Ryan Lobo: Photographing the hidden story

翻译人员: zhao weichen 校对人员: Peilu Chen

My name is Ryan Lobo,

我叫瑞恩罗勃

and I've been involved in the documentary

最近10年间，我在世界各地

filmmaking business all over the world for the last 10 years.

参与纪录片的摄制工作

During the process of making these films

制作这些影片的过程中

I found myself taking photographs,

我开始不自觉的拍摄照片

often much to the annoyance of the video cameramen.

这举动常引起摄像师不满

I found this photography of mine almost compulsive.

但我发现我几乎是情不自禁的想拍照

And at the end of a shoot, I would sometimes feel that

并且在按下快门的那一霎那，我常觉得

I had photographs that told a better story

比起一部偶尔令人动容的纪录片

than a sometimes-sensational documentary.

我的照片讲述了一个更好的故事

I felt, when I had my photographs,

我觉得，拍照

that I was holding on to something true,

可以让我把握住那些真实的东西

regardless of agendas or politics.

不管它们是否有资格提上议事日程或是牵涉政治

In 2007, I traveled to three war zones.

2007年里，我去过三个战区

I traveled to Iraq, Afghanistan and Liberia.

我到过伊拉克、阿富汗和利比里亚(西非国家)

And over there I experienced

在那里，我切身的体验到了

other people's suffering, up close and personal,

当地人所遭受的痛苦

immersed myself in some rather intense and emotional stories,

我让自己也沉浸在了一些紧张曲折并且令人动容的故事之中

and at times I experienced great fear for my own life.

当然有的时候，我也非常担心自己的生命受到威胁

As always, I would return to Bangalore,

通常，我会回到班加罗尔（印度城市）

and often to animated discussions at friend's homes,

并时常在朋友家中进行激烈的讨论

where we would discuss various issues

我们会讨论各式各样的问题

while they complained bitterly about the new pub timings,

可是他们总狠狠抱怨新酒吧营业时间

where a drink often cost more than what they'd paid

说是在那儿喝上一杯的钱要比

their 14-year-old maid.

他们付给14岁女仆的工钱还多

I would feel very isolated during these discussions.

在这样儿的争论中，我会感觉非常孤立

But at the same time, I questioned myself

但同时，我质问自己

and my own integrity and purpose in storytelling.

质问自己的诚实以及讲述那些故事的真正目的

And I decided that I had compromised,

之后，我决定需有所妥协

just like my friends in those discussions,

就像那些争论中的我的朋友们那样

where we told stories

争论来争论去

in contexts we made excuses for,

讲不着边际的话不过是给自己寻找借口

rather than taking responsibility for.

而不是为了承担责任

I won't go into details about what led to a decision I made,

我不会详述使我作出这个决定的原因

but let's just say it involved alcohol, cigarettes,

不过可以简单概括成，酒精、香烟

other substances and a woman.

一些其它的东西和女人

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I basically decided that it was I,

基本上我认为只有我自己本身

not the camera or the network,

而不是相机或网络

or anything that lay outside myself,

也不是其他外界事物

that was the only instrument in storytelling

我自己本身才是讲述故事时，唯一一件

truly worth tuning.

真正值得调弦的乐器

In my life, when I tried to achieve things

在我的生活里，当我努力想达成某个目标

like success or recognition, they eluded me.

比如想取得成功或是得到认同的时候，它们反倒躲着我

Paradoxically, when I let go of these objectives,

相反，当我放开这些所谓目标

and worked from a place of compassion and purpose,

从一个充满着关怀同情和美好志向的地方起步

looking for excellence, rather than the results of it,

当我追求卓越，而不仅仅是追求结果的时候

everything arrived on its own, including fulfillment.

所有之前追求的所谓目标反倒不期而至的达成了，包括成功

Photography transcended culture, including my own.

摄影艺术是超越文化的，包括我们自己的文化

And it is, for me, a language which expressed the intangible,

对于我来说，摄影就是一种语言，它描述出我们无法触及难以理解的事物

and gives voice to people and stories without.

它给予故事本身以及故事中人物原本所没有的发言权

I invite you into three recent stories of mine,

现在我邀你一同经历我刚经历的三个故事

which are about this way of looking, if you will,

都是关于看事物的角度

which I believe exemplify the tenets

我觉得在故事讲述过程中所展示的义理

of what I like to call compassion in storytelling.

