第1位 獨協大学学長賞

第 24 回
全国高校生英語スピーチコンテスト
第１位　獨協大学学長賞
men had a more important message; the idea was never to
get recognition the idea was to make a difference.
Unsung Heroes
浦和北高等学校　２年
アフマド　アリフィン　ヤスミン
Some people can be 1st but still be an unsung hero.
The reason? Because their product of effort seemed
too simple.
Ok, can anyone tell me who was the pioneer for sign
language? Young lady/ sir, how about you? Some of the
simplest inventions comes from the most creative minds.
Good day ladies and gentlemen,
Like Juan Pablo Bonet, a Spanish secretary in 1620 was the
You, Sir/Ma’
am, Who is your favorite hero? Batman or
pioneer for sign language. He wrote“Summary of the letters
Robin?　and art of teaching speech to the mute”Sure it was CharlesMichel who published the official manual but it was based
We all know one’
s contributions better when the person
on Bonet’
s writings. People like Bonet may not ring as many
stands out in the crowd. Like in comics, the title always goes
bells as say Alexander Graham Bell but hey, these people
“BATMAN and robin”
with the dark suited hero filling up the
sweated the small stuff when others didn’
t which makes
whole cover space. Not many of us go“What about Robin?
You know the one that did just as much as Batman?”
I
oppose to whoever decided that statuses matter instead say
its the satisfaction from what you do that counts.
So what makes a person an unsung hero? It may be
because they are overshadowed by their more celebrated
peers, their product of effort seems too simple or they
themselves don’
t know that what they’
re doing is amazing.
them just as extraordinary.
Mark that Bonet wasn’
t even deaf but did it for the sake of
his brother. Small things make big changes and even now,
the usage of sign language continues to help communication
among the people less fortunate and connect them to you
and I.
I would now like to focus on the people whom you can
all relate to. Our elders. The people who survived the past
If I say, tell me who is the 1st to land on the moon.
for the sake of our future. Our elders who still hold on to
Without a doubt, I bet 98% of you had thought of Neil
traditions and tell us stories of the old days. I call our elders
Armstrong. But I would like to call for those who were
as unsung heroes because what they don’
t know and what
unfortunately labeled 2nd place, the ones who we always
we don’
t realize is that they help keep our identity intact.
knew but never seem to remember. I call for Buzz Aldrin who
By identity, I mean, cultures and traditions. How many of us
was the 2nd man to land on the moon and for Datuk Onn,
from the younger generation can manually prepare herbs for
the man who did so much for racial unity in Malaysia. These
cooking? How many of us can understand the meaning of
men were overshadowed by their more celebrated peers,
independence and remember old stories that has been pass
which is a pity since they had poured no less sweat and
down from generations to generations? U-un. These little
blood in their work. Aldrin went through the same training,
things, in one way or another, do remind us of what makes
same Maths exams, same as whatever Armstrong had to
us who we are; of our roots.
do to get to the moon and Datuk Onn? He held no less
campaigns and spoke up for the people as much as the 1st
Ladies and gentlemen,
Prime Minister did. So what if Aldrin’
s name wasn’
t written
In every corner of the world there are many ordinary people
as much as Armstrong’
s in astronomy books? So Datuk
doing extraordinary things that are yet to be recognized.
Onn wasn’
t elected Prime Minister so what? It never meant
Even if they were their names may be remembered now but
that everything that they did; every training or every debate
forgotten later. All in all, they do teach us one thing that
regardless, wasn’
t good enough, it simply meant that these
having faith in what you do is all that matters.
皆 さん、例 えばバットマンとロビンではどちらが皆 さんのお 気 に 入 りのヒーローですか？　同 じことをしていても、評価 は 分 かれ
ます。そうです。
輝 く 英雄 に 隠 れた「陰 の 英雄」が 実 はたくさんいるのです。彼 らは 私 に 教 えてくれました。大切 なのは 身分 でも 地位
でも名声でもありません。
自分が何を成したかなのだと。
さて、私 たちの 身近 にも 陰 の 英雄 はいます。それは 私 たちの 先人達 です。私 たちのために過去 を 生 き 抜 いてくれた先人達 です。彼 ら
のお 陰 で 私 たちは 伝統 と 文化 を 受 け 継 ぎ、
自分 たちの 存在 を 確立 しているのです。世界中 のあらゆる 場所 で、ふつうの 人々 がそれと
は気づくこともなく、
実は並はずれた、驚くべきことを成しているのです。
5