A Different Understanding of American Patriotism | Deval Patrick | TED

Transcriber:

翻译人员: suya f. 校对人员: Alvin Lee

Listen, I'm worried about our democracy.

各位，我对我们的民主感到担忧。

Nowadays, we have leaders who use division itself as a political tool.

如今，我们有些领导者 将分裂本身当做政治手段。

They downplay

他们暗箱操作，

or even encourage, in some cases,

甚至在某些情况下鼓动

a deadly assault to overturn an election.

致命的袭击来颠覆选举。

And a bunch of them are working really hard to make it harder to vote.

同时他们有些人在特别努力地 让投票变得更加麻烦。

The retreat from these processes of democracy,

这些民主过程的逐渐缺失，

you know, ballot access, legislative debate, judicial review,

像是投票权分配， 立法辩论，司法复议，

they are worrisome enough.

它们已经足够令人担忧。

But what's even more concerning to me

但更加令我担忧的是

is the retreat from the purposes of democracy.

是我们在逐渐远离民主的目的。

These old-fashioned notions of government of, by and for the people.

包括这些过时的 “人民自治、人民主政、人民为本”的政府理念。

The rule of law as superior to the rule of any one personality.

法律高于个人意志，

Liberty and justice for all.

自由与公正属于每一个人。

COVID made it harder to overlook deep disparities among us

新冠疫情让我们更难以忽视我们在

in health and wealth and education,

健康、财富、教育方面的不平等，

and deep unfairness in too much of our policing,

以及我们制定大多政策 时深重的不公正。

leaving a lot of Americans questioning

这让我们很多美国人质问道，

whether our national commitment to social and economic justice is real.

我们国家对社会正义与经济公平 的承诺到底是不是真的。

For some time now, in the words of one friend of mine,

一段时间以来， 在我一位朋友看来，

the self-evident truth

那条不言而喻的真理，

that all people deserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

也就是所有人值得拥有生存、 自由与追求幸福的权利，

seems a long way from settled in the American mind.

已经不再被美国人民所信任了。

So to me, American democracy,

所以，对于我来说，美式民主，

the supposed model of the form,

也就是我们所设想的形式，

Is up for grabs.

应该是面向所有人的。

I'm worried, not just as a lawyer or a former public official,

我感到忧虑，无论是作为律师， 还是前政府官员，

but also and mainly as a patriot.

更主要的是作为一名爱国者。

I grew up on the south side of Chicago,

我在芝加哥南部长大，

in a crowded two-bedroom tenement,

当时我生活在一个拥挤的 两卧廉租公寓里，

with my mother, my sister, my grandparents and various relatives who came and went.

同我的母亲，姐姐，祖父母 和来来去去的亲戚住在一起。

I went to big, overcrowded, underresourced,

我在那些庞大又拥挤，资源不足，

sometimes violent public schools.

有时又充斥着暴力的公立学校。

And yet my grandmother would never permit us to say we were poor.

但是我的祖母从不允许 我们说我们很穷。

Just broke, she'd say, because broke is temporary.

她会说我们只是破产， 因为破产是暂时的。

Think about it. Here is this refugee from the Jim Crow South

她可是一个南方种族隔离的受害者，

who still believed in an America

但她仍对美国充满信心，

where with hard work, preparation and faith,

她觉得，凭借努力、准备与信念，

both religious and civic,

无论在宗教自由方面还是公民权方面，

you could lift yourself from your circumstances of birth.

你都可以改变自己的命运。

I am for her the result and the symbol of her faith in America,

对于她来说，我就是她 对于美国信念的结果和象征，

so you better believe I'm a patriot.

所以你可以相信我是一名爱国者。

But patriotism for Black Americans is tricky.

但对于美国黑人来说， 爱国主义就很困难。

It's tricky to love a country that doesn't always love you back.

困难在于，你爱的这个国家， 不一定会回馈你的爱。

I think of the Black men who set off to fight for freedom in the world wars

我想到了那些被派往世界各地 为自由而战的黑人士兵，

and then came home to be denied those very freedoms.

他们战后归乡却没能 获得应有的自由。

Some of them lynched while wearing their military uniforms.

他们中有人身着军装被私刑处死。

I think of the Black laborers who built great public universities,

我想到了那些建造了 优秀公立大学的黑人工人们，

whose doors were closed to them.

