To learn is to be free | Shameem Akhtar

A room full of boys.

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Regina Chu

整間房間滿是男孩。

A girl child, hardly nine or ten years old,

一個女孩，快要九歲或十歲，

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

她坐在房間的中央，周圍都是書。

She is the only girl among boys,

只有她這一個女孩，其他都是男孩，

and is barely missing her female cousins and friends,

她很少會想念她的 表姐妹和女性朋友，

who are inside the home instead of the school,

她們都在家中而不是在學校，

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

因為她們不被允許 和男孩一起受教育。

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

在她的村子中，連一個 在運作的女子學校都沒有。

She was born in a Baloch conservative tribe,

她生在一個俾路支人的保守部落，

where women and girls are a matter of honor.

在那裡，女人和女孩要靠的是榮譽。

She is the eldest in her family,

她是家中最年長的，

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

當她快要出生時， 她的父母想要的是男寶寶。

But they had bad luck; a baby girl arrived.

但他們運氣不好；生出的是女寶寶。

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

在她的家庭裡，習俗是 將女孩留在家中。

But her uncle, who was a university graduate,

但她的叔叔是個大學畢業生，

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

他想要給她一個機會去看世界，

to be part of the society.

成為社會的一份子。

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

幸運的是，她的名字是 男女都可使用的名字。

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

所以，他看見了一個機會， 能改變她的人生方向。

So he decided to raise her as a boy.

所以，他決定把她當成男孩養育。

At three months old,

三個月大時，

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

她從女寶寶變成了男寶寶。

She is given a boy's getup.

她被打扮成男孩。

She is allowed to go outside

她被允許外出，

and get an education alongside boys.

和男孩一起受教育。

She is free, she is confident.

她很自由，她很有自信。

She observes, she notes small, everyday injustices

她觀察到、注意到每天 都有些小小的不公正，

faced by women and girls in her village.

是她村子中的女人和女孩要面對的。

When newspapers arrive at her home,

當報紙送到她家時，

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

她看著報紙被傳閱，從最年長的 男人傳到最年輕的男人。

By the time women get hold of the paper,

當女人能夠拿到報紙時，

it is old news.

新聞都過時了。

She completes her eighth-grade year.

她完成了八年級的學業。

Now fear starts to come in.

現在，恐懼開始出現了。

This will be the end of her education,

這是她的教育的終點，

because the only option for high school for further study

因為若要再升學，唯一能選擇的高中

is five kilometers away.

在五公里之外。

Boys have bicycles, they are free.

男孩有腳踏車，他們是自由的。

But she knows

但她知道，

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

她父親不會讓她單獨旅行，

even if she were posing as a boy.

即使她是在假扮男孩也不行。

"I can't let you do that.

「我不能讓你那麼做。

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

我也沒有時間陪你走去再走回來。

Sorry, it is impossible."

抱歉，那是不可能的。」

She gets very upset.

她非常沮喪。

But a miracle happened.

但，一個奇蹟發生了。

A long-distance relative offers to teach her

一位遠方親戚提供協助，願意教導她

ninth- and tenth-grade curricula

九年級和十年級的課程，

during summer vacations.

利用暑假的時間進行。

This is how she completed her matriculation.

她是這樣完成二級中學考試的。

The girl whom I am talking about to you

我跟你們說的這個女孩，

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

就是我，夏敏， 現在在各位面前演說。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Throughout centuries, people have been fighting for their identity.

數世紀以來，人們一直 為自己的身份在奮戰。

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

有些人會被愛，會有特權， 是因為他們的身份、

their nationality, their ethnicity.

他們的國籍、他們的人種。

Again, people have been hated, denied,

同樣的，有些人會被仇恨、否認，

because of their nationality, their identity,

是因為他們的國籍、他們的身份、

their race, their gender, their religion.

他們的種族、他們的 性別、他們的宗教。

Identity determines your position in society, wherever you live.

不論你住在哪裡，身份會 決定你在社會中的地位。

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

如果你問我，我會說， 我討厭這個身份的問題。

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

世界上有數百萬名女孩， 連基本的權利都沒有，

because of being female.

只因為她們是女性。

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

若我沒有被當成男孩養育， 我也會面臨同樣的狀況。

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

我下定決心要持續我的學業， 我要學習，我要自由。

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

在我的學校教育之後，即使 要申請進入專科都不容易。

I went on a three-day hunger strike.

我進行了三天的絕食抗議。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Then, I got permission for college.

接著，我就被允許進入專科了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

In that way, I completed my college.

我以那種方式，完成了專科學業。

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

兩年後，當我要去大學的時候到了，

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

我父親把他的視線和注意力 轉向我的弟弟們。

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

他們需要去上學， 找到穩定工作，支助家庭。

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

身為女人，我的位置是在家裡。

But, I don't give up.

但我沒有放棄。

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

我參加了一項兩年期計畫， 成為女性衛生訪視員。

Then I hear about Thardeep Rural Development Program,

接著，我聽說了 TRDP 「塔迪普農村發展計畫」，

a non-profit organization working to empower rural communities.

一個非營利組織努力協助 農村社區有自己的能力。

I sneak away.

我偷溜了。

I travel five hours to interview for a position.

我花了五小時的交通時間， 去應徵這個職務。

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

這是我離我的家最遠的一次。

I am closest to my freedom I have ever been.

也是我離我的自由最近的一次。

Luckily, I got the job,

幸運的是，我得到這份工作了，

but the hardest part is facing my father.

但，最困難的部分是面對我父親。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Relatives are already scaring him

親戚已經把他嚇壞了，

about his daughter wandering off,

說他的女兒突然消失，

teasing him with talk of his daughter crossing the border.

