across dangerous borders and unfriendly seas.

而橫跨危險邊境與險惡海洋的悲慘故事

But there's one story that keeps me awake at night,

其中有一個故事更讓我徹夜難眠

and it's about Doaa.

它是有關 Doaa 的故事

A Syrian refugee, 19 years old,

她是一位十九歲敘利亞難民

she was living a grinding existence in Egypt working day wages.

在埃及靠著日薪勉強度日

Her dad was constantly thinking of his thriving business back in Syria

她的父親總懷念著

that had been blown to pieces by a bomb.

在敘利亞戰爭中被炸毀的蓬勃事業

And the war that drove them there was still raging in its fourth year.

這個迫使他們遷到埃及的戰爭 已經邁入第四年

And the community that once welcomed them there

原本歡迎他們的社區

had become weary of them.

開始厭倦他們

And one day, men on motorcycles tried to kidnap her.

有一天，一位男性機車騎士試圖綁架她

Once an aspiring student thinking only of her future,

曾經是一位對未來充滿希望的學生

now she was scared all the time.

現在她天天活在驚恐之中

But she was also full of hope,

但她仍懷抱希望

because she was in love with a fellow Syrian refugee named Bassem.

因為她愛著一位敘利亞難民 Bassem

Bassem was also struggling in Egypt, and he said to Doaa,

Bassem 也在埃及打拼

"Let's go to Europe; seek asylum, safety.

他對 Doaa 說：

I will work, you can study -- the promise of a new life."

「我們去歐洲吧！ 找個安全的容身之處，

And he asked her father for her hand in marriage.

我工作，你讀書，

But they knew to get to Europe they had to risk their lives,

一個新生活的承諾。」

traveling across the Mediterranean Sea,

接著，他向她爸爸提出結婚請求，

putting their hands in smugglers', notorious for their cruelty.

但他們知道，要抵達歐洲

And Doaa was terrified of the water.

他們必須冒生命危險度過地中海，

She always had been. She never learned to swim.

任由惡名昭彰殘酷的走私者擺布，

It was August that year, and already 2,000 people had died

而且，Doaa 怕水。

trying to cross the Mediterranean,

她一直都是如此，她不會游泳

but Doaa knew of a friend who had made it all the way to Northern Europe,

時值八月，已經有二千人

and she thought, "Maybe we can, too."

在嘗試橫跨地中海時喪命

So she asked her parents if they could go,

但 Doaa 認識一個 成功抵達北歐的朋友

and after a painful discussion, they consented,

因此她想：或許他們也做得到。

and Bassem paid his entire life savings -- 2,500 dollars each --

於是，她向父母提出這個請求，

to the smugglers.

經過一番抉擇，他們同意了，

It was a Saturday morning when the call came,

Bassem 付光畢生積蓄給走私者， 每人$2,500 美金

and they were taken by bus to a beach, hundreds of people on the beach.

一個星期六早上，出發的電話打來了。

They were taken then by small boats onto an old fishing boat,

他們被載到海邊， 那裡總共有上百人

500 of them crammed onto that boat,

經由小船， 他們全部登上一艘老舊的漁船，

300 below, 500 above.

其中五百人擠在上方，

There were Syrians, Palestinians, Africans, Muslims and Christians,

三百人在下，五百人在上，

100 children, including Sandra -- little Sandra, six years old --

裡頭有敘利亞人、巴勒斯坦人、 非洲人、穆斯林、基督徒，

and Masa, 18 months.

一百個小孩，包含六歲大的 Sandra

There were families on that boat, crammed together shoulder to shoulder,

與十八個月大的 Masa，

feet to feet.

船上有許多家庭，

Doaa was sitting with her legs crammed up to her chest,

每個人肩並肩腳靠腳蜷縮著，

Bassem holding her hand.

Doaa 坐著全身縮成一團，

Day two on the water, they were sick with worry

Bassem 在一旁握著她的手。

and sick to their stomachs from the rough sea.

第二天，他們都憂心忡忡

Day three, Doaa had a premonition.

並因為海況險惡而暈船。

And she said to Bassem, "I fear we're not going to make it.

第三天，Doaa 有股莫名的焦慮，

I fear the boat is going to sink."

她跟 Bassem 說：

And Bassem said to her, "Please be patient.

「我怕我們永遠到不了，

We will make it to Sweden, we will get married

我怕船會沉。」

and we will have a future."

Bassem 跟她說：

Day four, the passengers were getting agitated.

「妳要有耐心，

They asked the captain, "When will we get there?"

我們會到瑞典的，

He told them to shut up, and he insulted them.

