I work for the Red Cross

我為紅十字會工作，

and I'm a physical therapist.

我是一名物理治療師。

My job is to make arms and legs --

我的工作是製作胳膊和腿 --

well it's not completely true.

恩，這不完全是事實。

We do more than that.

我們做的還不止這些。

We provide the patients,

我們提供給患者，

the Afghan disabled,

阿富汗的殘疾人，

first with the physical rehabilitation

首先是身體康復,

then with the social reintegration.

然後重返社會。

It's a very logical plan,

這是一個非常合理的計劃，

but it was not always like this.

但它並不是總是這樣。

For many years, we were just providing them

多年來，我們只是給他們

with artificial limbs.

提供義肢。

It took quite many years

花了很多年的程序

for the program to become what it is now.

才讓這計劃成為現在的模樣。

Today, I would like to tell you a story,

今天，我想告訴你一個故事，

the story of a big change,

一個巨大轉變的故事，

and the story of the people

和那些讓這種變化

who made this change possible.

得以發生的人們。

I arrived in Afghanistan

我在1990年抵達

in 1990

阿富汗的醫院

to work in a hospital

為戰爭受害者

for war victims.

治療。

And then, not only for war victims,

然後，不僅為戰爭受害者，

but it was for any kind of patient.

而是任何類型的病人。

I was also working

我也有在我們稱為

in the orthopedic center, we call it.

復健中心的地方工作。

This is the place where we make the legs.

這是我們製造義腿的地方。

At that time

當時，

I found myself

我發現自己

in a strange situation.

處於一個奇怪的狀況。

I felt not quite ready

我覺得自己並沒有準備好

for that job.

要做這項工作。

There was so much to learn.

還有好多的需要學習。

There were so many things new to me.

有這麼多對我是新的事物。

But it was a terrific job.

但它是一項了不起的工作。

But as soon as the fighting intensified,

但只要戰爭加劇，

the physical rehabilitation was suspended.

身體復原進程便暫停。

There were many other things to do.

還有許多其他事情要做。

So the orthopedic center was closed

因此，復原中心便被關閉，

because physical rehabilitation

因為身體復原

was not considered a priority.

不被認為是最重要的。

It was a strange sensation.

這是一個奇怪的感覺。

Anyway, you know every time I make this speech --

無論如何，你知道每次我做這個演講 --

it's not the first time -- but it's an emotion.

這不是第一次 -- 但它的一種情感。

It's something that comes out from the past.

它是被過往觸發的東西。

It's 21 years,

經過21年，

but they are still all there.

但那些情緒仍然都在那裡。

Anyway, in 1992,

無論如何，在1992年，

the Mujahideen took all Afghanistan.

聖戰者接管了整個阿富汗。

And the orthopedic center was closed.

復健中心被關閉了。

I was assigned to work for the homeless,

我被分配為去照顧遊民，

for the internally displaced people.

為無家可歸者工作。

But one day, something happened.

但是有一天，有事情發生了。

I was coming back

我從一所

from a big food distribution in a mosque

境極其惡劣的清真寺內,

where tens and tens of people

給暫時安置的人群

were squatting in terrible conditions.

分配糧食回來了。

I wanted to go home. I was driving.

我想回家。我正在開車。

You know, when you want to forget,

你知道，當你想忘記，

you don't want to see things,

你不想看到事情，

so you just want to go to your room, to lock yourself inside

你只想走進你的房間，把自己鎖在裡面

and say, "That's enough."

說，「夠了。」

A bomb fell not far from my car --

一個炸彈從離我的車的不遠處砸下--

well, far enough, but big noise.

嗯, 雖然距離夠遠, 但聲響很大。

And everybody disappeared from the street.

每個人都從街頭消失。

The cars disappeared as well.

車全都消失。

I ducked.

我閃避了。

And only one figure

只有一個身影

remained in the middle of the road.

仍然在路中心。

It was a man in a wheelchair

這是一個坐在輪椅上的男人

desperately trying to move away.

極度努力試圖移開。

Well I'm not a particularly brave person,

我不是一個特別勇敢的人，

I have to confess it,

我得先承認，

but I could not just ignore him.

但我就是不能不理他。

So I stopped the car

所以我停下車

and I went to help.

去幫忙。

The man was without legs

該名男子沒有腿，

and only with one arm.

而且只有一隻手臂。

Behind him there was a child, his son,

在他的身後有一個孩子，他的兒子，

red in the face

面紅耳赤地

in an effort to push the father.

在努力推動父親。

So I took him into a safe place.

我帶他到一個安全的地方。

And I ask, "What are you doing out in the street

我問:「你為什麼在這種情況下

in this situation?"

還留在街上呢？」

"I work," he said.

「我的工作，」他說。

I wondered, what work?

我在想，什麼工作？

And then I ask an even more stupid question:

然後，我問一個更愚蠢的問題：

"Why don't you have the prostheses?

「為什麼你沒有義肢?

Why don't you have the artificial legs?"

