Friday, March 13, 2009

"パトリック先生が他の学校へ行ってしもうと知った時’とてもざびしくなりました。
本当は他の学校へ行ってほしくないです。
パトリック先生の授業はとてもたのしかったです!
僕は水泳でオリンピックを目指して、日々努力し、頑張って練習しています。
ぱとりっく先生はカメラマンを目指して、一緒に夢に向かって頑張っていきましょう!
:) "Yes, we can!"
今まで、本当に有り難うございました!”
-From Shunta (14 years old)

この手紙を一生懸命翻訳した後読んでみると、最初にこの手紙を受け取った時ほどの感動は薄れてしまったけど、最初にこの手紙を読んだ時は、二文目を読み終えた時から僕は泣き出してしまいました。この手紙は、僕に二つほど、考えさせてくれる事がありました。
一つ目は、どれだけこの子が自分自身について、人生について、僕について思うとき、純粋で無垢であるか。
二つ目は、昔の僕について・・・。

みんな何処かから初めなきゃいけない。

"Patrick, when I found out you are going to another school, I was very sad.
I really don't want you to go to another school.
Your class was really fun!
I am aiming to be an Olympic swimmer, so I am training every day.
You are aiming to be a photographer, so let's work hard and head for our dreams together!
:) Yes, we can!
Thanks for everything!"
-From Shunta, Age 14

I guess reading this again after I did my best translating it, doesn't seem like much now... But when I read it the first time, i started crying after the second sentence. I guess it hit me in two ways. One: How innocent and pure this kid is about himself, life, and me. Two: It took me way back....

Everyone starts somewhere.


3 comments:

  1. sometimes you need to hear this from someone who is starting out. i try to motivate you sometimes when you are feeling low, but i think it means more from someone like this kid. his(?) note means alot- you should frame it.

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  2. aw, well the note--it feels different being read in japanese, too. you're an english teacher in japan, no? even more sentimentalll and that picture looks like someone could be swimming!

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