I come from Lebanon, and I believe that running can change the world. I know what I have just said is simply not obvious.
我來自黎巴嫩, 我相信跑步可以改變世界。 我知道我剛說的並不是那麼簡單明瞭。
You know, Lebanon as a country has been once destroyed by a long and bloody civil war. Honestly, I don't know why they call it civil war when there is nothing civil about it. With Syria to the north, Israel and Palestine to the south, and our government even up till this moment is still fragmented and unstable. For years, the country has been divided between politics and religion. However, for one day a year, we truly stand united, and that's when the marathon takes place.
如你所知,黎巴嫩這個國家已經飽受 長期又血腥的內戰摧殘。 老實說,我不懂為什麼人們稱它為內戰, 在它已失去文明的時候。 北接敘利亞,南連以色列和巴勒斯坦, 我們的政府即使是此刻 都還支離破碎,動盪不安。 有幾年,這個國家被 政治和宗教一分為二。 然而,某年的某一天, 我們終於團結統一了,
I used to be a marathon runner. Long distance running was not only good for my well-being but it helped me meditate and dream big. So the longer distances I ran, the bigger my dreams became. Until one fateful morning, and while training, I was hit by a bus. I nearly died, was in a coma, stayed at the hospital for two years, and underwent 36 surgeries to be able to walk again.
那是在馬拉松舉行的時候。 我曾是一名馬拉松跑者, 長距離賽跑不只對我的身心有益, 也幫助我沈靜心靈,把夢做大。 因此,當我跑得越長, 我的夢想就會越大, 直到命運降臨的那個早晨, 我在訓練時被公車撞擊。 我幾乎沒命了,陷入昏迷, 待在醫院兩年, 接受了 36 次手術才能再次走路。
As soon as I came out of my coma, I realized that I was no longer the same runner I used to be, so I decided, if I couldn't run myself, I wanted to make sure that others could. So out of my hospital bed, I asked my husband to start taking notes, and a few months later, the marathon was born.
在我從昏迷狀態甦醒後, 我發現自己已不再是同樣的跑者, 因此,我決定如果我不能跑的話, 就確保其他人可以跑。 在我離開醫院的病床後, 我請我的丈夫開始做記錄, 幾個月後,
Organizing a marathon as a reaction to an accident may sound strange, but at that time, even during my most vulnerable condition, I needed to dream big. I needed something to take me out of my pain, an objective to look forward to. I didn't want to pity myself, nor to be pitied, and I thought by organizing such a marathon, I'll be able to pay back to my community, build bridges with the outside world, and invite runners to come to Lebanon and run under the umbrella of peace.
馬拉松誕生了。 籌辦一埸馬拉松作為對意外做出的反應 聽起來可能有點奇怪, 但是在那時候,即使 處於最容易受傷的狀態, 我都需要有大夢想。 我需要某種東西帶我遠離痛苦, 一個能夠期盼的目標。 我不想自憐,也不想被同情, 我想透過辦一場馬拉松, 以能回饋我的社區, 搭起對外的橋樑, 並且邀請跑者來黎巴嫩, 在和平的保護傘下一同奔跑。
Organizing a marathon in Lebanon is definitely not like organizing one in New York. How do you introduce the concept of running to a nation that is constantly at the brink of war? How do you ask those who were once fighting and killing each other to come together and run next to each other? More than that, how do you convince people to run a distance of 26.2 miles at a time they were not even familiar with the word "marathon"? So we had to start from scratch.
在黎巴嫩籌辦一場馬拉松 絕對和在紐約辦一場完全不同。 你要怎麼介紹跑步的概念, 尤其是對長期處於 戰爭爆發邊緣的國家? 你要怎麼邀請那些曾經參戰、 互相殘殺的人們 聚在一起並肩奔跑? 而且,你要怎麼說服人們 要一次跑 26.2 英哩遠(約 42.195 公里), 而當他們完全不了解 「馬拉松」這個名詞的時候?
For almost two years, we went all over the country and even visited remote villages. I personally met with people from all walks of life -- mayors, NGOs, schoolchildren, politicians, militiamen, people from mosques, churches, the president of the country, even housewives. I learned one thing: When you walk the talk, people believe you. Many were touched by my personal story, and they shared their stories in return. It was honesty and transparency that brought us together. We spoke one common language to each other, and that was from one human to another. Once that trust was built, everybody wanted to be part of the marathon to show the world the true colors of Lebanon and the Lebanese and their desire to live in peace and harmony.
因此我們必須從頭開始。 我們花了將近兩年走遍全國, 連偏遠的村莊也去了。 我親自和各行各業的人見面── 市長、非政府組織、學童、 政治家、民兵,從清真寺、教堂來的人、 總統,還有家庭主婦。 我學到一件事: 當你說到做到,人們就會相信你。 我的故事讓許多人很感動, 他們也跟我分享自己的故事作為回報。 是真誠與毫不掩飾讓我們齊聚一堂, 我們用同一種語言溝通, 那是一個人對另一個人說的。 一旦信任建立了之後, 每個人都想要參與馬拉松, 讓世界看見黎巴嫩真正的樣貌、 看見黎巴嫩人, 以及他們期盼在和平 與融洽中生存的渴望。
In October 2003, over 6,000 runners from 49 different nationalities came to the start line, all determined, and when the gunfire went off, this time it was a signal to run in harmony, for a change.
