2014年12月10日上午，愛爾蘭總統(tǒng)夫人薩賓娜（Sabina Higgins）在愛爾蘭駐華大使夫人康美薇（Rosemary Kavanagh）、中國駐愛爾蘭大使夫人倪麗等一行的陪同下到訪北京百年職校。在百年愛心講堂，總統(tǒng)夫人為同學(xué)們帶來精彩的演講：

 

非常感謝同學(xué)們對我的熱烈歡迎！

Thank you very much for the lovely welcome!

 

很高興今天能夠來到這里，特別是聽到同學(xué)們演唱的愛爾蘭歌曲《Down by the Sally Gardens》，非常好聽！你們?nèi)绱四贻p、朝氣蓬勃、青春洋溢。非常高興你們能在這里接受到這么好的教育，這真的是一所非常棒的學(xué)校，我能感受到你們在這里是多么的快樂。

I haven’t prepared anything at all to say here. But it’s absolutely great to be here. Thank you!  Especially hearing the singing, the Sally Gardens, it was so beautiful! And you all look so wonderful, marvelous young people! I can’t tell you how happy I am that you are here, having this kind of holistic education in this wonderful school. All I can see is that you are happy. And I can see from the video, the images of you, that you are happy here.

 

我知道你們從很遠的家鄉(xiāng)來到這里學(xué)習(xí)，非常不易。就像當年我還是個小女孩兒，也是來自一個小村莊，在愛爾蘭靠近大西洋的一個小島上。其實你們的先輩和愛爾蘭人的祖先一樣，從農(nóng)村移民到城市，沒有技能、缺乏教育，不能得到理想中的機會。我非常理解你們的不易，也為你們能來這里感到高興——你們能有機會在如此美好的學(xué)校，接受到現(xiàn)階段最高水平的教育。

I just want to say a few words about the sense I have of the education that you are having. I know it’s been difficult for you, to come from your homes in the country. I myself, as a little girl, also came from the rural areas of Ireland, an island of Ireland in the Atlantic, which is far to the west from here. So it’s not easy. But when you are coming and you haven’t got the skills as a lot of our Irish people didn’t and a lot of your ancestors would have gotten in the world. As migrants, you are not having the skills that allow you to get to really good positions. It’s so welcome that you are coming and you are getting the opportunity to have the best of current level education in this wonderful school.

 

我感到同學(xué)們在這所學(xué)校收獲很多。你們獲得了動手、動腦工作的能力，通過學(xué)習(xí)得到技能，從而獲得富有成就感的工作。就像大家剛才演唱的《你是我的眼》，以及朗誦詩歌。世界無時不發(fā)生變化，它就在你的身邊，為你而敞開。我想重要的是我們接受教育不僅僅是找到工作，你們要擁抱這個變化的世界，要了解更多，認識音樂、藝術(shù)，多讀書，讓自己成為這個世界中的一份子，和它一起變化，不斷拓展，保持爽朗的心境和好奇心，使自己的生活充實。不要只在意工作、掙錢和眼前的困難，打開心靈，讓你的生活一直能夠美好下去，這也是幸福的源泉。

I think there are some of the things I see you are taking from this. You are not just going out; you are educated with skills that allow you to have the most fulfilling jobs, to be able to work with your hands, to be able to work with your brain. Just like the lovely singing “you are my eyes”, the reading and the opening up performances. The world, the history that has gone by, and everything that is happening are open to you. I think it’s so important that never to be caught into a small space where it’s just work. Keep the broad abilities to take part in the world, to be part of the music, be part of the art, to read. Be connected, never be isolated, never be small. Then I think you won’t have big difficulties; this is to prepare you to have a very good life. Never be just concentrated on the work, money, and the difficult things, just be expansive, be interested in everything, have a really full life, and continue. I think a lot of happiness comes from that.

 

中國對于整個世界來說非常重要，但我們賴以生存的地球依然很小，我們每人都要置身其中，保持對它的關(guān)心與好奇。我剛從非洲回來，在那里看到很多問題，很多人住在欠發(fā)達的農(nóng)村地區(qū)，那里的人都非常善良，但缺乏技術(shù)缺乏發(fā)展機會，遠遠不如當今的中國等地區(qū)。如果有好的教育和技術(shù)，他們就不用再阻隔在城市之外，阻隔在美好生活之外。他們和我們一樣，猶如身邊的兄弟姐妹。這對我來說觸動很多，我喜歡自己所從事的藝術(shù)與政治，我從來不會感到孤單，因為我知道我們和整個世界緊緊相連。如果你心中有愛，請把這份將愛留在心中，你將永遠不會感到沮喪和孤單，就會感到能夠生活在這個美好世界是多么幸運，這便是最大的幸福。

China is very important on our planet. And our planet is so small, just see yourself as part of the whole planet, of all the people in the world, and be interested in them. I’ve just come back from Africa. They are having so many problems, so many people living in the rural areas that are not at all anyways as advanced as in China and other places. But they are wonderful people. The technologies are coming. Instead of being blocked from the cities, people will be able to have these wonderful opportunities, have technologies in the rural communities to have fulfilling lives, to have education and everything else. I think it’s important in the sense that you are part of the whole world. There are sisters and brothers at every place. And you will never guess that I think this means a lot to me. I love my occupation of the arts and the politics, in which I never feel alone, because we are part of all the people in the world. If you have love in your heart, and you know what it is here with your students, keep that love in you for all the human beings, because they will all say you will never feel depressed or alone. You are part of the happy world, I think it’s the biggest happiness you can have. Just know how privileged we are to be alive, to be on the earth.

