How I Found Myself — By Impersonating Other People | Melissa Villaseñor | TED

翻译人员: Hannah Xie 校对人员: suya f.

Hi, I'm Melissa Villaseñor, and I do voice impressions.

大家好，我叫梅丽莎·维兰斯纳， 我从事声音模仿工作。

For example,

举个例子，

this is Kristen Wiig about to go skydiving.

这是准备要跳伞的克里斯汀·韦格。

“I changed my mind.

“我改主意了。

I'm, I'm scared, I'm scared I'll get stuck on a cloud,

我……我害怕，我害怕了， 我会被困在云上的，

and then I’ll have to become an angel.”

然后我就得变成天使了。”

(Laughter and applause)

（笑声和掌声）

Thanks.

谢谢。

This is Sandra Bullock

这个是桑德拉·布洛克，

if she were to knock over a bunch of dominoes.

如果她要撞倒一堆多米诺骨牌了，

Just pretend they're here in the room.

假设就在这个房间里，她是这样的：

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.”

“不不不不不不……”

That's it.

就这样。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

She always does that in movies.

她在电影里经常这样。

And this is Lady Gaga

然后这是Lady Gaga，

if she gave birth to a baby in "A Star is Born."

假设她在《星海浮沉录》里要生孩子了。

(Vocalizing)

（模仿声音）

(Vocalizing baby crying)

（模拟宝宝的哭声）

(Applause and laughter)

（掌声和笑声）

Miss Gaga, a star is born.

嘎嘎女士，一个巨星诞生了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And this is Melissa Villaseñor giving a TED Talk.

这是梅丽莎·维兰斯纳做TED演讲：

Hi, I'm Melissa Villaseñor and I do voice impressions.

大家好，我叫梅丽莎·维兰斯纳， 我从事声音模仿工作。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

A little bit about me.

简单介绍一下我自己。

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California,

我出生并成长于加州洛杉矶的

to a Mexican-American family.

一个墨西哥-美国混血家庭。

Middle child, OK, I was very shy.

是夹在兄弟姐妹中间的那个孩子。 我之前是个很害羞的人。

I didn't do the best in school,

我上学成绩也不算好，

but I was very observant, maybe a little creepy.

但非常有观察力，可能都有点吓人。

And I realized I had this superpower of doing voice impressions

我意识到我有这种声音模仿的超能力时，

when I was 12 years old.

是十二岁。

And it all began with the pop singers at that time, OK.

这一切都起源于当时流行的歌手。

Britney Spears:

小甜甜布兰妮：

“All you people look at me like I’m a little girl.”

“你们看着我就像看 着一个小姑娘一样。”

I know, spooky.

我知道，挺恐怖的。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And hot.

也挺热辣的哈。

I should do that all the time, huh?

我应该经常模仿这个，对吧？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I sang a lot of Shakira back then, just,

我那个时候也经常模仿夏奇拉，

“There’s a she wolf in the closet.”

“有只狼女躲在你的衣橱里”

And I was kind of wolf-like singing at 13, you know, hairy, puberty days.

我13岁时就是有点像狼一样唱歌， 也就是那个毛发旺盛、正值青春的年纪，

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I looked up to Gwen Stefani in high school.

我高中时崇拜格温·史蒂芬妮，

I loved Gwen Stefani from No Doubt, and I wanted to look like her.

超喜欢摇滚乐团“不要怀疑”

里的格温·史蒂芬妮， 想要长成她那样。

So I shaved my eyebrows real thin to copy her,

于是，我模仿她， 把眉毛刮得特别细，

like in the "Return of Saturn" days, that Gwen.

像《Return of Saturn》 专辑时期的格温那样。

And I thought, "Oh, my friends at school must think

然后我就想：“我学校 的朋友们肯定会觉得

I look just like Gwen Stefani."

我和格温·史蒂芬妮很像。”

I probably looked more like It, the clown.

但我看起来其实可能更像是 《小丑回魂》里的小丑。

It was spooky, thin, just,

就是那种很吓人、很细的眉毛。

“I kinda always knew I’d end up looking like It.”

