If I should have a daughter ... | Sarah Kay

翻译人员: Angelia King 校对人员: Bear Jin

如果我有一个女儿，

If I should have a daughter,

instead of "Mom,"

而不是妈妈，

she's going to call me "Point B,"

她会叫我B点（Point B），

因为她知道不管发生什么，

because that way she knows that no matter what happens,

at least she can always find her way to me.

她总会找到办法回到我身边。

And I'm going to paint solar systems on the backs of her hands

我会把太阳系画到她手背上，

她要了解整个宇宙

so she has to learn the entire universe

before she can say, "Oh, I know that like the back of my hand."

在她能说“哦，我知道这个就像我手背上的图画一样。”之前。

And she's going to learn

她会学到

that this life will hit you hard in the face,

这一生会迎面直击很多困难，

wait for you to get back up just so it can kick you in the stomach.

等着你奋力反击时好再次踢你的肚子。

But getting the wind knocked out of you

让旷野之风把你狠狠地击倒

is the only way to remind your lungs

这是唯一唤醒你脾肺的方法

how much they like the taste of air.

这尝起来多么像空气的味道。

但这伤痛依旧

There is hurt, here,

that cannot be fixed by Band-Aids or poetry.

创可贴或者诗歌也不能修复。

So the first time she realizes that Wonder Woman isn't coming,

所以第一次她意识到

神奇女侠不会出现，

I'll make sure she knows

我确信她知道

she doesn't have to wear the cape all by herself,

她自己不用再穿神奇女侠套装。

because no matter how wide you stretch your fingers,

因为不管再怎么伸长你的手指，

your hands will always be too small

你的双手还是那么小

to catch all the pain you want to heal.

而承担不了你想愈合的所有痛苦。

Believe me, I've tried.

相信我，我试过。

"And, baby," I'll tell her,

我会告诉她“宝贝儿，”

don't keep your nose up in the air like that.

不要再那样趾高气扬。

I know that trick; I've done it a million times.

我知道那噱头；我做过不下上万次。

You're just smelling for smoke

你要是闻到烟味

so you can follow the trail back to a burning house,

你能循着这烟味来到一个燃烧中的房屋，

so you can find the boy who lost everything in the fire

你能发现一个落难于火海的男孩

to see if you can save him.

看看你能否救他。

Or else find the boy who lit the fire in the first place,

或者遇到事发前点火的那个男孩，

to see if you can change him.

看看你能否改变他。”

But I know she will anyway,

我知道她无论如何也会做到，

so instead I'll always keep an extra supply

所以近旁我会常有

of chocolate and rain boots nearby,

巧克力和雨靴的额外奖励，

because there is no heartbreak that chocolate can't fix.

因为巧克力可以融化所有伤心事。

Okay, there's a few that chocolate can't fix.

好吧，但少许伤心事是巧克力所不能融化的。

But that's what the rain boots are for,

但这就是雨靴的用途。

because rain will wash away everything, if you let it.

因为雨水会冲洗得一干二净，如果你想那样的话。

I want her to look at the world

让她

through the underside of a glass-bottom boat,

从一个玻璃船底的下面，

to look through a microscope

透过显微镜看

at the galaxies that exist

这个星系，它也存在于

on the pinpoint of a human mind,

人类的心灵中，来展望这世界，

because that's the way my mom taught me.

因为我妈妈正是以这样方式来教我的。

That there'll be days like this.

所以才会有这样的日子。

(Singing) There'll be days like this, my momma said.

♫我妈妈说，还会有这样的日子。♫

When you open your hands to catch

当你展开双手去迎接时，

and wind up with only blisters and bruises;

得到的却是瘀疱肿伤；

when you step out of the phone booth and try to fly

当你走出电话亭，想要高飞时，

and the very people you want to save

你想要救助的那些非常特别的人们

are the ones standing on your cape;

却站在你的斗篷上让你飞不起来；

when your boots will fill with rain,

当你的雨靴浸满雨水时，

and you'll be up to your knees in disappointment.