 

很高興我在這里看到這么多優(yōu)秀的年輕人，也能看出你們之間非常友愛，我會把你們永遠記在心底。今天來到百年職校是一段美好的旅程，也希望你能把這份愛為自己、為所有人永存心間。也非常感謝百年職校有這么多優(yōu)秀的教師，尤其是創(chuàng)始人姚莉女士！

I would like to finish by saying that, I can see just how wonderful you are, and I can see the love you keep deeply for each other. I feel for you and it will always be in my heart. It’s been a wonderful experience for me to meet you all. I want you to keep that love for yourself and for everybody in your heart. And I thank this wonderful place with all these wonderful teachers. Ms. Yao Li is a wonderful teacher herself!

 

學(xué)生提問與交流

 

學(xué)生提問：您好，您會跳踢踏舞嗎？

-Hello Madam, my name is Devin. Do you know how to dance tap dance?

 

薩賓娜女士：我會跳愛爾蘭舞，芭蕾舞。我還可以跳演繹性的舞蹈，比如跟隨自然界的風(fēng)、海浪，或者任何東西。舞蹈是很美好的，我還喜歡打太極。你們知道太極嗎？我每天都練習(xí)太極。我覺得太極也很棒。

-I can do Irish dancing, ballet dancing. I can do interpretive dancing, to the wind, to and waves or to anything. I’m glad you asked that, I love to dance. It’s wonderful. But I won’t give any demonstration. I love dancing and I do the Tai Ji, do you know Tai Ji? I do Tai Ji every day. I think Tai Ji is wonderful.

 

學(xué)生提問：聽說康美薇大使夫人您會作為志愿者來教我們學(xué)英文，我非常期待。您能告訴我們您計劃什么時候來嗎？

-I hear that you are coming to teach us English as a volunteer. And I’m looking forward to it. Could you please tell me when you will come?

 

愛爾蘭駐華大使夫人康美薇：謝謝你的問題，也非常感謝總統(tǒng)夫人薩賓娜女士能夠和我一起來到這所我熱愛的學(xué)校。我非常期待來這里教書。在愛爾蘭的新年之后，我能夠告訴你一個具體的時間。到時候你們每一個人都將說一口愛爾蘭口音的英語。

-Thank you, and thank you the president’s wife, Mrs. Higgins to come with me to the school I love. I’ve been looking forward to teach you. After the new year-- our new year, I will be able to tell you. So each one of you will be speaking English with an Irish accent.

 

學(xué)生提問：總統(tǒng)夫人，您好！我想問您，當您遇到困難的時候是怎么面對的？

-Dear First Lady, my name is Natalie. I have a question for you. What do you do when you have difficulties?

 

薩賓娜女士：嗯，當我獨自一人時，也許會大哭，也許會默默流淚，也許會大聲叫喊。我經(jīng)歷過許多困難，也曾感到很不開心。當事事不順時，每個人都可能在生活中陷入困境和絕望。但是當你從絕望中走出時，你會重新感到喜悅，這是人生中重要的經(jīng)歷。每個事物都有不同的正反兩面，相輔相成。當你有巨大的機遇時，很可能也將會面對困難。如果你總能走出絕望，無論發(fā)生什么，無論如何傷悲，你最終都會感到喜悅。因為你知道生活是如此珍貴，能夠感到悲傷也很珍貴，就如同感到喜悅一樣珍貴。這就是我的處理方法。有時，我會難過，但是我永葆喜悅。因為我知道我為能夠生活而感恩。我熱愛這個世界和所有的人們。我相信我們能夠擁有一個和平美好的世界，讓人人都有衣食住所，讓人們能解決他們之間錯綜復(fù)雜的矛盾，并且是在和平談判中解決。我們會能發(fā)現(xiàn)我們所有人之間相互依存的關(guān)系，保護好這樣的關(guān)系。我們能夠達到全球性的對彼此依存的一致認同。希望我們能夠?qū)崿F(xiàn)這一天，希望每個人都能夠幸福喜悅。

-Well, I do various things. Maybe cry, maybe weep, maybe scream and shout on my own. I just know the difficulties I have, because I’ve had such difficulties. I have been very unhappy. Everyone in his lifetime could be in despair when things in life are not worth doing. But once you have been in despair and you come out again, you will find it so happy again, that’s the experience of your most life is about. When there is a front, there is a back. Everything changes. The bigger the back, the bigger the front. So if you have great opportunities, you might have difficulties. These are the great things you could achieve as your goals. If you keep changing like that, no matter what happens, and how sad you are, you are happy at the same time, because you know life is so precious and it’s wonderful to be able to be sad, as it is wonderful to be happy. That’s how I go along. I’m very sad sometimes and I’m happy all the time. Because I know I’m so grateful that I’m alive, and I so love the world and people. I so believe we could have a peaceful wonderful world for everybody to have food, shelter, and they will resolve all their complications. They do that in peace by discussion. We will recognize our interdependence, take care of it, and recognize all people’s interdependence on each other. We will get to a stage with a global recognition of that. Hopefully we can get to this stage, and preferably everybody can be happy.