老外在中国：格斗孤儿，警察能做的不只是执法

两周前，我讲述了广东格斗孤儿德瑞克的故事。无论在中国还是其他国家，都有很多像德里克这样的问题青年，他们生活在社会边缘，几乎无法谋生。在美国，警察率先带头帮助这些问题青年。作为社会安全的第一道防线，警官亲眼看到了德瑞克这样的少年遇到的问题。美国每个州都有数百所警察体育联盟中心，警员自愿充当孩子们的导师，为他们指明前进的道路。

By Randy Wright

“With nowhere else to go, he fights”.

“格斗孤儿用拳击与命运抗争”。

That was the headline two weeks ago, when I wrote about Derek, a 15-year-old orphan from Guangdong province who wants to be a mixed martial arts champion.

这是我两周前一篇文章的标题，写的是一名15岁的广东孤儿德瑞克，他梦想成为一名综合格斗冠军。

He lived alone in a rough neighborhood, with barely enough money to buy food. He would fight in underground clubs whenever he could. Recently, he was dangerously knocked out by an older, stronger opponent.

他一个人住在安全不好的小区，吃饭的钱都没有，有机会就去地下俱乐部格斗。最近一场比赛中，他被一个更成熟更强大的对手打的很惨。

Such fights are illegal, I've been told. Derek told me about the gamblers, the raucous crowds, the booze and the bikini-clad girls who prance around and fawn over the fight winners. Yet he views the octagon as a temple. He sees it as his ticket to a better life.

我被告知，这种比赛是违法的。德瑞克和我讲了俱乐部的赌徒，人群喧闹，纵酒狂欢，比基尼女孩在周围热舞，讨好获胜选手。但他却把拳台当成神殿，把它当成通往幸福生活的门票。

In China and elsewhere, there are many at-risk youth like Derek — kids at the margins of society with little to live for. Hopelessness can lead them into criminal gangs, drugs, prostitution, violence, prison and even suicide. Derek himself carries the scars of self-inflicted knife wounds from the time he tried to take his own life and failed.

无论在中国还是其他国家，都有很多像德里克这样处于危险中的青年，他们生活在社会边缘，几乎无法谋生。绝望可能让他们走向团伙犯罪、毒品、卖淫、暴力、监狱、甚至自杀。德瑞克身上留有多处自杀未遂的刀疤。

Bottom line: When there's nowhere else to go, it's easy to go nowhere.

当人无路可走时，最终就很容易走向极端。

The vicious cycle can only be broken by caring people. In the United States, it's police departments that have taken the lead with at-risk youth. As society's first line of defense, officers see firsthand the problems of people like Derek. At hundreds of Police Athletic League centers in every US state, officers volunteer to mentor kids and point them in a positive direction.

有人关心他们才能打破这个恶性循环。在美国，警察率先带头帮助这些问题青年。作为社会安全的第一道防线，警官亲眼看到了德瑞克这样的少年遇到的问题。美国每个州都有数百所警察体育联盟中心，警员自愿充当孩子们的导师，为他们指明前进的道路。

The league was founded in 1914 by a visionary police captain, John Sweeney, in New York City's poverty-stricken Lower East Side. The idea was to give youth a place to go and to help them build character through athletics. Today there's hardly a city of any size in the US that doesn't have a PAL affiliate or similar program. Millions of kids' lives have changed for the better.

1914年，一位远见卓识的警长约翰•斯威尼，在纽约贫困的下东区成立了该联盟，旨在为年轻人提供一个去处，通过体育运动塑造其个性。现在，在美国任何城市，都不难找到该联盟或类似的组织。数百万儿童的生活因此变得更美好。

Some PALs offer boxing and martial arts training, which would appeal to Derek. But that hardly scratches the surface of what they do. The national PAL association lists well over 100 activities for youth — a long lineup of sports, to be sure, but also training in life skills, the arts and academics; from cooking to computers, pottery to theater — all provided free of charge. Adult volunteers from all walks of life are welcome. In some places, police officers even help kids with their homework.

有些中心提供拳击和武术训练，这对德瑞克应该很有吸引力。但这只是他们提供的活动中的一小部分。美国警察体育联盟协会向青少年提供100多种活动——除了一长串的体育活动外，还包括生活技巧、艺术和学术培训；从烹饪做饭到电脑编程，从陶艺到戏剧，所有项目都是免费的。该协会欢迎各行各业的成人志愿者加入其中。某些地方，警察甚至帮孩子辅导家庭作业。

The PAL mission remains unchanged after more than a century: to keep young people out of trouble by channeling their energies into constructive pursuits.

100多年来，警察体育联盟的使命不曾改变，那就是：引导孩子追求积极向上，从而帮他们走出困境。

The personal relationships with police officers are crucial. Experience in the US shows that when the officers are known and respected, respect follows for the laws they enforce. That's worth a serious look.

警察和群众的关系非常关键。美国的经验表明，如果警察知名且受尊敬，那么他们执行的法律也会受尊敬。这点值得深思。

An old slogan rings true: It's better to build a boy than to mend a man.

老话说的好：“少成若天性，习惯成自然。”

Postscript: Since my last column, Derek was offered a home by a caring family. He's getting regular meals. He has started school. I convinced him to go to bed at 9 pm and rise at 5 am.

附言：上次采访完，德瑞克就找到一家富有爱心的家庭。他的饮食规律起来，也开始上学了。我说服他晚上9点睡觉5点起床。

“How do you feel now?” I asked.

“现在感觉怎么样？”我问。

He answered: “Rebirth.”

“就像重生，”他回答道。

Broadcaster：

Randy Wright joined China Daily as an editor in 2013. His career spans 36 years and 10 newspapers in the United States in senior management, editorial writing and reporting roles. He served as adjunct faculty at the University of Arizona and has consulted for many publications, including the California Bar Journal for lawyers and judges. He is a licensed pilot in the US.