用英语旅行 - 慢速英语播客

让我告诉你英语是如何改变我的人生的。

Let me tell you how English changed my life.

虽然我从小家境贫寒，但依然能够独自一人从墨西哥旅行到泰国、葡萄牙、巴西，乃至更远的地方。

Growing up without money in my family, but still being able to travel from Mexico to Thailand to Portugal, Brazil, and beyond, all by myself.

我旅行时并不奢华。

I wasn't traveling in luxury.

有时候，我都不知道下个月该住在哪里。

Sometimes, I didn't know where I was going to stay next month.

我只知道，只要能教几节英语课，就能继续走下去。

I only knew that I could teach a couple English lessons and keep going.

所以有人在评论区问我，如果你不是英语老师，你觉得你会做什么？

So someone asked me in the comments, what do you think you would be if you weren't an English teacher.

今天，我就来回答这个问题，同时告诉你英语是如何带我环游世界的故事。

So today, I'm going to answer that question while telling you the story of how English took me around the world.

如果这个语速对你来说太慢，那就把视频调快一点。

If this speed is too slow for you, then just speed up the video.

给自己一个小挑战。

Give yourself a little challenge.

首先，让我们讲讲我是如何成为老师的。

First, let's get in to how I became a teacher.

我父母都是英语老师。

My mom and my dad are both English teachers.

当我的妹妹年满18岁时，她也成了英语老师。

And when my sister turned 18 years old, She became an English teacher as well.

她在线上给中国的学生上课。

She taught lessons online to students in China.

她与一家叫VIPKID的公司合作，仅凭她的TEFL证书就能做到。

She worked with a company called VIPKID, and she could do it with just her TEFL certificate.

还有高中。

And high school.

来自世界任何地方的高中。

High school from anywhere in the world.

她赚了不少钱，足以支付大学期间的伙食和房租。

She made a good salary, good money, and she was able to pay for her food and rent in college with that job.

想象一下，一边学习一边工作，仅靠教书就能负担一切。

Imagine working and studying and affording it all just by teaching.

我姐姐为我铺平了道路。

My sister walked so I could run.

这是英语中的一个表达。

That's an expression in English.

我姐姐先走，我才得以奔跑。

My sister walked so that I could run.

这基本上意味着我姐姐为我开辟了道路，而我也照做了。

It basically means my sister set the path for me to follow, and that's what I did.

我17岁时就拿到了TEFL证书。

I got my teethel certificate when I was 17 years old.

所以一满18岁，我就知道我也想开始在线教书。

So the second I turned 18, I knew I wanted to start teaching online as well.

就像我姐姐那样，我一有收入就立刻尽可能地存钱，18岁时我就搬出去住了，租了自己的公寓。

Just like my sister did, I started saving money right away as much as I could, And I was able to move out into my own apartment when I was 18.

我搬到了普埃布拉。

I moved to Puebla.

那是一个比我成长的小城镇更大的城市。

It's a bigger city outside of the town I grew up in.

我在那里工作了一年左右，但很快我就意识到自己感到被困住了。

I lived there working for about a year, but I soon realized I felt stuck.

我陷入了一种我不喜欢的日常模式。

I was getting stuck in a routine that I didn't like.

从小我就一直梦想着旅行。

I had always dreamed of traveling since I was little.

那整整一年，我都在等待有人陪我一起旅行，无论是我姐姐还是朋友，但没人像我这么想出去走走。

And that whole year, I was just waiting for someone to travel with, whether that was my sister or my friends, but nobody really wanted to as much as I did.

当然，他们都在上大学，但还是没人愿意和我一起旅行。

Granted, they were studying in college, but still nobody wanted to travel with me.

那时，我有了笔记本电脑、Wi-Fi和我的英语课程。

At this point, I had my laptop, Wi Fi, and my English classes.

我以为这就是我需要的一切。

I thought that's all I need.

于是我决定独自前往墨西哥的图卢姆，开启我的第一次单人旅行。

So I decided to take my first solo trip to Tulum, Mexico.

就在那时，我意识到这正是我一直在寻找的东西。

And that's when I realized this is exactly what I've been looking for.

连接、相遇、学习。

Connecting, meeting, learning.

我回到家时，感觉比以往任何时候都更像真正的自己。

I came back home feeling more myself than I ever had.

就是那时，我决定预订下一次去哥斯达黎加的旅行。

That's when I decided to book my next trip to Costa Rica.

我在哥斯达黎加的一家旅舍做志愿者。

I volunteered at a hostel in Costa Rica.

交朋友和欣赏美丽的风景让我无比开心，当我再次回到墨西哥时，我就知道了。

It was so much fun making friends and seeing beautiful new sights that when I returned back to Mexico, I knew.

我确信自己还想继续旅行。

I was certain I wanted to travel again.

我一直以来都梦想着有一天能去泰国。

And I had always, always dreamed of visiting Thailand one day.