“我一直都知道我最终 看起来会是这个样子的。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I loved making my friends laugh at school with my voices.

我在学校里很喜欢用 我的声音来逗笑朋友们。

And I suddenly wasn't so shy anymore.

于是我突然变得不再那么害羞了。

I felt like, oh, this is why I'm here.

我感觉，啊，原来这就是 我出现在这里的原因。

This is my purpose, to bring joy and laughs.

这就是我的意义： 带来快乐和欢笑。

And I suddenly got obsessed with Saturday Night Live at 15 years old.

我十五岁时突然就沉迷于 《周六夜现场》节目了。

And I was so determined, I was like,

我当时就下定决心，

I'm going to become a comedian

将来要成为一名喜剧演员，

and I'm going to get on the cast of Saturday Night Live.

我要成为《周六夜现场》的演职人员。

So right after high school, I graduate,

所以，高中一结束学业，我毕业了，

I go straight to signing up for open mic shows in Hollywood.

我就直接去好莱坞报名参加开放麦演出。

My parents went straight to worrying for their daughter.

我父母就直接开始担心自己的女儿了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Now I went to junior college for them.

然后我为了他们去上了大专。

You know, I went for, like, a quarter or a semester.

我大概就上了三个月或一个学期吧，

I don't know, I wasn't there long enough to find out.

我也不知道， 因为待的时间不长，

根本不懂那算不算一个学期。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But thankfully I got amazing opportunities pretty early on in my career

不过，谢天谢地，我很早 就获得了超棒的职业机遇，

because I think it was rare to see a female voice impressionist

因为我觉得当时在喜剧俱乐部

at comedy clubs.

很少看到女性声音模仿演员，

And a cute one.

而且还是这么可爱的一个。

(Laughs)

（笑）

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But I got the opportunity to be on “America’s Got Talent”

不过我获得了上《美国达人秀》的机会，

season six in 2011.

当时是2011年，第六季。

I'm not going to lie, I killed it, OK, 90 seconds.

不骗人啊，我当时表现得 可好了，90秒里，

I did a bunch of impressions, just,

我模仿了很多人的声音，

Barbara Walters.

芭芭拉·沃尔特斯。

I did a Natalie Portman from the "Black Swan."

我模仿了《黑天鹅》 里的娜塔丽·波特曼，

I did a Sarah Silverman.

模仿了莎拉·斯尔弗曼，

Wanda Sykes.

旺达·塞克丝，

I did Miley Cyrus.

麦莉·赛勒斯，

And Christina Aguilera, oh, oh.

克里斯蒂娜·阿奎莱拉

(Laughter)

（笑声）

From that exposure, being on that show,

因为那次节目上的亮相，

I was able to quit my part-time job

我得以辞掉兼职工作，

and become a headlining comedian around the country

成为全国知名的喜剧演员，

for clubs and colleges.

去俱乐部、大学演出。

Now, that's amazing if you've been doing stand up for a while,

如果你脱口秀已经做了一段时间了， 那这种机会就非常棒。

but I only had ten minutes and suddenly I had to do an hour

但我之前都只做过10分钟了， 突然之间让我去喜剧俱乐部

at comedy club.

进行一小时的脱口秀演出。

So I bombed a lot.

我演砸了好多次，

I cried in a lot of hotels around the country.

在全国各地很多酒店哭过。

But I noticed something as I was on the road,

但我发现一点，随着我一路前行，

working on jokes and performing,

打磨段子和表演，

I noticed that everyone was laughing at all the impression bits.

我发现所有人都是在我模仿的时候笑。

But every time I tried to talk about myself and my life, my family,

但每次当我试着聊我自己、 我的生活和我的家人时，

it didn't get laughs and it was starting to bug me.

都没有人笑，这一点开始困扰我了。

People will come up to me after shows and they would go,

演出结束后，人们会过来跟我说：

"Oh, I love your Owen Wilson impression.

“我很喜欢你模仿的欧文·威尔逊，

He's so funny."

他太逗了。”

And I'd say, "Thanks,"

然后我说：“谢谢。”

but inside I'd be like,

但心里想的却是：

"Wait, do they only like me for my Owen Wilson impression, wow?

