Thursday, February 24, 2011

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About the bookAuthors: Clare Swain

Publisher: Penguin

Publishing date: 2007

Category: Historical fi gures and biographies

Number of pages: 44

Thinking questions1. Have you witnessed any acts of courage?

Who is the bravest person that you know?

2. Do you think you have a high threshold for pain? What causes would you be prepared to go to prison for?

If you like this book read…

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage to the Antarctic

After a transatlantic expedition goes wrong, explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew faced the prospect of death after their ship was trapped in the North Pole. After leading his men across the pack-ice to Elephant Island, he realised that a further 600-mile trip to a

whaling station was needed, if all 27 of the crew are to be saved.

Unsungheroes

Vocabulary bask (v) 感到適意compatriot (n) 同胞

melt (v) 融化indigenous (adj) 土著的

contested (adj) 爭奪的motivational (adj) 誘導的

Stories of Courage proves true heroes are often reluctant and modest, but always inspirational

MOVIE makers and video game developers often portray a hero as a buff man who fights off an army of baddies before rescuing a damsel in distress. But in the real world that

is not always the case, with the hero coming in all shapes and sizes, and not necessarily riding off into the sunset to bask in glory. Stories of Courage is a collection of a number of real life accounts of people who have faced tremendous danger, physical hardships or emotional turmoil to achieve their goals.

Most of the heroes in Clare Swain’s book do not even look that extraordinary at first glance and could even pass for someone you sit next to on the train every morning. A prime example is Odette Sansom who was a fairly plain housewife for most of her life. But during the Second World War, she was a key member of the French Resistance and passed on vital secrets to the British forces. Even when she was caught, tortured and sentenced to death by the Nazis, she refused to betray her compatriots or denounce her loyalty to France (法國). After the war, she melted back into domestic life and was always reluctant to talk about her daring past.

Another modest figure featured is the Brazilian Chico Mendez, who almost single-handedly exposed the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest in the 1980s. In addition to educating the world about the threat faced by indigenous people and wildlife species in this unique ecosystem, he regularly fought legal battles with corrupt governments and companies, who wanted to deforest the contested land. Mendez’s selfless campaigning may have led to his untimely death after he was killed in suspicious circumstances in 1988.

On the other side of the world in Myanmar (緬甸),

there is the charismatic Aung San Suu Kyi who has used quiet dignity and stoicism to rally her supporters. The petite Burmese opposition leader turned down a comfortable life in England (英格蘭) in 1988 and has spent most of the subsequent years under house arrest with very few privileges under the orders of the nation’s military junta. Despite her shackles, Suu Kyi tirelessly fights for democracy, with a determination that won her the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1991.

Outstanding courage is not restricted to just the military and political arena, as demonstrated by the story of the Cuban athlete Ana Quirot. After suffering horrendous burns in a house accident, doctors thought walking would be impossible, let alone world-class sprinting. But Quirot overcame the pain and showed steely determination through months of challenging physiotherapy sessions to return to the track, and even won medals.

The most extraordinary story about confronting physical pain concerns an American adrenalin junkie who goes hiking in Utah (猶他州). After an accident leaves Aron Ralston’s right arm trapped under a huge rock, death is imminent after several days with no rescue. Armed with just a penknife, Ralston makes the dreadful decision to amputate his arm to free himself. Today, Aron is a respected motivational speaker and his story of survival has been recently adapted into the movie 127 Hours.

After reading Stories of Courage, it is clear that true bravery is exhibited by ordinary people who are forced into incredible feats, by fate rather than choice. Their uplifting and enduring stories also show that anyone in the world can be a hero if you doggedly stick to your convictions and be-liefs, while never giving up hope.

Odette Sansom Chico Mendez

Aung San Suu Kyi

Aron Ralston

Ernest Shackleton

Ana Quirot