你会失望至极。

And those are the very days you have all the more reason to say thank you.

正是在这些非常特别的日子里，你更有理由得说声谢谢。

Because there's nothing more beautiful

因为再没有比这儿更美的事，

than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline,

当大海不断吻合着海岸线时，

no matter how many times it's sent away.

不管多少次大海被冲刷回去，它依旧在那儿潮起潮落。

You will put the wind in win some, lose some.

在风中奇缘中你会赢人心，即会失人心。

You will put the star in starting over, and over.

在星辰下你得

周而复始地循环。

And no matter how many land mines erupt in a minute,

不管有多少地雷一触即发，

be sure your mind lands

要确信你的心灵会

on the beauty of this funny place called life.

在这个曼趣的地方所谓“美丽人生”里扎根。

And yes, on a scale from one to over-trusting,

是的，从个体到过度信任的转变中，

I am pretty damn naive.

我的确过于天真。

But I want her to know that this world is made out of sugar.

但让她知道这世界是由蜜糖构成的。

It can crumble so easily,

它也会轻易间荡然无存，

but don't be afraid to stick your tongue out and taste it.

但是不要害怕用舌头来品尝它。

"Baby," I'll tell her, "remember, your momma is a worrier,

我会告诉她“宝贝儿，记住，你妈妈是个杞人忧天者，

and your poppa is a warrior,

你爸爸是个战士，

and you are the girl with small hands and big eyes

你是一个有着小巧玲珑的双手，又有双大眼睛的女孩，

who never stops asking for more."

那双眼睛从来都因好奇而问个没完儿。”

Remember that good things come in threes

记住好事成三儿

and so do bad things.

坏事儿亦然。

Always apologize when you've done something wrong,

当你做错事时，常要道歉。

但决不要为

but don't you ever apologize

不能让你双眼熠熠生辉的事而道歉。

for the way your eyes refuse to stop shining.

Your voice is small, but don't ever stop singing.

你的声音虽小，但决不要停止歌唱。

And when they finally hand you heartache,

当他们最终交给你的只有心痛，

when they slip war and hatred under your door

当他们把战火和仇恨席卷到你的家门口，

and offer you handouts on street-corners

在街头巷口鼓动你的

of cynicism and defeat,

那些冷嘲热讽和幻灭的宣传语时，

you tell them that they really ought to meet your mother.

你告之他们，他们的确应该来见见你的母亲。

(Applause)

Thank you. Thank you.

谢谢。谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）

谢谢。

Thank you.

(Applause)

（掌声）

Thanks.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）

谢谢。

Thank you.

(Applause)

（掌声）

All right, so I want you to take a moment,

好吧，我想让大家想一会儿，

and I want you to think of three things that you know to be true.

思考3件事

你们知道这3件事会是真的。

They can be about whatever you want --

它们会是你想到的任何事--

technology, entertainment, design,

科技，娱乐，设计，

your family, what you had for breakfast.

你的家庭，你早餐吃了什么等等。

The only rule is don't think too hard.

这仅有的规则就是不要想得特复杂。

Okay, ready? Go.

准备好了吗？开始。

Okay.

好吧。

So here are three things I know to be true.

这是我认为的3件真事。

I know that Jean-Luc Godard was right when he said that,

我知道让·卢克·戈达尔是对的

他说过，“一个好故事

"A good story has a beginning, a middle and an end,

有开头，发展和结尾，

although not necessarily in that order."

但不需要都是这顺序。”

I know that I'm incredibly nervous and excited to be up here,

我知道我站在着儿异常紧张和兴奋，

which is greatly inhibiting my ability to keep it cool.

我努力控制好我自己保持冷静。

（笑声）

(Laughter)

And I know

我知道

that I have been waiting all week to tell this joke.

我已经等了整整一周才来讲这笑话。

（笑声）

(Laughter)

稻草人为什么会被邀请到TED大会？

Why was the scarecrow invited to TED?

