The Story We Tell About Poverty Isn't True | Mia Birdsong | TED Talks

翻译人员: Cindy Lan 校对人员: Gabriella Hu

For the last 50 years,

在过去的五十年里，

a lot of smart, well-resourced people -- some of you, no doubt --

许多聪明且足智多谋者， 无疑也包括部分在座的各位，

have been trying to figure out how to reduce poverty

都在尝试如何减少

in the United States.

美国的贫困人口。

People have created and invested millions of dollars

人们创造并投资上百万美金

into non-profit organizations

投入到那些

with the mission of helping people who are poor.

以帮助穷人为宗旨的非盈利机构。

They've created think tanks

他们组建了智囊团，

that study issues like education, job creation and asset-building,

以研究例如教育、 创造就业和资产形成等问题，

and then advocated for policies to support our most marginalized communities.

以及倡导扶持最边缘群体的政策。

They've written books and columns and given passionate speeches,

他们写了各类的书籍和专栏， 做了各种激动人心的演讲，

decrying the wealth gap that is leaving more and more people

来谴责贫富差距 正在使越来越多的人

entrenched at the bottom end of the income scale.

陷入收入等级的最底层。

And that effort has helped.

这些努力有所成效，

But it's not enough.

但远远不够。

Our poverty rates haven't changed that much in the last 50 years,

自《向贫困宣战》起 （美国总统林登·约翰逊于1964年提出），五十年来

since the War on Poverty was launched.

我们的贫困率并无太多改变。

I'm here to tell you

在这里我想告诉你们

that we have overlooked the most powerful and practical resource.

我们忽视了那份最强大 和最有实效的资源。

Here it is:

那就是：

people who are poor.

贫困人群本身。

Up in the left-hand corner is Jobana, Sintia and Bertha.

图中上左手边的是 乔巴娜、辛西娅和柏莎.

They met when they all had small children,

在孩子还小的时候，

through a parenting class at a family resource center

她们在旧金山一个 家庭互助中心的育儿班

in San Francisco.

里相互认识了。

As they grew together as parents and friends,

她们一同成长 作为孩子的母亲和彼此的朋友，

they talked a lot about how hard it was

聊得最多的就是孩子还小的时候

to make money when your kids are little.

赚钱的艰辛。

Child care is expensive,

孩子的保育很昂贵，

more than they'd earn in a job.

远远超过了她们工作赚的钱，

Their husbands worked,

她们的丈夫们都有工作，

but they wanted to contribute financially, too.

但她们也想为家中的财务状况 做点贡献。

So they hatched a plan.

于是她们萌生了一个计划。

They started a cleaning business.

她们展开了一项清洁业务。

They plastered neighborhoods with flyers

她们在邻里各处贴传单，

and handed business cards out to their families and friends,

给亲戚朋友们发名片，

and soon, they had clients calling.

很快，就有顾客给她们来电。

Two of them would clean the office or house

她们中两人去给办公室 或房子做清洁，

and one of them would watch the kids.

另一个人照看孩子。

They'd rotate who'd cleaned and who'd watch the kids.

她们轮流做清洁和看护的工作。

(Laughs) It's awesome, right?

（笑声） 这很棒，对吧？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And they split the money three ways.

然后她们平分所赚的钱。

It was not a full-time gig,

这不是一个全天的工作，

no one could watch the little ones all day.

没人会一整天都在看孩子。

But it made a difference for their families.

但这给她们的家庭 带来了巨大的变化。

Extra money to pay for bills when a husband's work hours were cut.

当丈夫的工作时间被削减时， 她有了额外的钱去支付账单。

Money to buy the kids clothes as they were growing.

也有钱可以为正在正大的 宝贝们买新衣服。

A little extra money in their pockets

她们口袋里的这点外快

to make them feel some independence.

也让她们感到更加独立。

Up in the top-right corner is Theresa and her daughter, Brianna.

右上角是特丽萨和 她的女儿布里安娜.

Brianna is one of those kids

布里安娜是那样一个

with this sparkly, infectious, outgoing personality.

外向的孩子，活泼而富有感染力。

For example, when Rosie,

例如，当罗西，

a little girl who spoke only Spanish, moved in next door,

一个只会讲西班牙语的小女孩儿 搬来隔壁的时候，

Brianna, who spoke only English,

只懂英语的布里安娜，

borrowed her mother's tablet and found a translation app

借来妈妈的平板电脑，装上了一款翻译软件，

so the two of them could communicate.

这样她们俩就能够交流了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I know, right?

很有意思，对吧？

Rosie's family credits Brianna with helping Rosie to learn English.

