by Julie Schwietert

翻譯：箐舞

Why Are They Volunteering

成為志愿者的萬千理由

by Julie Schwietert

翻譯：箐舞

為什么要做志愿者？不同的人有不同的答案。為了回報社會、為了認識新的朋友、為了收獲一份快樂……著名旅游網站斗牛士（www.matadornetwork.com）的編輯和寫手們不僅熱愛旅游，更熱心于公益。在被問到“為什么你要做志愿者”這個問題時，他們告訴我們—

Yes, volunteering makes you feel good. Yes, you learn from other people. But there are many other reasons people volunteer, too. And here are ten from1)Matador members who are2)experienced volunteers.

“I volunteer because it takes me out of my daily life. Because I have3)expertise that is really easy for me to teach, and yet makes a big difference to those I teach. Because it reminds me how lucky I am. Because I have been given so much in life and believe it’s important to give as well.”

Leigh volunteers at a local church, serving lunch to school children and helping kids with their English homework.

“I volunteer because it5)continuously teaches me something new about people, about6)cooperation, about7)compassion, and about myself. In helping others, I feel that we are all in this together and we need to support each other. Life has so much to offer if we can look beyond ourselves.”

Juliane volunteers at the Berkeley Free8)Clinic.

1) matador ['m?t?d??] n. 斗牛士

2) experienced [Ik'spI?rI?nst] adj. 富有經驗的

3) expertise [eksp??'ti?z] n. 專門知識，專門技能

4) contributing editor 特約編輯

5) continuously [k?n'tInj??slI] adv. 連續(xù)不斷地

6) cooperation [k???p?'reI??n] n. 合作

7) compassion [k?m'p???n] n. 同情，憐憫

8) clinic ['klInIk] n. 診所

語法小知識

Make a (big) difference to/in... 表示“對……產生（重大的）影響，對……起（重要）作用，產生（很大的）不同”。通常，這些影響、作用或不同都是指好的方面。例如：

1) Changing schools made a big difference to my life.（轉學對我的人生產生了很大的影響。）

2) The teacher’s words made a difference.（老師的話起作用了。）

“I volunteer because I love my city and I need to give back something to it other than tax dollars. Also, my soul needs10)redemption.”

Candice volunteers with an animal11)rescue organization.

“I volunteer because I want to not just see the world, but make a difference to it.”

Abbie has volunteered at United Planet注1.

“I volunteer because I have the time. I recognize that time is something I can give, if not money. I regret that I never volunteered before I left America. I don’t know how much I make a big difference in the lives of the kids that I work with, but I do know that I can take some pressure off of those that are able to14)devote more time. Sometimes that’s just got to be enough.”

Kate volunteers in15)Buenos Aires.

“I volunteer because: 1) I truly like helping people. 2) I feel called to volunteer and share my talents and time with others. 3) I enjoy meeting different people from different backgrounds and cultures while volunteering. 4) It’s a lot of fun!”

Heather plans to volunteer while on a16)RTW starting this month.

“I volunteer to learn something new or to17)acquire a skill that I18)lacked. I couldn’t go out and get a job to learn that skill, but I could volunteer and learn it.”

Pamm has volunteered as an19)investigator, a20)conference organizer, and a21)knitter—knitting sweaters for children in an22)orphanage outside of Lhasa, Tibet.

“I volunteer because I can’t stand seeing any animal23)suffering and because it makes me feel alive.”

Nola has volunteered with Care for Dogs in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

“I volunteer not so much to help others, but to gain some24)perspective about my own life. But in the end, I get both.”

Jamie has volunteered with Catalytic Communities, CIACAC, and Calle注2.

“I volunteer because I can. It’s as simple as that. If you could do something to help the world around you, why wouldn’t you?”

Kelsey volunteers at a25)hospice.

