The danger of silence | Clint Smith | TED

Translator: Anastasia Ogneva Reviewer: Carme Paz

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,

O doutor Martin Luther King Jr.,

in a 1968 speech where he reflects upon the Civil Rights Movement,

no discurso de 1968 no cal reflexiona sobre o Movemento polos Dereitos Civís,

states, "In the end,

afirma, "Á fin,

we will remember not the words of our enemies

lembraremos non as palabras dos nosos enemigos

but the silence of our friends."

senón o silencio dos nosos amigos".

As a teacher, I've internalized this message.

Como mestre, interiorizei esta mensaxe.

Every day, all around us,

Todos os días, ó noso redor

we see the consequences of silence

vemos que as consecuencias do silencio

manifest themselves in the form of discrimination,

se manifestan en forma de discriminación,

violence, genocide and war.

violencia, xenocidio e guerra.

In the classroom, I challenge my students

Nas aulas, reto ós meus alumnos

to explore the silences in their own lives

a que exploren os silencios nas súas propias vidas

through poetry.

a través da poesía.

We work together to fill those spaces,

Traballamos xuntos para cubrir eses ocos,

to recognize them, to name them,

para recoñecelos, para nomealos,

to understand that they don't have to be sources of shame.

para comprender que non teñen que ser fonte de vergoña.

In an effort to create a culture within my classroom

Nun esforzo por crear unha cultura nas aulas

where students feel safe sharing the intimacies

onde os alumnos se sintan seguros de compartir a intimidade

of their own silences,

do seu propio silencio,

I have four core principles posted on the board

puxen 4 principios chave no encerado

that sits in the front of my class,

que hai na fronte da aula,

which every student signs at the beginning of the year:

onde todos os alumnos firman ó comezar o curso:

read critically, write consciously,

le con crítica, escribe con conciencia,

speak clearly, tell your truth.

fala claramente, conta a túa verdade.

And I find myself thinking a lot about that last point,

E vexo que penso moito no derradeiro punto,

tell your truth.

conta a túa verdade.

And I realized that

E doume de conta de que

if I was going to ask my students to speak up,

se lles pedira ós meus alumnos que se pronunciasen

I was going to have to tell my truth

eu mesmo tería que contar a miña verdade

and be honest with them about the times

e ser sincero con eles sobre os momentos

where I failed to do so.

nos que non o fixen.

So I tell them that growing up,

Por iso lles digo que ao medrar,

as a kid in a Catholic family in New Orleans,

como fillo dunha familia católica en Nova Orleans,

during Lent I was always taught

aprendes na Coresma

that the most meaningful thing one could do

que o mellor que podemos facer

was to give something up,

é renunciar a algo,

sacrifice something you typically indulge in

sacrificar algo que normalmente te permites

to prove to God you understand his sanctity.

para demostrarlle a Deus que comprendes a súa santidade.

I've given up soda, McDonald's, French fries,

Renunciei ós refrescos, a McDdonald's, ás patacas fritidas,

French kisses, and everything in between.

ós bicos con lingua, e todo o que vai con eles.

But one year, I gave up speaking.

Mais un ano, renunciei a falar.

I figured the most valuable thing I could sacrifice

Deime de conta de que o máis valioso que podía sacrificar

was my own voice, but it was like I hadn't realized

era a miña propia voz, mais foi coma se non me percatara

that I had given that up a long time ago.

de que xa había tempo que renunciara a iso.

I spent so much of my life

Estiven tantos anos da miña vida

telling people the things they wanted to hear

dicíndolle á xente o que querían oír

instead of the things they needed to,

en vez do que precisaban oír,

told myself I wasn't meant to be anyone's conscience

que me convencín de que o meu non era ser a conciencia de ninguén

because I still had to figure out being my own,

porque aínda tiña pendente atopar a miña propia conciencia,

so sometimes I just wouldn't say anything,

por iso ás veces non dicía nada,

appeasing ignorance with my silence,

calmando a ignorancia co meu silencio,

unaware that validation doesn't need words

sen saber que a aprobación non precisa de palabras

to endorse its existence.

para avalar a súa existencia.