罗西的家人赞扬 布里安娜帮助罗西学习英语。

A few years ago,

几年前，

Brianna started to struggle academically.

布里安娜在学习上遇到了问题。

She was growing frustrated and kind of withdrawn

她感觉很挫败、变得沉默寡言

and acting out in class.

还在课堂上开小差。

And her mother was heartbroken over what was happening.

她的母亲对此十分伤心。

Then they found out that she was going to have to repeat second grade

当她们发现她不得不重修二年级课程时，

and Brianna was devastated.

布里安娜崩溃了。

Her mother felt hopeless and overwhelmed and alone

她的母亲倍感绝望，她不知所措，孤立无援。

because she knew that her daughter was not getting the support she needed,

因为她知道女儿没有得到应有的帮助，

and she did not know how to help her.

并且她不知道要如何帮助她。

One afternoon, Theresa was catching up with a group of friends,

有一天下午， 特丽萨跟自己的朋友们聚会，

and one of them said,

其中一个朋友说

"Theresa, how are you?"

“特丽萨，你好吗？”

And she burst into tears.

然后她的眼泪夺眶而出。

After she shared her story, one of her friends said,

在她讲完自己的故事后， 一个朋友告诉她：

"I went through the exact same thing with my son about a year ago."

“一年前，我和我的儿子也有过同样的经历。”

And in that moment,

在那一瞬间，

Theresa realized that so much of her struggle

特丽萨认识到她之所以痛楚

was not having anybody to talk with about it.

是因为没有人能够与之倾诉。

So she created a support group for parents like her.

于是她为跟她一样的父母们 创立了一个互助会。

The first meeting was her and two other people.

第一次会面时 只有她跟另外两个人。

But word spread, and soon 20 people, 30 people

但随着口耳相传， 很快就有20人，30人

were showing up for these monthly meetings that she put together.

来到了她组织的每月一次 的会面中来。

She went from feeling helpless

她从无助的边缘

to realizing how capable she was of supporting her daughter,

到慢慢意识到自己 能够帮助女儿，

with the support of other people who were going through the same struggle.

都来源于那些与她一样 面对着此类问题的父母们的支持。

And Brianna is doing fantastic -- she's doing great academically

现在布里安娜变得极其出色，

and socially.

她在学业和社交上都做的很棒。

That in the middle is my man Baakir,

中间这个是我的朋友贝吉尔,

standing in front of BlackStar Books and Caffe,

他正站在黑星咖啡书屋的门口，

which he runs out of part of his house.

那是他用自己房子的一部分开设的。

As you walk in the door,

当你走进门的时候，

Baakir greets you with a "Welcome black home."

贝吉尔会招呼说： “欢迎光临黑人之家。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Once inside, you can order some Algiers jerk chicken,

当你进去后， 可以点一些阿尔及尔烤鸡，

perhaps a vegan walnut burger,

也可以点一个素食核桃汉堡，

or jive turkey sammich.

或者是火鸡超赞三明治。

And that's sammich -- not sandwich.

不是普通三明治 而是超好吃三明治。

You must finish your meal with a buttermilk drop,

餐点的最后一道一定是乳酪酥，

which is several steps above a donut hole

几颗酪乳酥垒在甜甜圈洞上，

and made from a very secret family recipe.

它制作工艺为祖传秘方。

For real, it's very secret, he won't tell you about it.

讲真的，这秘方非常神秘， 他不会告诉你的。

But BlackStar is much more than a café.

但黑星不仅仅是咖啡厅。

For the kids in the neighborhood,

对于附近的孩子们来说，

it's a place to go after school to get help with homework.

放学后他们可以在这里 做家庭作业。

For the grown-ups, it's where they go

对于成年人来说，

to find out what's going on in the neighborhood

在这里他们可以 了解到邻里的新鲜事，

and catch up with friends.

以及和朋友们聚会。

It's a performance venue.

这是个表演场所，

It's a home for poets, musicians and artists.

是诗人、音乐家以及艺术者的家

Baakir and his partner Nicole,

贝吉尔和他的妻子妮科尔，

with their baby girl strapped to her back,

她的背上还背着他们的小女儿，

are there in the mix of it all,

就在那里料理着一切，

serving up a cup of coffee,

例如泡咖啡，

teaching a child how to play Mancala,

教孩子下非洲棋 （一种非洲古老的游戏），

or painting a sign for an upcoming community event.

或者为一个即将到来的社区活动 刷漆装饰。

I have worked with and learned from people just like them

我与这些人一起工作 并学习他们的优点

for more than 20 years.

