Abigail Washburn: Building US-China relations ... by banjo

Translator: Zuzana Piovarciova Reviewer: Renáta Rudišinová

If you had caught me straight out of college

Ak by ste si ma odchytili na odchode z univerzity

in the halls of the Vermont State House

v priestoroch Vermontskej radnice,

where I was a lobbyist in training

kde som bola na praxi ako lobistka

and asked me what I was going to do with my life,

a spýtali ste sa ma, čo budem v budúcnosti robiť,

I would have told you

určite by som vám povedala,

that I'd just passed the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi,

že som práve spravila Hanuyu Shuiping Kaoshi,

the Chinese equivalency exam,

vyrovnávaciu skúšku z čínštiny,

and I was going to go study law in Beijing,

a chystala som sa študovať právo v Pekingu

and I was going to improve U.S.-China relations

a išla som zlepšiť vzťahy medzi USA a Čínou

through top-down policy changes

pomocou zmien v politike od vrchu na dol

and judicial system reforms.

a systémových zmien súdnictva.

(Laughter)

(Smiech)

(Applause)

(Potlesk)

I had a plan,

Mala som plán

and I never ever thought

a nikdy v živote by som si nepomyslela,

it would have anything to do

že by tento plán mal niečo

with the banjo.

spoločné s bendžom.

Little did I know

Vôbec som netušila,

what a huge impact it would have on me one night

ako veľmi ma ovplyvní jedna noc

when I was at a party

strávená na jednej párty,

and I heard a sound coming out of a record player

kde v jednom momente som začula zvuk z prehrávača,

in the corner of a room.

ktorý bol v rohu miestnosti.

And it was Doc Watson

Znel Doc Watson

singing and playing "Shady Grove."

spievajúc a hrajúc "Shady Grove" (Tienistý háj).

♫ Shady Grove, my little love ♫

♫ Tienistý háj, môj milovaný ♫

♫ Shady Grove, my darlin' ♫

♫ Tienistý háj, môj miláčik ♫

♫ Shady Grove, my little love ♫

♫ Tienistý háj, môj milovaný ♫

♫ Going back to Harlan ♫

♫ Vraciam sa do Harlanu ♫

That sound was just so beautiful,

Ten zvuk bol neuveriteľne krásny,

the sound of Doc's voice

tón Docovho hlasu

and the rippling groove of the banjo.

a vlnivá melódia bendža.

And after being totally and completely obsessed

A po tom ako som bola totálne a úplne posadnutá

with the mammoth richness and history

obrovským bohatstvom a históriou

of Chinese culture,

čínskej kultúry,

it was like this total relief

bolo to ako závan čerstvého vetra,

to hear something so truly American

počuť niečo také typicky americké,

and so truly awesome.

a také neuveriteľne úžasné.

I knew I had to take a banjo with me to China.

A v tom momente som vedela, že si do Číny musím zobrať bendžo.

So before going to law school in China

A tak pred nastúpením na právo v Číne

I bought a banjo, I threw it in my little red truck

kúpila som si bendžo, hodila ho do môjho červeného mininákladiaku,

and I traveled down through Appalachia

precestovala som krížom Apalače,

and I learned a bunch of old American songs,

naučila som sa kopu amerických pesničiek

and I ended up in Kentucky

a skončila som v Kentucky

at the International Bluegrass Music Association Convention.

na Medzinárodnom stretnutí Bluegrass Music Association.

And I was sitting in a hallway one night

Jednej noci som sedela v hale

and a couple girls came up to me.

a pár dievčat prišlo ku mne.

And they said, "Hey, do you want to jam?"

Povedali mi: „Hej, chceš si zadžemovať?"

And I was like, "Sure."

A ja som im odvetila: „Jasné."

So I picked up my banjo

A tak som si zodvihla bendžo

and I nervously played four songs that I actually knew with them.

a nervózne zahrala štyri pesničky, ktoré sme poznali ja aj ony.

And a record executive walked up to me

V nato ku mne pristúpil vlastník nahrávacej spoločnosti

and invited me to Nashville, Tennessee to make a record.

a pozval ma do Nashwillu v štáte Tennessee, nahrať platňu.

(Laughter)

(Smiech)

It's been eight years,

Je to už osem rokov,

and I can tell you that I didn't go to China to become a lawyer.

a môžem vám prezradiť, že som do Číny nešla a nestala sa právničkou.

In fact, I went to Nashville.

V podstate som šla do Nashvillu.

And after a few months I was writing songs.

A po pár mesiacoch som písala piesne.

And the first song I wrote was in English,

Prvá pieseň, ktorú som napísala, bola v angličtine

and the second one was in Chinese.

a druhá v čínštine.

(Music)

(Hudba)

[Chinese]

(Čínština)

Outside your door the world is waiting.