却无法进入这些大学学习。

The Black voters who elected great public leaders

那些黑人选民选出了伟大的领导者，

whose policies like the GI Bill were closed to them.

但他们所制定的诸如退伍军人法案 的政策却不适用于黑人。

For a lot of our history,

我们历史中的很长一段时间，

美国民主是不让黑人参与的。

American democracy itself has been closed to Black people.

Lots of grandmothers like mine

很多像我祖母一样的人，

have grandsons and granddaughters who never had their chance.

他们的孙辈依旧没能获得 这些民主机会，

Still don't.

到现在都没有。

I remember in college,

我记得上大学的时候，

a white classmate asked me, "Why on earth would you want to be Black?"

一个白人同学问我： “你到底为什么想做一个黑人？”

When I told her I hadn't considered the alternative --

当我告诉她我还没 考虑过其他选项……

(Laughter)

（笑声）

and never would,

……也永远不会的时候，

she seemed startled and confused.

她似乎感到吃惊与不解。

I attribute this in part to the fact that I spoke and dressed like a preppy.

可能因为我的谈吐和穿着很学院风，

I get that part.

这点我能理解。

但我认为，她感到困惑的原因， 主要是她无法想象

But mostly I think she was confused because she couldn't imagine

why any Black person in his or her right mind

为什么任何理智的黑人

wouldn't trade places with her.

都不会去站在她的角度想问题。

我想她和在座的一些人一样，

I think it would blow her mind, as it may some of yours,

when I say I am also proud to be a patriot.

当我说我身为爱国者而骄傲时， 会感到惊讶。

Given our history, being Black and patriotic

鉴于我们的历史， 如果黑人表达爱国情感，

will certainly strike some people as strange,

有些人一定会觉得很奇怪，

if not absurd.

甚至觉得荒谬。

I don't know when patriotism turned into,

我不知道什么时候开始， 爱国主义就变成了

戴（国旗）领花针，看飞行阅兵表演，

you know, lapel pins and flyovers

and silly arguments about pro football players taking a knee.

还有职业橄榄球员是不是需要 单膝跪下的愚蠢争论。

My love of country is about national aspiration.

我对国家的热爱 源自对国家理想的渴望。

America is the only nation in human history

美国是人类历史上唯一一个

organized not by geography or a common culture

不以地缘、共同文化、

or language or religion or even race,

语言、宗教， 甚至不以种族建国的，

but by a handful of civic ideals.

而是以许多公民理想建国的国家。

And we've come to define those ideals over time and through struggle

经过漫长的岁月和艰苦的斗争，

as equality, opportunity and fair play.

我们将这些理想定义为 平等、机遇与公平竞争。

Why? Because that's what makes freedom possible.

为什么？ 因为是这些让自由变得可能。

That's the America my grandmother believed in.

这就是我祖母所相信的美国。

That's the America that has made us a magnet to talent

这就是能像磁铁一样

from all over the world.

吸引全世界人才的美国。

That's the America that makes me and countless other men and women

这就是让我与 其他许许多多男男女女

from every race and background a patriot.

不论种族与出身 都成为爱国者的美国。

In a way, the founders, for all their flaws,

某种意义上，纵使有缺陷，

designed America to be a nation of values,

建国者们将美国设计成为了 一个充满价值的国度，

a sort of a country with a conscience.

就是一个有良知的国家。

And we’ve struggled with and against that conscience from the start.

而我们从一开始，就面临着 如何与良知抗争的困境。

But true patriots understand, given that context,

但在这种背景下， 真正的爱国者明白，

that America cannot be great without also being good.

如果美国不实现善良和正义， 也就不可能真正伟大。

So when we cage refugee children

所以当我们囚禁难民的孩子，

to discourage their parents from seeking sanctuary here,

来阻止他们的家长到这追求庇护，

true patriots know we cannot be great without being good.

真正的爱国者知道 我们不善良，就不会伟大。

When bullets fly in houses of worship or in schools or in nightclubs

当子弹飞入宗教场所、 学校、夜总会，

or in grocery stores,

或是超市的时候，

and our leaders choose the slogans of the gun lobby

我们的领导者选择的是枪支集团的宣言

over the lives of innocents,

而不是无辜的生命的时候，

patriots know we cannot be great without being good.

