while writing an article for Italian Wired.

那時候我在幫義大利的「Wired」雜誌寫文章

I always keep my thesaurus handy whenever I'm writing anything,

我寫作的時候總是有「同義詞字典」在手邊

but I'd already finished editing the piece,

我已經完成編輯文章

and I realized that I had never once in my life

我發現我一生中

looked up the word "disabled" to see what I'd find.

從沒真正查過「殘障」這個詞

Let me read you the entry.

讓我為您朗讀這個條目

"Disabled, adjective: crippled, helpless, useless, wrecked,

殘障，形容詞：跛腿、無助、無用、壞掉

stalled, maimed, wounded, mangled, lame, mutilated,

動彈不得、傷殘、有傷、嚴重損壞、瘸跛、殘缺不全

run-down, worn-out, weakened, impotent, castrated, paralyzed, handicapped,

缺乏、筋疲力盡、虛弱、無力、喪失力量、癱瘓、有生理缺陷

senile, decrepit, laid-up, done-up, done-for, done-in

衰老、破舊、閒置無用、筋疲力竭、沒用、疲累

cracked-up, counted-out;

破爛、被擊敗

see also hurt, useless and weak.

另可參見：受傷、無用、虛弱

Antonyms, healthy, strong, capable."

反義詞：健康、強壯、有能力

I was reading this list out loud to a friend and at first was laughing,

那時候我大聲讀給朋友聽，一開始我笑了

it was so ludicrous,

這很荒唐

but I'd just gotten past "mangled," and my voice broke,

但我在唸過「嚴重損壞」的時候，我哽咽了

and I had to stop and collect myself

我必須要停下來，然後鎮定自己

from the emotional shock and impact that the assault from these words unleashed.

從這些詞帶來的情緒上的衝擊和侮辱鎮定自己

You know, of course, this is my raggedy old thesaurus

當然，這是我舊版的同義詞字典

so I'm thinking this must be an ancient print date, right?

我想，他的印成年份應該很古老，對吧

But, in fact, the print date was the early 1980s,

但事實上他成書於1980年代早期

when I would have been starting primary school

那時候我已經上小學了

and forming an understanding of myself outside the family unit

開始產生異於家庭的自我認識

and as related to the other kids and the world around me.

也就是其他小孩還有整個世界怎樣看我

And, needless to say, thank God I wasn't using a thesaurus back then.

不用說，感謝老天，我當時沒有用同義詞字典

I mean, from this entry, it would seem that I was born into a world

我是說，從這條目來看，我好像是生在一個

that perceived someone like me

對我這樣子的人

to have nothing positive whatsoever going for them,

沒有任何正向想法的世界

when in fact, today I'm celebrated for the opportunities and adventures

甚至在今天，大家慶祝我已經度過的

my life has procured.

機運和挑戰的時候

So, I immediately went to look up the 2009 online edition,

我立刻查了2009年線上版字典

expecting to find a revision worth noting.

希望能找到值得提出來的修改內容

Here's the updated version of this entry.

以下是這個條目更新版的內容

Unfortunately, it's not much better.

但很不幸，並沒有比較好

I find the last two words under "Near Antonyms," particularly unsettling:

我覺得在「可能相反詞」條目下最後兩個字最惱人

"whole" and "wholesome."

完整的、健全的

So, it's not just about the words.

所以，重點不是這些字

It's what we believe about people when we name them with these words.

是我們在稱呼這些人時候的心理概念

It's about the values behind the words, and how we construct those values.

是這些字背後的價值，還有我們如何建構這樣的價值

Our language affects our thinking and how we view the world

我們的語言影響我們的思考、對外在世界的想法

and how we view other people.

還有我們怎樣看待別人

In fact, many ancient societies, including the Greeks and the Romans,

事實上，在很多古老文化中，如希臘、羅馬

believed that to utter a curse verbally was so powerful,

人們相信朗誦咒語會產生很大的力量

because to say the thing out loud brought it into existence.

因為大聲把話說出來，就會讓它存在

So, what reality do we want to call into existence:

所以，我們想大聲朗讀，讓哪種事實存在

a person who is limited, or a person who's empowered?

一個受限制的人，還是一個有能力的人？

By casually doing something as simple as naming a person, a child,

就這樣簡單的事情，如何去稱呼一個人、小孩

we might be putting lids and casting shadows on their power.

我們可能就在他們的能力上設了限、萌生陰影

Wouldn't we want to open doors for them instead?

我們不想要為他們開扇門嗎？

One such person who opened doors for me was my childhood doctor

有個人幫我開了心裡的門，他是我小時候的醫生

at the A.I. duPont Institute in Wilmington, Delaware.