“等等，所以他们只喜欢 我模仿欧文·威尔逊这段？

That really bums me out, man."

我真的好受伤。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So at that point I became determined again.

这个时候，我又再次下定决心，

I was like, no, I'm going to write about myself.

我要开始写关于我自己的故事了。

I want to find my own voice among the voices that I do

我希望在我模仿的这些 声音里找到我自己的声音。

because I think it's important and it's special,

因为这很重要，也很特别。

and I think it's the best feeling to connect

我觉得用真正的自己

as your true self with other people.

和别人建立连接才是最棒的感受。

(Laughs)

（笑）

(Applause)

（掌声）

And, you know, thankfully, I did find a voice.

然后，很幸运，我找到了一个声音，

Yeah, a funny-sounding one, but a voice.

一个听起来很搞笑的声音， 但至少是一个声音。

And I like making fun of things in life.

我喜欢拿生活中的事情开玩笑，

It just makes life a little easier to handle.

这样可以让人更轻松地面对生活。

I like making fun of my energy.

我喜欢拿我的能量开玩笑。

It's not sexy.

并不性感。

You feel it.

你感受一下。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

My energy is a lot like a proud dad's.

我的能量蛮像一个骄傲老爸的能量。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

No wonder relationships don't work out.

难怪我的感情之路坎坷。

Because every time I go on a date,

因为每次我去约会，

I check out the dude, first thing I go,

我看了看对方，说的第一句话就是：

"Man, look at you."

“哥们儿，看看你。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

"Ah, you look good.

“啊，你看起来挺不错啊。

Is that a new jacket?

那件夹克是新的吗？

You look really sharp, my boy."

小伙子，你看着真精神啊。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

"Here's 20 bucks.

“这里有20块钱，

Don't tell your mom, go ahead."

可别告诉你妈，快去玩吧。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I like talking about how I'm Mexican, you know?

我喜欢谈论我是墨西哥人。

And I don't look it, a lot of people don't believe me.

我看上去不太像，很多人都不信我。

All my life, people would say,

在我生活中，大家总说：

"Oh, you're Mexican? You don't look Mexican."

“啊，你是墨西哥人？ 你看着不像啊。”

And I get so apologetic, I'm like,

然后我充满歉意，说：

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I forgot my sombrero.

“非常抱歉，我忘了戴墨西哥宽边帽了。

Oh, man.

噢，坏了

Did I not roll my Rs enough? Sorry."

我是不是忘了发 卷舌音了？不好意思啊。”

And I just have to salsa away.

然后我就得跳着萨尔萨舞离开。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I know, exterior, you wouldn't believe it,

我知道，看外表，你不会相信，

but just know that inside ...

但，我内心里……

A lot of piñatas in here.

可是有很多墨西哥皮纳塔的。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I bleed Tapatío.

我的血液里流淌着墨西哥热辣酱。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

You know, I don't speak Spanish.

我不会说西班牙语。

I was a lazy kid,

我小时候很懒，

second generation Mexican, I didn't work on it.

是墨西哥移民第二代，没有用心学。

I know, shame on me.

我知道，很丢脸。

Or as you would say in Spanish ...

或者，用西班牙语说，就是……

I don't know.

我不知道怎么说。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I have been working on my Spanish though,

不过我现在一直在 努力提高我的西班牙语，

because there's a lot of relatives of mine that only speak in Spanish.

因为我有很多亲戚只会说西班牙语。

And I think back when I would hang out with my great grandma, my abuelita,

我觉得，之前我和我的曾祖母玩的时候，

you know, I would just nod and smile and wave at her.

我就只能对她点头、微笑、挥手。

How rude.

很没礼貌。

But she didn't mind, she would just stare at me lovingly, you know.

但她并不介意，她甚至 还满眼爱意地看着我。

I'd be like, "Hey, abuelita, how are you?"

我说：“太奶，你最近怎么样呀？”

“Ay.”

“啊。”

(Speaking in Spanish)

（说西班牙语）

Thanks, you’re bonita, too.

“谢谢，你也bonita。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

"Ay."

