Making peace is a marathon | May El-Khalil

翻译人员: Fen Guan 校对人员: Sean Young

I come from Lebanon,

我来自黎巴嫩

and I believe that running can change the world.

我相信跑步改变世界

I know what I have just said is simply not obvious.

我知道我这个说法也许费解

You know, Lebanon as a country has been once destroyed

你知道，黎巴嫩是一个曾被

by a long and bloody civil war.

漫长血腥的内战摧毁的国家

Honestly, I don't know why they call it civil war

实际上，我不明白为什么毫无文明可言的“内战”

when there is nothing civil about it.

和”文明的“居然是同一个单词（civil：内战的，人民的，文明的）

With Syria to the north, Israel and Palestine to the south,

黎巴嫩北与叙利亚接壤，南邻以色列和巴勒斯坦

and our government even up till this moment

甚至此时此刻我们的政府

is still fragmented and unstable.

也还是分裂动荡的

这么多年来，这个国家

For years, the country has been divided between politics and religion.

因政治和宗教原因支离破碎

However, for one day a year,

但是，每年有一天

we truly stand united,

我们真正地站在一起

and that's when the marathon takes place.

那就是我们举办马拉松的时候

I used to be a marathon runner.

我曾经是一个马拉松运动员

Long distance running was not only good for my well-being

长跑不仅有利于身体健康

but it helped me meditate and dream big.

也促进我思考和拥有远大梦想

So the longer distances I ran,

我跑的越远

我的梦想也更加远大

the bigger my dreams became.

Until one fateful morning,

直到一个不幸的早晨

and while training, I was hit by a bus.

我在训练时被一辆公交车撞了

I nearly died, was in a coma,

我昏迷不醒，几乎丧命

stayed at the hospital for two years,

在医院呆了两年

进行了36次手术后才能够重新走路

and underwent 36 surgeries to be able to walk again.

As soon as I came out of my coma,

我从昏迷中醒来时

I realized that I was no longer the same runner I used to be,

就意识到我再也不能像以前那样跑步了

so I decided, if I couldn't run myself,

所以我决定，即使我自己不能再跑步了

I wanted to make sure that others could.

也要让别人有跑步的机会

所以在医院病床上

So out of my hospital bed,

I asked my husband to start taking notes,

我开始让我的丈夫帮我记笔记

and a few months later, the marathon was born.

几个月后

这个马拉松赛事诞生了

Organizing a marathon as a reaction to an accident

也许在车祸之后却组织一次马拉松

may sound strange,

听起来很奇怪

but at that time, even during my most vulnerable condition,

但在那时候，即使在我最脆弱的时候

I needed to dream big.

我需要远大的梦想

I needed something to take me out of my pain,

我需要做一些事来忘记身体的疼痛

an objective to look forward to.

我需要找寻一个值得期盼的目标

I didn't want to pity myself, nor to be pitied,

我不想自怨自艾，也不想被怜悯

and I thought by organizing such a marathon,

我想通过组办这样一个马拉松

I'll be able to pay back to my community,

我可以回报社会

build bridges with the outside world,

搭建连接外面世界的桥梁

and invite runners to come to Lebanon

邀请马拉松选手们来黎巴嫩

and run under the umbrella of peace.

以和平之义跑步

Organizing a marathon in Lebanon

在黎巴嫩组织一个马拉松

is definitely not like organizing one in New York.

绝对不像在纽约这样

How do you introduce the concept of running

如何介绍跑步的理念

to a nation that is constantly at the brink of war?

给一个长期濒临战争的国家

How do you ask those who were once fighting

如何让那些曾经互相斗争

and killing each other

和残杀的人

to come together and run next to each other?

聚在一起并肩奔跑

More than that, how do you convince people to run a distance of 26.2 miles

不仅如此，如何说服人们

跑26.2英里（42公里195米，马拉松全程距离）

at a time they were not even familiar with the word "marathon"?

当他们连“马拉松”

这个词都不熟的时候

So we had to start from scratch.

所以我们不得不从零开始

For almost two years, we went all over the country

有将近两年时间，我们走遍了整个国家

and even visited remote villages.

甚至访问边远村庄

I personally met with people from all walks of life --

我见了来自各行各业，各种各样的人

mayors, NGOs, schoolchildren,

有市长，非政府组织人员，小学生

politicians, militiamen,

政客，民兵，穆斯林，基督教信徒

people from mosques, churches,

the president of the country, even housewives.

上到国家总统，下至家庭主妇

I learned one thing:

我了解到一件事

When you walk the talk, people believe you.

行胜于言，只有用行动去践行诺言，人们才会相信你

Many were touched by my personal story,

很多人被我的个人经历感动

and they shared their stories in return.

他们也回应分享他们的故事

It was honesty and transparency that brought us together.

是真诚和透明把我们聚在一起

我们彼此有着共同的语言

We spoke one common language to each other,

and that was from one human to another.

就这样口口相传传播开了

Once that trust was built,

信任建立后

everybody wanted to be part of the marathon

每个人都想成为马拉松的一员

来向世界展示黎巴嫩和她的人民

to show the world the true colors of Lebanon and the Lebanese

的本色

and their desire to live in peace and harmony.

还有他们对和平安宁的生活的渴望

In October 2003, over 6,000 runners

在2003年10月，6000多名

from 49 different nationalities

来自49个不同的国家的马拉松选手

came to the start line, all determined,

汇聚在了起跑线上，个个踌躇满志

and when the gunfire went off,

当发令枪响起

this time it was a signal to run in harmony,

这次的枪声象征着和谐奔跑

for a change.