在德拉瓦洲，威名頓市的杜旁醫療中心

His name was Dr. Pizzutillo,

他的名字是 皮祖提洛 醫生

an Italian American, whose name, apparently,

義大利裔美國人，他的名字

was too difficult for most Americans to pronounce,

對一般美國人來說太難唸

so he went by Dr. P.

所以他讓人叫他 皮醫生

And Dr. P always wore really colorful bow ties

皮醫生都戴很花的領結

and had the very perfect disposition to work with children.

而且他個性很適合和小孩相處

I loved almost everything about my time spent at this hospital,

我愛每次在那間醫院度過的時光

with the exception of my physical therapy sessions.

除了物理治療的療程以外

I had to do what seemed like innumerable repetitions of exercises

我必須重複看似無止盡的運動

with these thick, elastic bands -- different colors,

用很多很厚、各種顏色的伸縮帶

you know -- to help build up my leg muscles,

為了讓我的腿部肌肉成長

and I hated these bands more than anything --

我討厭死那些伸縮帶

I hated them, had names for them. I hated them.

我討厭他們，甚至對著罵髒話，恨死了

And, you know, I was already bargaining, as a five year-old child,

然後，像普通的五歲小孩一樣，我開始討價還價

with Dr. P to try to get out of doing these exercises,

請皮醫生別再讓我做物理治療

unsuccessfully, of course.

當然，沒有成功

And, one day, he came in to my session --

有一天他來看我的治療過程

exhaustive and unforgiving, these sessions --

這些累人又不放過我的療程

and he said to me, "Wow. Aimee, you are such a strong and powerful little girl,

他對我說：「哇！艾美，你好強壯，好有力氣」

I think you're going to break one of those bands.

「我想你應該會把伸縮帶扯斷」

When you do break it, I'm going to give you a hundred bucks."

「你扯斷的時候，我會給你一百塊」

Now, of course, this was a simple ploy on Dr. P's part

現在，當然那是皮醫生的計謀

to get me to do the exercises I didn't want to do

讓我做我不想做的運動

before the prospect of being the richest five-year-old in the second floor ward,

讓我有機會變成二樓病房最有錢的五歲女孩

but what he effectively did for me was reshape an awful daily occurrence

但他真正做的是，將我每天都要面對的糟糕事情

into a new and promising experience for me.

變成一個全新而且充滿希望的經驗

And I have to wonder today to what extent his vision

我今天想，到底他的遠見

and his declaration of me as a strong and powerful little girl

他告訴我的，我是小小女大力士的這些話

shaped my own view of myself

影響我對自己的看法有多深

as an inherently strong, powerful and athletic person well into the future.

說我強壯、有力氣、會運動的這些話湧進我的未來

This is an example of how adults in positions of power

這就是個有正向力量的成年人

can ignite the power of a child.

如何引發小孩力量的例子

But, in the previous instances of those thesaurus entries,

但是，看過先前舉過那些同義詞字典中的條目

our language isn't allowing us to evolve into the reality that we would all want,

我們的語言，讓我們無法變成自己心理真正想要的模樣

the possibility of an individual to see themselves as capable.

不允許一個人認為自己擁有能力

Our language hasn't caught up with the changes in our society,

我們的語言還沒趕上我們社會的變動

many of which have been brought about by technology.

許多科技帶來的變動

Certainly, from a medical standpoint,

當然，從醫學的角度

my legs, laser surgery for vision impairment,

我的雙腳、修復視力受損的雷射手術

titanium knees and hip replacements for aging bodies

鈦製的人工膝蓋，還有老人家的人工髖關節

that are allowing people to more fully engage with their abilities,

這些都讓人能完全發揮他們的能力

and move beyond the limits that nature has imposed on them --

突破大自然在他們身上所設的限制

not to mention social networking platforms

更別說是社交網路平台

allow people to self-identify, to claim their own descriptions of themselves,

讓人們可以自我定義、替自己下注解

so they can go align with global groups of their own choosing.

這樣他們就能和自己選擇的朋友齊步並驅

So, perhaps technology is revealing more clearly to us now

所以，也許科技讓我們更清楚的了解

what has always been a truth:

那些從來就是對的事情

that everyone has something rare and powerful to offer our society,

每個人都能提供我們的社會一些獨特或有力的事情

and that the human ability to adapt is our greatest asset.

以及人類的適應能力是我們對重要的資產

The human ability to adapt, it's an interesting thing,

人類的適應能力是一件有趣的事

because people have continually wanted to talk to me about overcoming adversity,

很多人都問我如何戰勝先天的不幸

and I'm going to make an admission:

我坦白說

This phrase never sat right with me,

「不幸」一直不適用在我身上

and I always felt uneasy trying to answer people's questions about it,

一直必需回答這些問題也讓我很不舒服

and I think I'm starting to figure out why.

