象出现。

"I can't let you do that.

“我不能让你这么做。

And I don't have the time to walk you there and back.

而且我没有时间 陪你走过去再回来。

Sorry, it is impossible."

抱歉，这是不可能的。“

She gets very upset.

她感到十分沮丧。

But a miracle happened.

但是奇迹发生了。

A long-distance relative offers to teach her

一个千里之外的亲戚提出，

ninth- and tenth-grade curricula

想在暑假里教她

during summer vacations.

九年级和十年级的课程。

This is how she completed her matriculation.

就这样，她完成了大学入学考试。

The girl whom I am talking about to you

我所描述的这个女孩

is me, Shameem, who is talking before you now.

就是我，莎米姆， 正在你们面前讲话的这个人。

(Applause)

（掌声）

自始自终，人们都在 为自己的身份抗争。

Throughout centuries, people have been fighting for their identity.

People have been loved, privileged, because of their identity,

人们拥有爱、特权， 皆因他们的身份、

their nationality, their ethnicity.

国籍和种族地位。

Again, people have been hated, denied,

同时，人们受到憎恨、否定，

because of their nationality, their identity,

也皆因他们的国籍、身份，

their race, their gender, their religion.

种族、性别和宗教信仰。

Identity determines your position in society, wherever you live.

无论你身处何处， 身份都决定了你在社会中的地位。

So if you ask me, I would say I hate this question of identity.

所以如果你问我，我会回答 我对于这个关于身份的问题十分反感。

Millions of girls in this world are being denied their basic rights

在这个世界上有无数的女孩们 被剥夺了最基本的权力，

because of being female.

只因她们是女性。

I would have faced the same, if I hadn't been raised as a boy.

如果我没有被作为一个男孩 抚养长大，我也会面对同样的困境。

I was determined to continue my studies, to learn, to be free.

我决心继续我的学习， 为了获取知识，为了变得自由。

After my schooling, even enrolling in college was not easy for me.

在完成了学校教育之后，申请进入 高等教育学院也让我颇费了一番周折。

I went on a three-day hunger strike.

我进行了一场 为期三天的绝食抗议。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Then, I got permission for college.

然后，家里人才同意我 去接受高等教育。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

In that way, I completed my college.

就这样，我完成了 两年的本科学习。

Two years later, when the time came for me to go to university,

两年后，当我准备进入大学时，

我的父亲把他的目光 和关注投向了我的弟弟们。

my father turned his eyes, his attention, to my younger brothers.

They need to be in school, secure jobs and support the family.

他们需要上学，安全稳定的职业， 并支付家庭开销。

And as a woman, my place was to be home.

而作为一个女人， 我理应待在家中。

But, I don't give up.

但是，我从不轻言放弃。

I sign up for a two-year program to become a lady health visitor.

我加入了一个为期两年的项目， 成为了一个妇女保健视察员。

Then I hear about Thardeep Rural Development Program,

然后我听说了 夏蒂普乡村发展计划，

a non-profit organization working to empower rural communities.

一个努力赋予乡村社区 权力的非盈利性组织。

I sneak away.

我偷偷溜出家里。

I travel five hours to interview for a position.

历经了五个小时的长途跋涉， 只为得到面试一个岗位的机会。

It is the first time I am the farthest from my home I have ever been.

这是我第一次离家这么远。

I am closest to my freedom I have ever been.

我从未像那一次一样 如此接近自由。

Luckily, I got the job,

幸运地，我得到了那个工作机会，

but the hardest part is facing my father.

但是最艰难的部分依然是 要如何面对我的父亲。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Relatives are already scaring him

我的亲戚们已经在发布 危言耸听的言论，

about his daughter wandering off,

关于他的女儿如何四处乱逛，

teasing him with talk of his daughter crossing the border.

用她如何越过做女人 底线的话题来取笑他。

When I return home,

当我回到家时，

I want nothing more than just to accept the position in Thardeep.

我只想着要接受 夏蒂普的工作岗位。

So that night, I packed all my things in a bag,

所以当晚我把所有东西打包，

and I walked into my father's room and told him,

走进父亲的房间并告诉他，

"Tomorrow morning, the bus is going to come in.

“明天早上，大巴会到车站接人。

If you believe in me,

如果你相信我，

if you believe in me,

如果你相信我，

you will wake me up and take me to the bus station.

你就叫醒我，并把我送到汽车站。

If you don't, I'll understand."

如果你不相信我，我也会理解。”

Then I went to sleep.

然后我就进入了梦乡。

The next morning, my father was standing beside me

第二天一早，父亲出现在了我的身边，

to take me to the bus stop.

陪我走到了汽车站。

(Applause)

（掌声）

That day, I understood the importance of words.

那一天，我明白了言辞的重要性。

I understood how words affect our hearts,

我明白了言辞 如何影响我们的内心，

how words play an important role in our lives.

如何在我们的生活中 扮演了一个至关重要的角色。

I understood words are more powerful than fighting.

我明白了言辞比武力更强大。

At TRDP, I saw there was a Pakistan which I didn't know,

在夏蒂普活动中，我发现了 一个我不知道的巴基斯坦，

a country much more complex than I had realized.

一个比我想象当中更复杂的国家。

Until that, I thought I had a difficult life.

