Don't feel sorry for refugees -- believe in them | Luma Mufleh

翻译人员: Haoneng Huang 校对人员: Jack Zhang

I remember when I first found out

我记得当我刚得知

I was going to speak at a TED conference.

我将在TED上发言时，

I ran across the hall to one of my classrooms

我跑过走廊进入一间教室

to inform my students.

去通知我的同学们。

"Guess what, guys?

“伙计们，猜猜发生了什么？

I've been asked to give a TED Talk."

我被邀请去做一次TED演讲。“

The reaction wasn't one I quite expected.

但结果大家的反应和我想象的不同。

The whole room went silent.

整间教室一片寂静。

"A TED Talk? You mean, like the one you made us watch on grit?

“一次TED演讲？”你是说你让我们在GRIT上看的那种TED演讲？

Or the one with the scientist that did this really awesome thing with robots?"

跟那个能让机器人做超酷事情的科学家一样？"

Muhammad asked.

穆罕默德这样问道。

"Yes, just like that."

“是的，就像那样。”

"But Coach, those people are really important and smart."

“教练，但是那些人都非常重要而且非常聪明。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

"I know that."

“我知道。”

"But Coach, why are you speaking? You hate public speaking."

“教练，但是你为什么去演讲？你不是不喜欢公开演讲吗？”

"I do," I admitted,

“的确如此，”我承认道，

"But it's important that I speak about us, that I speak about your journeys,

“但重要的是我在为我们发声，为你们颠沛的人生发声，

about my journey.

也为我的这些努力发声。

People need to know."

人们需要知道这些真相。”

The students at the all-refugee school that I founded

最后，这些难民学校的学生们

decided to end with some words of encouragement.

说了一些鼓舞人心的话。

"Cool! It better be good, Coach."

“哇，教练，你最好能讲的好一点。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

There are 65.3 million people who have been forcibly displaced

有653万人因为战争或遭迫害

from their homes because of war or persecution.

被迫离开家园，流离失所。

The largest number, 11 million, are from Syria.

这些难民中最多的来自叙利亚，约有110万。

33,952 people flee their homes daily.

平均每天有33952人逃离曾经的家园。

The vast majority remain in refugee camps,

但绝大多数人仍留在难民营中，

whose conditions cannot be defined as humane under anyone's definition.

他们的生活状况令所有人堪忧。

We are participating in the degradation of humans.

我们的所作所为正使人类不断倒退。

Never have we had numbers this high.

历史上从未有关如此高的难民数量。

This is the highest number of refugees since World War II.

这时自二战以来最高的难民数。

Now, let me tell you why this issue is so important to me.

现在，让我来告诉你为什么这件事对我这么重要。

I am an Arab. I am an immigrant.

我是一位阿拉伯人。我也是一个移民。

I am a Muslim.

我是穆斯林。

I've also spent the last 12 years of my life working with refugees.

在过去12年中，我致力于帮助难民。

Oh -- and I'm also gay.

对了，我也是同性恋。

It makes me really popular these days.

最近这些都让我备受关注。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But I am the daughter of a refugee.

但我也是难民的女儿。

My grandmother fled Syria in 1964 during the first Assad regime.

我的祖母于1964年逃离了阿萨德政权下的叙利亚。

She was three months pregnant when she packed up a suitcase,

当她收拾行囊带着5个孩子，

piled in her five children and drove to neighboring Jordan,

驾车逃往邻国约旦时，她怀有3个月的身孕。

not knowing what the future held for her and her family.

那时她对一家人的未来一片迷茫。

My grandfather decided to stay, not believing it was that bad.

我的祖父留了下来，他坚信一切还没有太糟糕。

He followed her a month later, after his brothers were tortured

一个月后，经历了兄弟们备受折磨、

and his factory was taken over by the government.

自己工厂被政府强征后，他追随祖母离开叙利亚。

They rebuilt their lives starting from scratch

他们白手起家，重新开始了生活

and eventually became independently wealthy Jordanian citizens.

并且最终成为了独立富裕的约旦公民。

I was born in Jordan 11 years later.

11年后，我出生在了约旦。

It was really important to my grandmother for us to know our history

使孩子们了解我们的过去艰苦岁月

and our journey.

对于祖母来说十分重要。

I was eight years old when she took me to visit my first refugee camp.

当我8岁时，她第一次带我参观难民营。

I didn't understand why.

那时我并不理解，

I didn't know why it was so important to her

不理解为什么带我们参观难民营

for us to go.