我更愿意称之为宽容同情

In 2007 I went to Liberia,

2007年，我去了利比里亚

where a group of my friends and I

在那里，我和一群朋友

did an independent, self-funded film, still in progress,

制作了一部自己出资的独立电影，当然现在仍在制作中

on a very legendary and brutal war-lord

它是一部极具传奇色彩却是关于残忍军阀的电影

named General Butt Naked.

其中的残忍军阀被称作做光屁股将军

His real name is Joshua, and he's pictured here in a cell

他的真名叫约书亚。他是在牢房里接受我们拍摄的

where he once used to torture and murder people,

在那个过去他用来折磨并屠杀平民的牢房

including children.

其中也包括孩子

Joshua claims to have personally killed

约书亚声称在利比里亚内战中

more than 10,000 people during Liberia's civil war.

曾亲手杀死了超过10，000人

He got his name from fighting stark naked.

他之所以得到那个外号是由于常常打仗时赤身裸体

And he is probably the most prolific mass murderer

另外，他也许是现今世上杀人最多的谋杀犯中

alive on Earth today.

仍苟延残喘的一个

This woman witnessed the General murdering her brother.

这位妇女曾亲眼看见这个将军杀死自己的兄弟

Joshua commanded his child-soldiers to commit unspeakable crimes,

约书亚还命令他的童子军犯下了罄竹难书的罪行

and enforced his command with great brutality.

并强迫他们以一种极残忍的形式执行他的命令

Today many of these children are addicted to drugs like heroin,

现在，很多当时的童子军都已染上毒瘾，比如海洛因

and they are destitute, like these young men in the image.

而且他们穷困潦倒，好比相片中的这些年轻人

How do you live with yourself

你要怎样活下去

if you know you've committed horrific crimes?

如果你清楚自己曾经犯下可怕的罪行

Today the General is a baptized Christian evangelist.

如今，这位将军已经受洗成为一位基督教传教士

And he's on a mission.

并且他正在执行使命

We accompanied Joshua, as he walked the Earth,

我们陪着约书亚，踏上路途，

visiting villages where he had once killed and raped.

去拜访那些他曾烧杀抢掠过的村庄

He seeked forgiveness,

他祈求原谅

and he claims to endeavor to improve

说一定会努力改善

the lives of his child-soldiers.

那些童子军的生活

During this expedition I expected him

这次的远行，我总感觉

to be killed outright, and us as well.

我们会连同他一起被立刻杀掉

But what I saw opened my eyes

但我所看到的

to an idea of forgiveness

使我真切的理解了宽恕的意义

which I never thought possible.

在此之前我从未认为这种事可能发生

In the midst of incredible poverty and loss,

身处难以置信的穷困，遭受了巨大的损失

people who had nothing absolved a man

那些可以说一无所有的人们却宽恕了这个罪人

who had taken everything from them.

尽管他曾夺走了他们的一切

He begs for forgiveness,

他乞求原谅

and receives it from the same woman

就得到了刚才提到的那位妇女的原谅

whose brother he murdered.

尽管这位妇女和约书亚有着杀兄之仇

Senegalese, the young man seated on the wheelchair here,

塞内加尔，坐在轮椅上的这位年轻人

was once a child soldier, under the General's command,

曾经是童子军中一员，听从这位将军的指令

until he disobeyed orders,

直到他违背了命令

and the General shot off both his legs.

将军用枪射断了他的双腿

He forgives the General in this image.

在这张照片中，他同样原谅了这位将军

He risked his life as he walked up to people

约书亚冒着生命危险

whose families he'd murdered.

走向受害者的家人们

In this photograph a hostile crowd in a slum surrounds him.

在这张照片中，贫民窟中一群人围住了他，充满敌意

And Joshua remains silent

但是约书亚保持沉默

as they vented their rage against him.

就算人们朝他发泄他们的愤怒

This image, to me, is almost like from a Shakespearean play,

这张照片，对于我来说，无疑算得上莎翁剧本中的一幕：

with a man, surrounded by various influences,

一个深受各种势力影响的人

desperate to hold on to something true within himself,

拼命地想把握住自身中一些真实的东西

in a context of great suffering that he has created himself.

处在这样的痛苦之中，他变为现在的样子

I was intensely moved during all this.

我被所见所感深深打动

But the question is,

但问题是

does forgiveness and redemption replace justice?

宽恕和补救能否取代正义？

Joshua, in his own words, says that he does not mind

约书亚说他不害怕

standing trial for his crimes,

站上自己罪行的审判台

and speaks about them from soapboxes across Monrovia,

他在蒙罗维亚(利比里亚首都)演讲时也谈到了这些

to an audience that often includes his victims.

