Episódio 7: Acts of Service (Serviço comunitário)

Nesse episódio, duas pessoas contam como conheceram mais sobre si mesmas e sobre seus objetivos ao ajudar o próximo.

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Transcrição

Helena: Quando o telefone de Chris Yeager toca, geralmente é porque alguém está com problemas. Chris é o chefe da equipe de busca e salvamento, ou search and rescue, do condado de Lake, no Colorado. Nessa região, existem muitas áreas despovoadas, ou wilderness.

Chris: I grew up in the state of Connecticut, where there’s not really any “wilderness.” You’re always pretty close to a town, or at least a road. It’s not like the state of Colorado, or some of the other western states, where you can really get lost. Here in Lake County, we have the two tallest mountains in Colorado and hundreds of miles of wilderness. It’s pretty easy for something bad to happen here.

Helena: A maioria das equipes de resgate dos Estados Unidos é formada por voluntários. Chris trabalha em tempo integral como paramédico e nas horas vagas ajuda aventureiros em perigo.

Chris: Broken legs, avalanches, rock climbing accidents… All of these things happen here. We get around 60 calls a year, so I spend at least a few days every month in the woods, helping people. Sometimes my job is pretty calm, but sometimes things are dramatic...

Helena: Welcome, bem-vindas e bem-vindos ao podcast “Histórias em Inglês com Duolingo”. Eu sou Helena Fruet. Em cada episódio, você vai poder praticar inglês no seu ritmo, ouvindo histórias reais e emocionantes.

Os personagens falam um inglês simples e fácil de entender — perfeito pra quem tá aprendendo. Eu vou te acompanhar em cada episódio pra ter certeza que você tá entendendo tudo.

Siga nosso podcast no Spotify ou na sua plataforma preferida!

Hoje, vamos ouvir duas pessoas que se dedicam a ajudar o próximo, seja resgatando aventureiros nas montanhas do Colorado ou cuidando de soldados feridos nos campos de guerra do Afeganistão. Essas são histórias de serviço comunitário.

Chris se mudou pro Colorado em 2009, quando começou a universidade. E, logo depois, entrou pra equipe do Lake County Search and Rescue.

Chris: There was a poster on the wall at my college. It said that the county’s search and rescue team needed volunteers. On the poster, there were people in helicopters. It said, “You can do this!” But it wasn't true. My team doesn't often use helicopters for wilderness rescue. It's really just a lot of hiking.

Helena: Nos primeiros anos trabalhando com o grupo, Chris recebeu muitas ligações de pessoas que tinham se perdido. Uma vez, ele teve que subir uma montanha no meio de uma tempestade pra resgatar um cachorro que estava com as patas traseiras imobilizadas.

Chris: Ten minutes after we started the rescue, it started raining and it didn't stop. It was some of the heaviest rain I’ve ever experienced. And when we found the dog, it was a big dog! A poodle! We put the dog in a “litter” — basically just a big blanket that’s easy to carry. We started to carry the dog, but it didn’t understand what was happening, so it tried to get out. And it was still raining very hard. In the end, we got the dog home safely.

Helena: Não é o trabalho mais glamouroso do mundo, mas Chris adora.

Chris: I have helped people all my life; I learned it from my parents. My mom is a social worker. My dad helps people with special needs get jobs and become more independent. So helping people has always been important to me.

Helena: Geralmente as pessoas que pedem socorro à equipe de Chris não estão numa situação de vida ou morte, embora elas sintam que sim. Mas, algumas vezes, o perigo é real.

Chris: I remember one rescue. We got a call just before it got dark outside, which is when we get most of our calls. People get lost or hurt, and they don't think that they need help. Then it gets dark. They realize, “Oh, I do need to call someone for help.” In this case, we needed to rescue two women who were hiking up a mountain called Mt. Elbert. They got lost in deep snow, and they couldn’t get back down the mountain. They were starting to get really cold.

Helena: Em março, faz muito frio no Colorado. Neva bastante, mesmo em baixas altitudes. Naquele mês, a equipe de Chris já tinha feito vários resgates no Monte Elbert, onde fica o pico mais alto de todo o estado.