因为他站在那舞台上特显眼。

Because he was out standing in his field.

（笑声）

(Laughter)

I'm sorry.

抱歉。

Okay, so these are three things I know to be true.

好的，这3件事对我而说是真的。

But there are plenty of things I have trouble understanding.

但有很多事是我不理解的。

So I write poems to figure things out.

所以我用写诗来搞明白。

Sometimes the only way I know how to work through something

有时唯一让我搞明白事情的方式

就是通过写诗。

is by writing a poem.

Sometimes I get to the end of the poem,

有时我写完诗

look back and go, "Oh, that's what this is all about,"

回过头看看，“哦，这是怎么一回事。”

有时我完成诗

and sometimes I get to the end of the poem

却没有解决任何事，

and haven't solved anything,

but at least I have a new poem out of it.

但至少我有一首新诗。

Spoken-word poetry is the art of performance poetry.

口语诗是诗歌的艺术表现。

I tell people it involves creating poetry

我告诉人们口语诗创新了诗歌

that doesn't just want to sit on paper,

使它不是只出现在书本上，

that something about it demands it be heard out loud

它使诗歌被大声朗读传咏

or witnessed in person.

或让人们亲身体验口语诗。

When I was a freshman in high school,

当我是高一新生时，

I was a live wire of nervous hormones.

我是一个神经激素异常活跃的人。

And I was underdeveloped and over-excitable.

我发育不良

但又过度兴奋。

And despite my fear

尽管我向来害怕

of ever being looked at for too long,

被人瞧太久，

I was fascinated by the idea of spoken-word poetry.

我却对口语诗歌的想法着迷。

I felt that my two secret loves, poetry and theater,

我感到我2个秘密的爱好，诗歌和戏剧

可以结合为一体，有了新生儿，

had come together, had a baby,

我得去了解这新艺术。

a baby I needed to get to know.

所以我决定试一下。

So I decided to give it a try.

My first spoken-word poem,

我第一首口语诗，

packed with all the wisdom of a 14-year-old,

集成我14岁时的所有智慧，

was about the injustice

它是有关

of being seen as unfeminine.

被视为无女人味的侵权问题。

The poem was very indignant,

这诗是非常气愤的，

大部分夸张了，

and mainly exaggerated,

but the only spoken-word poetry that I had seen up until that point

但除了这一点外，我看这口语诗

was mainly indignant,

主要是义愤填膺，

so I thought that's what was expected of me.

我想这就是我所期望的效果。

The first time that I performed,

我第一次表演

the audience of teenagers hooted and hollered their sympathy,

年轻观众们欢呼雀跃以示同情，

and when I came off the stage, I was shaking.

但我走下舞台我在发抖。

I felt this tap on my shoulder,

有人在我肩膀上轻拍了一下，

and I turned around to see

我转身看到

this giant girl in a hoodie sweatshirt emerge from the crowd.

这个从观众群中脱身而出穿着连帽运动衫的高大女孩。

She was maybe eight feet tall

她或许有8英尺高

and looked like she could beat me up with one hand,

好像她要一拳把我击倒在地，

but instead she just nodded at me and said,

与此相反她对我只是点点头

说到，“嗨，我的确和你同感。谢谢。”

"Hey, I really felt that. Thanks."

顿时像雷击一样。

And lightning struck.

我被吸引住了。

I was hooked.

I discovered this bar on Manhattan's Lower East Side

我发现曼哈顿下东区的这个酒吧

它主持每周公众诗歌朗读表演，

that hosted a weekly poetry open Mic,

and my bewildered, but supportive, parents took me

我那困惑，但又支持我的父母带我

to soak in every ounce of spoken word that I could.

完全沉浸在这口语诗表演中。

I was the youngest by at least a decade,

至少在10年里我是最年轻的诗人，

but somehow the poets at the Bowery Poetry Club

不知怎的，鲍威利诗社的诗人

didn't seem bothered by the 14-year-old wandering about.

