Why Are They Volunteering

by Julie Schwietert

翻譯：箐舞

Why Are They Volunteering

成為志愿者的萬千理由

by Julie Schwietert

翻譯：箐舞

為什么要做志愿者？不同的人有不同的答案。為了回報(bào)社會(huì)、為了認(rèn)識新的朋友、為了收獲一份快樂……著名旅游網(wǎng)站斗牛士（www.matadornetwork.com）的編輯和寫手們不僅熱愛旅游，更熱心于公益。在被問到“為什么你要做志愿者”這個(gè)問題時(shí)，他們告訴我們—

Yes, volunteering makes you feel good. Yes, you learn from other people. But there are many other reasons people volunteer, too. And here are ten from1)Matador members who are2)experienced volunteers.

“I volunteer because it takes me out of my daily life. Because I have3)expertise that is really easy for me to teach, and yet makes a big difference to those I teach. Because it reminds me how lucky I am. Because I have been given so much in life and believe it’s important to give as well.”

Leigh volunteers at a local church, serving lunch to school children and helping kids with their English homework.

“I volunteer because it5)continuously teaches me something new about people, about6)cooperation, about7)compassion, and about myself. In helping others, I feel that we are all in this together and we need to support each other. Life has so much to offer if we can look beyond ourselves.”

Juliane volunteers at the Berkeley Free8)Clinic.

1) matador ['m?t?d??] n. 斗牛士

2) experienced [Ik'spI?rI?nst] adj. 富有經(jīng)驗(yàn)的

3) expertise [eksp??'ti?z] n. 專門知識，專門技能

4) contributing editor 特約編輯

5) continuously [k?n'tInj??slI] adv. 連續(xù)不斷地

6) cooperation [k???p?'reI??n] n. 合作

7) compassion [k?m'p???n] n. 同情，憐憫

8) clinic ['klInIk] n. 診所

語法小知識

Make a (big) difference to/in... 表示“對……產(chǎn)生（重大的）影響，對……起（重要）作用，產(chǎn)生（很大的）不同”。通常，這些影響、作用或不同都是指好的方面。例如：

1) Changing schools made a big difference to my life.（轉(zhuǎn)學(xué)對我的人生產(chǎn)生了很大的影響。）

2) The teacher’s words made a difference.（老師的話起作用了。）

“I volunteer because I love my city and I need to give back something to it other than tax dollars. Also, my soul needs10)redemption.”

Candice volunteers with an animal11)rescue organization.

“I volunteer because I want to not just see the world, but make a difference to it.”

Abbie has volunteered at United Planet注1.

“I volunteer because I have the time. I recognize that time is something I can give, if not money. I regret that I never volunteered before I left America. I don’t know how much I make a big difference in the lives of the kids that I work with, but I do know that I can take some pressure off of those that are able to14)devote more time. Sometimes that’s just got to be enough.”

Kate volunteers in15)Buenos Aires.

“I volunteer because: 1) I truly like helping people. 2) I feel called to volunteer and share my talents and time with others. 3) I enjoy meeting different people from different backgrounds and cultures while volunteering. 4) It’s a lot of fun!”

Heather plans to volunteer while on a16)RTW starting this month.

“I volunteer to learn something new or to17)acquire a skill that I18)lacked. I couldn’t go out and get a job to learn that skill, but I could volunteer and learn it.”

Pamm has volunteered as an19)investigator, a20)conference organizer, and a21)knitter—knitting sweaters for children in an22)orphanage outside of Lhasa, Tibet.

“I volunteer because I can’t stand seeing any animal23)suffering and because it makes me feel alive.”

Nola has volunteered with Care for Dogs in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

“I volunteer not so much to help others, but to gain some24)perspective about my own life. But in the end, I get both.”

Jamie has volunteered with Catalytic Communities, CIACAC, and Calle注2.

“I volunteer because I can. It’s as simple as that. If you could do something to help the world around you, why wouldn’t you?”

Kelsey volunteers at a25)hospice.

