Love Will Prevail (爱将无法阻挡)
- 5.23 为中国四川大地震烛光之夜所作
My dearfriends,
朋友们,
Tonight, we arehere to commemorate the victims of last week’s earthquake in China and to show our deepsorrow for the suffering of so many people who have lost their loved ones. Wewant to pray for the recovery of the injured and those who risked their ownlives to save others.
今晚我们在这里悼念上个星期中国大地震的遇难者,
为许多失去亲人的人们带去我们无比的忧伤,也为冒着危险抢救幸存者的勇士们祈祷,
并祝伤者早日恢复健康.
The magnitude 8earthquake has caused a total death of more than 51,000 people and it isexpected that the final number will climb to over 80,000. More than 5 million people are homeless and300,000 injured.
这次8级大地震已经造成51000人死亡,最终的数目将是80,000以上,
更有5百万人无家可归30万人受伤.
For the firsttime in five thousand years, a nation with 1.3 billion people observed an official period of silence on Monday not foremperors or leaders. Ordinary Chinese people stopped shopping,producing, eating, talking and driving. People stood up inside buses andtrains. Office workers stood on the sidewalks, students at their desks and onplaygrounds. Police officers held their caps in their arms as they stood atattention. Many wept openly. Peoplestood still to grieve collectively for others like themselves, their headsbowed, because deep in their hearts, everyone felt that they had lost parents, brothers, sisters, sons anddaughters.
在五千年的历史上, 这个13亿人的国度第一次进行国殇,不是为了领袖也不是为了帝王. 老百姓停止了购物, 放下了生产, 暂停了饮食,交谈,驾驶和所有声响. 人们站立在火车里汽车上, 办公室人员伫立在桌旁,学生们静穆在课堂和操场, 警察摘帽肃立手捂胸膛. 许许多多的人眼泪盈眶. 所有的人把头垂下, 满脸悲伤就如他们亲人遇难一样, 因为他们的心中犹如失去了子女, 父母, 姐妹, 胞弟和兄长.
On May 11, 2008- Mother’s Day, there were so many flowers, hugs, smiles, laughter and kissesamongst mothers and their kids. Therewere so many mothers-to-be dreaming about the next May 11th so theycould enjoy the happiest day of the year. However, on May 12th,exactly one day later, their dreams forevervanished. The horror caused by theearthquake is beyond what words can describe. Again and again, rescuers have uncovered heart-breaking scenes. I cannot forget the picture of so many little students buried in the debris withtheir hands still holding their pencils. To their very last moment, the kidskept their promises of studying hard to make their parents proud. Again andagain rescuers have discovered the most touching scenes that go beyond all thepain. It goes right to the ultimate of howpeople sacrifice their own lives to save others. I cannot forget the picturethat a 20 year-old school teacher ran back and forth saving 13 of her studentsbut was crushed by a fallingbuilding. Her body was separated in two but her hands were still holding two ofher students. I cannot forget the picture of amother using her body to hold back concrete soshe could protect the baby in her arms. The same mother had an unsent textmessage on her cell phone. The text message said, “My baby, if you can surviveplease remember how much your mom loves you.”
五月十一日 – 母亲节, 那里有多少鲜花和拥抱, 有多少亲吻和欢笑, 有多少幸福在脸上荡漾。 那里有多少即将成为母亲的人, 翘盼着下一个五月, 一个属于她们的欢乐时光。然而, 五月十二日, 仅仅二十四小时后, 天摇地动击碎了所有的梦想. 地震带来的惨剧, 所有的文字无法描述, 所有的数字无法估量. 一次又一次, 救援人员看到心碎泪滴的景象. 我无法忘却, 在那残檐破壁的瓦堆里伸出的小手已经冰凉, 他们却还握着一只只铅笔, 仿佛是在让父母自豪, 就是生命的最后都没有忘记“好好学习,天天向上”。 一次又一次, 救援人员发现心灵震撼的景象, 它让活着的人超越所有的痛苦, 展现着舍己救人的人性光芒. 我无法忘却, 一个二十岁的女教师， 为了解救十三位学生，穿梭于摇摇欲坠的楼房。 身体最后被倒塌的房屋截成两段，双手却还把两位同学搂在胸膛。我也无法忘却，一位母亲的手机中有一段未发出的短信，它写道：“我的孩子，如果你能活着，请一定记住妈妈是如何爱你”。 这位母亲， 为了保护身下的孩子，用背顶住巨大的房梁。
The motherdied, but her love saved the baby. Thesame kind of love from soldiers, villagers, workers, ordinary people andfriends from all over the world has given courage and spirit to so many peopleto go on another day and for many days after. We are also seeing this kind of love right here in this community. Weare seeing little school children donating one dollar, two dollars, ten dollarsand twenty dollars. We have seen people put one hundred, two hundred, five thousand, and ten thousanddollar checks in our box.
这位母亲死了，她的爱却给了孩子生的希望。 我们看到同样的爱，来自士兵，村民，工人，普通人和全世界的不同的地方。 他们的爱给了多少人勇气，让他们能够渡过今天，迎接明天的太阳。我们也看到同样的爱，就在我们的社区。 也许来自学校，也许来自教堂。孩子们把一元，两元， 十元和二十元递给我们；人们把一百元，两百元，五千元，一万元的支票放进捐款箱。
Tonight, we are standing here to show how we will bond together to turnon light of love. We are standing here to show our respectfor those who have shown us what dignity and love mean at the very last momentof their lives. We are standing here toshow the world, regardless of where we were born, where we grew up; that we are all now the people from Sichuanprovince. We are standing here to show how proud we are of China and the Chinese people. We are here to show that there is nothing that will stand in the way of lovebecause love is in our hearts and love will always prevail.
今晚我们在这里手搀着手把爱之灯点亮,在这里表达对那些用生命告诉我们尊严和大爱的敬仰. 在这里告诉世界,不管我们何处出生何处成长,今晚我们都是四川人，我们来自同一地方。 在这里我们要为中国和中国人挺起骄傲的脊梁; 我们要大声呐喊,因为爱在我们心中,爱将无往不胜， 爱将无法阻挡！