演讲时，听众中常有他的受害者

A very unlikely spokesperson for the idea of

看上去他并不是一个合适的人选

separation of church and state.

来宣传政教分离的主张

The second story I'm going to tell you about

第二个故事中，我将要为你们讲述

is about a group of very special fighting women

一群非常特别的女兵

with rather unique peace-keeping skills.

她们拥有相当独特的维和技巧

Liberia has been devastated by one of Africa's

利比里亚在一场全非洲最血腥的内战之后

bloodiest civil wars,

已是满目疮痍

which has left more than 200,000 people dead,

在这场内战中，超过200,000人死亡

thousands of women scarred by rape and crime

成千上万的女性在无数强奸以及

on a spectacular scale.

其他犯罪事件的阴影下惶惶不可终日

Liberia is now home

利比里亚现在是

to an all-woman United Nations contingent

所有联合国维和部队中

of Indian peacekeepers.

印度女性的家

These women, many from small towns in India,

这些女性，大多来自印度的小城镇

help keep the peace, far away from home and family.

远离故乡和家人到各处帮助维持和平

They use negotiation and tolerance

她们更多的选择协商及容忍的方式

more often than an armed response.

而不是以武力解决问题

The commander told me that a woman could gauge

指挥官告诉我，女性

a potentially violent situation

能比男性更好的判断出

much better than men.

潜在的暴力局面

And that they were definitely capable of diffusing it non-aggressively.

并且毫无疑问，她们更能以一种非暴力的方式淡化这种局面

This man was very drunk,

这个男人醉得一塌糊涂

and he was very interested in my camera,

他似乎对我的相机非常感兴趣

until he noticed the women, who handled him

直到他注意到抓住他那位女兵

with smiles, and AK-47s at the ready, of course.

面带笑容，当然，手握上膛的AK-47

(Laughter)

（笑声）

This contingent seems to be quite lucky,

这个小分队似乎比较走运

and it has not sustained any casualties,

她们之中还没有人在战乱中身亡

even though dozens of peacekeepers have been killed in Liberia.

尽管很多维和人员在利比里亚牺牲

And yes, all of those people killed were male.

是的，所有被杀的人都是男性

Many of the women are married with children,

很多女性维和人员都已结婚并有了孩子

and they say the hardest part of their deployment

她们说，被分配部署后最难熬的便是

was being kept away from their children.

必须与她们的孩子分离

I accompanied these women on their patrols,

我陪同她们一起巡逻

and watched as they walked past men,

看着她们与男人们擦肩而过

many who passed very lewd comments incessantly.

许多男人经过时不住地粗言秽语着

And when I asked one of the women about the shock and awe response,

当我向她们之中的一位问起这种令人震惊和畏惧的反应时

she said, "Don't worry, same thing back home.

她说：“不用担心，我们家那儿也是这样的

We know how to deal with these fellows,"

我们知道怎么对付这些家伙”

and ignored them.

无视他们

In a country ravaged by violence against women,

在这个被一切针对女性的暴力行径所毁坏的国家中

Indian peacekeepers have inspired many local women

印度维和部队鼓舞了很多当地女性

to join the police force.

她们纷纷加入警察部门

Sometimes, when the war is over and all the film crews have left,

其实有时候，当战争结束，摄制组也已离开

the most inspiring stories are the ones

那些最振奋人心的故事

that float just beneath the radar.

就活生生的在雷达下上演

I came back to India and nobody was interested in buying the story.

我回到印度，没人有兴趣出版这个故事

And one editor told me that she wasn't interested

一位编辑告诉我说，她没兴趣

in doing what she called "manual labor stories."

制作一部她所谓的“讲体力活儿的故事”

In 2007 and 2009 I did stories on the Delhi Fire Service, the DFS,

在2007年和2009年，我在德里消防中心拍摄

which, during the summer, is probably the world's most active fire department.

每当夏天来临，那里算得上是世界上最忙碌的消防中心

They answer more than 5,000 calls in just two months.

仅仅2个月，他们就接到了超过5000次火警

And all this against incredible logistical odds,

这一切都是在后勤难以置信的不利状况下完成的

like heat and traffic jams.

比如高温酷热和交通堵塞

Something amazing happened during this shoot.

在这次拍摄中，一些令人惊叹的事情发生了

Due to a traffic jam, we were late in getting to a slum,

由于交通堵塞，我们到达的有些迟

a large slum, which had caught fire.