我想我已經開始知道為什麼了

Implicit in this phrase of "overcoming adversity"

「戰勝不幸」裡面隱含的是

is the idea that success, or happiness,

成功、幸福的這種概念

is about emerging on the other side of a challenging experience

是困難經驗的反面

unscathed or unmarked by the experience,

不會因為經驗本身而改變

as if my successes in life have come about from an ability

好像在說，我的成功是因為我有辦法

to sidestep or circumnavigate the presumed pitfalls of a life with prosthetics,

避開一輩子使用義肢的困難

or what other people perceive as my disability.

躲過大家視我為殘障的眼光

But, in fact, we are changed. We are marked, of course, by a challenge,

但事實上，我們改變了，我們因為困難改變了

whether physically, emotionally or both.

不論是身體上、情緒上或是兩者都有

And I'm going to suggest that this is a good thing.

我認為改變是一件好事

Adversity isn't an obstacle that we need to get around

不幸，不是個我們必須繞過

in order to resume living our life.

才能繼續生活的阻礙

It's part of our life.

它是我們生活的一部分

And I tend to think of it like my shadow.

我喜歡把它比喻成我的影子

Sometimes I see a lot of it, sometimes there's very little,

有時候很長，有時候很短

but it's always with me.

但是影子永遠存在

And, certainly, I'm not trying to diminish the impact, the weight, of a person's struggle.

我不會想辦法去減少一個人的困難所帶來的衝擊和重量

There is adversity and challenge in life,

生命中總是有不幸和困難

and it's all very real and relative to every single person,

與每個人都相關而且真實的

but the question isn't whether or not you're going to meet adversity,

但問題不是，「要不要」面對你的不幸

but how you're going to meet it.

而是「怎樣」面對

So, our responsibility is not simply shielding those we care for from adversity,

所以我們的義務不只是保護我們關心的人不要遭遇不幸

but preparing them to meet it well.

而是要讓他們準備好，能夠好好面對不幸

And we do a disservice to our kids

我們幫了自己的小孩一個倒忙

when we make them feel that they're not equipped to adapt.

讓他們覺得自己沒有能力適應

There's an important difference and distinction

在覺得自己是否為殘障的主觀社會想法

between the objective medical fact of my being an amputee

與自己是否為截肢病患的客觀醫療事實之間

and the subjective societal opinion of whether or not I'm disabled.

存在著很大區別和歧異

And, truthfully, the only real and consistent disability I've had to confront

事實上，我唯一必須要面對的限制

is the world ever thinking that I could be described by those definitions.

是這世界一直認為我應該被那些字歸類

In our desire to protect those we care about

我們想要保護自己所關心的人

by giving them the cold, hard truth about their medical prognosis,

給他們診斷結果的冰冷事實

or, indeed, a prognosis on the expected quality of their life,

或者，告知診斷結果會如何影響他們一輩子時

we have to make sure that we don't put the first brick in a wall

我們必須確保自己不是鋪下建牆的第一塊磚

that will actually disable someone.

那樣我們會真的讓一個人殘廢

Perhaps the existing model of only looking at what is broken in you

我們只看見殘缺的部分，還有要怎樣去修復

and how do we fix it, serves to be more disabling to the individual

這樣的模式只會讓人更加殘廢

than the pathology itself.

遠大於本身的病理條件

By not treating the wholeness of a person,

因為不把一個人當成「整體」看待

by not acknowledging their potency,

因為不承認他們的潛力

we are creating another ill on top of whatever natural struggle they might have.

我們就讓他們天生不足的部分更不足

We are effectively grading someone's worth to our community.

我們為了效率的評斷一個人對社會的價值

So we need to see through the pathology

所以我們直接看他們有沒有病症

and into the range of human capability.

直接看他們有什麼能力

And, most importantly, there's a partnership

最重要的，還有一種聯合關係

between those perceived deficiencies

那是感受到的殘缺

and our greatest creative ability.

和我們最佳創造能力的關係

So it's not about devaluing, or negating, these more trying times

所以這不是在貶低或是否定

as something we want to avoid or sweep under the rug,

或我們避免或刻意掩蓋

but instead to find those opportunities wrapped in the adversity.

這其實是在尋找那包覆在不幸外衣下的機會

So maybe the idea I want to put out there is

所以我想要講的是

not so much overcoming adversity

並沒有很多不幸需要克服

as it is opening ourselves up to it,

只要我們對不幸敞開心胸

embracing it,

欣然接納

grappling with it,

和它搏鬥

to use a wrestling term,

用個摔角術語

maybe even dancing with it.