注1：聯(lián)合星球，一個非營利性的國際志愿者組織。

注2：催化社區(qū)、青少年綜合社區(qū)和街道服務中心都是巴西里約熱內盧的非政府公益組織，分別為平民窟、青少年和街道服務。

9) associate editor 副主編

10) redemption [rI'demp??n] n. 救贖

11) rescue ['reskju?] v. 營救

12) intern ['Int??n] n. 實習生

13) co-editor 合作編輯

14) devote [dI'v??t] v. 獻身

15) Buenos Aires ['bwen?s 'aI?rIz] n.（阿根廷首都）布宜諾斯艾利斯

16) RTW=Round the World 環(huán)游世界

17) acquire [?'kwaI?] v. 獲得

18) lack [l?k] v. 缺乏

19) investigator [In'vestIgeIt?] n. 調查員

20) conference organizer 會議組織者

21) knitter ['nIt?] n. 編織員knit [nIt] v. 編織

22) orphanage ['??f?nId?] n. 孤兒院

23) suffer ['s?f?] v. 受苦，受難

24) perspective [p?'spektIv] v. 看法，遠景

25) hospice ['h?spIs] n. 臨終關懷醫(yī)院

是的，志愿工作讓你感覺很棒。是的，你可以從中向他人學習。但人們做志愿者還有其他許多原因，比如以下十位有豐富志愿服務經驗的斗牛士網站成員。

“我做志愿者是因為這能讓我從日常生活中脫離開來。因為我自身具備專業(yè)知識，教書對我來說非常簡單，卻會對所教的學生影響深遠；因為這提醒我自己有多么幸運；因為在生活中，我已經得到了太多東西。而我相信，給予同樣重要?！?/p>

利·舒爾曼在當?shù)匾患医烫米鲋驹刚?，為學生分發(fā)午餐，同時輔導孩子們的英語作業(yè)。

“我做志愿者是因為它不斷地教給我一些新的東西—關于人、關于合作、關于同情心、關于我自己。在幫助他人的過程中，我感受到我們患難與共，我們需要相互扶持。如果我們都能不計較自己的利益得失，那么生活能給予我們的東西多不勝數(shù)?！?/p>

朱莉安娜在伯克利免費診所做志愿者。

“我做志愿者是因為我熱愛我（生活）的城市，除了交稅，我還需要回饋它一些其他的東西。而且我的靈魂也需要救贖?！?/p>

坎蒂絲在一個動物援救組織做志愿服務。

“我做志愿者是因為我不僅想去看看這個世界，還想讓它變得更美好?！?/p>

阿比是聯(lián)合星球的志愿者。

“我做志愿者是因為我有時間。我發(fā)現(xiàn)如果沒有錢的話，時間是我所能給予的。我后悔在我離開美國前沒有做過志愿活動。我不知道我能給我?guī)椭^的孩子們的生活帶來多大的影響，但我可以肯定我能舒緩一下那些能夠奉獻出更多時間的人的壓力。有時候，這便足夠了?！?/p>

凱特在布宜諾斯艾利斯做志愿者。

“我做志愿者是因為：1) 我真心喜歡幫助人們；2) 我感受到志愿服務對我的召喚，感受到與他人分享天賦與時間的渴望；3) 我很享受在志愿服務的過程中認識有著不同文化背景的人們；4) 做志愿者很有趣！”

希瑟將在這個月開始環(huán)游世界，并計劃在旅途中進行志愿服務。

“我做志愿者是為了學到新東西，也為了獲取我所缺乏的技能。我無法出去找到一份學會那項技能的工作，但我能通過志愿服務學會它?！?/p>

帕姆曾做過調查員、會議組織者和編織員—為西藏拉薩城外的一家孤兒院的孩子們織毛衣。

“我做志愿者是因為我不能忍受自己眼睜睜地看著動物受苦，也因為做志愿者讓我感到自己還活著?！?/p>

諾拉在泰國清邁的愛狗之家做志愿者。

“我做志愿者與其說是為了幫助他人，倒不如說是為了能夠找到看待自己生活的新視角。但到了最后，我兩者兼得。”

杰米在催化社區(qū)、青少年綜合社區(qū)和街道服務中心做志愿服務。

“我做志愿者是因為我有這樣的能力。就是這么簡單。如果你能為周遭的世界獻出一份力，何樂而不為呢？”

凱爾西在一家臨終關懷醫(yī)院做志愿者。