When Christian was beat up for being gay,

Cando Christian recibiu unha tunda por ser gai,

I put my hands in my pocket

metín a man no peto

and walked with my head down as if I didn't even notice.

e camiñei coa cabeza baixa coma se non fora consciente.

I couldn't use my locker for weeks because the bolt on the lock

Non usei o meu armario da escola en semanas porque o cadeado

reminded me of the one I had put on my lips

lembrábame o que eu tiña na boca

when the homeless man on the corner

cando o sen teito da esquina

looked at me with eyes up merely searching

me mirou cos ollos ben abertos en busca

for an affirmation that he was worth seeing.

da confirmación de que merecía ser visto.

I was more concerned with touching the screen on my Apple

Preocupábame máis enredar co meu móbil da mazá

than actually feeding him one.

que darlle unha a el para comer.

When the woman at the fundraising gala

Cando a muller da gala para recadar fondos

said "I'm so proud of you.

me dixo "Estou orgullosa de ti.

It must be so hard teaching those poor, unintelligent kids,"

Ten que ser complicado ensinar a eses rapaces pobres, ignorantes",

I bit my lip, because apparently we needed her money

mordín o labio porque pensei que precisabamos dos seus cartos

more than my students needed their dignity.

máis do que os meus alumnos precisaban de dignidade.

We spend so much time

Pasamos tanto tempo

listening to the things people are saying

escoitando as cousas que di a xente

that we rarely pay attention to the things they don't.

que case nunca atendemos ás que non din.

Silence is the residue of fear.

O silencio é o residuo do medo.

It is feeling your flaws

É notar como os teus defectos

gut-wrench guillotine your tongue.

che cortan a lingua.

It is the air retreating from your chest

É o aire saíndo do teu peito

because it doesn't feel safe in your lungs.

porque non se sente seguro nos pulmóns.

Silence is Rwandan genocide. Silence is Katrina.

O silencio é o xenocidio de Ruanda. O silencio é o Katrina.

It is what you hear when there aren't enough body bags left.

É o que se escoita cando non quedan suficientes bolsas de cadáveres.

It is the sound after the noose is already tied.

É o son da forca cando se amarra.

It is charring. It is chains. It is privilege. It is pain.

É carbonizar. Son as cadeas. É privilexio. É dor.

There is no time to pick your battles

Non hai tempo para escoller loitas

when your battles have already picked you.

cando estas xa te elixiron a ti.

I will not let silence wrap itself around my indecision.

Non permitirei que o silencio envolva a miña indecisión.

I will tell Christian that he is a lion,

Direille a Christian que é un león,

a sanctuary of bravery and brilliance.

un santuario de coraxe e excelencia.

I will ask that homeless man what his name is

Preguntareille polo seu nome a ese home sen teito

and how his day was, because sometimes

e como lle foi o dia, porque ás veces

all people want to be is human.

todo o que a xente desexa ser é humana.

I will tell that woman that my students can talk about

Direille a esa muller que os meus alumnos poden falar

transcendentalism like their last name was Thoreau,

do trascendentalismo coma se fosen Thoreau,

and just because you watched one episode of "The Wire"

e só porque viras un episodio de "The Wire"

doesn't mean you know anything about my kids.

non quere dicir que saibas algo dos meus rapaces.

So this year,

Por iso este ano,

instead of giving something up,

en vez de renunciar a algo,

I will live every day as if there were a microphone

vivirei cada día coma se tivera un micrófono

tucked under my tongue,

debaixo da lingua,

a stage on the underside of my inhibition.

nun escenario no fondo da miña inhibición.

Because who has to have a soapbox

Porque, quen precisa dunha tarima

when all you've ever needed is your voice?

cando o que se necesita é a voz?

Thank you.

Grazas.

(Applause)

(Aplauso)