对她如此重要。

I remember walking into the camp holding her hand,

我仍记得我牵着她的手走进难民营，

and her saying, "Go play with the kids,"

她说：“和孩子们去玩吧，”

while she visited with the women in the camp.

而她要去拜访难民营里的妇女。

I didn't want to.

其实我并不想去。

These kids weren't like me.

那些孩子们和我不同。

They were poor. They lived in a camp.

他们贫穷，住在帐篷里。

I refused.

所以我拒绝了。

She knelt down beside me and firmly said, "Go.

她蹲下身对我坚定地说：“去吧。

And don't come back until you've played.

不去玩就别回来了。”

Don't ever think people are beneath you

不要认为别人低你一等

or that you have nothing to learn from others."

或者你不能从他人那里学到东西

I reluctantly went.

我勉强的接受了。

I never wanted to disappoint my grandmother.

我从未想让我的祖母失望。

I returned a few hours later,

在和孩子们踢了几个小时球后，

having spent some time playing soccer with the kids in the camp.

我回来了。

We walked out of the camp,

我和祖母走出了难民营，

and I was excitedly telling her what a great time I had

路上我兴奋的告诉祖母我玩的有多开心

and how fantastic the kids were.

那些孩子有多厉害。

"Haram!" I said in Arabic. "Poor them."

“Haram！”我用阿拉伯语说，“他们真可怜。”

"Haram on us," she said, using the word's different meaning,

她说：“Haram on us,”意思是

that we were sinning.

我们都有罪。

"Don't feel sorry for them; believe in them."

“别为他们感到悲伤，请相信他们。”

It wasn't until I left my country of origin for the United States

直到我背井离乡来到美国

that I realized the impact of her words.

我才真正明白了她的那句话。

After my college graduation, I applied for and was granted political asylum,

在大学毕业后，作为一社会团体的一员，

based on being a member of a social group.

我成功申请到了政治庇护。

Some people may not realize this,

有些人不知道，

but you can still get the death penalty in some countries for being gay.

在一些国家同性恋会被处以死刑。

I had to give up my Jordanian citizenship.

我不得不放弃我的约旦国籍。

That was the hardest decision I've ever had to make,

这是我至今做过的最艰难的抉择，

but I had no other choice.

但我别无他路。

The point is,

值得注意的是，

when you find yourself choosing between home and survival,

当你必须在故土和生存间二选一时，

the question "Where are you from?" becomes very loaded.

“你来自哪里？”这一问题变得十分意味深长。

A Syrian woman who I recently met at a refugee camp in Greece

一位我最近在难民营遇到的叙利亚女子

articulated it best,

在回忆逃离阿勒颇（叙利亚西北部城市）的经历时

when she recalled the exact moment she realized she had to flee Aleppo.

对这个问题阐释的最清楚。

"I looked out the window and there was nothing.

她说：“我朝窗外望去，空空如也。

It was all rubble.

城市变成了碎石瓦砾。

There were no stores, no streets, no schools. Everything was gone.

没有商店，没有街道，没有学校。一切都不复存在了。

I had been in my apartment for months,

我曾数月躲在我的公寓里，

listening to bombs drop and watching people die.

听着此起彼伏的炮火声，看着相继倒下的人们。

But I always thought it would get better,

但我总是期望一切都会变好，

that no one could force me to leave,

没有人能逼我离开，

no one could take my home away from me.

没有人能夺走我的家园。

And I don't know why it was that morning, but when I looked outside,

但不知为何，某天清晨当我望向窗外，

I realized if I didn't leave, my three young children would die.

我突然意识到若不离开我的三个孩子会有生命危险。

And so we left.

所以我们离开了。

We left because we had to, not because we wanted to.

我们并不想远走他乡，但我们毫无选择。

There was no choice," she said.

真的没有办法”。她说。

It's kind of hard to believe that you belong

很难想象当你失去了家，

when you don't have a home,

当你因为恐惧和迫害不得不离开祖国，

when your country of origin rejects you because of fear or persecution,

当你成长的那个城市被夷为平地时，

or the city that you grew up in is completely destroyed.

你能有归属感。

I didn't feel like I had a home.

我不曾有拥有家的感觉。

I was no longer a Jordanian citizen,

我不再是约旦公民了，

but I wasn't American, either.

但我也不是美国公民。

I felt a kind of loneliness

我心中一种孤独感油然而生，

that is still hard to put into words today.