并不介意14岁的我在此流连忘返--

In fact, they welcomed me.

事实上，他们欢迎我的加入。

And it was here, listening to these poets share their stories,

就是在这儿，听着这些诗歌，分享着他们的故事，

从中我了解到口语诗不是要义愤填膺，

that I learned that spoken-word poetry didn't have to be indignant,

它可能是有趣的，痛苦的，

it could be fun or painful

or serious or silly.

严肃的或者无聊的诗。

The Bowery Poetry Club became my classroom and my home,

鲍威利诗社变成了我的课堂和我家。

and the poets who performed

表演的诗人

encouraged me to share my stories as well.

也鼓励我去分享我的故事。

Never mind the fact that I was 14.

从不介意我只是14岁--

They told me, "Write about being 14."

他们告诉我，“要14岁那样的写诗。”

So I did and stood amazed every week

每周我那样写诗，惊奇地站着表演，

这些聪明的成年诗人

when these brilliant, grown-up poets

laughed with me and groaned their sympathy

和我一起笑，呻吟着他们的同情

and clapped and told me, "Hey, I really felt that too."

同时鼓掌告诉我，“嗨，我也和你同感。”

Now I can divide my spoken-word journey

现在我可以把我口语诗经历分为

into three steps.

三阶段。

Step one was the moment I said,

第一阶段那时我会说，

"I can. I can do this."

“我能，我能做到这个。”

And that was thanks to a girl in a hoodie.

这要感谢那个连帽衫的女孩。

Step two was the moment I said,

第二阶段时我说，

"I will. I will continue.

“我会，我会继续。

I love spoken word. I will keep coming back week after week."

我爱上口语诗。我会每周回来表演。”

And step three began

第三阶段开始时

when I realized I didn't have to write indignant poems,

我意识到我不必写些愤青的诗，

如果这表达的不是真的我。

if that's not what I was.

There were things that were specific to me,

有些事对我来说是很独特的，

and the more that I focused on those things,

我更关注这些事，

the weirder my poetry got,

我的诗歌就更离奇怪诞，

but the more that it felt like mine.

但这也更像是我自己。

It's not just the adage "Write what you know."

这不只是一句格言“写你所知的，”

It's about gathering up all of the knowledge and experience

而这是有关集合所有知识和体验

you've collected up to now

到现在你已收集到的一切

to help you dive into the things you don't know.

来帮助你深入了解你所不知道的东西。

I use poetry to help me work through what I don't understand,

我用诗歌帮助我经历我所不理解的事，

但我展示每一首新诗

but I show up to each new poem

它是用

with a backpack full of everywhere else that I've been.

我已去过其他地方的一打故事来写的。

When I got to university, I met a fellow poet

我在大学时，我遇见同校诗人

who shared my belief in the magic of spoken-word poetry.

他和我坚信口语诗的神奇。

And actually, Phil Kaye and I

的确，我和菲尔·凯

巧合也同姓。

coincidentally also share the same last name.

When I was in high school I had created Project V.O.I.C.E.

在高中我已创建V.O.I.C.E.计划

as a way to encourage my friends to do spoken word with me.

它是鼓励我的朋友和我一起创作口语诗的一种方式。

But Phil and I decided to reinvent Project V.O.I.C.E.,

但我和菲尔决定彻底改造V.O.I.C.E.计划--

this time changing the mission

这次改变它的使命

to using spoken-word poetry as a way to entertain,

为：用口语诗作为一种娱乐，

educate and inspire.

教育和激励的方式。

We stayed full-time students, but in between we traveled,

我们还是全日制学生，但中间我们旅行，

performing and teaching

表演和传授给

nine-year-olds to MFA candidates,

9岁到美术硕士的任何申请人，

from California to Indiana to India

他们来自从加州到印地安那州，到印度，

to a public high school just up the street from campus.

到公立高中，到校园刚刚注册的街角等。

And we saw over and over

我们看到

the way that spoken-word poetry

口语诗遍地兴起

cracks open locks.

