來自公眾號：精彩英語演講
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近日，13 歲的美國女孩 Olivia Vella 在亞利桑那州的 Queen Creek 中學發表瞭一場題為 " 為什麼我不夠好 " 的演講。相關視頻在上傳 Facebook 之後立刻引發熱議，短短 6 天之內就吸引超過 2600 萬人觀看。
本文 & 視頻轉載自全球鋒報。
在演講中，Olivia 揭露瞭自己成長過程中所遭受的來自同齡人的壓力，回憶瞭她為瞭得到學校同學的認可，如何竭盡全力化妝、趕時髦、節食減肥、迎合他人。
但在演講的最後，她告訴聽眾，不要過於在意別人的看法，要愛自己的與眾不同：" 他們都錯瞭，你才是被愛的那個，你才是特別的那個，你已經足夠美好瞭。"
她的演講引起瞭外國網友們的強烈共鳴：
大傢都說，她所描述的，就是曾經的我。
看著看著我忍不住哭瞭，她講的幾乎就是我的故事。她太棒瞭。
她的話真的讓我產生瞭共鳴，因為在她這個年紀的時候，我的想法、憂慮、所作所為和她完全是一樣的。
我過於強調把自己和別人進行比較，而不夠愛自己，我用別人的看法折磨自己，這種思維方式至今對我的言行還有影響。
在觀看這條視頻時，我流下瞭眼淚，因為我曾經就是她所講的女孩中的一員。
我渴望在學校被同學接納。我患有弱視，我的同齡人因此嘲笑我，讓我覺得自己很糟。我在班上成績總是前 20%，我很聰明，但這並不會讓人覺得我很酷。
曾經的傷害直到成年之後還在影響著我。我已經 45 歲瞭，長年以來我的自尊心都很脆弱。
我害怕不被承認，還曾因此拒絕向別人敞開心扉。如果我能在十幾歲的時候看到這個演講就好瞭。
外國網友們紛紛贊揚她的勇氣和智慧：
Olivia Vella 真的很棒。並不是隻有 7 年級的女孩才能產生這些感受，她之所以成為瞭英雄，是因為她站出來，勇敢地講出瞭這些話。
Olivia，你向我們傳達瞭如此的智慧，不僅僅是給 " 這個年齡的孩子 "，也是給所有人的！幹得漂亮！感謝你如此激情澎湃地與我們分享這些！
她是個很聰慧也很強大的年輕女孩，她應該把這些告訴全國的孩子們。
她在演講中提到的種種問題也令人深思：
有人認為這提示我們，要讓社會環境更加包容。
看到這麼棒的小女孩講出如此痛苦的故事，我的心都要碎瞭。我們的社會風氣需要改變，要包容接納一切。
有人認為 Olivia 想要告訴我們，不要過於在意別人的想法，要愛自己的與眾不同。
" 愛自己會使你更加快樂。" 這正是 Olivia Vella 想向人們傳達的。
小姑娘們，你們本來的樣子就已經非常完美瞭。
做你自己就好瞭，別聽他們對你的評論。你一點也不糟糕。他們對你的獨特之處說三道四，是因為他們永遠也不能成為你，而正是因此你才成為你。
甚至還有人開玩笑，認為她應該去美國總統特朗普面前演講：
沒準她能說服川普放棄稅收處罰呢。
Olivia Vella 的演講中英對照版
為什麼我還不夠好？
首先 好好洗個澡 你不想渾身惡臭的
然後 挑一件時下流行的衣服
這使你不會淪為學校裡眾人的笑柄
第三 化點妝 至少別那麼難看地出現在大傢面前
可能你自己都不認識自己瞭
你的臉刺痛著非常癢
但就算癢得不行你也不能卸妝
否則你就毀掉瞭在你的醜臉上耗費瞭幾個小時的妝容
第四 別忘瞭給你的頭發燙個優美的卷
你不能讓學校裡的人看到
你的頭發像個觸電的猴子般凌亂
第五 把你肥碩的腳擠進一雙會磨出血和水泡的匡威裡
學校裡大傢都會穿的那種
你可不能成為不合群的那個
這一刻 當你在凝視鏡中的自己時
你會看到一個陌生人
她似乎偷走瞭你的身體
並以一個全然不同的女孩子取而代之
你全身上下都是那麼別扭
你花瞭幾個小時來試著變漂亮
但盡管如此
你也永遠不會和學校裡那些漂亮姑娘一樣的
你默默忍住幾滴眼淚
但卻感覺