注1：聯(lián)合星球，一個(gè)非營利性的國際志愿者組織。

注2：催化社區(qū)、青少年綜合社區(qū)和街道服務(wù)中心都是巴西里約熱內(nèi)盧的非政府公益組織，分別為平民窟、青少年和街道服務(wù)。

9) associate editor 副主編

10) redemption [rI'demp??n] n. 救贖

11) rescue ['reskju?] v. 營救

12) intern ['Int??n] n. 實(shí)習(xí)生

13) co-editor 合作編輯

14) devote [dI'v??t] v. 獻(xiàn)身

15) Buenos Aires ['bwen?s 'aI?rIz] n.（阿根廷首都）布宜諾斯艾利斯

16) RTW=Round the World 環(huán)游世界

17) acquire [?'kwaI?] v. 獲得

18) lack [l?k] v. 缺乏

19) investigator [In'vestIgeIt?] n. 調(diào)查員

20) conference organizer 會(huì)議組織者

21) knitter ['nIt?] n. 編織員knit [nIt] v. 編織

22) orphanage ['??f?nId?] n. 孤兒院

23) suffer ['s?f?] v. 受苦，受難

24) perspective [p?'spektIv] v. 看法，遠(yuǎn)景

25) hospice ['h?spIs] n. 臨終關(guān)懷醫(yī)院

是的，志愿工作讓你感覺很棒。是的，你可以從中向他人學(xué)習(xí)。但人們做志愿者還有其他許多原因，比如以下十位有豐富志愿服務(wù)經(jīng)驗(yàn)的斗牛士網(wǎng)站成員。

“我做志愿者是因?yàn)檫@能讓我從日常生活中脫離開來。因?yàn)槲易陨砭邆鋵I(yè)知識，教書對我來說非常簡單，卻會(huì)對所教的學(xué)生影響深遠(yuǎn)；因?yàn)檫@提醒我自己有多么幸運(yùn)；因?yàn)樵谏钪校乙呀?jīng)得到了太多東西。而我相信，給予同樣重要。”

利·舒爾曼在當(dāng)?shù)匾患医烫米鲋驹刚撸瑸閷W(xué)生分發(fā)午餐，同時(shí)輔導(dǎo)孩子們的英語作業(yè)。

“我做志愿者是因?yàn)樗粩嗟亟探o我一些新的東西—關(guān)于人、關(guān)于合作、關(guān)于同情心、關(guān)于我自己。在幫助他人的過程中，我感受到我們患難與共，我們需要相互扶持。如果我們都能不計(jì)較自己的利益得失，那么生活能給予我們的東西多不勝數(shù)。”

朱莉安娜在伯克利免費(fèi)診所做志愿者。

“我做志愿者是因?yàn)槲覠釔畚遥ㄉ睿┑某鞘校私欢悾疫€需要回饋它一些其他的東西。而且我的靈魂也需要救贖。”

坎蒂絲在一個(gè)動(dòng)物援救組織做志愿服務(wù)。

“我做志愿者是因?yàn)槲也粌H想去看看這個(gè)世界，還想讓它變得更美好。”

阿比是聯(lián)合星球的志愿者。

“我做志愿者是因?yàn)槲矣袝r(shí)間。我發(fā)現(xiàn)如果沒有錢的話，時(shí)間是我所能給予的。我后悔在我離開美國前沒有做過志愿活動(dòng)。我不知道我能給我?guī)椭^的孩子們的生活帶來多大的影響，但我可以肯定我能舒緩一下那些能夠奉獻(xiàn)出更多時(shí)間的人的壓力。有時(shí)候，這便足夠了。”

凱特在布宜諾斯艾利斯做志愿者。

“我做志愿者是因?yàn)椋?) 我真心喜歡幫助人們；2) 我感受到志愿服務(wù)對我的召喚，感受到與他人分享天賦與時(shí)間的渴望；3) 我很享受在志愿服務(wù)的過程中認(rèn)識有著不同文化背景的人們；4) 做志愿者很有趣！”

希瑟將在這個(gè)月開始環(huán)游世界，并計(jì)劃在旅途中進(jìn)行志愿服務(wù)。

“我做志愿者是為了學(xué)到新東西，也為了獲取我所缺乏的技能。我無法出去找到一份學(xué)會(huì)那項(xiàng)技能的工作，但我能通過志愿服務(wù)學(xué)會(huì)它。”

帕姆曾做過調(diào)查員、會(huì)議組織者和編織員—為西藏拉薩城外的一家孤兒院的孩子們織毛衣。

“我做志愿者是因?yàn)槲也荒苋淌茏约貉郾牨牭乜粗鴦?dòng)物受苦，也因?yàn)樽鲋驹刚咦屛腋械阶约哼€活著。”

諾拉在泰國清邁的愛狗之家做志愿者。

“我做志愿者與其說是為了幫助他人，倒不如說是為了能夠找到看待自己生活的新視角。但到了最后，我兩者兼得。”

杰米在催化社區(qū)、青少年綜合社區(qū)和街道服務(wù)中心做志愿服務(wù)。

“我做志愿者是因?yàn)槲矣羞@樣的能力。就是這么簡單。如果你能為周遭的世界獻(xiàn)出一份力，何樂而不為呢？”

凱爾西在一家臨終關(guān)懷醫(yī)院做志愿者。