How to recognize a dystopia - Alex Gendler

Kako da prepoznate distopiju - Aleks Džendler (Alex Gendler)

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Mile Živković

Have you ever tried to picture an ideal world?

Da li ste ikad pokušali da zamislite idealan svet?

One without war, poverty, or crime?

U kom nema rata, siromaštva ili zločina?

If so, you're not alone.

Ako jeste, niste usamljeni.

Plato imagined an enlightened republic ruled by philosopher kings,

Platon je zamislio prosvetljenu republiku kojom vladaju filozofi kraljevi,

many religions promise bliss in the afterlife,

mnoge religije obećavaju blaženstvo u zagrobnom životu,

and throughout history,

a kroz istoriju

various groups have tried to build paradise on Earth.

razne grupe su pokušavale da sagrade raj na zemlji.

Thomas More's 1516 book "Utopia" gave this concept a name,

Knjiga "Utopija" Tomasa Mora iz 1516. je imenovala ovaj koncept

Greek for "no place."

grčkom rečju za "nepostojeće mesto".

Though the name suggested impossibility,

Iako je ime sugerisalo nemogućnost,

modern scientific and political progress

savremeni naučni i politički progres

raised hopes of these dreams finally becoming reality.

je podgrejao nade da će se ovi snovi konačno ostvariti.

But time and time again, they instead turned into nightmares

Međutim, iznova i iznova su se pretvarali u noćne more

of war, famine, and oppression.

u vidu rata, gladi i ugnjetavanja.

And as artists began to question utopian thinking,

Kad su umetnici počeli da preispituju utopijski način razmišljanja,

the genre of dystopia, the not good place, was born.

rođen je žanr distopije, lošeg mesta.

One of the earliest dystopian works is Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels."

Jedno od najranijih distopijskih dela su "Guliverova putovanja" Džonatana Svifta.

Throughout his journey, Gulliver encounters fictional societies,

Tokom svog putovanja, Guliver nailazi na fiktivna društva,

some of which at first seem impressive, but turn out to be seriously flawed.

neka od njih su na prvi pogled impresivna, ali se ispostavlja da su ozbijno falična.

On the flying island of Laputa,

Na letećem ostrvu Laputa,

scientists and social planners pursue extravagant and useless schemes

naučnici i društveni projektanti prave ekstravagantne i beskorisne planove,

while neglecting the practical needs of the people below.

istovremeno zapostavljajući praktične potrebe nižih slojeva.

And the Houyhnhnm who live in perfectly logical harmony

A Huinhmi koji žive u logički savršenoj harmoniji

have no tolerance for the imperfections of actual human beings.

nemaju toleranciju za nesavršenosti stvarnog ljudskog bića.

With his novel, Swift established a blueprint for dystopia,

Svojim romanom, Svift je ustanovio nacrt za distopiju,

imagining a world where certain trends in contemporary society

zamišljajući svet u kom su određeni trendovi savremenog društva

are taken to extremes,

dovedeni do ekstrema,

exposing their underlying flaws.

čime se otkrivaju njihove suštinske mane.

And the next few centuries would provide plenty of material.

A naredna nekolika veka će da obezbede obilje materijala.

Industrial technology that promised to free laborers

Industrijska tehnologija koja je obećala oslobađanje radnika,

imprisoned them in slums and factories, instead,

zarobljavala ih je, pak, u getoima i fabrikama,

while tycoons grew richer than kings.

dok su tajkuni postajali bogatiji od kraljeva.

By the late 1800's, many feared where such conditions might lead.

Do kasnih 1800-ih mnogi su strahovali kuda ovi uslovi mogu da nas odvedu.

H. G. Wells's "The Time Machine" imagined upper classes and workers

U "Vremeplovu" H. Dž. Velsa zamišljeni su viša klasa i radnici

evolving into separate species,

kako evoluiraju u različite vrste,

while Jack London's "The Iron Heel" portrayed a tyrannical oligarchy

dok je u "Gvozdenoj peti" Džeka Londona portretisan tiranski oligarh

ruling over impoverished masses.

koji vlada obespravljenim masama.

The new century brought more exciting and terrifying changes.

Novi vek je doneo još uzbudljivije i zastrašujuće promene.

Medical advances made it possible to transcend biological limits

Napredak u medicini je omogućio da se prevaziđu biološka ograničenja,

while mass media allowed instant communication

dok su masovni mediji omogućili trenutnu komunikaciju

between leaders and the public.

između vođa i javnosti.

In Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World", citizens are genetically engineered

U "Vrlom novom svetu" Oldosa Hakslija građani su genetski izmenjeni

and conditioned to perform their social roles.

i uslovljeni da izvode svoje društvene uloge.

While propaganda and drugs keep the society happy,

Iako propaganda i lekovi održavaju društvo srećnim,

it's clear some crucial human element is lost.

jasno je da je neki ključni ljudski element izgubljen.