好似雨后春笋一样。

But it turns out sometimes, poetry can be really scary.

但有时结局却是

诗歌可真吓人。

有时结局是

Turns out sometimes,

you have to trick teenagers into writing poetry.

你得循循善诱地让青少年写诗。

So I came up with lists. Everyone can write lists.

我有了列表。每个人都能写列表。

And the first list that I assign

我分配的第一次列表

is "10 Things I Know to be True."

是“我所确信的10件事”。

随后发生的事，你会同样发现的事

And here's what happens, you would discover it too

if we all started sharing our lists out loud.

如果我们都开始大声读出我们的列表。

At a certain point, you would realize that someone has the exact same thing,

就某一点，你会意识到

某人完全分享了同样的事，

or one thing very similar,

或者一件非常类似的事，

to something on your list.

那些同样在你的列表上事。

And then someone else

而有些人

has something the complete opposite of yours.

和你的列表完全不同。

Third, someone has something you've never even heard of before.

第三，有人例举的事，你从来没有听说过。

Fourth, someone has something you thought you knew everything about,

第四，有人例举的事，你认为你都知道，

but they're introducing a new angle of looking at it.

但这些事是以一种新视角展现的。

And I tell people that this is where great stories start from --

我告诉大家这就是伟大故事的创作点--

these four intersections

这4个交集互动

of what you're passionate about

分享大家所热爱的事情

and what others might be invested in.

和其他人可能会关注的事。

And most people respond really well to this exercise.

多数人对这个练习反应良好。

But one of my students, a freshman named Charlotte,

但我其中的一个学生，新生夏洛特

was not convinced.

不太相信。

Charlotte was very good at writing lists, but she refused to write any poems.

夏洛特非常善于写列表，但她决不写诗。

"Miss," she'd say, "I'm just not interesting.

她说，“女士，我就是不感兴趣。

I don't have anything interesting to say."

我没什么好表达的。”

So I assigned her list after list,

我就分配给她不同的列表，

and one day I assigned the list

一天我分配的列表是

"10 Things I Should Have Learned by Now."

“到目前我应该学会的10件事”。

Number three on Charlotte's list was,

在她列表里第3条，

"I should have learned not to crush on guys

“我应该学会不要迷恋上

three times my age."

大我3倍年龄的男人。”

I asked her what that meant,

我问她这意味什么，

and she said, "Miss, it's kind of a long story."

她说，“女士，这说来话长。”

And I said, "Charlotte, it sounds pretty interesting to me."

我说，“夏洛特，这故事让我有了极大的兴趣。”

And so she wrote her first poem,

所以她写了她的第一首诗，

a love poem unlike any I had ever heard before.

一首我以前从来没听过的爱情诗。

诗开头是

And the poem began,

"Anderson Cooper is a gorgeous man."

“安德森·库珀是个风度翩翩的男人。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

“你可曾看他的节目60分鐘，

"Did you see him on 60 Minutes,

racing Michael Phelps in a pool --

同泳池蛟龙迈克尔·菲尔普斯竞技--

nothing but swim trunks on --

只穿一袭泳裤--

diving in the water, determined to beat this swimming champion?

潜水入池，决心挑战这游泳冠军？

赛后，他甩动他那湿漉漉的银白头发

After the race, he tossed his wet, cloud-white hair

and said, 'You're a god.'

说到，‘你是上帝。’

No, Anderson, you're the god."

不，安德森-你才是上帝。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

Now, I know that the number one rule to being cool

现在我知道要扮酷的第一法则

要显得不为所动，

is to seem unfazed,

to never admit that anything scares you

从来都不承认会有吓着你

或令你惊讶或使你兴奋的事。

or impresses you or excites you.

Somebody once told me

有人曾告诉我

it's like walking through life like this.

人生之旅就像这样护紧双臂。

You protect yourself

你得保护你自己

from all the unexpected miseries or hurt that might show up.

