I Found Something I Love Even More Than Tennis Serena Williams Shares With Us Her Inspiring Story Of Opening A New School in Africa by Serena Williams I don't know who was more nervous, the kids staring at some strange woman that came from far away or me, never having teaching experience teaching these adolescents life lessons. "Hello Class! I am Miss Williams and I am here to teach your first class in your new school! " 我不知道是这些看着从远方来的陌生女人的孩子比较紧张 还是我比较紧张 我从来没有任何教这样青少年的经验 "Hello 我是威廉丝小姐 我来这里替你们上新学校的第一堂课!" Just a half hour ago we officially opened my 2nd secondary school in as many years in Africa. And here I am here to teach these kids one of my favorite life lessons. My goal is simple. Give these kids something to hope for and smile about. Something that they can believe in without fear. Give them a chance they would have never had. Give them an education. 半小时前我的第二间中学才正式开幕 我来这里教他们我最喜欢的生活科目之一 我的目标很简单: 让这些孩子们有希望 给他们微笑的理由 给他们一些不必存在恐惧的信念 给他们他们之前从来没有的机会 给他们教育 I decided to open up the new school in Wee (pronounced Way), Kenya about 3 hours away from the nearest city in Nairobi. 3 hours away from electricity, showers, and everything we would consider normal. 我决定在Kenya的Wee (发音是Way) 这个地方开新学校 距离最接近的城市Nairobi大约三小时 要三小时才能得到我们认为理所当然拥有的电.水等资源 This secondary school will cater to about 250 to 300 students of boys and girls, ages ranging from 15 to 18 years old. It will have 3 bathroom facilities. Mostly everyone in the village have none. This school will help many to become somebody. This school will help kids who thought that leaving their hut and village was a myth, a legend. 这间中学可以招250到300个学生 年纪约在15到18岁 会有三间浴室 大多数在这个小镇生活的人都没有浴室 这间学校会帮助很多人成为一个有用的人 这间学校会帮助这些认为离开这个地方 这种生活是个神话.传奇的孩子们 When we first arrived to the Wee village there were ladies there to greet me with traditional song. I danced with them trying to feel the rhythm with my hips and shoulders. As I danced they crowded around me draping me with African cloths, and showering me with home made bags. 当我们一开始抵达Wee的时候 有些妇女们来欢迎我们 他们唱传统歌曲 我跟他们一起跳舞 试着用我的身体感觉他们的节奏 我跳舞时他们帮我裁了一些非洲服饰 并且给我一些手工包包 Kids ran in the streets with palm branches chanting my name saying "Yes we can Serena, Yes we can!" Thousands of people have traveled 15miles by foot - most without shoes. One girl said it was 2 weeks before it was her bath day. But she cleaned up and took a bath 2 weeks early. This was an occasion for them. This was also an occasion for me. 孩子们手上拿着树枝在街上跑着说"是的 Serena 我们可以! 我们可以!" 有上千人步行走了15里 大多数人都没有穿鞋子 有一个女孩说他上次洗澡是两周前了 但他两周前就已经梳妆整齐了 这对他们是个特别时刻 对我也是 This time for this school we added more. We added a hearing impaired class with a teacher to work with the deaf students. My heart was moved, and my eyes became swollen with tears when one boy named Maythia as he frantically signed to me. "I will finally be able to talk and speak all the things that are in my head!!" He will be able to do this because the secondary schools are all equipped with the latest HP computers and printers. These kids have only heard of "machines that show bright colors" called computers, but now they have one to pursue every goal in their lives. 这次我们为这个学校增加了一些新的东西 我们增加一些给耳聋的学生的课程 当有个叫做Maythia的男孩说 "我终於可以讲出我脑中想的事情了!" 