Cynthia Schneider: The surprising spread of "Idol" TV

翻译人员: Yuan Zhao 校对人员: Xinli Geng

I'd like to ask you,

我想问一下大家

what do these three people have in common?

以下这三个人有什么共同之处?

Well, you probably recognize the first person.

你们可能都认得第一位

I'm sure you're all avid "American Idol" watchers.

我相信你们都是"美国偶像"的忠实观众

But you might not recognize Aydah Al Jahani,

你们也许不认识Aydah Al Jahani

who is a contestant, indeed a finalist,

她是一位参赛选手，实际上

in the Poet of the Millions competition,

她是“百万诗人”比赛的决赛选手

which is broadcast out of Abu Dhabi,

这档节目不仅在阿卜杜比播出

and seen throughout the Arab world.

在整个阿拉伯世界都有观众

In this contest

这个比赛

people have to write and recite

要求选手创作并朗诵

original poetry, in the Nabati form of poetry,

原创诗歌，且为纳巴蒂体

which is the traditional Bedouin form.

这是一种传统的贝都因部落的诗歌形式

And Lima Sahar was a finalist

Lima Sahar也是一位决赛选手

in the Afghan Star singing competition.

她参加的是"阿富汗之星"歌唱比赛

Now, before I go any further,

在我继续之前

yes, I know it all began with "Britain's Got Talent."

是的，我知道"英国达人"是此类节目的鼻祖

But my point in discussing this

但我所说的重点

is to show you -- I hope I'll be able to show you

是想向大家说明-- 希望我可以讲清楚

how these merit-based competitions,

这些比拼才艺的竞赛

with equal access to everyone,

人人均可参与

with the winner selected via voting by SMS,

通过短信投票选出胜者

are changing tribal societies.

它们如何改变部落社会

And I'm going to focus on Afghanistan

我将以阿富汗

and the Arab world with the UAE,

和阿拉伯世界的阿联酋为例

how they're changing tribal societies,

他们改变部落社会的方法

not by introducing Western ideas,

并不是通过引入西方思想

but by being integrated into the language in those places.

而是通过融合各部落的语言

It all begins with enjoyment.

一切以娱乐开始

Video: We are late to watch "Afghan Star."

我们来不及看"阿富汗之星"了

We are going to watch "Afghan Star." We are late.

我们要看"阿富汗之星" 已经晚了

We are running late.

我们要晚了

We must go to watch "Afghan Star."

我们一定要去看"阿富汗之星"

Cynthia Schneider: These programs are reaching incredibly deeply into society.

这些节目已经深入人心

In Afghanistan, people go to extraordinary lengths

在阿富汗，人们不远数里

to be able to watch this program.

为了能够看到这个节目

And you don't necessarily have to have your own TV set.

自家没有电视也没有关系

People watch it all over the country

全国上下都在收看这一节目

also in public places.

甚至在公共场所都有得看

But it goes beyond watching,

但不仅仅是观看这么简单

because also, part of this

因为，其中的一部分

is campaigning.

是拉选票

People become so engaged

人人参与

that they have volunteers, just like political volunteers anyway,

甚至还有志愿者，类似政治选举的志愿者

who fan out over the countryside,

他们跑遍全国上下

campaigning for their candidate.

为他们支持的选手拉票

Contestants also put themselves forward.

选手们也主动推销自己

Now, of course there is a certain degree of ethnic allegiance, but not entirely.

当然，一些人只把选票投给来自本地区的选手，但并非完全如此

Because each year the winner has come from a different tribal group.

因为每年的冠军都来自不同的部落

This has opened up the door,

谁都可以报名参赛

particularly for women.

尤其是对于女性来说

And in the last season there were two women in the finalists.

上一个赛季，有两位女选手闯入了决赛

One of them, Lima Sahar, is a Pashtun from Kandahar,

其中一位的Lima Sahar是普什图族人，来自坎大哈

a very conservative part of the country.

一个非常保守的地区

And here she relates, in the documentary film "Afghan Star,"

在"阿富汗之星"的记录片中，她告诉我们

how her friends urged her not to do this

她的朋友们劝她不要参赛

and told her that she was leaving them for democracy.

说她为了民主背离了他们

But she also confides that

但同时她透露

she knows that members of the Taliban

她知道有塔利班基地组织成员

are actually SMS-ing votes in for her.

发短信为她投票

Aydah Al Jahnani also took risks

Aydah Al Jahnani也是冒风险

and put herself out, to compete

去参加

in the Poet of the Millions competition.

“百万诗人”的比赛

I have to say, her husband backed her from the start.

我必须说，她的丈夫从一开始就支持她

But her tribe and family urged her not to compete

但是她的部落和家庭都不支持

and were very much against it.

甚至极力反对她参加

But, once she started to win,

但当她开始赢得比赛时

then they got behind her again.

他们就开始支持她了

It turns out that competition and winning is a universal human value.

看来竞争和好胜是全人类的价值取向

And she's out there.

她参加比赛

Her poetry is about women,

写的诗歌是关于女性

and the life of women in society.

以及社会中妇女生活情况的

So just by presenting herself

仅仅通过展现自己

and being in competition with men --

和男性同台竞技

this shows the voting on the program --

从节目的投票结果可以看出

it sets a very important example for young women --

她为年轻女性做出了很好的榜样

these are young women in the audience of the program --

节目观众中有年轻女性

in Abu Dhabi, but also people in the viewing audience.

在阿卜杜比，还有电视机前的观众

Now you'd think that "American Idol"

你们可能认为"美国偶像"

would introduce a measure of Americanization.

会带来美国化的潮流

But actually, just the opposite is happening.

但事实却恰恰相反

By using this engaging popular format

通过全民动员的形式

for traditional, local culture,

弘扬传统本土文化

it actually, in the Gulf, is precipitating a revival

实际上促使海湾地区人民

of interest in Nabati poetry,

重拾对纳巴蒂体诗歌的关注

also in traditional dress and dance and music.

传统服饰、舞蹈、音乐也开始得到复兴

And for Afghanistan,

在阿富汗

where the Taliban banned music for many years,

塔利班管制音乐已多年

it is reintroducing their traditional music.

这个活动重新向人们介绍了他们的传统音乐

They don't sing pop songs,

他们不唱流行歌曲

they sing Afghan music.

他们唱阿富汗民歌

And they also have learned how to lose gracefully,

他们也开始学会体面地接受失败

without avenging the winner.

而不是对胜出者进行报复

(Laughter)

(笑声)

No small thing.

样样都很重要

And the final, sort of, formulation

最后，一种

of this "American Idol" format,

终极版的“美国偶像”形式的节目

which has just appeared in Afghanistan,

在阿富汗新鲜出炉

is a new program called "The Candidate."

这档节目叫做“候选人”

And in this program, people present

在节目中，人们提出

policy platforms that are then voted on.

政策主张，然后进行投票

Many of them are too young to run for president,

虽然许多参赛选手太年轻，不能竞选总统

but by putting the issues out there,

但通过提出提议

they are influencing the presidential race.

他们影响着总统竞选

So for me, the substance of things unseen

对我来说，潜在的意义是

is how reality TV is driving reality.

看真人秀节目如何影响现实

Thank you.

谢谢

(Applause)

（掌声）