至今难以用言语表达。

After college, I desperately needed to find a place to call home.

大学过后，我急切地想寻找一个能称之为家的地方。

I bounced around from state to state

我在各州间辗转

and eventually ended up in North Carolina.

并最终留在了北卡罗来纳州

Kindhearted people who felt sorry for me

那些同情我的热心人

offered to pay rent

为我付房租

or buy me a meal or a suit for my new interview.

或是请我吃饭，为我的面试准备套装。

It just made me feel more isolated and incapable.

但这更让我感到孤立无援，无能为力，

It wasn't until I met Miss Sarah,

直到我遇到了萨拉女士。

a Southern Baptist who took me in at my lowest and gave me a job,

她是一位美南浸信会信徒，她在我人生的低谷接纳了我并给予我一份工作。

that I started to believe in myself.

从那时起，我开始对自己有了信心。

Miss Sarah owned a diner in the mountains of North Carolina.

萨拉女士在北卡的山上拥有一间餐馆。

I assumed, because of my privileged upbringing

起初我想是因为我优越的成长环境

and my Seven Sister education,

和七姐妹学院的学习经历，

that she would ask me to manage the restaurant.

使她让我管理餐厅。

I was wrong.

但我错了。

I started off washing dishes,

我从洗盘子、

cleaning toilets and working the grill.

打扫卫生间、打理烧烤干起。

I was humbled; I was shown the value of hard work.

在谦恭的态度下，我明白了努力工作的价值。

But most importantly, I felt valued and embraced.

但最重要的是，我感到自己被尊重，被接纳。

I celebrated Christmas with her family,

我和萨拉女士一家共同欢庆圣诞节，

and she attempted to observe Ramadan with me.

她也试着和我庆祝斋月。

I remember being very nervous about coming out to her --

我仍记得当我向她出柜时我多么的紧张--

after all, she was a Southern Baptist.

毕竟她是一位美南浸信会信徒。

I sat on the couch next to her

我俩坐在长椅上，

and I said, "Miss Sarah, you know that I'm gay."

我说：“萨拉女士，您知道吗，我是同性恋。”

Her response is one that I will never forget.

她的回答令我终身难忘。

"That's fine, honey. Just don't be a slut."

“亲爱的，这没什么。别做一个荡妇就好。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

I eventually moved to Atlanta, still trying to find my home.

最终我搬到了亚特兰大，仍旧找寻着我真正的家。

My journey took a strange turn three years later,

三年后，当我遇到一群在外踢球的难民儿童时，

after I met a group of refugee kids playing soccer outside.

我的这趟旅程有了奇特的转折。

I'd made a wrong turn into this apartment complex,

我误入了一间大楼，

and I saw these kids outside playing soccer.

看见了一群在外踢球的孩子。

They were playing barefoot with a raggedy soccer ball

他们光着脚踢着一个破烂不堪的足球

and rocks set up as goals.

并用碎石头计分。

I watched them for about an hour,

我注视着了一小时，

and after that I was smiling.

之后脸上洋溢着笑容。

The boys reminded me of home.

这群男孩让我想起了家。

They reminded me of the way I grew up playing soccer

想起了小时候我在约旦街头

in the streets of Jordan, with my brothers and cousins.

和兄弟姐妹们我踢球的模样。

I eventually joined their game.

最后我也加入了他们的游戏。

They were a little skeptical about letting me join it,

他们对我的加入感到怀疑，

because according to them, girls don't know how to play.

因为在他们印象中女孩不会踢球。

But obviously I did.

但显然我踢得不错。

I asked them if they had ever played on a team.

我问他们他们是否已经组队了。

They said they hadn't, but that they would love to.

他们说并没有，但还是乐意的。

I gradually won them over, and we formed our first team.

我逐渐赶超了比分，最后我们首次组成了一支队伍。

This group of kids would give me a crash course in refugees, poverty

这群孩子很快让我

and humanity.

对难民、贫穷、人道有了更多了解。

Three brothers from Afghanistan -- Roohullah, Noorullah and Zabiullah --

来自阿富汗的三兄弟，Roohullah、 Noorullah和 Zabiullah

played a major role in that.

在这个中间发挥重要作用。

I showed up late to practice one day to find the field completely deserted.

但有一天当我迟些到达球场时发现没有一个人。

I was really worried.

我感到十分担忧。

My team loved to practice.

我的队员们热爱训练，

It wasn't like them to miss practice.