爱国者们知道， 我们不善良，就不会伟大。

When unarmed Black and brown citizens are shot down by unaccountable police,

当不负责任的警察开枪打倒 手无寸铁的黑人或棕色人种，

when our justice system is not yet consistently just,

当我们的司法系统 仍未做到持续性的公正，

patriots know we cannot be great without being good.

爱国者们知道， 我们不善良，就不会伟大。

When the economy moves on and leaves broken lives

当经济持续发展， 却抛下那些破产的人

and broken expectations behind it,

和他们破碎的期望，

and our leaders just shrug,

而我们的领导人只是耸耸肩，

or when the public schools continue to fail poor children,

又或是当公立学校 继续辜负那些贫穷的孩子，

and when we can always find the money

而我们总是能拨出钱来，

for a weapons system the military doesn't want,

给军队装备 他们根本用不上的武器系统，

but not the money for the health care a young family or senior needs,

却不拨款给那些新生家庭 或是老人所需的医疗服务，

patriots know or must ask themselves:

爱国者们知道，或是要扪心自问：

Can we be great without being good?

我们能在不善良的时候变得伟大吗？

And when we choose a power grab over a fair vote ...

还有当我们选择攫取权力 而无视公平投票时，

every true patriot knows we cannot be great without being good.

每一个真正的爱国者都知道， 我们不善良，就不会伟大。

Patriotism demands more than ceremony and sanctimony.

爱国需要的远不止 仪式和虚伪的虔诚。

It's about more than what you say you believe.

也远不止嘴上说的信仰。

it's about living the values of equality, opportunity and fair play.

爱国是以身践行平等、 机遇和公平竞争的价值观。

Even when it's inconvenient,

即使这有时很麻烦，

even when it gets in the way of partisan advantage,

即使这会妨碍党派利益，

even when it compels us to be mindful of and compassionate

即使这迫使我们去留意并体恤

towards the lowly, the vulnerable, the different and the despised.

社会上卑微的、脆弱的、 异样的和受轻视的人。

Because that’s what American democracy is for.

因为这才是美国民主的使命。

Of course, we have policies to fix,

当然，我们需要修正一些政策，

whether in job growth or education, in immigration or the justice system,

无论是在就业增长、教育、 移民和司法体制等方面，

还是民主进程本身。

or in these processes of democracy itself.

But before we can fix our policies, we have to fix our politics.

但在修正政策前， 我们需要先修复我们的政治。

And by that, I am not just talking about better tone

我说的不仅仅是改善语气，

or hyperpartisanship or a willingness to compromise.

减少极端党派斗争 或者增加妥协意愿。

As important as all of that is, I'm talking about our purpose.

跟这些同样重要的是：我们的目标。

Sure, we should debate, and we always do,

确实，我们应该辩论， 我们也一直在辩论，

what role government should play in any of this,

政府应该在这些方面扮演着什么角色，

in meeting our civic obligations.

在履行公民义务时发挥着怎样的作用。

But let's try for once not to forget in the heat of the debate

但请大家不要深陷辩论本身无法自拔，

that social and economic justice was the point from the start.

实现社会和经济的公平正义 才是辩论的初衷。

But I think saving our democracy will take more,

但我觉得，要挽救 我们的民主远不止这些，

not just from elected officials or civic leaders or the media,

不能只依靠当选的官员， 或者公民领袖，抑或媒体，

而是更需要我们每个人的努力。

but more from each one of us.

And we're going to have to start, I think, by putting our cynicism down.

我认为，我们必须开始放下 愤世嫉俗的态度。

I'm going to give you an example of what I mean.

我给大家举一个例子。

Near the end of my time in office,

在我任期即将结束时，

America faced a crisis not unlike today's

美国面临一个和今天相似的危机，

when there were all these unaccompanied children,

那时，许多无人陪伴的孩子，

some as young as three and four years old,

有的甚至只有三、四岁，

who were flooding across the southern border,

他们跋涉了数千英里， 逃离了中美洲的暴力冲突，

having fled over thousands of miles from violence in Central America.

如潮水般跨过南部边境。

And then, just like now, the federal authorities were overwhelmed.

