16 My Christmas Vacation
我的圣诞假期
(By Kenny S.)
(译 / 李佳凝)
During lunch all my friends were talking about their families' plans for the winter break. Some were visiting grandparents in Florida, while others were going to these great-sounding Caribbean resorts . My brother had even been invited by his friend's family to go to Aruba . I was more than a little jealous since my parents couldn't take vacation during Christmas week, and I would be stuck at home shoveling snow while everyone else was lying on the beach.
吃午饭的时候，我所有的朋友都在谈论他们全家关于圣诞假期的计划。有的人要去佛罗里达州看望自己的祖父母，而其他一些人则打算去加勒比海沿岸大名鼎鼎的度假胜地。我哥哥甚至还曾经被他朋友一家邀请去阿鲁巴岛游玩。我超级嫉妒他们，因为我父母在圣诞周不能休假，当其他人都躺在沙滩上的时候，我却要待在家里铲雪。
I came home from school that day to find a newsletter from the Jewish Community Center, which contained an ad for an "alternative vacation" community-service trip to New Orleans during Christmas week, supported by the UJA Federation. The trip was titled Tikkun Olam, which in Hebrew means "repairing the world". I wondered whether cleaning neighborhoods destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag was really the way I wanted to spend Christmas vacation. I sent in an application anyway, went for an interview, and was actually very excited when I was accepted into the program.
那天我放学回到家里，发现了一封来自犹太人社区中心的新闻通讯，信里有一个圣诞周“另类假期”的广告，这是一个由犹太人联合会赞助的去往新奥尔良的社区服务之旅。此次行程取名为“Tikkun Olam”，这个词在希伯来文中是“修复世界”的意思。清理被卡特里娜飓风摧毁的社区，还要睡在地板上的睡袋里——我不知道自己是不是真的想要以这样的方式来度过自己的圣诞假期。不管怎样，我提交了一份申请，参加了面试，而当我最终获选参加这个项目的时候，我真的非常兴奋。
The trip was only part of the commitment to the program. First, there were meetings to get to know the 11 other kids and to give us background on the hurricanes, the rescue efforts, and the devastation that still existed in New Orleans. Then there were fund-raising activities, including writing letters to neighbors, friends, and family, bake sales, and car washes to cover our traveling expenses and to donate to the people of New Orleans.
社区服务只是这个项目的一部分工作任务。首先，组织者召开了几次会议，让我们结识了参与这个项目的其他11个孩子，了解到了卡特里娜飓风的相关背景知识、救援工作以及新奥尔良目前仍遭遇的受损情况。接下来就是筹款活动，包括写信给邻居、朋友、家人，通过卖面包和帮人洗车来筹集我们的交通费以及捐赠给新奥尔良人的款项。
I had never been so far from home by myself, and I was a little nervous at the airport the day we left for Louisiana. At least, the weather should be warm, I thought. Little did I know, the week ahead would be the most inspiring experience of my life.
我从来没有自己一个人离开家去那么远的地方，所以在我们启程前往路易斯安那州的那天，我在机场里觉得有一点紧张。我想，至少新奥尔良的天气应该暖和。而我当时没有想到的是，接下来的一周将会是我人生中最鼓舞人心的一次经历。
We arrived in New Orleans on December 23. First, we had dinner at a pizza place that had been destroyed by the hurricane. The owners told us about how they had been forced to move to Mississippi, what they experienced when they returned to New Orleans, and their ordeal trying to rebuild their lives and the restaurant.
.12月23日，我们抵达了新奥尔良。我们先在一家曾经被飓风摧毁的比萨店里吃了晚餐。店主向我们讲述了他们如何被迫搬到密西西比州，以及他们回到新奥尔良时所经历的一切，还有他们在试图重建自己的生活和餐厅时所遭遇的困难与考验。
On Christmas Eve, we spent the day whacking weeds, removing garbage, and unloading tiles as part of a beautification project in the Lower Ninth Ward . This area of the city is closest to the mouth of the Mississippi River and therefore was most heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Even today, properties still remain in ruins. Property owners spoke to us about having to live in trailers for more than two years, and what they have gone through to rebuild their homes. From where we worked, we could see the pink tents of the Make It Right Project, a housing effort made famous by Brad Pitt.