也許甚至「與它共舞」

And, perhaps, if we see adversity as natural, consistent and useful,

也許如果我們認為「不幸」是自然的、連貫的、有用的

we're less burdened by the presence of it.

我們就不會那麼受其煩擾

This year we celebrate the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin,

我們今年慶祝達爾文兩百歲冥誕

and it was 150 years ago, when writing about evolution,

一百五十年前，當他在準備寫演化論的時候

that Darwin illustrated, I think, a truth about the human character.

我想，達爾文說了關於人類天性的實話

To paraphrase: It's not the strongest of the species that survives,

就是說，並不是最強的物種能存活下來

nor is it the most intelligent that survives;

也不是最聰明的

it is the one that is most adaptable to change.

而是最能適應變化的物種

Conflict is the genesis of creation.

「衝突」是「創新」的開端

From Darwin's work, amongst others, we can recognize that

百家爭鳴中，我們可以從達爾文的理論中得到

the human ability to survive and flourish

人類生存和興旺的能力

is driven by the struggle of the human spirit through conflict

是源於人類奮鬥的精神

into transformation.

把衝突轉化

So, again, transformation, adaptation, is our greatest human skill.

再一次，「轉化」、「適應」是我們人類最厲害的技能

And, perhaps, until we're tested, we don't know what we're made of.

也許，沒有考驗，我們就不知道自己是什麼做的

Maybe that's what adversity gives us:

也許那就是「不幸」帶給我們的

a sense of self, a sense of our own power.

自我的感知，自己力量的感知

So, we can give ourselves a gift.

所以我們可以給自己一個禮物

We can re-imagine adversity as something more than just tough times.

我們可以重新想想，不幸其實不只是很困難的情況

Maybe we can see it as change.

也許我們可以把它視為改變

Adversity is just change that we haven't adapted ourselves to yet.

「不幸」只是我們還沒有適應自己的改變而已

I think the greatest adversity that we've created for ourselves

我想，我們為自己設下最大的不幸是

is this idea of normalcy.

「正常」的想法

Now, who's normal?

現在，誰是正常的？

There's no normal.

本來就沒有「正常」

There's common, there's typical. There's no normal,

只有「常見」、「典型」，沒有「正常」

and would you want to meet that poor, beige person if they existed?

如果有那個可憐、完全沒有特色的人，你會想見他嗎？

(Laughter)

（笑）

I don't think so.

我想應該不會吧！

If we can change this paradigm from one of achieving normalcy

如果「成為正常」這樣的規範可以改變

to one of possibility -- or potency, to be even a little bit more dangerous --

變成「有可能」、「有潛力」，或甚至有一點危險

we can release the power of so many more children,

我們可以讓孩子們展現他們的力量

and invite them to engage their rare and valuable abilities with the community.

引領他們在人群中發揮自身稀少而珍貴的能力

Anthropologists tell us that the one thing

人類學家告訴我們

we as humans have always required of our community members

我們人類一直要求自己族群中的人

is to be of use, to be able to contribute.

要有用、要能貢獻

There's evidence that Neanderthals, 60,000 years ago,

六萬年前的尼安德塔人就是證據

carried their elderly and those with serious physical injury,

他們會扶持年長者還有嚴重傷患

and perhaps it's because the life experience of survival of these people

也許是因為這些活著的人的生活經驗

proved of value to the community.

對整個群體有價值

They didn't view these people as broken and useless;

他們不會把這些人視為衰弱無用

they were seen as rare and valuable.

這些人稀少而且珍貴

A few years ago, I was in a food market in the town where I grew up

幾年前，我在小時候家裡附近的市場逛

in that red zone in northeastern Pennsylvania,

那在賓洲東北邊那塊紅色區域

and I was standing over a bushel of tomatoes.

我站在一堆蕃茄前

It was summertime: I had shorts on.

是夏天，我穿著短袖

I hear this guy, his voice behind me say, "Well, if it isn't Aimee Mullins."

我聽到一個人在我背後說：「唉唷，這可不是艾美慕林嗎？」

And I turn around, and it's this older man. I have no idea who he is.

我轉身，是一個老人，我不知道他是誰

And I said, "I'm sorry, sir, have we met? I don't remember meeting you."

我說：「不好意思，我們見過面嗎？我不記得見過你」

He said, "Well, you wouldn't remember meeting me.

他說：「恩，你不會記得見過我」

I mean, when we met I was delivering you from your mother's womb."

「我是說，我們見面的時候，我正把妳從妳媽的子宮接生出來」

(Laughter)

（笑）

Oh, that guy.

阿！那個人！

And, but of course, actually, it did click.

而且當然，我想到了

This man was Dr. Kean,

這個人是金醫師

a man that I had only known about through my mother's stories of that day,