When I was three years old, my parents discovered I was totally deaf. Instead of sending me to a private school for the deaf, they decided to "mainstream" me.
在我三岁的时候，我父母发现我完全失聪了。他们没有把我送到私立聋人学校，而是决定让我融入主流教育，进入正规班级。
Since I started going there in 3rd grade, I was the only deaf child at Blue Creek Elementary School. From almost the first day there, the other kids taunted（奚落） me and called me names mainly because of my hearing aid and the way I talked.
从我上小学三年级开始，我就是蓝溪小学里唯一的失聪儿童。几乎从第一天开始，其他孩子就因为我的助听器和我说话的方式嘲笑我、辱骂我。
I experienced great anxiety throughout elementary school because, in addition to the problems of "fitting in" with the other students, I also struggled mightily（非常） with most of my schoolwork. I seemed to spend every spare moment doing homework just so I could keep up.
在整个小学生活中，我经历了巨大的焦虑，因为除了 “融入” 其他学生的问题，完成我的大部分功课也让我感到非常艰难。我似乎把所有的空闲时间都用来做作业，这样我才能跟上进度。
On the surface, I was gregarious（社交的）, outgoing and happy-go-lucky（无忧无虑）, but in reality, my self-esteem was quite low.
表面上看，我很合群、外向、无忧无虑，但实际上，我的自尊心很弱。
Mrs. Jordan, my 5th grade teacher, changed all of that with a simple three-word phrase.
乔丹老师是我五年级的老师，她用一个简单的三字短语改变了这一切。
One morning, she asked the class a question. I read her lips from my front-row（前排） seat and immediately raised my hand. I couldn't believe it —for once I knew the answer. But, when she called on me, I was afraid. I didn't want to blow it.
一天早上，她问了全班一个问题。我在前排的座位上读到她的唇语，立刻举起了手。我简直不敢相信——我居然知道答案。但是，当她叫到我的时候，我害怕了。我不想搞砸了。
Despite my fears, I felt very confident because —for once —I was sure I had the right answer. I took a deep breath and nervously answered Mrs. Jordan's question.
尽管我很害怕，但我也感到非常自信，因为这一次我确信我的答案是正确的。我深吸了一口气，紧张地回答了乔丹老师的问题。
I will never forget what happened next.
我永远也不会忘记接下来发生的事情。
Her response was explosive. It startled（惊愕） all of us.
她的反应非常激烈。这吓了我们一大跳。
Mrs. Jordan enthusiastically slammed her right foot on the floor and whirled（旋转） her right finger in a circle until it pointed directly at me.
乔丹老师热情地用右脚猛跺地板并把右手的手指转了一圈，直到手指直直地指向我。
With sparkling eyes and a wide smile she cried, "THAT'S RIGHT STEPHEN!"
她眼睛闪闪发亮，笑容满面地喊道：“正确，斯蒂芬!”
For the first time in my young life, I was an instant star.
在我幼小的生命中，我第一次在某个瞬间成为了明星。
My heart burst with pride as an ear-to-ear grin（露齿而笑） filled my face. My confidence soared like never before. I decided right then and there that I would make a place for myself in this world.
我心里充满了骄傲，我的脸上充满了笑容。我的信心空前高涨。我当时就决定，我要在这个世界上为自己创造一片天地。
A simple three-word phrase delivered with incredible enthusiasm had totally transformed my young life.
一个简单的三字短语带着难以置信的热情完全改变了我年轻的生活。
And it all started with Mrs. Jordan. "THAT'S RIGHT STEPHEN!"
这一切都是从乔丹老师开始的。“正确，斯蒂芬!”