Chris: Mt. Elbert doesn’t look scary. It’s a really big mountain, but it doesn’t look like it. A lot of people think, “Oh, I'm just walking up a hill.” But it's a very long walk. If you don't bring enough food and water, you're going to have a bad time up there.

Helena: Chris e a equipe receberam a chamada e foram até a montanha. Eles dirigiram até onde dava e depois começaram a caminhar.

Chris: We knew approximately where the women were, so we found them pretty quickly. They were just sitting down, and they seemed very confused. People who are really cold can't think clearly. Their brains stop working. And these two women were really cold. So at first, they didn’t want to leave. I told them they were going to die if they stayed there. But they were so cold that they just said, “Oh, that’s OK.”

Helena: Chris não ia deixar as mulheres lá. Então ele ofereceu um agasalho pra cada uma pra ver se elas recuperavam a clareza mental.

Chris: First, we always ask people if their clothes are dry. Because we change their clothes if they are wet so they can get warm. One of the women said her socks were wet, so I took off her boots and her boots were full of water, and she didn't even notice.

Helena: Depois de oferecer roupas secas pras mulheres, Chris e os colegas deram água e comida e as ajudaram a descer a montanha.

Chris: Usually, when we're taking people back to a safe place, it's a really slow hike. We tell them that they’re going to be OK, and we give them some food and water. After we hiked for about 20 minutes with the two women, they started feeling warm again. They realized what happened, and they thanked us for coming to get them.

Helena: Na maioria das vezes, as pessoas resgatadas por Chris ficam muito gratas, algumas até fazem doações para o grupo de busca e salvamento. Uma vez, um homem que Chris resgatou deu agasalhos pra toda a equipe! Mas não é por isso que Chris faz esse trabalho.

Chris: People don't plan to get lost or hurt when they're in the wilderness. Sometimes bad things just happen, and people need help. It could even happen to me. I rescue people, but I can still get lost or hurt too. As a search and rescue volunteer, I can help people and make things better. And it's very satisfying. I love exploring the wilderness, but helping people out there makes it even better.

Helena: O serviço comunitário geralmente é um trabalho voluntário, mas a palavra “serviço” também pode ter uma conotação militar — tanto que falamos em servir ao país, ou to serve one’s country.

Em 2009, quando Amanda Rooney trabalhava numa loja de vestidos de noiva em Nova York, ela recebeu uma convocação da Marinha, ou Navy.

Amanda: I got my orders for duty, so I went to South Carolina to start my intensive training. I knew I was going to leave the US for duty, but I didn't know where I was going to be assigned. Then I found out I was going to a combat hospital…in Afghanistan.

Helena: Fazia dois anos e meio que Amanda era reservista da Marinha. Mas, como as Forças Armadas norte-americanas estavam no Afeganistão desde 2001 e no Iraque desde 2003, ela sabia que podia ser convocada pra guerra a qualquer momento.

Amanda: I joined the military after high school; I wanted to explore the world. When I was 22, I found out I was going to work in a hospital in Afghanistan. My first thought was, “Wow, this is really happening!” My second thought was, “I don't know anything!” I was very nervous!

Helena: Amanda tinha formação de auxiliar de serviços médicos. Por isso, no Afeganistão, ela foi enviada para trabalhar no hospital de uma base da Otan na província de Kandahar.

Amanda: In the hospital, we saw all kinds of things — from soldiers with high-altitude sickness to local children who were hurt by suicide bombs. Often, I had to suddenly stop working and help evacuate very badly hurt patients from helicopters. Their lives depended on us.

Helena: O trabalho era muito estressante, mas Amanda descobriu que ela era boa no que fazia. Por seis meses, sua vida se resumiu ao hospital e aos colegas de trabalho.

Amanda: I learned how different people respond to difficult situations. I also learned how I respond to difficult situations. It was hard, but I actually really enjoyed that time in Afghanistan. I created strong relationships with the people who worked with me. I will never forget that group of people. They are so important to me.

Helena: Finalmente, chegou a hora de voltar pra casa. Amanda ainda era reservista, mas sua primeira missão tinha terminado — e ela não seria chamada de novo tão cedo.

Amanda: I was only there for six months, but it seemed much longer. I was happy to go home, but then I had to make a new plan for my life. I was ready to start a career, but I just needed to find the right one.