超过20年之久。

I have organized against the prison system,

我组织了反对监狱系统的活动，

which impacts poor folks,

这对贫困人群有很大的影响，

especially black, indigenous and Latino folks,

尤其是在黑人，土著和拉丁裔

at an alarming rate.

影响惊人。

I have worked with young people who manifest hope and promise,

我曾与一群满怀希望与憧憬 的年轻人一起共事，

despite being at the effect of racist discipline practices in their schools,

尽管他们在学校 受到种族主义者的歧视，

and police violence in their communities.

或在社区里受到警察的暴力对待。

I have learned from families

一些家庭让我受益良多，

who are unleashing their ingenuity and tenacity

他们正在施展着创造力和毅力

to collectively create their own solutions.

以此来共同创造他们出路，

And they're not just focused on money.

并且他们不仅仅专注于赚钱，

They're addressing education, housing, health, community --

他们致力于教育、家庭、健康、社区，

the things that we all care about.

等这些我们都共同关注的领域。

Everywhere I go,

我所到之处，

I see people who are broke but not broken.

看到人们虽然贫困却不潦倒。

I see people who are struggling to realize their good ideas,

我也看到了那些努力奋斗 来实现自己美好理想，

so that they can create a better life for themselves,

所以他们能给自己、给家庭、给社区

their families, their communities.

创造出更好地生活。

Jobana, Sintia, Bertha, Theresa and Baakir are the rule,

乔巴娜、辛西娅、柏莎、特丽萨和贝吉尔 都只是其中一员，

not the shiny exception.

而非闪耀的个例。

I am the exception.

我才是个例外。

I was raised by a quietly fierce single mother in Rochester, New York.

我自幼在纽约的罗切斯特 由严厉的单亲妈妈抚养成人。

I was bussed to a school in the suburbs, from a neighborhood

我每天都从社区里乘公共汽车 去往位于郊区的学校，

that many of my classmates and their parents considered dangerous.

而我的很多同学和他们的父母 都觉得这样上学很危险。

At eight, I was a latchkey kid.

八岁的时候， 我成了挂钥匙儿童。

I'd get myself home after school every day and do homework and chores,

每天放学我都自己回家， 然后做作业、做家务，

and wait for my mother to come home.

然后等着妈妈回家。

After school, I'd go to the corner store

放学后，我会到家附近的商店去

and buy a can of Chef Boyardee ravioli,

买一罐Chef Boyardee意大利水饺，

which I'd heat up on the stove as my afternoon snack.

放在烤炉里热一下， 就成了我的午后点心。

If I had a little extra money, I'd buy a Hostess Fruit Pie.

如果我得到一些零钱， 我会买一个“女主人水果派”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Cherry.

樱桃做的。

Not as good as a buttermilk drop.

不如酪乳酥好吃。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

We were poor when I was a kid.

小的时候，我们家很穷。

But now, I own a home in a quickly gentrifying neighborhood

但现在，我的家在 加州奥克兰大

in Oakland, California.

一个快速中产阶级化的社区中。

I've built a career.

我有了自己的事业，

My husband is a business owner.

而我的丈夫是个企业主。

I have a retirement account.

我有一个退休账户。

My daughter is not even allowed to turn on the stove

我的女儿甚至禁止开烤箱

unless there's a grown-up at home

除非家中有大人在

and she doesn't have to,

而她其实不需要那么做，

because she does not have to have the same kind of self-reliance

因为她不需要有像我小时候那样

that I had to at her age.

有独立自主能力。

My kids' raviolis are organic

我的孩子们吃天然有机的意大利水饺，

and full of things like spinach and ricotta,

全是菠菜和意大利干酪之类的馅儿。

because I have the luxury of choice

因为我有能力选择奢侈一些的食物

when it comes to what my children eat.

给我的孩子们吃

I am the exception,

我是那个例外，

not because I'm more talented than Baakir

不是因为我比贝吉尔更有才能，

or my mother worked any harder than Jobana, Sintia or Bertha,

也不是因为我的母亲比乔巴娜， 辛西娅和柏莎更努力工作，

or cared any more than Theresa.

更不是因为她比特丽萨更关心我。

Marginalized communities are full of smart, talented people,

边缘社区充斥着聪明 而有天赋的人们，

hustling and working and innovating,

他们奔忙着，工作着以及创新着。

just like our most revered and most rewarded CEOs.

就像那些最受尊敬 和最多报酬的CEO们一样。

They are full of people tapping into their resilience

那里的人们充满了韧性，

to get up every day, get the kids off to school

每天都不停歇， 送他们的孩子上学

and go to jobs that don't pay enough,

做那些薪水低廉的工作。

or get educations that are putting them in debt.

