CHAPTER 1 通読用英文
Follow the Voice of Your Heart
1
When I was a child, the world was facing many problems, including the Vietnam War. Japan, however, was in a party mood with Expo ’70. Even as a child, I felt that people’s destinies depended on when and where they were born. I thought I was lucky. I also wondered if I was leading my life in the right way.
One day, I saw a TV program about starving children in Africa. I was shocked at the tragic sight and thought, “I wish I could do something for them.” I forgot about it, however, as I carried on with my daily life. But that TV scene suddenly came back to me when I began thinking about my future. I heard a voice from my heart saying, “You must become a doctor to help suffering children.”
I told people around me that I would become a doctor, but none of them believed me. No wonder. I was a very lazy student who failed preparatory-school entrance exams five times!
2
My desire to become a doctor and help people in need grew stronger. I decided to believe in myself and studied hard to improve my grades. Two years after graduating from high school, I entered medical school.
I obtained my medical license and began working at a hospital. I thought I would be secure if I continued working there, but I couldn’t forget the sight of the starving children. I decided to work at an emergency center to become a better doctor.
A few years later, I was asked to work as a doctor in Myanmar. “Work in Myanmar! How can I?” I wondered. I still had so much to learn. However, my boss challenged me: “Take action! You can keep on learning in Myanmar.”
So that is why I left Japan at the age of 30.
3
When I opened my clinic in a shabby house in Myanmar in 1995, the only medical tool I had was a stethoscope. I had to buy other equipment at my own expense, and I almost ran out of money. Even so, I didn’t give up on my goal: Free medical care for everyone .
Local people visited me constantly. I worked from 5 a.m. to 12 midnight. I was exhausted but felt happy when they thanked me from the bottom of their hearts. Many children were suffering from cancer. I tried my best but could not save all of them. I began to feel helpless. Then I heard that voice of mine again. “Even if you can’t save them,” it said, “you can at least comfort them.” “Yes,” I thought, “I want to help children and their families feel glad to be alive.”
4
In Myanmar, I was working completely on my own at first. But one person cannot do much, and I needed to be more organized. With my limited savings and some small donations, I started a volunteer medical organization named Japan Heart in 2004 under the motto No patients refused . Today, many Japanese doctors and nurses of like mind work with me.
The shocking scene I saw on TV as a child led me to become a doctor. When I look back, the voice of my heart has always helped me to make important decisions. Life has many difficulties. When you face them, listen to your heart. Things will work out.
If you start doing something, you will face failures along the way. But remember: you learn and grow through failures and the real failure is not taking any action at all.
1
When I was a child, the world was facing many problems, including the Vietnam War. Japan, however, was in a party mood with Expo ’70. Even as a child, I felt that people’s destinies depended on when and where they were born. I thought I was lucky. I also wondered if I was leading my life in the right way.
One day, I saw a TV program about starving children in Africa. I was shocked at the tragic sight and thought, “I wish I could do something for them.” I forgot about it, however, as I carried on with my daily life. But that TV scene suddenly came back to me when I began thinking about my future. I heard a voice from my heart saying, “You must become a doctor to help suffering children.”
I told people around me that I would become a doctor, but none of them believed me. No wonder. I was a very lazy student who failed preparatory-school entrance exams five times!
2
My desire to become a doctor and help people in need grew stronger. I decided to believe in myself and studied hard to improve my grades. Two years after graduating from high school, I entered medical school.
I obtained my medical license and began working at a hospital. I thought I would be secure if I continued working there, but I couldn’t forget the sight of the starving children. I decided to work at an emergency center to become a better doctor.
A few years later, I was asked to work as a doctor in Myanmar. “Work in Myanmar! How can I?” I wondered. I still had so much to learn. However, my boss challenged me: “Take action! You can keep on learning in Myanmar.”
So that is why I left Japan at the age of 30.
3
When I opened my clinic in a shabby house in Myanmar in 1995, the only medical tool I had was a stethoscope. I had to buy other equipment at my own expense, and I almost ran out of money. Even so, I didn’t give up on my goal: Free medical care for everyone .
Local people visited me constantly. I worked from 5 a.m. to 12 midnight. I was exhausted but felt happy when they thanked me from the bottom of their hearts. Many children were suffering from cancer. I tried my best but could not save all of them. I began to feel helpless. Then I heard that voice of mine again. “Even if you can’t save them,” it said, “you can at least comfort them.” “Yes,” I thought, “I want to help children and their families feel glad to be alive.”
4
In Myanmar, I was working completely on my own at first. But one person cannot do much, and I needed to be more organized. With my limited savings and some small donations, I started a volunteer medical organization named Japan Heart in 2004 under the motto No patients refused . Today, many Japanese doctors and nurses of like mind work with me.
The shocking scene I saw on TV as a child led me to become a doctor. When I look back, the voice of my heart has always helped me to make important decisions. Life has many difficulties. When you face them, listen to your heart. Things will work out.
If you start doing something, you will face failures along the way. But remember: you learn and grow through failures and the real failure is not taking any action at all.
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