而不是一味的战争

The marathon grew.

马拉松赛在不断壮大

So did our political problems.

国内的政治问题也继续激化

But for every disaster we had,

但不管我们面对什么灾难

the marathon found ways to bring people together.

马拉松都能把我们的人民紧紧的团结在一起

In 2005, our prime minister was assassinated,

2005年，我们的总理被暗杀

and the country came to a complete standstill,

整个国家停顿不前

so we organized a five-kilometer United We Run campaign.

所以我们组织了一次5000米的”团结向前跑“的运动

Over 60,000 people came to the start line,

超过六万人聚集在起跑线前

all wearing white T-shirts with no political slogans.

人们统一穿着没有任何政治口号的白色T恤

That was a turning point for the marathon,

那是马拉松的一个转折点

where people started looking at it as a platform

人们开始在把它看做

一个促进和平团结的平台

for peace and unity.

Between 2006 up to 2009, our country, Lebanon,

从2006年到2009年，我们的国家，黎巴嫩，

went through unstable years,

经历了动荡的几年

invasions, and more assassinations

侵略，更多的暗杀

that brought us close to a civil war.

这些都使我们的国家更加迫近内战

The country was divided again,

国家再次四分五裂

so much that our parliament resigned,

严重到议会解散

整整一年没有总统也没有总理

we had no president for a year, and no prime minister.

But we did have a marathon.

但我们一直有马拉松比赛

(Applause)

（掌声）

通过马拉松，我们知道

So through the marathon, we learned that political problems can be overcome.

政治问题都可以克服

When the opposition party decided to shut down part of the city center,

当反对派决定

封锁城市中心的一部分道路

we negotiated alternative routes.

我们协商改换马拉松路线

抗议政府者变成了

Government protesters became sideline cheerleaders.

我们的场外啦啦队

They even hosted juice stations.

他们甚至组织果汁供应站

(Laughter)

You know, the marathon has really become one of its kind.

你们知道么，这个马拉松真的成为

同类赛事中佼佼者

It gained credibility

它得到来自

from both the Lebanese and the international community.

黎巴嫩人民和国际社会的认可

Last November 2012, over 33,000 runners from 85 different nationalities

2012年11月，超过33000名

来自85个国家地区的选手

came to the start line,

汇聚在起跑线前

but this time, they challenged a very stormy and rainy weather.

但这次，他们挑战了

狂风暴雨的天气

The streets were flooded, but people didn't want to miss out

道路都被积水淹没了，但没人想错过

on the opportunity of being part of such a national day.

如此庆祝国庆的马拉松赛事

的绝佳机会

贝鲁特马拉松联合会（简称BMA，贝鲁特是黎巴嫩首都）已经扩大

BMA has expanded.

We include everyone: the young, the elderly,

我们有各种各样的成员，有年轻人，老人

the disabled, the mentally challenged,

有残疾人，有智障者，

the blind, the elite, the amateur runners,

有盲人，精英人士，业余马拉松爱好者，

甚至怀着孩子的孕妇

even moms with their babies.

Themes have included runs for the environment,

主题包括了环保，

breast cancer, for the love of Lebanon, for peace,

乳腺癌，对黎巴嫩的爱，和平

or just simply to run.

或者仅仅单纯为跑步而跑

女权也是这里的其中一个主题

The first annual all-women-and-girls race for empowerment,

which is one of its kind in the region,

第一届呼吁女性权利仅限女性参加的年度赛事

has just taken place only a few weeks ago,

几星期前刚刚落下帷幕

with 4,512 women, including the first lady,

共有4512位女性参加，其中包括总统夫人

and this is only the beginning.

这才仅仅是一个开始

Thank you.

谢谢大家

(Applause)

（掌声）

BMA大力支持慈善组织和志愿者

BMA has supported charities and volunteers

who have helped reshape Lebanon,

他们帮助重建黎巴嫩

raising funds for their causes

我们为他们的事业集资

and encouraging others to give.

并鼓励其他人捐助

The culture of giving and doing good has become contagious.

给与和为善的文化

是十分有感染力的

Stereotypes have been broken.

陈规已被打破

Change-makers and future leaders have been created.

变革者和未来领导人

已经出现

I believe these are the building blocks for future peace.

我深信这些是未来和平的基础

BMA已经成为这一地区备受尊敬的赛事

BMA has become such a respected event in the region

that government officials in the region,

许多该地区的政府官员们

like Iraq, Egypt and Syria,

像是伊朗，埃及，叙利亚

have asked the organization to help them structure a similar sporting event.

纷纷要求我们的组织来帮助他们成立

类似的运动赛事

我们现在是中东地区最大的跑步赛事之一

We are now one of the largest running events in the Middle East,

但最重要的是，

but most importantly,

it is a platform for hope and cooperation

在这个长期支离破碎动荡不安的地区，

in an ever-fragile and unstable part of the world.

它是一个支持希望和促进合作的平台

From Boston to Beirut, we stand as one.

从波士顿到布鲁特，我们团结一致

（掌声）

(Applause)

After 10 years in Lebanon,

在黎巴嫩过去10年

from national marathons or from national events

从国家马拉松或者从国家赛事

to smaller regional races,

到小区域赛事，我们看到

we've seen that people want to run for a better future.

人们在为一个更好的未来奔跑

After all, peacemaking is not a sprint.

毕竟，谋求和平不是短跑，

It is more of a marathon.

而更像一场马拉松

Thank you.

谢谢大家

(Applause)

（掌声）