“啊。””

And then she'd start talking crap about me in Spanish.

然后她开始用西班牙说一些关于我的话。

(Speaking in Spanish)

（说西班牙语）

(Laughs)

（笑）

(Speaking in Spanish)

（说西班牙语）

(Laughter)

（笑）

(Laughs)

（笑）

I know I’m loca. You too, huh?

“我知道我loca，你也是？”

"No, me no."

“不，我吗，不不不”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Speaking in Spanish)

（说西班牙语）

(Speaking in Spanish)

（说西班牙语）

What? The tone changed.

什么？语气变了。

What are you two saying over here?

你俩在那边说什么呢？

I don’t like this. Why are you sad now?

我感觉不太好，你们现在 怎么好像很难过的样子？

(Speaking in Spanish)

（说西班牙语）

What is that, boyfriend?

那是什么，男朋友吗？

I don’t want one right now, I’m free.

我现在不想要男朋友，我很自由。

(Speaking in Spanish)

（说西班牙语）

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Fair enough.

行吧。

See, I like imitating my family and talking about them,

看见没，我开始模仿我的家人， 开始聊我的家人了，

because that'll never get old, that's always a part of me.

因为这永远都不会过时， 永远都是我的一部分。

Celebrities, I don't even know them, you know?

那些名人，我甚至 都不认识他们，你明白吗？

But this means so much to me.

但这对我来说意义重大。

I like imitating my mom, she's a funny character.

我喜欢模仿我的妈妈， 她是很有意思的一个人。

When I'm driving my car and she's in the passenger seat,

我开车的时候， 她坐在副驾驶座上，

she's a backseat driver,

很爱指手画脚，

she comments on my driving,

会评论我开车。

and she knows it pisses me off.

她也知道这会让我生气。

So she whispers everything about my driving,

所以她一般都是很小声地评论我开车。

which is like, that's worse.

这样其实更糟糕。

Everything sounds so dirty to my innocent ears.

因为她说的话在我耳朵里听起来都很脏。

I'm driving,

我在开车，

she's in the passenger seat holding on to that rail, you know.

她坐在副驾驶座上抓着扶手，

She's pressing --

她在踩踏——

I didn't know there was a brake pedal on that side

我都不知道副驾驶座那侧有刹车踏板，

because she is pressing it, she's just --

因为她在踩刹车踏板，她就——

(Breathes sharply through teeth)

（从牙齿缝深呼吸）

(Whispering) "Slow down."

（小声说）“减速。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Whispering) "Oh, you're going too fast."

（小声说）“你开得太快了。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Whispering) "Oh, we're not in a rush."

（小声说）“啊，我们又不着急。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Whispering) "Oh, my back."

（小声说）“啊，我的背。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

"Oh, there's a spot right there,

“噢，那儿有一个停车位。

right there, right there, right there, oh."

就在那儿，那儿，那儿，噢。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

"You missed it."

“你错过了。”

Ew, nasty.

唉，真不爽。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Now, after nine years in my journey,

9年后，

I did get the chance to audition for Saturday Night Live in 2016,

2016年，我获得了去 《周六夜现场》面试的机会，

and I get cast on the show.

然后成为了这个节目的演职人员。

(Cheers and applause)

（欢呼 掌声）

It was so beautiful to be on the show and magical,

能上这个节目，真的很棒， 像有魔法一样。

I felt like I entered ...

我感觉像是进入了……

I mean, my dream, it was real.

我的梦中，但又是真实的。

It was ...

就，

It was beautiful.

很美好。

And being on SNL amplified everything I ever wanted,

上《周六夜现场》 放大了我曾想要的一切，

especially for doing voices.

尤其是做声音表演工作。

Now, I left SNL after six seasons on the show, just recently,

六季之后，也就是最近， 我离开了这档节目。

because, one,

因为，其一，

I wasn't strong enough anymore to handle the pressure of the show.

我不再足够坚强到能承受住节目的压力。

Two,

其二，

I wasn't having fun anymore looking up celebrities.