免于那所有可能出现的出人意料的痛苦或伤害。

But I try to walk through life like this.

但我会像这样展开双臂地迎向生活。

And yes, that means catching all of those miseries and hurt,

是的，这意味着接住所有这些痛苦和伤害，

but it also means that when beautiful, amazing things

但同时也意味当那些美好，惊喜的事情

从空中坠落，

just fall out of the sky,

I'm ready to catch them.

我准备好要接住它们。

I use spoken word to help my students

我用口语诗帮助我的学生

rediscover wonder,

重新发现奇迹，

to fight their instincts to be cool and unfazed

与他们自身本能要扮酷和无动于衷做挑战，

and, instead, actively pursue being engaged with what goes on around them,

反而代之的是他们积极追寻，参与其中与他们周围打成一片儿，

so that they can reinterpret and create something from it.

以致于他们能从日常中重新解读或者创作些诗。

It's not that I think that spoken-word poetry

这并不是说我认为口语诗

就是理想的艺术形式。

is the ideal art form.

I'm always trying to find the best way to tell each story.

我常试着找到更好方式来讲不同的故事。

I write musicals; I make short films alongside my poems.

我写音乐剧，伴随我诗歌我制作短片。

But I teach spoken-word poetry

但我传授口语诗

因为它是易懂的。

because it's accessible.

并不是每个人能读懂音乐

Not everyone can read music or owns a camera,

或者拥有一台照相机

but everyone can communicate in some way,

但每个人可以用某种方式来交流，

and everyone has stories that the rest of us can learn from.

每个人都有故事

我们其他人都可以借鉴学习。

Plus, spoken-word poetry allows for immediate connection.

并且，口语诗会有即时互动联系。

人们感到他们孤独

It's not uncommon to feel like you're alone

或者没人理解他们，这是司空见惯的，

or that nobody understands you,

but spoken word teaches

但口语诗传授给他们

that if you have the ability to express yourself

如果你有能力表达你自己

and the courage to present those stories and opinions,

有勇气展示些故事和观点，

you could be rewarded

你可以得到

with a room full of your peers,

那些聆听你讲的满屋子同伴们，

or your community, who will listen.

或者诗社团的鼓励。

And maybe even a giant girl in a hoodie

甚至有一个连帽衫的高大女孩

who will connect with what you've shared.

会和你分享的连为一体。

And that is an amazing realization to have,

这种感同身受是不可思议的，

especially when you're 14.

特别当你是14岁时。

Plus, now with YouTube,

另外，现在有了YouTube，

that connection's not even limited to the room we're in.

人们之间联系不再受限于我们所处空间。

I'm so lucky that there's this archive of performances

我如此有幸能有这演讲的存档视频

这样我能和我学生分享了。

that I can share with my students.

It allows for even more opportunities

它提供了甚至更多机遇

让人们在人与人联系中发现一个诗人

for them to find a poet or a poem that they connect to.

或者一首诗。

Once you've figured this out,

它也是很诱人的--一旦你要搞明白这个--

it is tempting to keep writing the same poem,

它诱使人们不断创作同样诗歌，

or keep telling the same story, over and over,

或者不断诉说同样的故事，一遍又一遍，

once you've figured out that it will gain you applause.

一旦你搞明白了它就会赢得掌声。

It's not enough to just teach that you can express yourself.

仅是传授你能表达你自己，这是不够的；

You have to grow and explore

你得成长和探寻

and take risks and challenge yourself.

冒险挑战自己。

And that is step three:

这是第三阶段：

infusing the work you're doing

倾注到你做的事中去

with the specific things that make you you,

做些属于你与众不同的特别事，

even while those things are always changing.

即使这些事情总是在变化。

Because step three never ends.

因为第三阶段永远不会结束。

But you don't get to start on step three,

但你不会从第三阶段开始，

until you take step one first:

除非你从第一阶段向开始：我能行。

"I can."