或者接受让他们债台高筑的教育。

They are full of people applying their savvy intelligence

那里的人们穷尽所能，

to stretch a minimum wage paycheck,

对最低薪的工作也全力以赴，

or balance a job and a side hustle to make ends meet.

或是协调工作与副业 使收支平衡。

They are full of people doing for themselves and for others,

有许许多多这样 不仅为自己也为他人着想的人，

whether it's picking up medication for an elderly neighbor,

他们会为上了年纪的邻居带药，

or letting a sibling borrow some money to pay the phone bill,

借钱给付不起电话账单 的兄弟姐妹，

or just watching out for the neighborhood kids

或是在门廊前照看着

from the front stoop.

邻居家的孩子。

I am the exception because of luck and privilege,

我之所以例外 是因为幸运和特权，

not hard work.

并非来自于努力工作。

And I'm not being modest or self-deprecating --

当然我不会 自谦或者妄自菲薄——

I am amazing.

我很了不起。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But most people work hard.

但是大部分人都在努力工作。

Hard work is the common denominator in this equation,

努力工作是成功整式 中的一公分母，

and I'm tired of the story we tell

我也疲于提及我们常说的

that hard work leads to success,

努力工作将导向成功，

because that allows --

因为这——

Thank you.

谢谢你们。

(Applause)

（掌声）

... because that story allows those of us who make it to believe we deserve it,

……因为这类话让已经成功的我们 认为这一切都是应得的，

and by implication,

言外之意是，

those who don't make it don't deserve it.

那些没成功者都是咎由自取。

We tell ourselves, in the back of our minds,

我们常常，在脑海中，

and sometimes in the front of our mouths,

在嘴上告诉自己，

"There must be something a little wrong with those poor people."

“可怜之人必有可恨之处。”

We have a wide range of beliefs

我们对这个可恨之处

about what that something wrong is.

深信不疑。

Some people tell the story that poor folks are lazy freeloaders

有些人可能会说 穷亲戚都是些不速之客

who would cheat and lie to get out of an honest day's work.

他们天天撒谎欺骗而不干一件正事。

Others prefer the story that poor people are helpless

另一些人则更加愿意相信 穷人大多是无助的

and probably had neglectful parents that didn't read to them enough,

或许有着不称职的父母 对他们疏于管教，

and if they were just told what to do

如果你告诉他们如何做

and shown the right path,

并指出一条明路，

they could make it.

他们会成功的。

For every story I hear demonizing low-income single mothers

所有我听过的 妖魔化低收入单身母亲

or absentee fathers,

或者缺席父亲的故事，

which is how people might think of my parents,

都有可能是人们 看待我的父母的眼光。

I've got 50 that tell a different story about the same people,

关于同一群人 我曾听过五十个不同的故事，

showing up every day and doing their best.

每天极尽所能把每件事做到最好。

I'm not saying that some of the negative stories aren't true,

我并不否认 这些负面的故事的真实性，

but those stories allow us to not really see who people really are,

但这些故事 使我们无法看到真实的他们，

because they don't paint a full picture.

因为这些故事只代表事情的一面。

The quarter-truths and limited plot lines have us convinced

这些片面的真相和 狭隘的情节使我们坚信

that poor people are a problem that needs fixing.

贫困人群是 我们亟需解决的问题。

What if we recognized that what's working is the people

要是我们承认 有问题的并非工作者，

and what's broken is our approach?

有问题的是我们的晋升途径 会如何？

What if we realized that the experts we are looking for,

要是我们意识到我们所研究 所探寻，

the experts we need to follow,

所需要理解的，

are poor people themselves?

恰恰是穷人本身会如何？

What if, instead of imposing solutions,

要是， 将那些强加给他们的解决方案，

we just added fire

换做在他们

to the already-burning flame that they have?

已经燃起的火焰中添把火 又会如何？

Not directing --

不那么直接——

not even empowering --

甚至不是给予——

but just fueling their initiative.

只是激起他们的自主性。

Just north of here,

在北部这个地方，

we have an example of what this could look like:

我们就有一个 这样的列子：

Silicon Valley.

硅谷。

A whole venture capital industry has grown up around the belief

整个风投产业成长源于一个 坚实的信条

that if people have good ideas and the desire to manifest them,

那就是如果人们的想法足够好， 且渴望去实现它，

we should give them lots and lots and lots of money.