我們會結婚的，

He said, "In 16 hours we will reach the shores of Italy."

我們會有未來的。」

They were weak and weary.

第四天，乘客們開始躁動不安，

Soon they saw a boat approach -- a smaller boat, 10 men on board,

他們問船長：「還要多久才會到？」

who started shouting at them, hurling insults,

他叫他們閉嘴並辱罵他們，

throwing sticks, asking them to all disembark

他說：「再十六小時 我們就會抵達義大利岸邊。」

and get on this smaller, more unseaworthy boat.

人們都已疲憊飢餓不堪，

The parents were terrified for their children,

不久他們看到一艘較小的船靠近， 上頭有十人，

and they collectively refused to disembark.

開始向他們大吼、辱罵他們，

So the boat sped away in anger,

向他們丟棍子、吆喝著他們全部下船

and a half an hour later, came back

並登上那艘更小， 更不適合航行的船，

and started deliberately ramming a hole in the side of Doaa's boat,

父母們為了小孩安全而嚇壞了，

just below where she and Bassem were sitting.

他們一致拒絕下船。

And she heard how they yelled,

因此，他們很生氣地把船開走，

"Let the fish eat your flesh!"

半小時後，他們回來了，

And they started laughing as the boat capsized and sank.

並蓄意在 Doaa 所在的船身鑿洞，

The 300 people below deck were doomed.

正好在 Doaa 和 Bassem 所坐的位置正下方，

Doaa was holding on to the side of the boat as it sank,

她聽到他們是如何大喊著：

and watched in horror as a small child was cut to pieces by the propeller.

「讓魚啃盡你們的肉吧！」

Bassem said to her, "Please let go,

當船翻覆沉沒時，他們開始大笑。

or you'll be swept in and the propeller will kill you, too."

在甲板下的三百人注定死亡，

And remember -- she can't swim.

船逐漸沉沒，Doaa 抓住船的一側，

But she let go and she started moving her arms and her legs,

驚恐地目睹

thinking, "This is swimming."

一個小孩活生生被螺旋槳撕成碎片。

And miraculously, Bassem found a life ring.

Bassem 向她喊道：「快放手！

It was one of those child's rings

要不然妳也會被捲入， 然後螺旋槳會殺了妳。」

that they use to play in swimming pools and on calm seas.

記住，她不會游泳。

And Doaa climbed onto the ring,

儘管如此，她仍鬆手

her arms and her legs dangling by the side.

並開始划動她的手腳。

Bassem was a good swimmer,

心想這就是游泳，

so he held her hand and tread water.

Bassem 奇蹟似地找到一個救生圈，

Around them there were corpses.

那是一個給小孩在游泳池，

Around 100 people survived initially,

或平靜海域使用的救生圈。

and they started coming together in groups, praying for rescue.

Doaa 爬了上去

But when a day went by and no one came,

手腳掛在邊緣，

some people gave up hope,

Bassem 是個游泳好手

and Doaa and Bassem watched

因此他抓著 Doaa 的手泅水，

as men in the distance took their life vests off and sank into the water.

他們四周都是屍體，

One man approached them with a small baby perched on his shoulder,

大約有一百人存活下來

nine months old -- Malek.

他們開始聚集在一塊祈禱著救援。

He was holding onto a gas canister to stay afloat, and he said to them,

但過了一天，沒有任何人來，

"I fear I am not going to survive.

有些人放棄希望，

I'm too weak. I don't have the courage anymore."

Doaa 和 Bassem 看著遠方的人

And he handed little Malek over to Bassem and to Doaa,

解開救生衣並沉入水裡自殺。

and they perched her onto the life ring.

肩膀上揹著九歲大的小孩 Malek，

So now they were three, Doaa, Bassem and little Malek.

他抓著一個裝有氣體的罐子以保持漂浮，

And let me take a pause in this story right here

他向他們說：「我怕我無法活下來，

and ask the question:

我太虛弱了，我也沒有勇氣了。」

why do refugees like Doaa take these kinds of risks?

他把 Malek 託付給 Bassem 和 Doaa，

Millions of refugees are living in exile, in limbo.

他們將她放在救生圈上。

They're living in countries [fleeing] from a war that has been raging

因此現在他們是三個人： Doaa、Bassem 和 Malek。

for four years.

在這裡容我暫停一下

Even if they wanted to return, they can't.

並問一個問題，

Their homes, their businesses,

為什麼像 Doaa 一樣的難民要冒這種險？

their towns and their cities have been completely destroyed.

數百萬的難民被迫流離他鄉，

This is a UNESCO World Heritage City,

他們為了躲避已持續四年的戰火

Homs, in Syria.

