Malcolm London: "High School Training Ground"

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

Translator: Bálint Ármai Reviewer: Anders Finn Jørgensen

Ved 7:45, jeg åbner dørene til en bygning

At 7:45 a.m., I open the doors to a building

dedicated to building, yet only breaks me down.

dedikeret til opbygning, men det kun bryder mig ned.

I march down hallways cleaned up after me every day

Jeg marcherer ned gangene ryddet op efter mig hver dag

by regular janitors,

af almindelige viceværter,

but I never have the decency to honor their names.

men jeg har aldrig den anstændighed at ære deres navne.

Lockers left open like teenage boys' mouths

Skabe efterladt åbne ligesom teenagedrenges munde

when teenage girls wear clothes that covers

hvor teenagepiger bærer tøj, der dækker

their insecurities but exposes everything else.

deres usikkerhed, men udsætter alt andet.

Masculinity mimicked by men who grew up with no fathers,

Maskulinitet efterlignet af mænd, der voksede op uden fædre,

camouflage worn by bullies who are dangerously armed

kamuflage båret af bøller, der er faretruende bevæbnet

but need hugs.

men har brug for kram.

Teachers paid less than what it costs them to be here.

Lærerne betalt mindre end hvad det koster dem at være her.

Oceans of adolescents come here to receive lessons

Oceaner af unge kommer her for at få lektioner

but never learn to swim,

men aldrig lærer at svømme,

part like the Red Sea when the bell rings.

skiller sig som Det Røde Hav, når klokken ringer.

This is a training ground.

Dette er et træningsområde.

My high school is Chicago,

Mit gymnasium er Chicago,

diverse and segregated on purpose.

forskelligartede og adskilt på formålet.

Social lines are barbed wire.

Sociale linjer er pigtråde.

Labels like "Regulars" and "Honors" resonate.

Etiketter som "Regulære" og "Ære" giver genlyd.

I am an Honors but go home with Regular students

Jeg er en Ære men tager hjem med Regulære studenter

who are soldiers in territory that owns them.

der er soldater i det territorium, der ejer dem.

This is a training ground to sort out the Regulars

Dette er et træningsplads for at sortere de Regulære

from the Honors, a reoccurring cycle

fra de Ære, en tilbagevendende cyklus

built to recycle the trash of this system.

bygget til at genanvende affaldet af dette system.

Trained at a young age to capitalize,

Uddannet i en ung alder for at kapitalisere,

letters taught now that capitalism raises you

bogstaver underviser nu at kapitalismen rejser dig

but you have to step on someone else to get there.

men du er nødt til at træde på nogen anden for at komme dertil.

This is a training ground where one group

Dette er en træningsplads, hvor den ene gruppe

is taught to lead and the other is made to follow.

lærer at lede, og den anden er lavet til at følge.

No wonder so many of my people spit bars,

Det er ikke underligt, at så mange af mine folk spytter eder,

because the truth is hard to swallow.

fordi sandheden er svært at sluge.

The need for degrees has left so many people frozen.

Behovet for grader har efterladt så mange mennesker frosne.

Homework is stressful,

Lektierne er stressende

but when you go home every day and your home is work,

men når du tager hjem hver dag og dit hjem er arbejde,

you don't want to pick up any assignments.

ønsker du ikke at finde opgaverne frem.

Reading textbooks is stressful,

At læse lærebøger er stressende,

but reading does not matter when you feel

men at læse gør ikke noget når du føler,

your story is already written,

at din historie er allerede skrevet,

either dead or getting booked.

enten død eller får reserveret.

Taking tests is stressful,

At tage tests er stressende,

but bubbling in a Scantron does not stop

men at boble i en Scantron ikke forhindrer

bullets from bursting.

kugler i at briste.

I hear education systems are failing,

Jeg hører at uddannelsessystemerne svigter,

but I believe they're succeeding at what they're built to do --

men jeg tror, at de lykkes på hvad der er bygget til at gøre --

to train you, to keep you on track,

at træne dig, at holde dig på sporet,

to track down an American dream that has failed

at opspore en amerikansk drøm, der har svigtet

so many of us all.

så mange af os alle.

(Applause)

(Bifald)