我们就应该给他们 投入许多许多许多的钱。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Right? But where is our strategy for Theresa and Baakir?

对吗？但是我们对 特丽莎和贝吉尔是怎么做的呢？

There are no incubators for them,

他们没有孵化器，

no accelerators, no fellowships.

没有加速器，没有奖金。

How are Jobana, Sintia and Bertha really all that different

那么巴娜，辛西娅和柏莎呢？ 她们的世界真的与

from the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world?

马克扎克伯格有着天壤之别吗？

Baakir has experience and a track record.

贝吉尔经验丰富 有着很好的业绩。

I'd put my money on him.

我为他投资。

So, consider this an invitation to rethink a flawed strategy.

所以，将现在当做 一个重新审视错误决策的邀请。

Let's grasp this opportunity

让我们紧抓这次机会

to let go of a tired, faulty narrative

忘掉那些陈旧且漏洞百出的故事

and listen and look for true stories,

去倾听和寻找真正的故事，

more beautifully complex stories,

那些更加美好而曲折的故事，

about who marginalized people and families and communities are.

它们叙述着那些边缘化的 人们、家族、团体。

I'm going to take a minute to speak to my people.

我想花点时间 对这些与我一样的人说。

We cannot wait

我们不能等待着

for somebody else to get it right.

别人会去修正它。

Let us remember what we are capable of;

谨记，我们的才干；

all that we have built with blood, sweat and dreams;

我们用血汗和梦想造就的一切；

all the cogs that keep turning;

那些不停运转的齿轮；

and the people kept afloat because of our backbreaking work.

和那些熙来攘往的人群 都是因为有我们艰苦工作身影。

Let us remember that we are magic.

谨记我们就是传奇。

If you need some inspiration to jog your memory,

如果你需要某些灵感去 牵动你的记忆，

read Octavia Butler's "Parable of the Sower."

去读奥克塔维亚.巴特勒的 《播种者格言》

Listen to Reverend King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail."

去听瑞伍德.金的 《一封来自伯明翰监狱的信》

Listen to Suheir Hammad recite "First Writing Since,"

听苏海尔.哈马德背诵的 《第一行诗》

or Esperanza Spalding perform "Black Gold."

或是艾斯帕伦沙.斯波尔丁表演的 《黑金》

Set your gaze upon the art of Kehinde Wiley

凝视凯欣德·威利创作的

or Favianna Rodriguez.

关于菲安娜.洛奇戈的艺术作品。

Look at the hands of your grandmother

看看你祖母的双手

or into the eyes of someone who loves you.

或是注视你所爱之人的双目。

We are magic.

我们就是传奇。

Individually, we don't have a lot of wealth and power,

作为单独的个体， 我们没有太多的财富与权势，

but collectively, we are unstoppable.

但作为一个整体， 我们是无法阻挡的。

And we spend a lot of our time and energy

我们花费了大量的时间和经历

organizing our power to demand change from systems that were not made for us.

组织力量去改变那些 本就不是为我们而设计的系统。

Instead of trying to alter the fabric of existing ways,

不要试着去修改 一匹布料存在的方式，

let's weave and cut some fierce new cloth.

而是去编制和裁切新的布料。

Let's use some of our substantial collective power

让我们运用集体的力量

toward inventing and bringing to life

去为我们的生活发明和创造

new ways of being that work for us.

一些为我们所服务的方式。

Desmond Tutu talks about the concept of ubuntu,

戴斯蒙德.图图讲过 乌班图的概念，

in the context of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation process

南非在真相与和解的进程下

that they embarked on after apartheid.

他们着手于种族隔离之后的重建。

He says it means,

他说这意味着，

"My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in yours;

“你我的人性， 不可避免地将相互依存相互维系；

we belong to a bundle of life."

我们同属一种生命。“

A bundle of life.

同一种生命。

The Truth and Reconciliation process

真相与和解的进程

started by elevating the voices of the unheard.

始于倾听那些被忽视的呼声。

If this country is going to live up to its promise of liberty and justice for all,

如果这个国家要向所有人 兑现她所承诺的自由与公正，

then we need to elevate the voices of our unheard,

那么我就需要倾听 那些被忽视的呼声，

of people like Jobana, Sintia and Bertha,

来自于那些像 乔巴娜、辛西娅、柏莎

Theresa and Baakir.

特丽莎和贝尔金 这样的人们。

We must leverage their solutions and their ideas.

我们必须借助他们的 方式和他们的想法。

We must listen to their true stories,

我们必须倾听他们 最真实的故事，

their more beautifully complex stories.

那些更加美好又曲折的故事。

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）