The fact you are sitting here means that you do speak English. If you don’t, Chinese workshop is on the 5th floor. Why do you speak English? Some learn it to get a better job, others to explore the world. I learn English, because of something more than I can say. 你坐在這邊的這個事實就代表你說英文，對吧！走錯路的話中文工作坊在五樓唷！為什麼你學英文呢？有的人學英文是為了找個好工作，有的人則為了要廣遊世界。我學英文的原因，言語難以盡然。 Honorable judges, ladies and gentlemen. 敬重的裁判，各位先生女士。 July 30th, 1982. I was one week old. My mother returned home with me from the hospital as soon as we could. Being the second grandson, it was supposed to be a happy reunion with my family members, but the destiny had a different plan. 1982年七月三十日，我一週大，家母一能從醫院帶我回家就馬上帶了，作為家族中的第二個孫子，這應該要是個與家族成員快樂的團聚才對。但命運顯然有些不同的安排。 2 days after I got home, I stopped eating. Whatever my mother fed me, I would spit them out. After another day, my eyes turned yellow. Doctors in the hospital found out that I was born with the genetic disease G6PD and could not smell mothballs. My grandfather was a farmer, and thus the house was stuffed with mothballs like they are free. When my eyes turned yellow, there was only one way to go: I needed to transfuse all the blood in my body. 回家兩天後，我就什麼都不吃了。家母不管餵我吃什麼，我都立刻吐出來。又一天後，我的眼睛就轉黃了。醫院中的醫師發現我一出生就有G6PD的遺傳疾病（蠶豆症）所以我不能聞到樟腦丸。但因為祖父務農，所以全家的樟腦丸多得像是免錢一樣！當我眼睛轉黃時，只有一條路可走了：我需要全身換血！ Whole body transfusion was no easy task. The good news was I didn’t need much blood because I was still very small. If it’s like this, well, good luck. The bad news was, after the process was done, either I recovered, or I died. 全身換血並不簡單。好消息是，因為當時還很小，所以不需要太多血。如果像我現在這個身材，那就祝我好運吧！壞消息則是，換血程序一結束，我就是死活間擇一了。 My parents never gambled, but this time they had no choice. If they didn’t take the bet, I would simply die. However, even my parents promised that they would not sue the doctors even the operation failed, all the doctors refused to help us. No one was willing to fight with me and got into trouble. 家父家母從不賭博，但這一輪他們可沒選擇。不賭，我就是死路一條了。然而，即便他們保證手術失敗也不控告醫師，也沒有醫生願意幫忙。沒人願意與我們並肩作戰，並承擔失敗的風險。 Desperate, my mother broke down because she thought she would lose her son. My father ran around the hospital and asked all the doctors that they could find. Finally, an American doctor said yes. In an hour, she performed the operation on me. Luckily, we took the bet with destiny and won. 絕望下，家母崩潰大哭因為她以為將要失去稚子了。家父則在醫院中到處奔波，詢問所有他能碰上的醫師。最後，終於有位美國醫生點頭了。一小時內，手術完成了。很幸運，這場跟命運的賭局我們贏了。 Ever since my parents told me the story in junior high, I had this strong feeling to learn English well, because I wanted to find the doctor and thank her in person. When I became a senior high school student, I went to the hospital and found there was no more doctor bearing foreign names. Not knowing her, my pursuit of gratitude stopped at the moment. 自從爸媽在我國中跟我說了這個故事後，我就一直想把英文學好。因為我想親自找到這位醫師向她致謝。當我高中時，我前去醫院，卻發現已經沒有任何一位外國姓名的醫師了。沒有任何其他資訊的狀況下，我的感恩追尋之旅在那一刻停下了。 2011, I was 30 years old. I became a father and brought my son back to my hometown, just like my parents did years ago. Because we needed to give my son a vaccine shot, again we visited the very hospital that I was saved in. 2011年，我三十歲。我成了爸爸也帶了兒子回了家鄉，就像是我爸媽當年一樣。因為他需要打疫苗，所以在一次我造訪了我當初被救的醫院。 When I was registering my son at the counter, the clerk asked me: would you mind if the doctor is a foreigner? I looked at the screen, seeing the doctor name was written in Chinese characters. All of a sudden, everything was connected. “Could it be that, my American doctor had got herself a Chinese name?” I asked the clerk, ”how long have the doctor served in the hospital?” She said, “More than 35 years, she is the only foreign doctor here”. Trembling with excitement, I knew what I finally found the one that I have been looking for. 當我幫我兒子掛號時，櫃台小姐問到：「您會介意醫生是外國人嗎？」我抬頭看看螢幕，發現名字是一堆中文。那一瞬間，我忽然開竅了！「該不會，我的美國醫師換了個中文名字吧！」我問了櫃台小姐：「她在這間醫院服務多久了呢？」她說：「超過三十五年了，是這邊唯一的外籍醫師。」我因為興奮而顫抖著，我知道我終於找到追尋的對象了。 Standing outside of the door, I was as anxious as going on my first date. What should I say? Did she still remember me? When it finally came to my turn, I knocked the door and slowly turned the doorknob. We walked in. She smiled and said in fluent Taiwanese “哩後”, which means hello. I cried, I bowed, and I said “Thank you” finally, to her, in person. All of a sudden, I understand. It’s never about language. It’s all about love. It’s more than I can say. 站在門外，我緊張地就像是第一次約會一樣。我該說什麼呢？她還記得我嗎？當終於輪到我的時候，我敲了門，慢慢轉了把手，走了進去。她笑了，用著流利的台語說了：「你好！」我潸然淚下，鞠躬，用英語說了「謝謝」。我終於親自道了謝。那一刻，我了解了，重點不是語言，而是愛。言有未盡的愛。 It’s love that made her went across the ocean and served on this foreign soil for so many years, saving people in Taiwan. 是愛讓她飄洋過海，在異鄉服務數年，拯救台灣的人民。 It’s love that made her stood out when no one else would, and that was the reason why I survived. 是愛讓她在沒人願意時挺身而出，也就成了我活下來的原因。 It’s love that made what I am today, and I will carry on to help more people as I was helped when I was two weeks old. 是愛造就了今天的我。而我會繼續幫助更多人，就像我兩週時受到幫助一般。 It’s all about love. More than I can say. 是愛，言有未盡。 Contest master. 比賽主持人