而居住在其他國家，

So people continue to flee into neighboring countries,

就算他們想回去也不行。

and we build refugee camps for them in the desert.

他們家園、商業、

Hundreds of thousands of people live in camps like these,

城鎮都早已被蹂躪殆盡，

and thousands and thousands more, millions, live in towns and cities.

這是位在敘利亞被 UNESCO 評定為 世界遺產城市的霍姆斯，

And the communities,

所以人們持續逃至鄰近國家

the neighboring countries that once welcomed them

我們在沙漠中幫他們搭建難民帳篷，

with open arms and hearts

數十萬的人住在這樣的帳篷，

are overwhelmed.

還有數百萬人住在城鎮和都市裡，

There are simply not enough schools, water systems, sanitation.

這些一度熱情歡迎他們的社區與鄰國

Even rich European countries could never handle such an influx

不堪負荷，

without massive investment.

沒有足夠的學校、 自來水系統或公共衛生設施，

The Syria war has driven almost four million people over the borders,

就算是富有的歐洲國家， 若沒有大規模投資，

but over seven million people are on the run inside the country.

也無法負擔如此大量的人口湧入，

That means that over half the Syrian population

敘利亞戰爭導致約四百萬人 跨越邊界逃入鄰國，

has been forced to flee.

但還有超過七百萬人在國內逃命奔波，

Back to those neighboring countries hosting so many.

這意味著超過半數敘利亞人口

They feel that the richer world has done too little to support them.

被迫持續逃亡，

And days have turned into months, months into years.

現在回到這些收留許多人的鄰國，

A refugee's stay is supposed to be temporary.

他們認為富有的國家為這些人們付出太少。

Back to Doaa and Bassem in the water.

就這樣，幾個月過去了，幾年過去了

It was their second day, and Bassem was getting very weak.

收留難民照理說只是暫時性的。

And now it was Doaa's turn to say to Bassem,

故事回到在水裡的 Doaa 與 Bassem。

"My love, please hold on to hope, to our future. We will make it."

落水的第二天，Bassem 變得十分虛弱，

And he said to her,

現在反而是 Doaa 鼓勵 Bassem：

"I'm sorry, my love, that I put you in this situation.

「我的愛人，拜託振作點， 為了我們的未來，我們可以的！」

I have never loved anyone as much as I love you."

他對她說：

And he released himself into the water,

「對不起，我的愛人，我讓妳置身如此險境，

and Doaa watched as the love of her life drowned before her eyes.

我從未愛過一人像妳如此深。」

Later that day,

他鬆手使自己沉入水中，

a mother came up to Doaa with her small 18-month-old daughter, Masa.

Doaa 眼睜睜地 看著她的摯愛在她面前溺死。

This was the little girl I showed you in the picture earlier,

不久

with the life vests.

有個媽媽帶著十八個月大的 Masa 來找 Doaa，

Her older sister Sandra had just drowned,

她就是稍早照片裡

and her mother knew she had to do everything in her power

穿著救生衣的小女孩。

to save her daughter.

她的姊姊 Sandra 剛剛溺死，

And she said to Doaa, "Please take this child.

她的媽媽覺得她必需盡能力所及

Let her be part of you. I will not survive."

來救她的女兒，

And then she went away and drowned.

她向 Doaa 說：

So Doaa, the 19-year-old refugee who was terrified of the water,

「請帶著這個孩子吧，

who couldn't swim,

讓她成為妳的同伴，

found herself in charge of two little baby kids.

我不會活下來。」

And they were thirsty and they were hungry and they were agitated,

接著，她游走並結束生命。

and she tried her best to amuse them,

因此，Doaa，一個十九歲怕水，

to sing to them, to say words to them from the Quran.

並且不會游泳的敘利亞難民

Around them, the bodies were bloating and turning black.

發現自己背負著兩個小孩的生命，

The sun was blazing during the day.

他們又飢又渴、躁動不安，

At night, there was a cold moon and fog.

她盡她能力所及來安撫他們，

It was very frightening.

她向他們唱歌、說古蘭經裡的句子，

On the fourth day in the water, this is how Doaa probably looked

四周的屍體開始膨脹變黑，

on the ring with her two children.

白日陽光刺眼，

A woman came on the fourth day and approached her

晚上冷月薄霧，

and asked her to take another child --

景象十分駭人，

a little boy, just four years old.

落水的第四天，這大概是 Doaa 和另外兩個小孩

When Doaa took the little boy and the mother drowned,

在救生圈上的樣子。

she said to the sobbing child,

第四天，有個媽媽靠近她，

"She just went away to find you water and food."