我传授口语诗的同时也旅行了很多地方，

I travel a lot while I'm teaching,

and I don't always get to watch all of my students reach their step three,

我并不总是去期望我所有学生能达到第三阶段，

但我非常幸运有夏洛特，

but I was very lucky with Charlotte,

我要看看她曾展开旅程的新方式，

that I got to watch her journey unfold the way it did.

I watched her realize

我看她意识到

that, by putting the things that she knows to be true into the work she's doing,

通过写些她确信为真的事穿插到她当下作品来，

she can create poems that only Charlotte can write,

她可以创作诗歌，只有夏洛特能写出--

about eyeballs and elevators and Dora the Explorer.

关于眼珠，电梯和《爱探险的朵拉》的诗。

And I'm trying to tell stories only I can tell --

我试着讲的故事也只有我能讲述--

像这样的故事。

like this story.

I spent a lot of time thinking about the best way to tell this story,

我花了很多时间思考讲这故事的最好方式，

and I wondered if the best way

我心想如果最好方式

was going to be a PowerPoint, a short film --

是展示一个幻灯片或者一个短片--

And where exactly was the beginning, the middle or the end?

那么到底哪里是开头，发展或者结尾呢？

I wondered whether I'd get to the end of this talk

我纳闷是否我该在这讲话结尾

and finally have figured it all out, or not.

最终把这一切都搞明白了，或是行不通。

And I always thought that my beginning was at the Bowery Poetry Club,

我常想，我开头是在鲍威利诗社，

但可能这开头要早得多。

but it's possible that it was much earlier.

In preparing for TED,

在准备TED讲话，

I discovered this diary page in an old journal.

我发现在旧笔记本里的这篇日志。

I think December 54th was probably supposed to be 24th.

我想12月54日可能应该是24日。

It's clear that when I was a child,

很明显当我小孩时，

I definitely walked through life like this.

我确定要走过这样的人生。

I think that we all did.

我认为我们都这样。

I would like to help others rediscover that wonder --

我愿意帮助别人重新发现这口语诗的奇迹--

to want to engage with it, to want to learn,

想要参与其中，想要学习，

to want to share what they've learned,

想分享他们所学到的事，

what they've figured out to be true

他们所确信为真的事情

and what they're still figuring out.

和他们所要搞明白的事情。

So I'd like to close with this poem.

所以我想以此诗来做结束。

当他们轰炸了广岛，

When they bombed Hiroshima,

the explosion formed a mini-supernova,

爆炸形成了一个小型的超新星，

so every living animal, human or plant

所以每一个活生生的动物，人们和植物

that received direct contact with the rays from that sun

受到

如同太阳光芒一般的直接辐射

was instantly turned to ash.

瞬间化为灰烬。

And what was left of the city soon followed.

这城市遗留的灰烬随后落下来。

The long-lasting damage of nuclear radiation

核辐射的长期损害

caused an entire city and its population

致使整个城市和它的人口

to turn into powder.

化为粉末。

When I was born, my mom says I looked around the whole hospital room

当我出生时，我妈妈说我四处张望整个病房

凝视着说到，“这个？我从前就经历过这个。”

with a stare that said, "This? I've done this before."

She says I have old eyes.

她说我有双慧眼。

When my Grandpa Genji died, I was only five years old,

当我姥爷源氏去世时，我只有5岁，

but I took my mom by the hand and told her,

但我用手拉着我妈妈，告诉她。

"Don't worry, he'll come back as a baby."

“不要忧伤，他会像婴儿般降生归来。”

And yet, for someone who's apparently done this already,

而且显然有人已经这样的诞生了，

I still haven't figured anything out yet.

尽管我还没完全弄清楚。

My knees still buckle every time I get on a stage.

每次我站在舞台上，我双膝都直不起来。

My self-confidence can be measured out

我的自信可以

in teaspoons mixed into my poetry,

用茶匙掺和到我的诗歌中衡量出，

and it still always tastes funny in my mouth.