壓抑瞭海嘯般鋪天蓋地的情感
你不能讓別人察覺到你的眼淚
不然他們就不會像往常那樣尊重你瞭
哦 可能他們從來就沒尊重過吧
為什麼我就這麼糟呢？
美麗太沉重瞭
第六 走下公交車
第七 加入一群人 跟他們一起走到學校
因為 天知道 你是忍受不瞭孤獨的
但你根本就不喜歡那幫人
他們是一群討厭的傢夥
總開惡心的玩笑
他們也取笑你放肆地沖你大笑
你明知不該跟他們走得太近
但是 嘿
他們可是學校裡的 " 風雲人物 " 啊
而你 非常渴望被人喜歡
就像人們喜歡這些人一樣
你才是被套上枷鎖的那個人
人們向你投擲西紅柿來審判你
向你毫無保護的小腦袋
扔充滿恨意的爛菜葉子
而你無法保護自己
因為你是孤立無援的 是身陷囹圄的 是無力抵抗的
你無法保護自己
還因為那些 " 風雲人物 "
代表瞭學校裡至高無上的權力
他們說什麼都是對的
你隻能忍氣吞聲接受
每句評論 每個判決 每種猜測
每個看法 每個鄙夷的眼神 每個標簽
每句批判 每次審核 每條傳言 每個評價
而這讓你的自尊土崩瓦解
像一艘破船一樣下沉
下沉
直至沉入黑暗和陰鬱的海底
你看著其他女孩子時
無數想法傾瀉而出：
我也想有那麼漂亮的眼睛！
我也想有那麼柔順的秀發！
我也想像她那麼苗條！
我也想有她那麼整齊潔白的牙齒！
我也想和她一樣自信！
我也想像她一樣得到男生們的好感！
我為什麼就沒那麼好呢？
生活太不公平瞭
第八 好好寫作業
這是你人生中唯一有解的部分
你以學業為豪
這可能是僅存的一項值得你誇耀的東西
你努力學習
為瞭看到老師在贊賞你時 臉上熠熠生輝的笑容
老師的贊揚是一場天降的甘霖
帶來美麗的彩虹
是一道燦爛的陽光
照亮你心中一片甜美的花園
這是你僅存的少數幸福瞬間
但聰明並不能使你受歡迎
事實上在別人眼中 你就是個書呆子
" 死腦筋 " " 人肉計算器 " " 高分低能 " " 怪人 " " 老師的寵兒 " " 馬屁精 "
他們用你能想到的任何惡語攻擊你
嫉妒如空氣污染一般吞噬掉你的彩虹
如推土機一般毀掉你心中的花朵
這些莫名其妙的東西像一個天降的 bug
摧毀瞭你的幸福
優秀的成績除瞭折磨
並不能為你帶來任何好處
為什麼？難道我還不夠好嗎？
還是算瞭吧
第九 漫長的一天終於來到盡頭
準備上床睡覺吧
第十 脫掉衣服 穿上睡衣
哇 我今天又胖瞭嗎？
第十一 放下你的頭發
哇 我的頭發亂得像個拖佈一樣
第十二 卸妝
我都不敢照鏡子瞭
這就是我生活的每天每夜
我無法掌控它
人們告訴我
你不能把蘋果和橙子放在一起比較
你的個性太扭曲瞭
你要為成為自己而感恩
這些年的中學生活裡
你要獨自一人踏上尋找自我的旅程
有些時候 你沒法控制發生在你身上的事
激流會把你推離航線
但是變得受歡迎並不總是件好事
你告訴自己
我隻是想被人喜歡 被人接納
但是為瞭變瘦不吃飯和割腕並不能解決這個問題
你渴望變成別的女孩子
但當她們看到你時
也希望能成為你
大傢都覺得
女孩子就應該有腰細膚白巨乳豐臀
女孩子就應該濃妝艷抹貌美如花
女孩子就應該衣著暴露 和男孩們亂搞
這樣才會開心 才會酷
但他們錯瞭
你才是被愛的那個
你才是特別的那個
你才是美麗的那個
你才是聰慧的那個
你才是才華橫溢的那個
你能贏得所有的尊重
你可以放開瞭吃東西
你是 70 億人中不可或缺的一個
最重要的是
你已經足夠美好瞭
英文版：
Why am I not good enough？
One
Take a shower. You don ’ t want to smell.
Two
Pick out an outfit that will fit in with the latest trends and won ’ t make you the laughing stock at school, more than you already are.