在 2003 年 10 月,超過六千名跑者 從 49 個不同的國家 來到這條起跑線前,堅定不移, 當起跑的槍聲響起, 這一次是為了和睦而奔跑, 帶來改變的契機。
The marathon grew. So did our political problems. But for every disaster we had, the marathon found ways to bring people together. In 2005, our prime minister was assassinated, and the country came to a complete standstill, so we organized a five-kilometer United We Run campaign. Over 60,000 people came to the start line, all wearing white T-shirts with no political slogans. That was a turning point for the marathon, where people started looking at it as a platform for peace and unity.
馬拉松種下的的種子發芽了。 我們的政治問題也是。 過去我們曾經歷許多災難, 馬拉松找到了讓人們和平共處的方式。 2005 年,我們的首相遭到暗殺, 國家完全陷入停擺, 因此我們發起了一場五公里 為團結而跑 (United We Run) 的活動。 超過六萬人來到起跑線前, 所有的人都穿著沒有政治口號的白上衣。 那是馬拉松的轉捩點, 人們開始把馬拉松當做一個 追求和平與團結的平台。
Between 2006 up to 2009, our country, Lebanon, went through unstable years, invasions, and more assassinations that brought us close to a civil war. The country was divided again, so much that our parliament resigned, we had no president for a year, and no prime minister. But we did have a marathon.
在 2006 年到 2009 年間, 我們的國家黎巴嫩 經歷了動盪的數年, 侵略和更多的暗殺行動 讓我們接近內戰爆發的邊緣。 這個國家再次分裂, 以致於內閣總辭, 這一年我們沒有總統,也沒有首相。 但是我們還有馬拉松。
(Applause)
(掌聲)
So through the marathon, we learned that political problems can be overcome. When the opposition party decided to shut down part of the city center, we negotiated alternative routes. Government protesters became sideline cheerleaders. They even hosted juice stations.
透過馬拉松,我們知道 政治問題可以被克服。 當反對黨決定 關閉部分的市中心, 我們協商出替代方案。 反政府的抗議人士變成了 場外的啦啦隊,
(Laughter)
他們甚至設了果汁攤。
You know, the marathon has really become one of its kind. It gained credibility from both the Lebanese and the international community. Last November 2012, over 33,000 runners from 85 different nationalities came to the start line, but this time, they challenged a very stormy and rainy weather. The streets were flooded, but people didn't want to miss out on the opportunity of being part of such a national day.
你知道,馬拉松成為了 獨一無二的可能, 馬拉松得到了 黎巴嫩國民和全球的信任。 2012 年 11 月,超過三萬三千名跑者 從 85 個不同的國家 來到起跑線前, 但是這次他們挑戰的是 狂風暴雨的天氣。 街道氾濫成災,但是人們不想錯過 參與的機會, 尤其是這樣舉國歡騰的一天。
BMA has expanded. We include everyone: the young, the elderly, the disabled, the mentally challenged, the blind, the elite, the amateur runners, even moms with their babies. Themes have included runs for the environment, breast cancer, for the love of Lebanon, for peace, or just simply to run.
BMA 更加拓展了, 我們包括了所有人:青年、長者、 身心障礙者、 盲人、精英、業餘跑者, 甚至母親和她們的小寶寶。 跑步主題涵蓋了為環境、 乳癌、為了黎巴嫩之愛、為了和平, 或是單純地為了跑而跑。
The first annual all-women-and-girls race for empowerment, which is one of its kind in the region, has just taken place only a few weeks ago, with 4,512 women, including the first lady, and this is only the beginning.
第一場年度為女性增權而跑的比賽, 那是該地區唯一的一場, 在數個星期前才舉行, 總共有 4,512 名女性參加, 包含了第一夫人, 而這只是起點而已。
Thank you.
謝謝。
(Applause)
(掌聲)
BMA has supported charities and volunteers who have helped reshape Lebanon, raising funds for their causes and encouraging others to give. The culture of giving and doing good has become contagious. Stereotypes have been broken. Change-makers and future leaders have been created. I believe these are the building blocks for future peace.
BMA 贊助公益團體和志工, 他們協助改造黎巴嫩, 為了達成目標而募款, 並且鼓勵人們伸出援手。 做善事和付出的文化 已向外蔓延。 刻板印象已破除, 實踐改變的人才與未來領袖 也已經誕生了。 我相信這些都是建立未來和平的關鍵,
BMA has become such a respected event in the region that government officials in the region, like Iraq, Egypt and Syria, have asked the organization to help them structure a similar sporting event. We are now one of the largest running events in the Middle East, but most importantly, it is a platform for hope and cooperation in an ever-fragile and unstable part of the world. From Boston to Beirut, we stand as one.
BMA 在地區中備受矚目, 在那個區域的政府官員, 像是伊拉克、埃及和敘利亞 都邀請組織幫助他們籌辦 類似的運動賽事。 現在,我們舉辦的是中東 最大型的跑步賽事之一, 但最重要的是 這是一個希望與合作的平台, 在這日益脆弱又不穩定的世界一角。 從波士頓到貝魯特,我們化為一體。
(Applause)
(鼓掌)
After 10 years in Lebanon, from national marathons or from national events to smaller regional races, we've seen that people want to run for a better future. After all, peacemaking is not a sprint. It is more of a marathon.
十年後在黎巴嫩, 從國內的馬拉松或是國內的活動 轉變為整個區域的賽事,我們看到了 人們想要為了更好的未來而跑。 畢竟,創造和平不只是一句精神口號, 還不如說是一場馬拉松。
Thank you.
謝謝!
(Applause)
(鼓掌)