着火的是一个很大的贫民窟

As we neared, angry crowds attacked our trucks

当我们快接近的时候，愤怒的人群开始攻击消防车

and stoned them, by hundreds of people all over the place.

几百人从四面八方向着消防车扔石头

These men were terrified,

消防员们非常惊慌

as the mob attacked our vehicle.

因为暴民不断攻击着消防车

But nonetheless, despite the hostility,

尽管如此，消防员们不顾人群的敌意

firefighters left the vehicle and successfully fought the fire.

他们离开车辆，然后成功的扑灭了火焰

Running the gauntlet through hostile crowds,

一些消防员冒险穿过了充满敌意的人群

and some wearing motorbike helmets to prevent injury.

一些人头戴摩托车头盔以防伤害

Some of the local people forcibly took away the hoses

有些当地人从消防员手中强行抢过水管

from the firemen to put out the fire in their homes.

来扑灭自家房屋的火焰

Now, hundreds of homes were destroyed.

几百栋房屋被烧毁

But the question that lingered in my mind was,

但回旋在我脑海中的问题是

what causes people to destroy fire trucks

人们为什么要攻击消防车

headed to their own homes?

为什么要攻击去帮他们扑灭火焰的消防车？

Where does such rage come from?

他们狂暴的怒气又是从何而来？

And how are we responsible for this?

我们对此有什么责任？

45 percent of the 14 million people

德里市的1千4百万居民中有45%

who live in Delhi live in unauthorized slums,

住在非法的贫民窟

which are chronically overcrowded.

那里总是过于拥挤

They lack even the most basic amenities.

他们缺乏那些哪怕是最基础的生活设施

And this is something that is common to all our big cities.

这个也是所有大城市共同存在的问题

Back to the DFS. A huge chemical depot caught fire,

话题再回到德里消防中心。有一个巨大的化学物品仓库着火了

thousands of drums filled with petrochemicals

几千筒石化产品

were blazing away and exploding all around us.

正在猛烈燃烧并且在身边爆炸

The heat was so intense, that hoses were used

火场的温度太高，以至于要用水管

to cool down firefighters

来给消防员降温

fighting extremely close to the fire, and with no protective clothing.

这些消防员极其接近火焰，却没有穿能保护他们的防火服

In India we often love to complain about our government bodies.

在印度，我们热衷于抱怨我们的政府机构

But over here, the heads of the DFS,

但在这里，德里消防中心的总部

Mr. R.C. Sharman, Mr. A.K. Sharman,

R.C. Sharman先生和A.K. Sharman先生

led the firefight with their men.

带领着他们的手下不断执行着消防任务

Something wonderful in a country where

在一个如此棒的国家下

manual labor is often looked down upon.

体力劳动却如此被轻视

(Applause)

（掌声）

Over the years, my faith in the power of storytelling has been tested.

多年来，我坚信一段故事带来震撼的信念曾经动摇

And I've had very serious doubt about its efficacy,

并且我甚至极度怀疑它的功效

and my own faith in humanity.

以及我对人性的信心

However, a film we shot still airs on the National Geographic channel.

然而，我们拍摄的纪录片还是在国家地理频道上面播出了

And when it airs I get calls from all the guys I was with

当它播出的时候，我接到了当时所有工作人员的电话

and they tell me that they receive hundreds of calls congratulating them.

他们都告诉我，他们接到了上百个表示祝贺的电话

Some of the firemen told me that they were also inspired

一些消防员告诉我，他们很受鼓舞

to do better because they were so pleased

会努力做到更好，因为他们非常开心收到的是感谢

to get thank-yous rather than brick bats.

而不是飞来板砖

It seems that this story helped change perceptions about the DFS,

这个故事似乎改变了人们对德里消防部的看法

at least in the minds of an audience in part on televisions,

至少是电视屏幕前的部分观众

read magazines and whose huts aren't on fire.

杂志的一些读者以及那些家里没着火的人

Sometimes, focusing on what's heroic, beautiful and dignified,

有时，关注那些关于勇敢，美好和崇高的故事

regardless of the context,

无论其内容是什么

can help magnify these intangibles three ways,

都有助于在三方面上进一步发扬这些无形的品质

in the protagonist of the story, in the audience,

让这些品质永存于故事主角中、永存于听众

and also in the storyteller.

还有讲述者心中

And that's the power of storytelling.

这就是故事叙述所蕴含的力量

Focus on what's dignified, courageous and beautiful,

关注故事中高尚、勇敢和美好的东西

and it grows. Thank you.

那么这些品质也定会升华发扬开来。谢谢

(Applause)

(掌声)