並請求她再攜帶一個四歲大的男孩

But his heart soon stopped,

當 Doaa 接過這小男孩，媽媽自我了斷時，

and Doaa had to release the little boy into the water.

Doaa 向啜泣的男孩說：

Later that day,

「她只是去幫你找水跟食物而已。」

she looked up into the sky with hope,

但不久他就沒有心跳了。

because she saw two planes crossing in the sky.

Doaa 只好放手讓他沉入水裡。

And she waved her arms, hoping they would see her,

不久

but the planes were soon gone.

她充滿希望望向天空，

But that afternoon, as the sun was going down,

因為她看到兩架飛機飛過，

she saw a boat, a merchant vessel.

她揮動雙手

And she said, "Please, God, let them rescue me."

希望他們可以看到她，

She waved her arms and she felt like she shouted for about two hours.

但很快地飛機飛走了。

And it had become dark, but finally the searchlights found her

但當天下午，當太陽開始西沉

and they extended a rope,

她看見一艘商船，

astonished to see a woman clutching onto two babies.

她說：「拜託您，神啊，讓他們救我吧！」

They pulled them onto the boat, they got oxygen and blankets,

她揮舞著雙手

and a Greek helicopter came to pick them up

感覺自己連續大喊兩小時，

and take them to the island of Crete.

天逐漸暗去

But Doaa looked down and asked, "What of Malek?"

但最終搜救的燈光找到了她，

And they told her the little baby did not survive --

他們向她拋了繩索，

she drew her last breath in the boat's clinic.

驚訝地發現有一個女人緊抱著兩個小孩。

But Doaa was sure that as they had been pulled up onto the rescue boat,

他們將他們拉上船， 並給他們氧氣、毯子，

that little baby girl had been smiling.

隨即有一架希臘直升機前來，

Only 11 people survived that wreck, of the 500.

帶他們前往克里特島，

There was never an international investigation into what happened.

但 Doaa 往下看並問說：

There were some media reports about mass murder at sea,

「那 Malek 呢？」

a terrible tragedy,

他們告訴她這個小孩並沒有倖存下來，

but that was only for one day.

她在船上診療室嚥下最後一口氣。

And then the news cycle moved on.

但 Doaa 確信

Meanwhile, in a pediatric hospital on Crete,

當他們被拉上救生艇時

little Masa was on the edge of death.

這個小女孩臉上帶著微笑。

She was really dehydrated. Her kidneys were failing.

在這次船難中

Her glucose levels were dangerously low.

五百名乘客中只有十一人倖存，

The doctors did everything in their medical power to save them,

沒有任何一個國際調查 探究此次慘案的發生原因，

and the Greek nurses never left her side,

有一些媒體報導 這是一個海上大規模謀殺、慘劇，

holding her, hugging her, singing her words.

但僅僅只有一天

My colleagues also visited and said pretty words to her in Arabic.

其他新聞便隨即佔據版面，

Amazingly, little Masa survived.

同時，在克里特的一間兒童醫院裡

And soon the Greek press started reporting about the miracle baby,

Masa 正瀕臨死亡，

who had survived four days in the water without food or anything to drink,

她過度脫水，

and offers to adopt her came from all over the country.

腎功能正在衰竭，

And meanwhile, Doaa was in another hospital on Crete,

葡萄糖濃度危險地低，

thin, dehydrated.

醫生們用盡一切醫療方法急救她，

An Egyptian family took her into their home as soon as she was released.

護士們從未離開她身邊半步，

And soon word went around about Doaa's survival,

握著她的手、抱著她、唱歌給她聽。

and a phone number was published on Facebook.

我的同事也去拜訪她

Messages started coming in.

並用阿拉伯語向她說好聽的話，

"Doaa, do you know what happened to my brother?

奇蹟似地，Masa 活下來了。

My sister? My parents? My friends? Do you know if they survived?"

不久希臘新聞開始報導這個奇蹟寶寶，

One of those messages said,

經歷四天沒水沒食物仍存活下來，

"I believe you saved my little niece, Masa."

來自全國想要領養她的意願如雪片般飛來，

And it had this photo.

同時，Doaa 在另一家位於克里特的醫院，

This was from Masa's uncle,

骨瘦如柴、脫水

a Syrian refugee who had made it to Sweden with his family

當她出院時，一個埃及家庭將她帶回家照顧，

and also Masa's older sister.

不久，Doaa 存活的消息傳遍全世界，

Soon, we hope, Masa will be reunited with him in Sweden,

一支電話號碼被張貼在 Facebook 上，

and until then, she's being cared for in a beautiful orphanage in Athens.

訊息開始湧入，