像现在一样， 当时的联邦政府不堪重负。

So President Obama, who was in office at the time,

当时在位的奥巴马总统，

called on a number of states

呼吁若干州政府

to temporarily shelter and care for some of these children

在这些孩子被依法审核时，

while they were being processed under our laws.

为他们提供暂时的庇护和照顾。

Feelings around immigration ran hot then, just like now.

当时人们对移民的 情绪高涨，就像现在一样。

Even so, I agreed that our Commonwealth would help

即便如此， 我赞成联邦政府提供帮助，

because sheltering poor children fleeing unspeakable violence

因为，保护那些 从可怕的暴力中逃脱的可怜孩子，

was, to me, an act of patriotism.

对我来说，是爱国的一种行为。

America has given sanctuary to desperate children

一个多世纪以来，

美国一直是绝望儿童的避难所。

for more than a century.

We rescued Irish children from famine,

我们解救了受饥荒之苦 的爱尔兰儿童、

Russian and Ukrainian children from religious persecution,

受宗教迫害的俄罗斯 和乌克兰儿童、

Cambodian children from genocide,

惨遇种族清洗的柬埔寨儿童、

Haitian children from earthquakes,

遭地震之灾的海地儿童、

Sudanese children from civil war,

内战炮火中的苏丹孩子、

our own New Orleans children from Hurricane Katrina.

还有我们遭受卡特里娜飓风灾害 的新奥尔良的孩子。

Once in 1939, we turned our backs on Jewish children fleeing the Nazis.

曾经，在1939年， 我们拒绝了逃离纳粹的犹太孩子。

And it remains a blight on our national reputation,

这仍然是我们 国家声誉上的污点，

as I fear the separation of children

就像我担心上届政府分离儿童的事件

in the last administration will be remembered.

同样会被铭记。

The point is that our esteem and our power is enhanced

关键是，当我们挽救这些绝望的人时，

when we rescue the desperate --

我们国家的尊严和实力将增强，

and diminished when we don't.

反之则会衰退。

Still, I'm not naive.

当然，我并不天真。

I knew my decision would be controversial,

我知道我的决定可能备受争议，

and indeed, for that decision,

我也确实因为这个决定，

I was called on hate radio and in social media

在仇恨电台和社交媒体上，

everything but a child of God.

我被贬低为各种东西， 除了“上帝的孩子”。

A couple of days after I announced my decision,

在我宣布决定的几天之后，

on an unusually quiet Saturday morning,

在一个异常安静周六早晨，

my wife Diane gave me a list of stuff to go get at the Home Depot,

我的妻子戴安给了我一张 去家得宝（美国家居连锁店）的购物清单，

proving for some of you who know her that there is no office high enough

你们要是认识她的话，就会知道， 对她而言，再高的职位

that excuses you from one of her honey-do lists.

也要帮妻子干家务活。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

It was early in the day,

那天一大早，

and I thought I'd just slip out quickly, you know, on my own,

你们懂的，我想自己快速溜出去，

without bothering my security detail.

不惊动我的安保人员。

What harm could come of that, right?

去商场买点东西有什么危险的，对吧？

I knew exactly where I was going and where to find everything on my list.

我非常清楚商场的位置， 也知道清单上的东西都摆在哪里。

So I set off in the truck, in a T-shirt and jeans and flip-flops,

我就穿着T恤衫，牛仔裤和人字拖，

dark glasses and a baseball cap.

戴着我的墨镜和棒球帽 启动了我的卡车。

And it didn't matter.

这都没什么用。

I was outed by the manager in the very first aisle.

我刚逛到第一个通道 就被经理发现了。

“Good morning, governor!

“早上好，州长！”

Welcome to the Home Depot. How can I help you?"

“欢迎来到家得宝， 我能为您做些什么？”

I encountered a man in the checkout line who was red-hot mad.

结账队伍里有个怒气冲冲的男人。

You know, not hostile or threatening, just really angry and loud,

他没有敌意和威胁， 只是很生气很大声，

and he let me have it.

他把气撒在我身上。

"Governor," he said,

“州长，”他说，

"I couldn't disagree with you more about your decision," he said.

“我实在不同意你的决定，”他说

"My own wife is an immigrant. She came here legally.

“我自己的妻子是一个移民， 她是合法来到这里的。

That's the way it ought to be.

这才是正当的方式，

And I just want you to know I think you're wrong."