在平安夜，我们花了一整天的时间拔除杂草、清除垃圾和拆卸断瓦，这些都是下九区美化工程的一部分。这片城区是新奥尔良市最接近密西西比河口的一个地区，因此也是遭到卡特里娜飓风破坏最严重的一个地区。即便如今，这里仍然是一片废墟。一些房屋的主人告诉我们，他们不得不在活动房屋里住了两年多。他们还给我们讲述了在重建家园的过程中所遇到的种种困难。在我们工作的地方，我们可以看到由“安置计划”提供的一个个粉红色的帐篷，这项计划是因布拉德·皮特的努力而闻名的一个住房安置工程。
On Christmas Day, we worked at a recovery and treatment center for addicts, preparing and serving Christmas dinner to homeless people. The people really appreciated our work, and we felt like we had made Christmas a little more special for them. Afterward, we met with members of a local temple. We saw how the walls of the temple had been damaged by ten feet of floodwater. Then we sorted prayer books and ritual objects, and helped clean the grounds of the synagogue .
圣诞节那天，我们在一个吸毒者康复治疗中心工作，为那些无家可归的人准备了圣诞晚餐。那些人非常感激我们的工作，这让我们感到他们的圣诞节因为我们而变得更特别一些了。在此之后，我们去见了当地犹太教堂的人。我们看到了那个教堂的墙壁被十英尺高的洪水破坏之后的样子。然后，我们分类整理了祷告经文以及仪式用的礼 器，还帮助他们清理了教堂的地面。
One of my favorite projects was helping at an animal rescue center. We walked the animals, cleaned their crates, and fed them. Six thousand dogs and cats, separated from their owners, were rescued by that shelter after the hurricane. I remember hearing horrible stories on TV of people who refused to evacuate because they weren't allowed to bring their pets with them. Hearing these sad stories again from the animal rescue workers made me miss my own dog.
我最喜欢的项目之一是在动物救护中心帮忙。我们带动物散步，清洗它们居住的箱子，给它们喂食。在飓风之后，六千只跟主人失散了的小猫小狗在这个避难所中得到了救助。我记得我曾经在电视上看到过这样可怕的故事：在飓风来临前夕，因为有规定不允许将宠物带在身边，有的人拒绝撤离。当我从那些动物救护人员口中再次听到这些令人难过的故事时，我开始想念自己的狗了。
The following day, we went to see St. Bernard Parish, a section of New Orleans completely destroyed by the hurricane. For more than two months this area had no electricity, clean water, or proper sewage . The homes we saw were uninhabitable . We met a man who had been living in a shelter and then a trailer. We spent the day helping him try to find the driveway of his house under all the debris . We had to wear special suits, goggles , and masks. Taking a shower that night felt really good!
第二天，我们去查看了圣伯纳德教区的情况，那是新奥尔良市一个被飓风完全摧毁了的教区。有两个多月的时间里，这个教区没有电，也没有洁净的水或正常的污水处理系统。我们所看到的房屋都无法居住。我们遇到了一个人，他最初住在避难所，后来又一直生活在活动房屋里。我们花了一天时间，尽量帮他在瓦砾废墟之中找到他家的车道。我们必须穿上一种特制的衣服，戴上护目镜和面罩。那天晚上洗澡的感觉真是好极了！
Even though we did a lot of work that resulted in some sore muscles, we had plenty of time to see New Orleans and enjoy its famous food and culture. We went to Preservation Hall for a jazz concert, visited the French Quarter (which was as awesome as people told me it would be), and had a haunted history tour. We ate authentic Cajun food and seafood gumbo , and we tried the hot chocolate and beignets (fritters ) at Café Du Monde. We also spent some time with New Orleans Jews, and students from local B'nai B'rith organizations joined many of our community service activities.
尽管我们的工作量很大，导致肌肉酸痛不已，但我们还是有很多时间去到处看看新奥尔良，去享受这座城市著名的美食和文化。我们去典藏厅听了一场爵士音乐会，参观了法国区(它确实名不虚传)，还进行了一次鬼魅的历史之旅。我们吃到了正宗的法裔路易斯安那食物和海鲜秋葵浓汤，在新奥尔良的杜梦咖啡厅喝了热巧克力，吃了法式带馅煎饼(块)。我们还和新奥尔良的犹太人一起度过了一些时光，当地的圣约之子会的学生们也参与了我们社区的很多服务活动。
When I returned to New York and told my friends about my trip, I realized how ridiculous I had been to be jealous of their Christmas plans. I looked around at my house, my dog, my family, and everything I owned and felt really spoiled. All the things I saw in New Orleans, all the amazing people I met, and the small ways I was able to contribute to the rebuilding of the city made that week the most memorable vacation I can imagine.
当我回到纽约，把我的旅程讲给朋友们听时，我意识到自己当初嫉妒他们的圣诞假期计划是多么可笑。我环顾四周，看看我的房子、我的狗、我的家人以及我所拥有的一切，感觉自己真的是太幸福了。我在新奥尔良见到的一切，遇到的所有那些很棒的人以及我对于重建这个城市所贡献的一点一滴，都令那个星期成为我能想到的最难忘的一个假期。