B5 Unit 1 Reading

Reading

　　You may have dreamed of exploring² your motherland^ž, but will that dream ever come true? “Youth Travel in Taiwan” is a government³ initiative^ž. It encourages individuals⁴ or teams to plan unique and creative trips, and then document⁵ their experiences while they are traveling. The itineraries^ž can be based on any activity or theme, such as charity⁶ work, aboriginal^ž culture, or environmental issues. This program has motivated young Taiwanese to set off on amazing journeys every year.

　　你可能曾經夢想過要探索自己的祖國，但那樣的夢想會實現嗎？「壯遊臺灣」是一項政府的計畫。它鼓勵個人或是團體規劃獨特又富創意的旅行，並且在旅途中記錄他們的經驗。此種旅遊行程可以以任何的活動或主題為基礎，像是慈善工作、原住民文化，或是環保議題。此計畫每年都鼓舞了許多的臺灣年輕人出發，進行精采之旅。

　　One example is the three business majors from Kaohsiung who were inspired by a documentary. It told the story of a doctor who gave up his position in an urban⁷ hospital to work at a rural⁸ clinic⁹ deep in the mountains. They were so moved by the film that they decided to make some positive¹⁰ changes themselves in a rural clinic. They contacted over thirty clinics to ask about volunteer service. In the end, only one clinic in Taitung County replied¹¹.

　　一個例子是關於三位來自高雄、深受一部紀錄片鼓舞的商科主修生。紀錄片描述了一位醫生放棄在都市醫院的職位，選擇到深山鄉間診所服務的故事。這影片深深地感動了他們，因此他們決定自己幫鄉間的診所做些正面的改變。他們與超過三十間診所聯繫並詢問關於志工服務的事。最後，只有一間位在臺東縣的診所回應。

　　None of the three had a medical background¹², which limited what they could do for the clinic. However, they came up with the idea of giving it a makeover^ž. They scootered^ž back and forth between Taitung and Kaohsiung to seek¹³ help from people they knew. They persuaded¹⁴ an artist to teach them how to make decorations¹⁵. Their classmates were motivated by their enthusiasm¹⁶ and volunteered to help paint the walls and do carpentry^ž work. Soon, new paintings and furniture were used to decorate the halls¹⁷ and wards¹⁸. Furthermore¹⁹, the students visited the patients and tutored²⁰ the young ones. Although they had to sleep in an abandoned²¹ school nearby, they didn’t mind. One of them, Lee, said, “We helped out with daily chores²² and encouraged the kids to study harder and to appreciate what they had.”

　　他們三人沒有一個有醫學背景，這也限制了他們能為診所所做的事。但是他們還是提出了改造診所的想法，並且騎著摩托車往來臺東與高雄之間，為的就是向認識的人尋求協助。他們說服了一位藝術家教導他們製作裝飾品，而他們的同學也被他們的熱忱所鼓舞，自願幫忙油漆牆壁、做木工。很快地，新的畫作與家具被用來裝飾走道與病房。此外，這些學生還探訪了診所病患，並且當年幼病患的家教老師。雖然必須睡在附近一所廢棄學校裡，他們並不介意。其中一位李同學說：「我們幫忙做日常的雜事，並且鼓勵孩子們要更認真念書，並要他們對擁有的一切心存感激。」

　　The three students matured a lot as they overcame²³ many hardships. For them it was a joyful and inspiring experience. They obtained²⁴ much more than they gave. Lee said, “I thought I would see tired doctors and patients in great pain. But I was wrong. I was surprised to see how everybody there faced the difficulties with calmness and courage. They showed respect for life, and I admire them for this. I wish that I could stay there longer and help more.”

　　這三位學生在克服許多困難的同時，也成熟了許多。對他們而言，這是個喜樂且鼓舞人心的經驗。他們得到的比付出的更多。李同學說：「我以為我會看到疲累的醫生與遭受病痛折磨的病患，但是我錯了。我很驚訝看到那裡所有人都是冷靜且勇敢地面對困難。他們展示了對生命的尊重，我很敬佩他們這點。但願我可以在那裡待久一點，幫助更多。」

　　This is just one of many amazing youth travel stories. It shows that Taiwan is the perfect place for those who are willing to stretch²⁵ their boundaries²⁶. It also proves that the most meaningful part of traveling lies not in your destination, but in what you experience and learn along the way. So, if you would rather see your own country in person than just read about it, grab a map and begin your journey!

　　這只是許多令人驚奇的青年壯遊故事之一。它顯示出對於那些願意延伸自己視界的人而言，臺灣是個絕佳的地方。這故事也證明了旅行中最有意義的部分並不在於目的地，而是在於你在過程中所體驗與學習到的東西。因此，假如你寧可親自體驗自己的國家而不要只是從書本中閱讀得知的話，拿起地圖並且展開你的旅行吧！