為什麼你沒有義腿？」

And he said, "The Red Cross has closed."

他說:「紅十字會已關閉。」

Well without thinking, I told him

我想都沒有想，我告訴他：

"Come tomorrow.

「你明天來吧。

We will provide you with a pair of legs."

我們給你提供一雙腿。」

The man, his name was Mahmoud,

該名男子，他的名字是Mahmoud，

and the child, whose name was Rafi, left.

和他的兒子，Rafi, 離開了。

And then I said, "Oh, my God. What did I say?

然後我說：「噢，我的天。我說了什麼？

The center is closed,

該中心是關閉的，

no staff around.

沒有工作人員。

Maybe the machinery is broken.

說不定機器壞了。

Who is going to make the legs for him?"

誰來為他製造腿？」

So I hoped that he would not come.

所以，我希望他不會來。

This is the streets of Kabul

這是是喀布爾的街道

in those days.

當時的樣子。

So I said, "Well I will give him some money."

所以我說: 「好吧，我會給他一些錢。」

And so the following day,

到第二天，

I went to the orthopedic center.

我去了復健中心。

And I spoke with a gatekeeper.

我與看門人說，

I was ready to tell him,

我準備告訴他，

"Listen, if someone such-and-such comes tomorrow,

「聽著，如果明天有這麼樣一個人來訪，

please tell him that it was a mistake.

請告訴他，這是一個錯誤。

Nothing can be done.

沒有什麼是我們可以為他做的。

Give him some money."

給他一些錢吧。」

But Mahmoud and his son were already there.

但Mahmoud和他的兒子已經來到。

And they were not alone.

而他們並不是獨自來。

There were 15, maybe 20, people like him waiting.

有15個，也許20個，像他的人們在等著。

And there was some staff too.

並且有一些工作人員。

Among them there was my right-hand man,

其中有我的得力助手，

Najmuddin.

Najmuddin。

And the gatekeeper told me,

看門人告訴我，

"They come everyday to see if the center will open."

「他們每天都來看看中心是否會開放。」

I said, "No.

我說:「不。

We have to go away. We cannot stay here."

我們必須離開。我們不能呆在這裡。」

They were bombing -- not very close -- but you could hear the noise of the bombs.

外面在被轟炸 -- 雖然不是很近 -- 但你可以聽到炸彈的聲音。

So, "We cannot stay here, it's dangerous.

因此 「我們不能呆在這裡，這裡是危險的。

It's not a priority."

並不是緊急的事情。」

But Najmuddin told me, "Listen now, we're here."

但Najmuddin告訴我：「聽着，我們現在在這裡。

At least we can start repairing the prostheses, the broken prostheses of the people

至少我們可以開始修復義肢，他們斷掉的義肢，

and maybe try to do something

也許嘗試協助

for people like Mahmoud."

像Mahmoud的人。」

I said, "No, please. We cannot do that.

我說:「不，拜託。我們不能這樣做。

It's really dangerous.

這樣真得很危險。

We have other things to do."

我們有其他的事情要做。」

But they insisted.

但他們堅持，

When you have 20 people

當你有20個人在你面前，

in front of you, looking at you

看著你，

and you are the one who has to decide ...

而你是那個得做決定的人.....

So we started doing some repairs.

因此，我們開始做一些維修。

Also one of the physical therapists

其中一個物理治療師，

reported that Mahmoud

告訴我可以為Mahmoud

could be provided with a leg,

提供一條腿，

but not immediately.

但沒辦法馬上。

The legs were swollen

他的雙腿腫脹，

and the knees were stiff,

而且膝蓋僵硬,

so he needed a long preparation.

他需要一段長時間的準備。

Believe me, I was worried

相信我，我當時很擔心，

because I was breaking the rules.

因為我打破了規則。

I was doing something

我在做一些

that I was not supposed to do.

我不應該做的事。

In the evening,

那天晚上，

I went to speak with the bosses at the headquarters,

我去與總部的老闆們談話，

and I told them -- I lied --

我告訴他們 -- 我撒了謊 --

I told them, "Listen, we are going to start

我告訴他們:「聽著，我們將從

a couple of hours per day,

每天幾個小時開始，

just a few repairs."

進行一些少量的修復。」

Maybe some of them are here now.

現在也許他們其中的一些也坐在這裡。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

So we started.

我們就這樣開始了。

I was working, I was going everyday

我當時還在工作，我每天得去為

to work for the homeless.

那些無家可歸的人工作。

And Najmuddin was staying there,

而Najmuddin留在復健中心那裡，

doing everything and reporting on the patients.

負責一切和報告病人的狀況。

He was telling me, "Patients are coming."

他會告訴我:「病人都來了。」

We knew that many more patients

我們知道有更多的患者

could not come, prevented by the fighting.

不能前來，因戰事阻止了他們。

But people were coming.

但人們仍是來了。

And Mahmoud was coming every day.

Mahmoud每一天都來。

And slowly, slowly

慢慢地，慢慢地,

week after week

一周後又一周後，

his legs were improving.