我感到很感动 眼眶也忍不住泛着泪 他之所以够办到这件事 是因为HP提供的电脑和印表机 在这之前他们只听过"能显示漂亮颜色的机器"叫做电脑 但他们现在就有一台电脑可以帮助他们达到他们生活中的目标 As I stand to cut the official ribbon of the school opening I think "Wow we did it- again!" Never have I felt this excitement- this tingle in my belly… not even while holding up the Wimbledon crown. I found something I love even more than tennis - helping kids.I asked the class- "How many of you have a dream?" No hands shot up. Fear was holding them from speaking. I asked them if they new what a dream was. Again silence filled the room. 当我剪彩的时候我想着"哇 我们又开了一间学校!" 我从来没有这麽兴奋过 即使是在温布顿夺冠 我找到了我比网球更爱的东西 - 帮助孩子们 我问全班学生"你们有多少人拥有梦想?" 没有人举手 恐惧使他们不敢发言 我问他们是否知道梦想是什麽 房间再度鸦雀无声 Finally I relate to them a story of a poor girl who once had a dream. A wild dream to everyone around her and her community, but her dream was to become a tennis player. This girl achieved her dream, and the same young girl is standing before you asking you your dream. One girl finally lifts her hand and in a nearly inaudible voice says, "I dream of being a doctor".Slowly more hands raise. The voices are low, but they get higher and more excited. They had dreams of being doctors, dentists, pilots, nurses, even a minister! I tell them "if they can dream it, than they can believe it, than they will become it." 最後我跟他们说了个有梦想的贫穷女孩的故事 这对於他周遭以及他的环境是个不可思议的梦想 但他的梦想是成为一个网球选手 这个女孩实现了梦想 现在就在他们的面前问他们是否拥有梦想 终於有个女孩举手了 他用几乎无法听见的声音说"我想成为一个医生" 慢慢的更多人举手了 声音都很小 但听起来越来越大声 越来越兴奋 有人想做医生 想做牙医 想做飞行员 想做护士 甚至想当部长! 我告诉他们如果能拥有梦想 就有办法相信 最终实现梦想 After an hour with the kids my lesson is over and the room is still shy and quiet, but it also has something new - Hope. Soon these children can reach their dreams of being doctors, and curing their village of very curable diseases, they can travel, they can learn languages, they can be doctors, pilots and more. 在一小时的课程过後 整个班上还是很害羞 很安静 但出现了一个新的东西 - 希望 很快的他们会达成他们的梦想成为医生 帮助这里解决疾病 他们可以旅行 他们可以学不同语言 他们可以当医生 当飞行员 还有更多 They can have a positive influence on the world. Before the school was built, most of these kids were using a stick as their pencil and dirt as their paper to write on. Now to see the change is so inspiring and to see how eager they are to learn, how fast they learn!! The school I opened up last year with the new HP technology is now scoring the highest in their area. 他们可以对这个世界有正面影响 在这间学校成立之前 大多数这里的孩子用树枝当作铅笔 用泥土当作纸来写至 现在能看见这些改变 太让人激动了 我可以看到他们有多渴望学习 学习的有多快 去年我成立的学校现在已经是那个地区最好的学校 There is no greater victory than watching the reaction, and seeing the fruitage of the kids we get to help. My goal is to continue opening up new schools with the help of Build Africa Schools to build them, and HP computers to configure them. I know no matter what we do, the kids have already made up their minds that they can do and achieve anything. 没有比看到这些反应以及能看见帮助这些孩子们的成果更伟大的胜利 我的目标是继续跟Build Africa Schools合作.搭配HP电脑的装备 我知道不管我们做什麽 这些孩子都已经笃信他们可以办到任何事情 And now they have the means! - Yes you can children!!! Yes you can!!! 现在他们的生活有了意义 - 是的孩子 你们可以! 你们当然可以! To learn more and read more bout my Africa trip and opening up my secondary school and more visit : www.theswf.org 要知道更多关於这次非洲行的故事 可以去www.theswf.org看看 -- 你可以瞬间肥去东京巴黎米兰纽约 别让健康检查的小数点左右你感觉 如果有人的体重足够为这世纪代言 那是他敢吃敢喝变胖蝴蝶飞舞翩翩 - 吉米威廉斯 《胖蝴蝶》 --

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