But the best known dystopias were not imaginary at all.

Ali najpoznatije distopije uopšte nisu bile imaginarne.

As Europe suffered unprecedented industrial warfare,

Dok se Evropa mučila sa industrijskim ratom bez premca,

new political movements took power.

novi politički pokreti su preuzeli vlast.

Some promised to erase all social distinctions,

Neki su obećavali da će izbrisati sve društvene razlike,

while others sought to unite people around a mythical heritage.

dok su drugi težili da ujedine ljude oko mitskog nasleđa.

The results were real-world dystopias

Rezultat su bile stvarne svetske distopije

where life passed under the watchful eye of the State

gde se život odvijao pod budnim okom države

and death came with ruthless efficiency to any who didn't belong.

a smrt je stizala nemilosrdnom efikasnošću svakoga ko se nije uklapao.

Many writers of the time didn't just observe these horrors,

Mnogi pisci tog vremena nisu samo posmatrali ove užase,

but lived through them.

već su ih i živeli.

In his novel "We", Soviet writer Yevgeny Zamyatin described a future

U svom romanu "Mi", sovjetski pisac Jevgenij Zamjatin je opisao budućnost

where free will and individuality were eliminated.

u kojoj su eliminisani slobodna volja i individualnost.

Banned in the U.S.S.R., the book inspired authors like George Orwell

Zabranjena u SSSR-u, knjiga je inspirisala pisce poput Džordža Orvela,

who fought on the front lines against both fascism and communism.

koji se borio u prvim redovima protiv i fašizma i komunizma.

While his novel "Animal Farm" directly mocked the Soviet regime,

Dok njegov roman "Životinjska farma" direktno ismejava sovjetski režim,

the classic "1984" was a broader critique of totalitarianism, media, and language.

klasik "1984" je obuhvatnija kritika totalitarizma, medija i jezika.

And in the U.S.A., Sinclair Lewis's "It Can't Happen Here"

A u SAD-u, "To je ovde nemoguće" Sinklera Luisa

envisioned how easily democracy gave way to fascism.

predvidela je kako lako demokratija može da utre put fašizmu.

In the decades after World War II,

U decenijama nakon II svetskog rata,

writers wondered what new technologies

pisci su se pitali šta nove tehnologije,

like atomic energy, artificial intelligence, and space travel

poput atomske energije, veštačke inteligencije i puta u svemir

meant for humanity's future.

znače za budućnost čovečanstva.

Contrasting with popular visions of shining progress,

U suprotnosti sa popularnim vizijama blistavog napretka,

dystopian science fiction expanded to films, comics, and games.

distopijska naučna fantastika se prenela na filmove, stripove i igre.

Robots turned against their creators

Roboti su se okretali protiv svojih tvoraca,

while TV screens broadcast deadly mass entertainment.

dok se na TV ekranima prenosila smrtonosna zabava za mase.

Workers toiled in space colonies above an Earth of depleted resources

Radnici rintaju u svemirskim kolonijama iznad Zemlje čiji su resursi opustošeni

and overpopulated, crime-plagued cities.

i čiji su gradovi prenaseljeni i razoreni kriminalom.

Yet politics was never far away.

Ipak, politika je uvek bila prisutna.

Works like "Dr. Strangelove" and "Watchmen" explored the real threat of nuclear war,

Dela, poput "Dr Strejndžlav" i "Nadzirači"

su istraživala istinsku pretnju od nuklearnog oružja,

while "V for Vendetta" and "The Handmaid's Tale"

dok su nas "V kao vendeta" i "Služavkina priča"

warned how easily our rights could disappear in a crisis.

upozoravale kako lako naša prava mogu da nestanu tokom krize.

And today's dystopian fiction continues to reflect modern anxieties

I današnja distopijska fikcija nastvalja da odražava savremene nespokoje

about inequality,

o nejednakosti,

climate change,

klimatskim promenama,

government power,

moći vlada

and global epidemics.

i o globalnim epidemijama.

So why bother with all this pessimism?

Pa, zašto bi nas bilo briga za sav ovaj pesimizam?

Because at their heart, dystopias are cautionary tales,

Zato što su distopije u svojoj srži poučne priče,

not about some particular government or technology,

ne o nekoj određenoj vladi ili tehnologiji,

but the very idea that humanity can be molded into an ideal shape.

već o samoj ideji da čovečanstvo može da bude ukalupljeno u idealan oblik.

Think back to the perfect world you imagined.

Setite se savršenog sveta koji ste zamislili.

Did you also imagine what it would take to achieve?

Da li ste takođe zamišljali šta je potrebno da se on ostvari?

How would you make people cooperate?

Kako biste naterali ljude da sarađuju?

And how would you make sure it lasted?

I kako biste obezbedili njegovu trajnost?

Now take another look.

Sad se osvrnite ponovo.

Does that world still seem perfect?

Da li se taj svet i dalje čini savršenim?