这在我嘴中尝起来还总是有滋有味的。

But in Hiroshima, some people were wiped clean away,

但在广岛，一些人都被消灭干净了，

leaving only a wristwatch or a diary page.

只留下了一个手表或者1页日志。

So no matter that I have inhibitions to fill all my pockets,

所以不管什么限制，我要填满我所有口袋，

我努力尝试着，

I keep trying,

hoping that one day I'll write a poem

希望有一天我会写诗

I can be proud to let sit in a museum exhibit

我可以自豪地让我的诗呈现在博物馆展览

as the only proof I existed.

这也是我存在的唯一证明。

我父母给我取名萨拉，

My parents named me Sarah, which is a biblical name.

来源于圣经中的名字。

In the original story, God told Sarah she could do something impossible, and --

在圣经中上帝称萨拉她可以做一些不可能的事

然后她笑到，

she laughed,

because the first Sarah,

因为原本的萨拉，

she didn't know what to do with impossible.

她不知道该去做哪些不可能的事。

And me?

我呢？是的，我也不知道，

Well, neither do I,

but I see the impossible every day.

但我每天都见证不可能的事。

Impossible is trying to connect in this world,

这世界是通过不可能来尝试连接，

trying to hold onto others while things are blowing up around you,

当你周围的事情变糟糕时，尝试着依靠某人，

知道你在讲话时，

knowing that while you're speaking,

人们不只是在等话说的机会--而是他们也在听你说的。

they aren't just waiting for their turn to talk -- they hear you.

他们正好感觉到你所感受到的

They feel exactly what you feel

at the same time that you feel it.

在那同一时间的情感。

It's what I strive for every time I open my mouth --

这正是每次我开口欲出要争取的东西--

that impossible connection.

不可能的联系。

There's this piece of wall in Hiroshima

在广岛有这样的一面墙

that was completely burnt black by the radiation.

它被辐射完全烧黑了。

But on the front step, a person who was sitting there

但在前面台阶，一个人坐在那里

blocked the rays from hitting the stone.

避免辐射线侵蚀石头。

现在唯一剩下的东西

The only thing left now

is a permanent shadow of positive light.

就是迎面辐射光线下的永久光影。

在原子弹爆炸后，

After the A-bomb,

specialists said it would take 75 years

专家说

for the radiation-damaged soil of Hiroshima City

在广岛会经历75年的土壤辐射损害

to ever grow anything again.

使得此城一毛不长。

But that spring, there were new buds popping up from the earth.

但就在春天，从土壤中冒出新生的嫩芽。

When I meet you, in that moment,

当我和你在那一刻相遇，

I'm no longer a part of your future.

我不再是你未来的一部分。

I start quickly becoming part of your past.

我开始迅速成为你过去的一部分。

But in that instant, I get to share your present.

但在这一瞬间，我要分享你的现在。

And you, you get to share mine.

而你，你要分享我的所有。

And that is the greatest present of all.

这就是所有中最伟大的恩赐。

So if you tell me I can do the impossible --

所以如果你告诉我，我本可能做些不可能的事，

我可能会嘲笑你。

I'll probably laugh at you.

I don't know if I can change the world yet,

我还不知道我是否能改变这世界，

because I don't know that much about it --

因为我处世不深--

and I don't know that much about reincarnation either,

同时我关于转世也了解得不多，

但假若你使我开怀大笑，

but if you make me laugh hard enough,

有时我会忘了我所处的世纪。

sometimes I forget what century I'm in.

This isn't my first time here. This isn't my last time here.

这不会是在这儿的第一次，这也不会是在这儿的最后一次。

这些也不会是我要分享的最后一段话。

These aren't the last words I'll share.

But just in case, I'm trying my hardest

但为了以防万一，我只是尽力

to get it right this time around.

在这一次展现口语诗的魅力。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Thank you.

(Applause)

谢谢。

Thank you.

(Applause)

（掌声）

谢谢。

Thank you.

(Applause)

（掌声）