一直如此。

Always.

毕生的梦想。

Lifelong dream.

于是有一天，在存下每一分钱、每天午餐只吃米饭、豆子和鹰嘴豆之后，我终于攒够了买去泰国机票的钱。

So one day, after saving every penny I had, eating rice, beans, and chickpeas for lunch every day, I finally had enough money to buy my ticket to Thailand.

我想，只要够买一张去那里的机票就够了，因为我可以在线工作，赚取食物和住宿的费用。

I figured I only need enough for my ticket there because I can work online and get money for my food and my hostels I had to stay at.

于是我和家人告别，登上了飞往泰国的航班。

So I said goodbye to my family, and I boarded my flight to Thailand.

在泰国教书的唯一问题是墨西哥和泰国之间有时差。

The only problem about teaching in Thailand was the time difference between Mexico and Thailand.

如果我在墨西哥下午两点上课，那在泰国就是凌晨三点。

If I was teaching at 2PM in Mexico, that would be 3AM in Thailand.

这太残酷了。

It was brutal.

那段时间我成了夜猫子，一直熬到凌晨五点上课，真的让我吃不消。

Being nocturnal during that time, staying up until 5AM teaching, It got to me.

有些夜晚，我会因为精疲力尽而哭泣。

Some nights, I would cry from exhaustion.

我实在太累了。

I would be so tired.

但归根结底，我的疲惫并不重要。

But at the end of the day, my exhaustion didn't matter.

我拥有自由，以及独自旅行时最棒的经历。

I had my freedom and the most amazing experiences traveling alone.

我通过完全独自一人，对自己有了很多了解。

I learned a lot about myself just by being by myself completely alone.

在泰国，我实现了许多毕生的梦想。

In Thailand, I accomplished lots of my lifelong dreams.

我拿到了潜水证。

I got my scuba diving certificate.

我去了西米兰群岛，那真是个天堂。

I saw the Similan Islands, a true paradise.

我住在条件很简陋的地区，吃了大量当地食物，但我还是设法存下了所有教英语赚来的钱，继续潜水和旅行。

I lived in pretty sketchy areas, and I ate lots of local food, but I managed to continue saving all of the money I got from my English classes and continue scuba diving and continue traveling.

我去了柬埔寨和越南，那里的开销甚至比泰国还低。

I traveled through Cambodia and Vietnam to places that are even cheaper than Thailand.

但不知怎么的，我觉得因为在这些潮湿的国家待了太久，离海滩太近，经常在船上潜水，我的电脑坏了。

But somehow, I think from being in such humid countries for so long, Being so close to the beach, scuba diving on boats, somehow my computer broke.

这真是个关键时刻，因为我没有足够的钱买一台新电脑。

Now this was a crucial moment because I didn't have enough money to buy a new one.

我存的钱只够买一张回家的机票，但要么花掉这些积蓄买台新电脑继续旅行，要么用这些钱买回家的机票，然后再攒钱买新电脑。

I only had enough money saved to buy a ticket back home, but it was either spend those savings on a new computer to continue traveling or use those savings to buy my ticket home, and then maybe save up for a new computer.

我选择了我认为最负责任的选项。

And I chose the most responsible option, I think.

于是我回了家，用我的iPad工作，直到攒够钱买一台新电脑。

So I went back home, and I worked on my iPad until I saved up enough to buy a new computer.

然后我又存了一些钱，去了英国的康沃尔。

Then I saved up some more, and I traveled to The UK, Cornwall.

我见到了我正在交往的男孩。

I saw this boy that I was dating.

我见了他的家人，他带我参观了康沃尔所有美丽的地方。

I met his family, and he showed me all of the beautiful places in Cornwall.

但我坐不住了。

But I got antsy.

‘坐不住’就是指你无法安静下来。

Antsy is when you can't stay still.

所以我又坐不住了。

So I got antsy.

我必须再次出发。

I had to move again.

我必须去一个新地方。

I had to travel somewhere new.

于是我订了去葡萄牙的机票。

So I booked a ticket to Portugal.

在那里，我在一家青年旅舍工作时遇到了最好的人。

That's where I met the best people while working at a hostel.

我每周在前台工作二十小时。

I worked at reception twenty hours a week.

作为交换，他们提供我免费住宿和免费食物，在我看来这是非常划算的。

And in exchange, they gave me a free place to sleep and free food, a really good deal in my opinion.

我还每天在线教两三个小时的英语，以赚钱并为下一次旅行存钱。

And I also taught English online two or three hours a day to make money and save for my next trip.

我在葡萄牙度过了许多愉快的时光。

I had so many fun moments in Portugal.

骑自行车、去海滩、探索城市。

Biking, going to beaches, exploring the city.

我非常喜欢葡萄牙。

I adored Portugal.

我非常喜欢我工作的那家青年旅舍。

I adored the hostel I worked at.