Helena: Muitos soldados que servem no exterior têm dificuldade pra se adaptar quando voltam aos Estados Unidos, mas Amanda estava animada.

Amanda: I decided to get my degree and become a paralegal.

Helena: Amanda se tornou assistente legal, ou paralegal, e conseguiu uma vaga num escritório de advocacia especializado em processos trabalhistas. Mas ela logo percebeu que aquele não era um bom lugar pra ela.

Amanda: I started working for a lawyer, and I really hated it. When I was in the military, I was around a lot of men, and they often shouted at me because it was a life-or-death situation. But in that office, when a lawyer shouted at me, it was about a document, or a phone call. I did not feel respected or appreciated. And, as a paralegal, I wasn't saving anyone's life! The job didn't feel important, and I realized that I didn't want to do it.

Helena: E aí Amanda pediu demissão.

Amanda: I loved being in the Navy because I could make a difference and help people. So I thought, "I should find a job in public service!" When I was growing up, I helped take care of my siblings. I really like taking care of kids. So I started volunteering to represent children in the legal system…

Helena: Amanda começou a representar crianças como defensora nomeada pelo tribunal em decisões judiciais sobre custódia. Depois, ela passou a atuar como assessora de um juiz, ou judge, em uma vara de família, ou family court.

Amanda: I work in a family court. I’m the judge’s assistant. The judge has cases about family problems, like divorce and domestic violence. Sometimes it's a little crazy, but I really love my work.

Helena: Esse trabalho não implica situações de vida ou morte como o que ela fazia no Afeganistão, mas ainda assim tem um impacto muito grande na vida das pessoas.

Amanda: In court, people get divorced, families disagree about money, and sometimes kids are taken away from their parents. It’s really difficult for everyone. There is a lot of emotion in family court, and people are often annoyed, irritated, or confused. Many people do not have enough money for a lawyer, and they need advice.

Helena: E quando as coisas dão errado, podem acabar com a vida de alguém. Amanda lembra muito bem do caso de uma criança que ela ajudou.

Amanda: In one court case, there were parents who couldn't take care of their child. So the child was taken away from them. The boy had relatives in another state, and they wanted him to live with them. But before the boy could live with his relatives, the judge had to sign some documents. The boy's relatives called my office many times to find out if the documents were signed yet. But they were missing!

Helena: Faltava uma semana pro Natal. Os familiares do menino queriam que ele passasse as festas de fim de ano com eles, mas Amanda não sabia como ajudar sem aqueles documentos.

Amanda: I made a lot of phone calls. And I found out that the child services agency sent the documents to the wrong office! Those documents were in the wrong place for six weeks! So the boy's relatives were waiting for a long time and becoming very worried.

Helena: Assim que descobriu que os documentos tinham sido enviados pro lugar errado, Amanda conseguiu resolver imediatamente.

Amanda: I found the right documents, and then I personally spoke to the boy's relative at my office. We talked for almost an hour. She was so happy that the child — who she loved — could spend the holiday with her family. It was something small for me, but it was very important to this family.

Helena: Na Marinha, Amanda dedicou sua vida a ajudar o próximo. E continuou fazendo isso em seu trabalho como assistente legal.

Amanda: When I joined the Navy, I really didn’t know what kind of career I wanted to have. I’m almost 33 now, and I’m still not completely sure. I’m still in the Navy Reserves…and I want to be an officer one day. Until then, I’m really happy that I can help people in court!

Helena: Amanda Rooney trabalha no Tribunal do Condado de Charlotte, em Tampa, na Flórida. A história dela foi produzida por Allison McManus.

Chris Yeager, nosso primeiro protagonista, lidera o grupo voluntário de busca e salvamento no condado de Lake, no Colorado. Seu relato foi produzido por Stephanie Joyce. Obrigada por ouvir mais um “Histórias em Inglês com Duolingo”. Gostou do episódio de hoje? Compartilhe e comente com seus amigos usando a hashtag #DuolingoPodcastBR.

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“Histórias em inglês” é uma produção de Duolingo e Adonde Media. Assine nosso feed no Spotify ou na sua plataforma preferida. No YouTube você também encontra uma versão em vídeo desse podcast. Eu sou Helena Fruet. Thank you for listening!

Créditos

Esse episódio foi produzido por Duolingo e Adonde Media.