我只是想让你知道你错了。”

Now, in that circumstance,

在当时的情况下，

there was no point in trying to engage with him

试图说服他，

about how being a refugee is legal under American law.

根据美国法律， 难民也是合法的，毫无意义。

I just thanked him for his feedback.

我只是对他的反馈表达了感谢。

But everybody in the checkout line and in that area of the store

但排队结账的所有人和周围的人，

knew who was mad at whom and what he was mad about.

都知道谁在对谁发泄愤怒， 他又是为什么愤怒。

Now I had six other encounters in the store on the same subject.

之后我在商场里又遇到了 6 个人， 跟我谈论了同样的问题。

And in every one of those someone came up and whispered:

每一个人都走上前来，悄声说：

"Governor, you're doing the right thing."

“州长，你做得对。”

"Governor, thanks for looking out for those kids."

“州长，谢谢你关照那些孩子们。”

"Governor, I'm with you."

“州长，我赞同你的做法。”

The calls to the office were two and three to one

给州政府的来电中， 有三分之二到四分之三的人，

in favor of sheltering those children.

是支持保护那些孩子的。

And when I reflect on that, I think to myself:

当我反思这件事时，我心想：

When did we learn

我们何时学会了

to shout our anger and to whisper our kindness?

大声宣泄愤怒 而小声表达善良？

It's completely upside down.

这完全弄反了。

I don't know if that's the reality TV culture we live in or what,

我不知道我们是不是活在真人秀里，

but it's totally backwards.

但这一切都弄反了。

It's time we learned again to shout kindness, to shout compassion,

是时候让我们重新学会 为善良呐喊，为同情呐喊，

to shout justice.

为正义呐喊。

That's the purpose of American democracy and the source of our greatness.

这才是美国民主的意义， 是我们伟大的源泉。

幸运的是，我们正在看到

Blessedly, we're starting to see

more and more expressions of this kind of thing across this country.

在整个国家里，此起彼伏的发声。

More and more people coming off the sidelines,

越来越多的人不再袖手旁观，

overcoming their cynicism and fatalism

克服了他们的愤世嫉俗和宿命论，

and standing up for America at her generous and optimistic best.

站出来支持最慷慨最乐观的美国。

From women who are demanding to be treated

这声音来自

with the respect and decency everyone deserves.

那些要求被人人应得的 尊重和体面对待的女性。

From survivors of domestic violence and abuse

来自那些要求被看到、听到和相信的

demanding to be seen and heard and believed.

家庭暴力和虐待的幸存者。

From Black and brown people who are demanding consistent professionalism

来自那些要求警察 始终保持专业精神和无罪推定的

and the presumption of innocence from police.

黑色和棕色皮肤的人。

From students who are demanding we choose their lives and safety

来自那些要求我们重视他们生命安全

over the proliferation of military weapons in civilian hands.

而非任由武器在平民中泛滥的学生们。

From all those lawyers

来自那些

who showed up at polling places in 2020 or at airports

在所谓穆斯林禁令颁布后，

after the so-called Muslim ban,

出现在 2020 年投票站和机场

demanding respect for the rule of law.

要求尊重法律的律师们。

Black Lives Matter. Time's Up. Black Girl Magic. Occupy Wall Street,

“黑人的命也是命”。“时间到了”。 “黑人女孩魔法”。“占领华尔街”。

Families Belong Together.

“家人就应在一起”

At any given time on any given issue,

在任何时间，任何问题上，

they may make any one of us uncomfortable.

他们可能会让我们之中 的有些人感到不舒服。

But they have taken to the legislatures, to the ballot boxes,

但他们走向立法机构、投票箱、

to the courtrooms and peacefully to the streets

法庭，并和平地走上街头，

to lay claim to their democracy,

要求他们的民主，

its purpose as well as its processes,

不仅是民主的目的， 还有民主的进程，

and ultimately to affirm the American conscience.

并最终肯定美国人的良心。

They are shouting kindness.

他们在为善良呐喊。

If American-style democracy is to have a chance,

如果美式民主指的是能获得机会，

more of us had better put our own cynicism down,

那么我们最好放下愤世嫉俗，

summon up our own patriotism

唤起我们的爱国主义，

and join them.

加入他们。

Thank you very much.

非常感谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）