雙語暢銷書《我是馬拉拉》第2章8:醫生

My father longed to be eloquent with a voice that boomed out with no stammer, and he knew my grandfather desperately wanted him to be a doctor, but though he was a very bright student and a gifted poet, he was poor at maths and science and felt he was a disappointment. That’s why he decided he would make his father proud by entering the district’s annual public speaking competition. Everyone thought he was mad. His teachers and friends tried to dissuade him and his father was reluctant to write the speech for him. But eventually Baba gave him a fine speech, which my father practised and practised. He committed every word to memory while walking in the hills, reciting it to the skies and birds as there was no privacy in their home.

父親強烈渴望能夠用流暢不結巴的語言表述自己，他也知道祖父非常希望他成爲一名醫生。父親雖然是個聰明的學生，也是一個天生的詩人，但他的數學和理科成績卻很差。他覺得自己是個令人失望的孩子。於是，他決定報名參加地區的演講比賽，讓祖父爲他感到驕傲。大家都覺得他瘋了。他的老師和朋友都想勸退他，而祖父開始也不願意幫他寫講稿。但最後，祖父還是幫他寫了一篇很棒的稿子。父親一遍遍地背誦和練習。因爲家裏沒有屬於自己的私密空間，父親就在山林間誦讀記憶，再對着天空和小鳥複述出來。

There was not much to do in the area where they lived so when the day arrived there was a huge gathering. Other boys, some known as good speakers, gave their speeches. Finally my father was called forward. ‘I stood at the lectern, ’ he told me, ‘hands shaking and knees knocking, so short I could barely see over the top and so terrified the faces were a blur. My palms were sweating and my mouth was as dry as paper.’ He tried desperately not to think about the treacherous consonants lying ahead of him, just waiting to trip him up and stick in his throat, but when he spoke, the words came out fluently like beautiful butterflies taking flight. His voice did not boom like his father’s, but his passion shone through and as he went on he gained confidence.

他們住的那個地區平時也沒什麼娛樂活動，所以當演講比賽的日子到來時，現場擠滿了人。選手們一個個上場，完成了演講，有些是很會演講的孩子。終於輪到父親了。“我站在講臺上”，父親告訴我，“手腳顫抖不已。講臺幾乎完全擋住了矮小的我。我是如此的緊張，往臺下看時，覺得底下的人都模糊成了一片。我的手心裏滿是汗，嘴巴里則幹得像紙一樣。”他試着不去想那些狡猾的，等着害他口吃、把他的聲音卡在喉嚨裏的字母。他開始演講了，一字一句流暢地傾瀉而出，像美麗的蝴蝶翩翩飛舞在空中。他的聲音雖然不像爺爺那樣氣勢磅礡，但他的熱情照亮了一切。演講越是進行下去，他越有自信。

At the end of the speech there were cheers and applause. Best of all, as he went up to collect the cup for first prize, he saw his father clapping and enjoying being patted on the back by those standing around him. ‘It was, ’ he says, ‘the first thing I’d done that made him smile.’

父親的演講結束時，全場充滿掌聲和歡呼。最棒的是當他上臺領取第一名獎狀時，看見祖父一邊拍手，一邊享受着身邊衆人對他的祝賀。“就好像，”父親說，“我生平第一次做了能讓他微笑的事。”