Malcolm London: "High School Training Ground"

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

Translator: Iris Xholi Reviewer: Helena Bedalli

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

Ne oren 7:45 te mengjesit une hap dyert e nje ndertese

dedicated to building, yet only breaks me down.

qe i dedikohet ndertesave dhe qe me lodh.

I march down hallways cleaned up after me every day

Eci neper koridore te cilat pastrohen c'do dite

by regular janitors,

nga pastruesit,

but I never have the decency to honor their names.

te cileve une nuk kam patur miresjelljen t'ja kujtoj emrat.

Lockers left open like teenage boys' mouths

Sirtaret te lena hapur si gojet e djemve adoleshent

when teenage girls wear clothes that covers

kur shohin ndonje adoleshte qe mbulon pasigurite e tyre

their insecurities but exposes everything else.

por ekspozojne gjithcka tjeter.

Masculinity mimicked by men who grew up with no fathers,

Maskulinitet ky i imituar nga djem qe jane rritur pa baballare,

camouflage worn by bullies who are dangerously armed

kamuflazh i "te forteve" qe jane te armatosur gjer ne dhembe

but need hugs.

por qe ne thellesi te tyre kane nevoje per perqafime.

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

Mesues, te cilet paguhen me pak nga ci kushton te qenurit ketu.

Oceans of adolescents come here to receive lessons

Nje det adoleshentesh vjen ketu per te marre mesime

but never learn to swim,

por qe kurre nuk u mesohet te notojne,

part like the Red Sea when the bell rings.

pothuajse si Deti i Kuq ne renien e ziles.

This is a training ground.

Ky eshte nje terren trajnues (ushtrimor).

My high school is Chicago,

Gjimnazi im eshte Chicago,

diverse and segregated on purpose.

I larmishem dhe i segreguar qellimisht.

Social lines are barbed wire.

Ndarjet sociale jane telat me gjema.

Labels like "Regulars" and "Honors" resonate.

Etiketime si "Zakonshem" dhe "Nder" rezonojne.

I am an Honors but go home with Regular students

Une jam nxenes nderi, por shkoj ne shtepi se bashku me nxenesit e zakonshem

who are soldiers in territory that owns them.

te cilet jane ushtar ne territorin qe i ka te tyret.

This is a training ground to sort out the Regulars

Ky eshte nje terren ushtrimor per te ndare te zakonshmit

from the Honors, a reoccurring cycle

nga ato te nderit, nje cikel i vazhdueshem

built to recycle the trash of this system.

krijuar per te recikluar mbetjet e sistemit.

Trained at a young age to capitalize,

Te mesuar qe ne vegjeli te perdorim germat e medha te shtypit

letters taught now that capitalism raises you

na ka mesuar qe kapitalizmi te larteson,

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

por qe te arrish atje lart, duhet te shkelesh ne njerez te tjere me pare.

This is a training ground where one group

Ky eshte nje terren ushtrimor ku nje grup

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

mesohet te udheheqe dhe nje tjeter te ndjeke.

No wonder so many of my people spit bars,

Nuk eshte cudi qe kaq shum prej njerezve te mi kendojne rrep,

because the truth is hard to swallow.

sepse e verteta eshte e veshtire per tu pranuar.

The need for degrees has left so many people frozen.

Nevoja e diplomave ka ngrire kaq njerez.

Homework is stressful,

Te besh detyrat e shtepise eshte stresante,

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

por kur shkon ne shtepi cdo dite dhe shtepia jote eshte pune,

you don't want to pick up any assignments.

nuk te behet te besh detyra.

Reading textbooks is stressful,

Te lexuarit e librave shkollor eshte stresante,

but reading does not matter when you feel

sepse te lexuarit nuk ka rendesi kur ti e ndjen qe historia jote

your story is already written,

eshte e shkruar tashme,

either dead or getting booked.

ose i vdekur ose prapa hekurash.

Taking tests is stressful,

Te besh provime eshte stresante,

but bubbling in a Scantron does not stop

por te kopjuarit gjate nje provimi nuk e ndal

bullets from bursting.

bresherine e plumbave.

I hear education systems are failing,

Degjoj lart e poshte qe sistemet e edukimit po deshtojne,

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

por une mendoj se ato po ja dalin qellimit per te cilin jane krijuar--

to train you, to keep you on track,

per te stervitur ty, per te te mbajtur ne vijen e drejte,

to track down an American dream that has failed

qe te con pergjate endrres se deshtuar Amerikane

so many of us all.

qe ka lene ne balte sa e sa prej nesh.

(Applause)

(Duartrokitje)