他们不像是会错过练习。

I got out of my car, and two kids ran out from behind a dumpster,

我下了车，看到两个从垃圾桶后跑出来的孩子

waving their hands frantically.

疯狂地挥舞着双手。

"Coach, Rooh got beat up. He got jumped.

“教练，Rooh被人欺负啦。

There was blood everywhere."

那里到处都是血。”

"What do you mean? What do you mean he got beat up?"

“你说什么？他被打了？”

"These bad kids came and beat him up, Coach.

“那些坏蛋跑过来打了他，教练。

Everybody left. They were all scared."

大家都吓坏所以跑开了。”

We hopped into my car and drove over to Rooh's apartment.

我们上了车直奔Rooh的家里。

I knocked on the door, and Noor opened it.

我敲了敲门，Noor打开了门。

"Where's Rooh? I need to talk to him, see if he's OK."

“Rooh在吗?我要和他谈谈，他还好吗？”

"He's in his room, Coach. He's refusing to come out."

“他就在房间里，教练。他不肯出来。”

I knocked on the door.

我又敲了敲门。

"Rooh, come on out. I need to talk to you.

“Rooh，出来！我们需要谈谈。

I need to see if you're OK or if we need to go to the hospital."

你还好吗？要不要去医院？”

He came out.

他出来了。

He had a big gash on his head, a split lip,

他的脸上有道很深的伤口，嘴唇也裂了，

and he was physically shaken.

并且浑身发抖。

I was looking at him,

我看着他，

and I asked the boys to call for their mom,

让他的两个兄弟打电话给他们的妈妈，

because I needed to go to the hospital with him.

因为我要陪他去医院。

They called for their mom.

他们打了电话给妈妈，

She came out.

后来妈妈到了。

I had my back turned to her, and she started screaming in Farsi.

当她用波斯语尖叫时，我正背对着她。

The boys fell to the ground laughing.

她的孩子们笑得地上打滚。

I was very confused,

我感到费解，

because there was nothing funny about this.

因为并没有什么值得好笑的。

They explained to me that she said,

孩子们向我解释道她说，

"You told me your coach was a Muslim and a woman."

“你们不是说你们的教练是穆斯林而且是女性？”

From behind, I didn't appear to be either to her.

因为从背影看起来我都不像。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

"I am Muslim," I said, turning to her.

“我是穆斯林，”我转过身对她说，

"Ašhadu ʾan lā ʾilāha ʾilla (A)llāh,"

"Ašhadu ʾan lā ʾilāha ʾilla (A)llāh,"

reciting the Muslim declaration of faith.

这是穆斯林的信仰宣言。

Confused,

她起初有些疑惑，

and perhaps maybe a little bit reassured,

可能慢慢地消除了疑虑，

she realized that yes,

最终相信了，

I, this American-acting, shorts-wearing, non-veiled woman,

我这一个行为举止如美国人，短发且不戴头巾的女性，

was indeed a Muslim.

的确是穆斯林。

Their family had fled the Taliban.

这个家庭从塔利班逃脱。

Hundreds of people in their village

他们镇上数以百计的人

were murdered.

被塔利班残忍杀害了。

Their father was taken in by the Taliban,

他们的父亲被塔利班关押，

only to return a few months later, a shell of the man he once was.

几个月后，见到的只是冰冷的尸体了。

The family escaped to Pakistan,

这个家庭逃离到巴基斯坦，

and the two older boys, age eight and 10 at the time,

那时年长的两个孩子还不过8到10岁，

wove rugs for 10 hours a day to provide for their family.

为了家里生计每天编织10小时的地毯。

They were so excited when they found out that they had been approved

当他们得知已被批准安置到美国时，

to resettle in the United States,

他们欣喜万分，

making them the lucky 0.1 percent who get to do that.

因为他们是那幸运的0.1%。

They had hit the jackpot.

他们如同中大奖般幸运。

Their story is not unique.

也许他们的故事并不奇特。

Every refugee family I have worked with has had some version of this.

我接触的每个难民家庭都有类似的遭遇。

I work with kids

我接触过一些孩子，

who have seen their mothers raped, their fathers' fingers sliced off.

他们的母亲曾被凌辱或父亲被砍下了手指。

One kid saw a bullet put in his grandmother's head,

曾有一个孩子亲眼目睹祖母被射杀，

because she refused to let the rebels take him to be a child soldier.

仅因为她阻止孩子被抓去当童子军。

Their journeys are haunting.