Three
Put on some make-up so you can actually show your face in public and be a little bit pretty. You can ’ t even recognize yourself and your face tingles with an unbelievable itch you can ’ t satisfy otherwise you ’ ll have ruined the hours of meticulous pain you applied to your hideous face.
Four
Don ’ t forget to style your hair in elegant curls. You can ’ t let everyone at school see how your hair frizzes up like an electrocuted monkey, naturally.
Five
Shove your fat feet into those toe-pitching, blood blistering converse that everyone at school is wearing, and you cannot be the odd one out.
As you gaze into the bathroom mirror, you see a stranger that somehow stole your reflection and replaced it with a completely different girl. Every part of your outfit is uncomfortable. But even though you spend hours trying to look pretty, you will neverbe as good as those other girls at school.
You are actually holding back a few tears, but you feel like you are holding back a tsunami of emotion. You can ’ t let everyone else know how you feel or else they will never respect you the same way they used to. Or did they ever. "Why am I not good enough?" Beauty is pain.
Six
Get off the bus.
Seven
Find a group of people you could walk to class with because heaven knows you can ’ t just walk alone.
But you don ’ t even like these people. They cuss and make dirty jokes a lot, and they laugh and make fun of you. You know you shouldn ’ t hang out with them. But hey, they are the popular kids, and you just want people to like you, like they like them.
You are in the stocks, as people throw judging tomatoes and hating heads of lettuce at your insecure little head.
You cannot stand up for yourself, because you are alone, trapped, and defenseless. And you cannot stand up for yourself, because these popular kids are like the royalty of the school, and that apparently what they say and do, goes.
You take each comment, each judgement, each assumption, each opinion, each strange look, each mark, each criticism, each review, each report, each assessment, and with it, your self-esteem plummets, like a sinking ship. Down, down, down. Into the dark and dreary depths below.
You look at all the other girls, your mind racing a mile a minute. "I wish I had her eyes. I wish I had her hair. I wish I was as skinny asher. I wish I had her perfectly straight white teeth. I wish that I had hersocial confidence. I wish as many boys like me as they liked her. "
"Why am I not good enough?" Life isn ’ t fair.
Eight
Get your work done. The only part of your life that seems solvable is the actual school work. You take pride in your work, because it is possibly the only thing special about you.
You do it to see the radiant smiles on your teachers ’ faces as they applaud your work. The joyful praise is the gentle rainthat brings forth a magnificent rainbow. The radiant sunshine that brings forthfields of sweet daisies —— One of the only things that brings you happiness.
But it is not popular to be smart. In fact, you are seen as a nerd.
Too smart. Human calculator. Brainiac, geek, teacher ’ s pet, suck up —— whatever wonderful name you could think of.
Your peers ’ jealousy is the pollution that prevents a rainbow. The bulldozer that plows through the fields of once-golden daisies. The intangible object that crushes your happiness like a bug. "A"s are getting you nothing but torment.
"Why, am I not good enough?" Just get over it.
Nine
It ’ s the end of the day, get ready for bed.
Ten
Undress, get your pyjamas on. "Wow, did I get fatter today?"
Eleven
Undo your hair. Wow, my hair looks like a mop.
Twelve
Wash off all your make-up. I can ’ t even look at myself.
This is my life, every day. I can ’ t control it.
I ’ ve been told I can ’ t compare apples and oranges. I ’ ve been told I ’ m distorted, I ’ ve been told I have to be grateful for who I am.
But going through your middle school years, you are onyour own journey to find yourself on a small jet. And sometimes, you cannot control what happens to you. The turbulence will throw you off course.
But, popular isn ’ t always a good thing. You tell yourself "I just want people to like me, I just want to be accepted". But skipping meals and marking up your wrist isn ’ t going to fix that. You look at other girls wishing you were them, but other girls are looking at you, wishing they were you.
Society infers, girls have to have skinny waists, tan skin, long silky hair, perfectly straight teeth, big butts and etc.
Society infers, girls have to wear tons of make-up to be pretty.
Society infers, girls have to wear skanky clothing and do inappropriate things with boys to be happy and considered cool.
But society is wrong.
You are loved. You are precious. You are beautiful. You are talented. You are capable. You are deserving of respect. You can eat that meal. You are one in seven billion.
And most of all, you are good enough.
'Why am I not good enough?'