青年旅舍是一个让旅行者彼此连接的安全空间。

Hostels are a safe space where travelers can connect with each other.

我通过Worldpackers做志愿者。

I volunteered through Worldpackers.

做志愿者帮我节省了数千美元，而英语是我能够做到这一切的原因——为了沟通、建立联系和提供帮助。

Volunteering saved me thousands of dollars, and English was the reason that I could do it, to communicate, to connect, and to help.

大多数青年旅舍都要求志愿者会说英语。

It was a requirement to know English, to volunteer at most hostels.

终于，该回家了。

Finally, it was time to go home.

我订了去墨西哥的机票，紧接着又安排了一份在海龟保护区的志愿者工作，这是我梦想中的志愿者地点。

I booked my ticket to Mexico, and right away, I had another volunteering job scheduled at a turtle sanctuary, my dream place to volunteer at.

我度过了最美好的时光，结识了一些极具启发性的朋友。

I had the most wonderful experience, and I met some of the most thought provoking friends.

我喜欢守护海龟巢穴，确保小海龟安全抵达海洋。

I loved watching over the turtle nests and making sure the baby turtles made it into the ocean.

这是一段神奇的经历，我也是在Worldpackers上找到的。

It was a magical experience that I also found on Worldpacers.

在海龟保护区结束后，我准备再次旅行。

Now after the turtle sanctuary, I was ready to travel again.

于是，当时的男朋友邀请我和他一起去新西兰，在房车里生活。

So my boyfriend, at the time invited me to travel to New Zealand with him to live in a van.

我买了机票。

I bought my ticket.

我买了在新西兰过冬所需的一切物品，然后向家人告别。

I bought everything I needed for the winter in New Zealand, and I said goodbye to my family.

但在出发前几天，他打电话告诉我，他背叛了我。

But he called me a few days before leaving and told me he cheated on me.

我当然崩溃了，但好运总会在不幸之后出现。

I was destroyed, obviously, but blessings always come out of misfortunes.

至少对我而言，总是如此。

At least for me, they always do.

有一天，我感到非常悲伤、迷失，于是决定扩大我的教学范围，招收更多学生，以便存更多钱，再次独自旅行。

And I was feeling so sad, so lost one day that I decided to expand my reach and get new students so I could save more money and travel by myself again.

于是我 setup 了摄像机，用缓慢的英语读了一段简单的脚本。

So I set up my camera, and I read a very simple script in slow English.

我开始视频时说：‘你好，欢迎回到我的慢速英语播客。’

I started the video with hello, and welcome back to my slow English podcast.

我发布了视频，然后去睡觉了。

I posted it, and I went to sleep.

我醒来时发现有数百万的播放量，所有人都说我的声音像Honey老师，而且都希望我能继续更新。

I woke up to millions of views, all of them saying that I sounded like miss Honey, and they were all saying that they wanted more.

剩下的就是历史了。

And the rest is history.

我为自己建立的这个社群感到无比自豪。

I am so incredibly proud of the community I built.

我为你们坚持目标、从不被挫败感打败而感到骄傲。

I am so proud of you guys for sticking to your goals and never letting frustration get the best of you.

从不让失望扼杀你们的梦想。

Never letting disappointment get the best of your dreams.

我讲这个故事，并不是想说，看，我做到了什么。

I'm not telling you this story to say, oh, look at what I did.

英语并没有给我带来完美的人生。

And English didn't give me a perfect life.

它给了我选择。

It gave me choices.

也许你的梦想并不是去旅行。

Maybe your dream isn't to travel.

也许是稳定、自信，或者一份更好的工作。

Maybe it's stability, confidence, a better job.

英语不会神奇地解决所有问题，但它能在你生活中某些令人害怕的时刻、经济紧张的时候，为你打开大门。

English won't magically fix everything, but it can open doors for moments in your life when things get a little bit scary, when money is tight.

抱歉。

Sorry.

阳光太晒了。

It was getting too hot in the sun.

至于你问我如果不是英语老师会做什么，我可能会当一名潜水教练。

And to answer your question on what I would be if I wasn't an English teacher, probably a scuba dive instructor.

那曾经是我的梦想工作，或者开一家青年旅舍，因为我喜欢青年旅舍。

That used to be my dream job or owning a hostel because I love hostels.

我喜欢人们彼此连接、分享故事，并放下对他人可能存在的偏见。

I love the way people connect, share stories, and let go of any prejudices they might have about other people.

或者我可能成为其他类型的老师。

Or I might have been some other kind of teacher.

我热爱教学。

I love teaching.

这绝对是我的热情，源自我的父母，他们是我认识的最好的两位老师。

It's definitely my passion, passed on to me by my mom and my dad, the two best teachers I know.

别忘了点赞和订阅，永远不要停止学习。

Don't forget to like and subscribe, and never stop learning.

再见。

Bye.