嘲笑他，說他的女兒越過了邊境。

When I return home,

當我返家時，

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

我最想要的就是接受 塔迪普的那份工作。

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

所以，那晚，我打包了 我所有的東西，

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

我走進我父親的房間，告訴他：

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

「明天早上，公車會來。

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.

你就會叫醒我，帶我去公車站。

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

如果你沒這麼做，我也能了解。」

Then I went to sleep.

接著，我去睡覺了。

The next morning, my father was standing beside me

隔天早晨，我父親站在我旁邊，

to take me to the bus stop.

帶我去公車站。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

That day, I understood the importance of words.

那天，我了解了話語的重要性。

I understood how words affect our hearts,

我了解了話語如何能影響我們的心，

how words play an important role in our lives.

話語在我們的生活中如何 扮演一個重要的角色。

I understood words are more powerful than fighting.

我了解了話語比抗爭更強大。

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

在 TRDP，我看到了 我不認識的巴基斯坦，

a country much more complex than I had realized.

這個國家比我所知道的要複雜多了。

Until that, I thought I had a difficult life.

在那之前，我還以為 我的生活很辛苦。

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

在這裡，我看到女性在 巴基斯坦某些地區中的經歷。

It really opened my eyes.

我真的開了眼界。

Some women had 11 children but nothing to feed them.

有些女人有十一個孩子， 卻沒東西可以餵養他們。

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

她們每天要走三小時 才能到水井去取水。

The nearest hospital was at least 32 kilometers away.

最近的醫院至少在三十二公里外。

So if a woman is in labor,

女性分娩時，

she travels by camel to get to the hospital.

她要騎駱駝去醫院。

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

距離太長了，她可能會在路上死亡。

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

所以，現在，這對我而言 不只是一份工作了。

I discovered my power.

我發現了我的力量。

Now, as I was getting salary,

我拿到薪水時，

I started sending back money to my home.

我開始會寄一些錢回我家。

Relatives and neighbors were noticing this.

親戚和鄰居注意到了這件事。

Now they started to understand the importance of education.

現在，他們開始了解教育的重要性。

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

到了那時，有些其他的父母 開始送他們的女兒去上學。

Slowly, it became easier and acceptable

慢慢地，大家越來越能接受

for young women to be in college.

年輕女子去上大學。

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

現今，在我的村子， 沒有一個女孩沒去上學。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

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

在健康場所，甚至警局， 都有女孩在工作。

Life was good.

生活很棒。

But somewhere in my heart,

但在我心中某處，

I realized that my region, beyond my village

我知道在我的村子以外的地區，

needs further change.

需要進一步的改變。

This was also the time when I joined Acumen Fellowship.

這個時候，我加入了一個 領袖培養協會 Acumen Fellowship。

There, I met leaders like me across the country.

在那裡，我見到全國各地 像我這樣的領導人。

And I saw they are taking risks in their lives.

我看到他們在自己的人生中冒險。

I started to understand

我開始了解，

what leadership really means.

領導力真正的意義是什麼。

So I decided to go back to my region

所以我決定回到我的地區，

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

接下一間偏遠學校的老師職務，

a school that I have to reach by bus --

我得要搭公車才能到那間學校──

two hours traveling, every morning and evening.

每天早上和晚上都要 花兩小時交通時間。

Though it was hard, on my first day I knew

雖然很辛苦，但在第一天我就知道，

I made the right decision.

我做的決策是對的。

The first day I walked into the school,

我走進學校的第一天，

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

我看到這些小夏敏回望著我──

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

with dreams in their eyes,

她們的眼中有夢想，

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

和我兒時的自由夢想一樣。

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

這些女孩渴望學習， 但學校員工人力不足。

Girls sit hopeful,

女孩們帶著希望等著，

learn nothing,

什麼都沒學到，

and they leave.

所以她們離開了。

I can't bear to see this happening.

我無法忍受看到這種事。

There was no turning back.

沒有回頭路。

I found my purpose.

我找到我人生的目的。

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

我找了幾位朋友來協助我教學。

I'm introducing my girls to the outside world

我要把外面的世界介紹給 我的女孩們認識，

by extracurricular activities and books.

透過課外活動和書籍來達成這目標。

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

我和她們分享世界上 最棒的領導人的簡要故事，

like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.

比如金恩博士和曼德拉。

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

去年，我們有幾個學生上了大學。

For me, I never stop studying.

對我而言，我永遠不會停止學習。

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

現在，我正在努力取得 我的教育博士學位──

(Applause)

（掌聲）

which will allow me to gain a management position

有了這個學位， 我就能在學校體制當中

in the school system,

取得管理職，

and I will be able to make more decisions

我就能夠做更多的決策，

and play a pivotal role in the system.

並在體制中扮演樞軸的角色。

I believe that without educating the girls,

我相信，若不教育這些女孩，

we may not make world peace.

我們不可能達成世界和平。

We may not reduce child marriage.

我們無法減少童婚。

We may not reduce infant mortality rate.

我們無法降低嬰兒死亡率。

We may not reduce maternal mortality rate.

我們無法降低母親死亡率。

For this, we have to continuously

為了這個目的，我們得要持續地、

and collectively work together.

共同地一起努力。

At least I am playing my role,

至少，我在扮演我的角色，

though the destination is not close.

雖然目的地還很遙遠。

The road is not easy.

這條路不好走。

But I have dreams in my eyes,

但我眼中有著夢想，

and I am not going to look back now.

而現在，我不會再回頭看。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）