Za tvojimi dverami ťa čaká svet.

Inside your heart a voice is calling.

V tvojom srdci volá hlas.

The four corners of the world are watching,

Štyri kúty sveta sa dívajú,

so travel daughter, travel.

tak cestuj dcérka, cestuj.

Go get it, girl.

Dievča, choď si po to.

(Applause)

(Potlesk)

It's really been eight years since that fated night in Kentucky.

Skutočne je to už 8 rokov od tej osudnej noci v Kentucky.

And I've played thousands of shows.

Zahrala som tisícky koncertov.

And I've collaborated

A spolupracovala som

with so many incredible, inspirational musicians around the world.

s mnohými neuveriteľnými a inšpirujúcimi muzikantmi po celom svete.

And I see the power of music.

A uvedomujem si silu hudby.

I see the power of music

Uvedomujem si silu hudby,

to connect cultures.

ktorá dokáže spájať kultúry.

I see it when I stand on a stage

Vidím ju, keď stojím na pódiu

in a bluegrass festival in east Virginia

na bluegrassovom festivale vo východnej Virgínii

and I look out at the sea of lawn chairs

a dívam sa na more zo záhradnej stoličky

and I bust out into a song in Chinese.

a znenazdajky začnem spievať pieseň v čínštine.

[Chinese]

(Čínsky)

And everybody's eyes just pop wide open

A všetci na mňa vytreštia oči,

like it's going to fall out of their heads.

akoby im mali každú chvíľu vypadnúť z jamiek.

And they're like, "What's that girl doing?"

A zahlásia: „O čo sa to dievča pokúša?"

And then they come up to me after the show

Po koncerte za mnou prídu

and they all have a story.

a každý z nich má nejaký príbeh.

They all come up and they're like,

Prídu ku mne a spustia,

"You know, my aunt's sister's babysitter's dog's chicken went to China

„Vieš, mojej tety sestry opatrovateľky pes mal sliepku, ktorá šla do Číny

and adopted a girl."

a adoptovala si dievčatko."

And I tell you what, it like everybody's got a story.

A viete čo? Každý z nás má nejaký príbeh.

It's just incredible.

Je to neuveriteľné.

And then I go to China

A keď som sa konečne dostala do Číny

and I stand on a stage at a university

a stála na pódiu univerzity,

and I bust out into a song in Chinese

začala som spievať pieseň v čínštine

and everybody sings along

a všetci so mnou spievali

and they roar with delight

a burácali s radosťou

at this girl

na toto dievča

with the hair and the instrument,

s týmito vlasmi a týmto nástrojom

and she's singing their music.

ako spieva ich piesne.

And I see, even more importantly,

A čo vidím ešte dôležitejšie

the power of music to connect hearts.

je sila hudby, ktorá dokáže spájať srdcia.

Like the time I was in Sichuan Province

Ako keď som bola v provincii Sečuan

and I was singing for kids in relocation schools

a spievala som pre deti v školách vysťahovaleckých táborov

in the earthquake disaster zone.

v oblastiach zasiahnutých zemetrasením.

And this little girl comes up to me.

Prišlo ku mne malé dievčatko

[Chinese]

(Činsky)

"Big sister Wong,"

„Veľká sestra Wong,"

Washburn, Wong, same difference.

Washburn či Wong, je to skoro to isté.

"Big sister Wong, can I sing you a song

„Veľká sestra Wong, môžem ti zaspievať pesničku,

that my mom sang for me

ktorú mi vždy spievala mamička

before she was swallowed in the earthquake?"

predtým, než ju zhltlo zemetrasenie?"

And I sat down,

A tak som sa posadila,

she sat on my lap.

dievčatko mi sadlo do lona.

She started singing her song.

Začala spievať jej pieseň.

And the warmth of her body

A teplo jej telíčka,

and the tears rolling down her rosy cheeks,

slzičky kotúľajúce sa po ružových líčkach

and I started to cry.

ma rozplakali.

And the light that shone off of her eyes

A to svetlo, ktoré jej žiarilo z očí,

was a place I could have stayed forever.

bolo miestom, kde by som mohla zostať navždy.

And in that moment, we weren't our American selves,

A v tom momente sme neboli Američanmi,

we weren't our Chinese selves,

ani Číňanmi,

we were just mortals

boli sme iba smrteľníci

sitting together in that light that keeps us here.

sediac pospolu v tom svetle, ktoré nás tu drží.

I want to dwell in that light

Chcem zostať v tom svetle

with you and with everyone.

s vami a s každým na tomto svete.

And I know U.S.-China relations

Už viem, že čínsko-americké vzťahy

doesn't need another lawyer.

nepotrebujú ďalšieho právnika.

Thank you.

Ďakujem.

(Applause)

(Potlesk)