也许他们一路的辛酸挥之不去，

But what I get to see every day is hope, resilience, determination,

但我我每天所见的是希望，是适应，是决心，

a love of life

充满爱的生活

and appreciation for being able to rebuild their lives.

和对能够重建家园的感激之情。

I was at the boys' apartment one night,

有天晚上我在孩子们的家里，

when the mom came home after cleaning 18 hotel rooms in one day.

他们的母亲一天打扫了18间宾馆房间，疲惫的回来了。

She sat down, and Noor rubbed her feet,

她坐下来，然后Noor给她做脚部按摩，

saying that he was going to take care of her once he graduated.

并说一旦他毕业了就会开始照顾妈妈。

She smiled from exhaustion.

她疲惫的面容里难掩笑意。

"God is good. Life is good. We are lucky to be here."

“感谢上苍，感谢生活，让我们足够幸运呆在这里。”

In the last two years, we have seen an escalating anti-refugee sentiment.

在过去的两年，我们发现排斥难民的情绪逐渐升级。

It's global.

并且是全球性的。

The numbers continue to grow because we do nothing to prevent it

难民数持续上升都是由于

and nothing to stop it.

我们的不作为。

The issue shouldn't be stopping refugees from coming into our countries.

问题不应该在于阻止难民涌入我们的国家，

The issue should be not forcing them to leave their own.

而是应避免他们被迫逃离家园。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Sorry.

抱歉。

(Applause)

（掌声）

How much more suffering,

我们要遭受多少苦难，

how much more suffering must we take?

我们要遭受多少苦难？

How many more people need to be forced out of their homes

多少人需要背井离乡

before we say, "Enough!"?

直到有人说“够了！”？

A hundred million?

一亿?

Not only do we shame, blame and reject them

我们不仅对未参与过的暴行的他们

for atrocities that they had absolutely nothing to do with,

感到羞愧、责难、排斥，

we re-traumatize them,

我们还让他们受到二次伤害，

when we're supposed to be welcoming them into our countries.

我们本应欢迎他们来到我们的国家啊。

We strip them of their dignity and treat them like criminals.

我们剥夺了他们的尊严并 像对待罪犯一样对待他们。

I had a student in my office a couple of weeks ago.

几周前，一个学生来我办公室。

She's originally from Iraq.

她来自伊拉克。

She broke down crying.

进入办公室后她嚎啕大哭。

"Why do they hate us?"

“他们为什么讨厌我们？”

"Who hates you?"

“谁讨厌你啦？”

"Everyone; everyone hates us because we are refugees,

“所有人！所有人都讨厌我们，因为我们是难民，

because we are Muslim."

我们是穆斯林。”

In the past, I was able to reassure my students

曾经，我对我的学生们保证说

that the majority of the world does not hate refugees.

世界上大部分人并不讨厌排斥难民。

But this time I couldn't.

但这次，我无法安慰她。

I couldn't explain to her why someone tried to rip off her mother's hijab

我无法解释当她的妈妈到杂货店购物时，

when they were grocery shopping,

为何有人要撤掉她的头巾；

or why a player on an opposing team called her a terrorist

当她和小伙伴玩游戏时，为何对方小孩称她为恐怖分子，

and told her to go back where she came from.

或是让她打哪来回哪去。

I couldn't reassure her

我无法安慰她

that her father's ultimate life sacrifice

即使她的父亲一生

by serving in the United States military as an interpreter

都在美国军队中担任翻译，

would make her more valued as an American citizen.

这本更应使她成为美国公民。

We take in so few refugees worldwide.

我们仅接收了全世界如此少的难民。

We resettle less than 0.1 percent.

我们只安置了少于0.1%的难民。

That 0.1 percent benefits us more than them.

我们的获益甚至多余这0.1%的难民。

It dumbfounds me how the word "refugee" is considered something to be dirty,

难道难民这个词十分卑劣吗？或是值得羞愧吗?

something to be ashamed of.

这让我无言以对。

They have nothing to be ashamed of.

他们不应感到羞愧。

We have seen advances in every aspect of our lives --

我们生活中的方方面面都在进步——

except our humanity.

除了人道。

There are 65.3 million people who have been forced out of their homes

因为战争，已有653万人被迫

because of war --

离开家园，

the largest number in history.

这是人类史上最大的难民数。

We are the ones who should be ashamed.

我们不应感到羞愧吗？

Thank you.

谢谢各位。

(Applause)

（掌声）