7th-grader's slam poem goes viral
"
A Queen Creek seventh-grade girl's powerful slam poem about the struggles of adolescence and her final inspiring message have spread quickly through social media, receiving millions of views in recent days.
Olivia Vella presented the poem to her class as her final assignment in her writing class at Queen Creek Middle School.
The school initially posted the video of Vella's performance on its Facebook page May 23.
'A little bit pretty'
Vella's poem talks about the pressures young teens, particularly girls, face to fit in.
Vella lists 12 steps to completing a day in her life, starting with showering and ending with washing off her makeup — after which, she responds that "I can't even look at myself."
But for Vella and other young girls, there's a lot of activity in between.
Vella's second step is to "pick out an outfit that will fit in with the latest trends and won't make you the laughingstock of the school, more than you already are."
She then talks about putting on makeup in an effort to be "a little bit pretty."
"You can't even recognize yourself and your face tingles with an unbelievable itch you can't satisfy, otherwise you will ruin the meticulous painting you applied to your hideous face," Vella says in the poem.
She then talks about the pressure to style her hair in "elegant curls" that hide her hair's natural frizziness and wearing uncomfortable Converse shoes that everyone else is wearing because she "cannot be the odd one out."
"As you gaze into the bathroom mirror, you see a stranger that somehow stole your reflection and replaced it with a completely different girl," Vella says.
Vella talks about seeing the other girls in school, wishing she were them and doing whatever it takes to fit in.
"You are actually holding back a few tears, but you feel like you're holding back a tsunami of emotion you can't let anyone else know that you feel, otherwise they will never respect you the same way they used to," Vella says. "Or did they ever?"
Vella then talks about arriving at school, getting off the bus and desperately searching for people to walk to class with for fear of being gawked at for walking alone.
She finally settles on hanging out with a group of people she doesn't care much for because of their crude humor and the way they make fun of her, but settles with them because they're popular.
"You know you shouldn't hang out with them, but hey, they are the popular kids and you just want people to like you like they like them."
Vella talks about not being able to stand up for herself after hearing rude comments and put-downs because they're popular and "apparently whatever they say and do goes."
She talks about trying to shake each comment, criticism and opinion of her but feeling her self-esteem sink further and further with each one.
"You look at all the other girls, your mind racing a mile a minute," Vella says. "I wish I had her eyes, I wish I had her hair, I wish I was as skinny as her, I wish I had her perfectly straight, white teeth. I wish I had her social confidence. I wish as many boys liked me as they liked her. Why am I not good enough?"
Believing in yourself
At last, Vella says there's some relief from the social pressures of adolescence with schoolwork, which she calls "the only part of your life that seems solvable."
Vella describes the "radiant smiles on your teachers' faces" as they applaud a job well done, reveling in the "joyful praises, the gentle rain that brings forth a magnificent rainbow, the radiant sunshine that brings forth fields of sweet daisies."
But that relief doesn't last long, Vella says, because peers start dubbing you a nerd, a geek or a teacher's pet when they know you get good grades.
"Your peers' jealousy is the pollution that prevents a rainbow, the bulldozer that plows through the fields of once-golden daisies, the intangible object that crushes our happiness like a bug," Vella says.
"A's are getting you nothing but torment. Why am I not good enough?"
At the end of the day, Vella undresses to ask herself whether she "got fatter" throughout the day and undoes her hair that she describes as looking "like a mop."
She washes off her makeup, revealing a reflection that she's not happy with because of society's unattainable standards.
"This is my life every day," Vella says as she nears the end of her poem. "I can't control it. I've been told I can't compare apples and oranges, I've been told I'm distorted, I've been told I have to be grateful for who I am."
But even though people mean well when they try to use those phrases to encourage her, Vella says societal pressure makes them hard to believe.
That's why Vella concludes her poem with saying society is wrong, and that using unhealthy escapisms from adolescent pressure only make matters worse.
"You tell yourself, 'I just want people to like me, I just want to be accepted,' " Vella says. "But skipping meals and marking up your wrist isn't going to fix that."
Vella says that while you might be looking at another girl and wishing you were them, she might be looking at you and thinking the same thing.
She rejects society's beauty ideals of thin waists and lots of makeup, the standards of "skanky clothes" and "doing inappropriate things with boys" in order to be considered cool by peers.
"You are loved, you are precious, you are beautiful, you are talented, you are capable, you are deserving of respect, you can eat that meal, you are one in seven billion," Vella says in conclusion.
"And most of all, you are good enough."
❖ 精彩英語演講
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