在那之前，我曾经以为 我的生活就已经很艰难了。

But here, I saw what women in other parts of Pakistan were experiencing.

但是在那里，我看见了在巴基斯坦 其他地区的女人正经历着什么。

It really opened my eyes.

那景象让我大开眼界。

Some women had 11 children but nothing to feed them.

有些女人有 11 个孩子， 却没有食物来喂养他们。

For getting water, they would walk three hours every day to wells.

为了取水，她们每天要步行 三个小时到井边打水。

The nearest hospital was at least 32 kilometers away.

最近的医院至少 在 32 公里外的地方。

So if a woman is in labor,

所以如果一个女人即将临盆，

she travels by camel to get to the hospital.

她需要坐骆驼去医院生产。

The distance is great; she may die on her way.

路途十分遥远， 她或许会死在途中。

So now, this became more than just a job for me.

于是现在，这对我来说 不再只是一项工作了。

I discovered my power.

我发现了我的力量。

Now, as I was getting salary,

现在，我能够经济独立了，

I started sending back money to my home.

于是开始寄钱给家里。

Relatives and neighbors were noticing this.

我过去的那些亲戚和邻居们 也都注意到了这一点。

Now they started to understand the importance of education.

现在他们开始意识到了 教育的重要性。

By that time, some other parents started sending their daughters to school.

从那时起，其他一些家长也 开始把他们的女儿们送进学校。

Slowly, it became easier and acceptable

渐渐地，年轻女性去读高等学院

for young women to be in college.

变得更简单，也更容易被接受。

Today, there isn't a single girl out of school in my village.

今天，在我的村子里， 所有的女孩都在接受教育。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Girls are doing jobs in health sites, even in police.

医疗机构，甚至是警察局 都能见到女孩们的身影。

Life was good.

生活越来越美好。

But somewhere in my heart,

但在我心中，

I realized that my region, beyond my village

我意识到在我家附近的地区， 在我的村庄之外的地方

needs further change.

需要更多的改变。

This was also the time when I joined Acumen Fellowship.

于是我加入了敏锐联谊会。

There, I met leaders like me across the country.

在那里，我遇见了全国 其他像我一样的领导者们，

And I saw they are taking risks in their lives.

甚至在冒着生命危险 从事这项工作。

I started to understand

我开始意识到

what leadership really means.

领导力真正的意义。

So I decided to go back to my region

因此我决定回到我的家乡，

and take a position as a teacher in a remote school,

并在一所偏远的学校 成为了一名教师，

a school that I have to reach by bus --

一所我必须每天早上和傍晚

two hours traveling, every morning and evening.

搭乘两个小时大巴才能到达的学校。

Though it was hard, on my first day I knew

尽管这样很辛苦， 但在我上任的第一天，我就知道

I made the right decision.

我做出了正确的决定。

The first day I walked into the school,

我走进学校的第一天，

I saw all these little Shameems staring back at me --

就看到了所有这些 年轻的小莎米姆们凝视着我——

(Laughter)

（笑声）

with dreams in their eyes,

她们的眼中带着梦想，

the same dream of freedom which I had in my childhood.

一个与我儿时曾有过的 一样的，追求自由的梦想。

So the girls are eager to learn, but the school is understaffed.

那些女孩们十分渴望学习， 但是学校的师资力量相当匮乏。

Girls sit hopeful,

女孩们带着希望坐在那里，

learn nothing,

却什么也学不到，

and they leave.

于是就离开了。

I can't bear to see this happening.

我不能忍受看到这些发生。

There was no turning back.

不能再让旧事重演了。

我找到了我的目标。

I found my purpose.

I enlisted a few of my friends to help me to teach.

我招募了一些朋友来帮助我上课。

I'm introducing my girls to the outside world

我利用课外活动和书籍，

by extracurricular activities and books.

把我教导的女孩们 介绍给了外面的世界。

I share with them the profiles of the world's best leaders,

我与她们分享有关 世界上最出色的领袖们的资料，

like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.

例如，马丁 · 路德金 和尼尔逊 · 曼德拉。

Last year, a few of our students went to college.

去年，我们的一些学生 进入了高等学院。

For me, I never stop studying.

对我来说，我也从未停止过学习。

Today, I'm working to complete my PhD in education --

今天，我正努力完成 教育学的博士学位——

(Applause)

（掌声）

which will allow me to gain a management position

这将使我在教育体系中得到一个

in the school system,

管理层的职位，

and I will be able to make more decisions

而我将有能力做出更多决定，

and play a pivotal role in the system.

并成为体系中一个关键的角色。

I believe that without educating the girls,

我相信如果不让女孩们得到教育，

we may not make world peace.

世界和平就无法实现。

We may not reduce child marriage.

我们将不能减少未成年婚姻。

We may not reduce infant mortality rate.

我们将不能降低未成年儿童死亡率。

We may not reduce maternal mortality rate.

我们将不能降低母亲的死亡率。

For this, we have to continuously

为了达成这些目标， 我们必须勇往直前，

and collectively work together.

团结协作。

At least I am playing my role,

至少我正在完成我的工作，

though the destination is not close.

尽管最终目标仍然遥不可及。

The road is not easy.

这条路充满艰辛。

But I have dreams in my eyes,

但我眼中怀有梦想，

and I am not going to look back now.

而我再也不会回头了。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）