My belief in the power of hope over despair was reinforced on my first visit to China in 2008. I saw the Great Wall and marveled at the grandeur of one of the world's most incredible wonders. But the most powerful moment of this trip for me came when I saw the joyful glimmer in the eyes of a young Chinese girl. She was performing with other children who'd put together a show worthy of an Olympic spectacle. This girl's jubilant expression caught my attention, and I could not look away. While she moved in precision with the other dancers, she simultaneously balanced a spinning plate overhead. She was concentrating so, so hard, yet despite everything she had to think about, she still had this look of intense happiness that moved me to tears.
你知道，这个女孩和其他一同表演的孩子都来自一所超过4000人的孤儿院。2008年5月，中国发生了一场严重的地震，这所孤儿院就收容了众多因地震成为孤儿的孩子。我和我的看护及协调这次行程的人带来一些物资，想送给这些孤儿，并且我应邀演讲，鼓励这些孩子。
You see, this girl and all the children in the show were among more than four thousand young people orphaned by a massive earthquake that had hit the region just a few months earlier. My caregiver, our travel coordinator, and I had come to this orphanage with supplies for them, and I'd been asked to speak to them to raise their spirits.
前往孤儿院的途中，看到地震造成的伤害与苦难，让我心神震撼。面对如此惨状，我有点担心不知要跟这些孤儿说什么。大地裂开，吞噬了他们所爱、所认识的一切——我从未承受过如此可怕的事，我能对他们说些什么?我们带来一些保暖的衣物，但我要如何给他们希望?
As we traveled to the orphanage, I was overwhelmed by the damage and suffering that had been caused by the earthquake. In the face of such devastation I worried that I would not know what to tell these orphans. The earth had opened up and swallowed everything they'd loved and known. I had never endured anything so terrible. What could I say to them? We'd brought warm coats and other clothing for them, but how could I give them hope?
抵达之后，我被一群人簇拥着进入孤儿院，孩子们一个接一个拥抱我。我们语言不通，但不要紧，他们的神情已说明一切。在这样的环境中，他们依然容光焕发，我根本不必担心该说些什么来帮助他们。不是我鼓舞了这些孩子，那天，是他们通过表演中那昂扬的精神激励了我。这些孩子失去双亲、失去家、失去一切，但他们依然表达了喜悦。
When I arrived at the orphanage, I was mobbed. One child after another embraced me. I didn't speak their language, but it didn't matter. Their faces said it all. Despite their circumstances, they were radiant. I should not have worried about what words to say to help them. I didn't have to inspire these children. Instead, they inspired me with the soaring spirit of their performance that day. They'd lost their parents, their homes, and all their belongings, yet they were expressing joy.
我告诉这些孩子，我很敬佩他们勇敢的精神，也鼓励他们继续向前看，大胆期盼有一个更美好的人生，尽全力追求自己的梦想。
I told them I admired their courageous spirits and urged them to keep looking forward, to dare to wish for better lives, and to pursue their dreams with all their power.