他雙腿的情況逐漸改善。

The stump or cast prosthesis was made,

殘端或義體做好了，

and he was starting

和他的身體

the real physical rehabilitation.

開始真正康復。

He was coming every day,

他每天來，

crossing the front line.

穿越前線。

A couple of times I crossed the front line

有幾次我穿過前線，在Mahmoud

in the very place where Mahmoud and his son were crossing.

和他的兒子走過的位置。

I tell you, it was something so sinister

我告訴你，它是如此險惡，

that I was astonished he could do it every day.

我對他每天能做到這一點感到很非常震驚。

But finally, the great day arrived.

終於，美好的一天來到了。

Mahmoud was going to be discharged

Mahmoud是要帶著他

with his new legs.

新的腿出院。

It was April, I remember,

這是4月，我記得,

a very beautiful day.

是一個天氣非常好的一天。

April in Kabul is beautiful,

4月的喀布爾是美麗的，

full of roses, full of flowers.

佈滿玫瑰，佈滿鮮花。

We could not possibly stay indoors,

我們實在不可能留在室內，

with all these sandbags at the windows.

當這些窗口前被放滿沙袋。

Very sad, dark.

很憂愁，黑暗。

So we chose a small spot in the garden.

所以我們在花園裡選擇了一個角落。

And Mahmoud put on his prostheses,

Mahmoud把他的義肢裝上，

the other patients did the same,

其他患者也做了同樣的事，

and they started practicing

他們開始進行出院前的

for the last time before being discharged.

最後一次練習。

Suddenly, they started fighting.

突然，又開始作戰。

Two groups of Mujahideen started fighting.

兩組聖戰者展開戰鬥。

We could hear in the air

我們可以在空中

the bullets passing.

聽到子彈經過。

So we dashed, all of us,

因此，我們所有人

towards the shelter.

緊急逃避往房內。

Mahmoud grabbed his son, I grabbed someone else.

Mahmoud一把抓住他的兒子，我抓住了別人。

Everybody was grabbing something.

每個人都抓住了什麼。

And we ran.

我們拔腿狂奔。

You know, 50 meters can be a long distance

你知道，如果你是完全暴露空曠的環境，

if you are totally exposed,

50公尺可以是一段很長的距離，

but we managed to reach the shelter.

但我們始終逃避到房內。

Inside, all of us panting,

進到屋內, 所有人在喘着氣，

I sat a moment and I heard Rafi telling his father,

我坐了一會兒，聽到Rafi告訴他的父親，

"Father, you can run faster than me."

「“父親，你可以比我跑得更快。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And Mahmoud, "Of course I can.

Mahmoud道: 「我當然可以。

I can run, and now you can go to school.

我可以跑了，現在你可以去上學。

No need of staying with me all the day

不用整天待在我身旁

pushing my wheelchair."

推我的輪椅。」

Later on, we took them home.

後來，我們帶他們回家。

And I will never forget

而我永遠不會忘記

Mahmoud and his son walking together

Mahmoud和他的兒子走在一起,

pushing the empty wheelchair.

推着空的輪椅。

And then I understood,

然後，我明白了，

physical rehabilitation is a priority.

身體復原其實一個最重要的事項。

Dignity cannot wait for better times.

尊嚴不能等待更好的時候才開始。

From that day on, we never closed a single day.

從那天起，我們沒有一天關閉。

Well sometimes we were suspended for a few hours,

有時我們被迫暫停幾個小時，

but we never, we never closed it again.

但我們從來沒有，從來沒有再次關閉它。

I met Mahmoud one year later.

我一年後會見了Mahmoud。

He was in good shape --

他的狀態良好 --

a bit thinner.

消瘦了一點。

He needed to change his prostheses --

他需要更換他的義肢 --

a new pair of prostheses.

一雙新的義肢。

I asked about his son.

我問起他的兒子。

He told me, "He's at school. He'd doing quite well."

他告訴我:「他在學校，念得不錯。」

But I understood he wanted to tell me something.

但我知道他想告訴我一些東西。

So I asked him, "What is that?"

於是我問他：「怎麼了？」

He was sweating.

他大汗淋漓。

He was clearly embarrassed.

他顯然非常尷尬。

And he was standing in front of me,

他站在我面前，

his head down.

低著頭。

He said, "You have taught me to walk.

他說，「你教我走路，

Thank you very much.

非常感謝你。

Now help me not to be a beggar anymore."

現在請幫助我變成不是一個乞丐。」

That was the job.

這就是要委託給我的工作。

"My children are growing.

「我的孩子們在成長，

I feel ashamed.

我覺得丟臉。

I don't want them to be teased at school

我不希望他們在學校

by the other students."

被其他同學取笑。」

I said, "Okay."

我說：「好吧。」

I thought, how much money do I have in my pocket?

我在想，在我的口袋裡究竟多少錢呢？

Just to give him some money.

只要給他一些錢。

It was the easiest way.

這是最簡單的方法。