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. 挑戰性的，考驗意志的challenge ［?t??lInd?］ n. 挑戰

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. 錯綜復雜，難懂

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

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，獻身

17） assistance ［??sIst?ns］ n. 協助，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. 經常地，不斷地

參考譯文

我一出生便患有嚴重的腦癱癥，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峻的話，那么我后來還發現，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校，迎來一個身患殘疾的學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、學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，去體驗大多數年輕人都能體驗到的大學生活。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，社區學院里的一位教授提議我搬出來，報讀南加州大學。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，那會有多繁瑣復雜？更別說從家里搬出去獨立生活了！”

但是我必須承認，我被打動了。為什么要阻止自己充滿創造力的大腦去尋找大學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？