我不再觉得模仿明星这件事很有趣了。

And three, there was something inside me, inside Meliss, that was saying,

其三，我内心，梅丽莎的内心， 有个声音在说：

有个声音在说：

there's more to discover about myself, there's more talents,

我自己还有更多有待发掘， 还有更多天赋，

there's more things to learn, to expand on.

还有更多能学、能拓展的。

So now I'm in a funny position because I did the --

因此现在我处于一个很滑稽 的境地，因为我实现了——

Evil laugh.

那个邪恶的笑。

(Imitates evil laugh)

（模仿邪恶的笑）

(Laughter)

（笑声）

No, but it is a funny position I'm in

我现在确实处于一个有意思的境地，

because that was the goal I worked for since 15

因为那曾是我15岁以来追求的目标，

and it's so like, now, like, what do I do?

现在感觉就是，我现在要做什么呢？

Has anyone here reached a life goal and still have years left?

在座有没有人已经实现了人生目标， 但发现还有很多年要活？

(Laughter and applause)

（笑声 鼓掌）

There was one day recently, I Googled

最近有一天，我上网搜索

"What the hell do Olympians do after they go to the Olympics?"

“奥林匹克运动员参加完 奥运会后都在做什么？”

Just because I want to know other people that feel this way.

因为我想知道其他有类似感受的人。

I did find out on Google, Olympians become teachers and mentors.

我真的在网上找到了， 奥运会运动员后来有成为老师和导师的。

And I thought,

于是我想，

"Well, eff that. I don't want to do that."

“好吧，这个划掉。我不想干这个。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

The thing I noticed within the six years of being on SNL,

我在《周六夜现场》 待的六年里，发现了一点，

there was something -- the best stuff that I did

有一件我做得最好的事，

were pieces where I was doing my impressions,

就是我的有些模仿片段里，

but I was also very much being Melissa.

我同时也在做梅丽莎。

So as I go forth in my journey,

于是我继续我的旅程。

I've got to remember to always share the gifts that I have of doing voices

我记得总要分享我做声音表演的才能，

and also make sure I could be vulnerable and be myself.

同时确保我可以有 脆弱一面，可以做我自己。

So something I love to share at my standup shows is

于是，我在我的脱口秀 中很爱分享的就是，

how I struggle with low self-esteem,

我如何与自卑做斗争，

and I constantly have to tell myself positive talk and affirmations.

我如何需要经常给自己打气、自我肯定。

Now I don't use my voice.

现在，我不用我自己的声音。

No, I sound too sarcastic, I don't believe me.

我自己听起来太刻薄了， 我不相信自己。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

If I say, "I'm good at what I do, I'm funny."

如果我说：

“我擅长我的工作，我很搞笑。”

I don't ... no.

但我不是。

Thankfully, I have a Dolly Parton impression,

好在，我还能模仿多莉·帕顿。

so I say my affirmations as Dolly.

我用多莉的声音来进行自我肯定。

Works way better.

效果好很多。

“I’m good at what I do.

“我擅长我的工作。

I work hard.”

我很努力。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Singing) I work nine to five.

（唱）我朝九晚五，

What a way to make a living.

多么棒的谋生方式。

More like 10 minutes because I’m doing a TED Talk.

不止10分钟，因为我现在 在做TED演讲。

(Cheers and applause)

（欢呼 掌声）

So I hope the lesson or thing you leave with

我希望你们从这次分享中学到的，

is that I hope you could put your masks down, your personas,

就是希望你们能摘下 自己的面罩、放下人设，

and be your true, true self because man, it rocks.

做自己，做真正的自己， 因为这样真的超棒。

Maybe learn a Dolly impression so you could look in the mirrorm

或许可以学习一下模仿多莉的声音， 这样你可以看着镜子，

and say, "I am brave, I am beautiful."

说：“我很勇敢，我很美。”

Or better yet, learn your Melissa impression

或者，更好的是， 学习一下模仿梅丽莎，

so you can look in the mirror and say,

这样你可以看着镜子说：

"Man, look at you.

“哇，看看你，

Yeah, you're cool."

没错，你很酷。”

Muchas gracias, thank you.

谢谢大家！

(Cheers and applause)

（欢呼 掌声）