Charmian Gooch: My wish: To launch a new era of openness in business

翻译人员: Keke Gu 校对人员: Zhiting Chen

I've come here today

我今天来到这里

to talk to you about a problem.

想和你们谈一个问题。

It's a very simple yet devastating problem,

这是个非常简单却又严重的问题，

one that spans the globe

这个问题遍及全球

and is affecting all of us.

并影响着我们所有人。

The problem is

这个问题就是

anonymous companies.

匿名公司。

It sounds like a really dry and technical thing,

它听起来非常枯燥且专业性强，

doesn't it?

不是吗？

But anonymous companies are making it difficult

但是匿名公司正在制造一个难题

and sometimes impossible

甚至有时是不可能解决的难题

to find out

那就是找出

the actual human beings responsible

真正应担负责任的人类

sometimes for really terrible crimes.

当他们犯了非常可怕的罪行的时候。

So, why am I here talking to all of you?

那我为什么跟你们说这些呢？

Well, I guess I am a lifelong troublemaker

我想我终身就是个麻烦制造者

and when my parents taught my twin brother and I

在我父母教育我和我的双胞胎哥哥

to question authority,

要质疑权威的时候，

I don't think they knew where it might lead.

我猜他们当时并不知道 这会带来怎样的后果。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

And, they probably really regretted it

他们可能真的后悔了

during my stroppy teenage years when, predictably,

你可以猜得到， 在我难以被驾驭的青春期，

I questioned their authority a lot.

我对他们的权威提出了很多的质疑。

And a lot of my school teachers

对我的很多老师也一样，

didn't appreciate it much either.

他们并没有很欣赏这点。

You see, since the age of about five

从我5岁起

I've always asked the question, but why?

我就总是问为什么？

But why does the Earth go around the sun?

为什么地球绕着太阳转？

But why is blood red?

为什么血是红色的？ （演讲背景字幕：可是，为什么？）

But why do I have to go to school?

为什么我必须要上学啊？

But why do I have to respect the teachers

为什么我必须尊重老师，

and authority?

和他们的权威？

And little did I realize

我当时并未意识到

that this question would become the basis

这个问题后来成了

of everything I would do.

我做任何事的出发点。

And so it was

于是就这样

in my twenties, a long time ago,

在我二十几岁的时候， 那是很久以前

that one rainy Sunday afternoon in North London

一个阴雨的礼拜天下午， 在伦敦北部

I was sitting with Simon Taylor

我跟西蒙.泰勒

and Patrick Alley

还有帕特里克.艾力坐在一起

and we were busy stuffing envelopes

在活动组织办公室

for a mail out in the office of the campaign group

忙着填塞信封准备寄出。

where we worked at the time.

我们当时在那工作。

And as usual, we were talking about the world's problems.

和往常一样，我们谈论着世界问题。

And in particular, we were talking about

特别的是，我们当时谈论的

the civil war in Cambodia.

是柬埔寨的内战。

And we had talked about that many, many times before.

我们以前已经讨论过这个许多次了。

But then suddenly we stopped

但突然我们都停了下来

and looked at each other

看着对方

and said, but why don't we try and change this?

然后说：为什么我们不试着去改变它呢？

And from that slightly crazy question,

从那个有点疯狂的问题开始，

over two decades

二十多年来

and many campaigns later,

在许多次公众宣传之后，

including alerting the world

包括警醒世人

to the problem of blood diamonds funding war,

关于血钻战争的问题，

from that crazy question,

从那个疯狂的问题开始，

Global Witness is now an 80-strong team

环球目击者这个组织, 现在已经拥有80个强劲的团队

of campaigners, investigators, journalists and lawyers.

其中包含了活动家、 观察者、记者和律师。

And we're all driven by the same belief,

我们怀着同样的信念，

that change really is possible.

相信改变是完全可能的。

So, what exactly does Global Witness do?

那环球目击者究竟是做什么的呢？

We investigate, we report,

我们开展调查， 我们进行报道，

to uncover the people really responsible

揭露应该承担责任的罪魁祸首

for funding conflict --

他们为战争提供资金

for stealing millions from citizens around the world,

从全球民众手中盗取大量财物，

also known as state looting,

这种行为也叫做国家掠夺，

and for destroying the environment.

他们也破坏环境。

And then we campaign hard to change the system itself.

我们为了改变系统本身 而很努力得开展活动。

And we're doing this because so many of the countries

我们之所以这么做 是因为太多国家

rich in natural resources

拥有充沛的自然资源

like oil or diamonds or timber

譬如说石油、钻石或者林木

are home to some of the poorest

却是这个星球上一些最贫穷和

and most dispossessed people on the planet.

最一无所有人们的家园。

And much of this injustice

这种不公平

is made possible

之所以变为可能

by currently accepted business practices.

是依靠如今还被允许的商业行为。

And one of these is anonymous companies.

其中一项就是匿名公司。

Now we've come up against anonymous companies

我们已经对匿名公司发起了挑战

in lots of our investigations,

得助于我们许多的调查，

like in the Democratic Republic of Congo,

譬如在刚果民主共和国，

where we exposed how secretive deals

我们揭露了秘密交易

involving anonymous companies

如何通过匿名公司

had deprived the citizens

来剥削公民

of one of the poorest countries on the planet

这是世界上最贫穷国家之一

of well over a billion dollars.

而其金额远超过十亿美元。

That's twice the country's health and education budget combined.

那是这个国家公共和教育经费 总和的两倍。

Or in Liberia,

比如在利比里亚，

where an international predatory logging company

一个国际掠夺性伐木公司

used front companies as it attempted to grab

使用幌子公司打掩护

a really huge chunk of Liberia's unique forests.

来谋取利比里亚大量独有的森林资源

Or political corruption in Sarawak, Malaysia,

又比如在马来西亚的砂拉越，

which has led to the destruction of much of its forests.

政治腐败导致很多林木遭到破坏。

Well, that uses anonymous companies too.

当然，在那里也利用了匿名公司。

We secretly filmed some of the family

我们偷偷拍摄了

of the former chief minister and a lawyer

一位前任部长的一些家庭成员 和一位律师

as they told our undercover investigator

他们向我们的卧底调查员透露了

exactly how these dubious deals are done

可疑交易究竟是如何

using such companies.

通过这样的公司达成的。

And the awful thing is,

而且糟糕的是，

there are so many other examples out there

有太多这样的例子

from all walks of life.

存在于各行各界。

This truly is a scandal of epic proportions

这确实是一个非常重要的丑闻，

hidden in plain sight.

而且就隐藏于公众眼皮之下。

Whether it's the ruthless Mexican drugs cartel,

不论是不是无情的墨西哥贩毒团伙，

the Zetas,

泽塔斯，

who use anonymous companies to launder profits

他们利用匿名公司来洗钱

while their drugs-related violence

与此同时他们的毒品暴力

is tearing communities apart across the Americas.

正使美国各社区分崩离析。

Or the anonymous company,

又比如一些匿名公司，

which bought up Americans' tax debts,

通过收购美国的税收债务，

piled on the legal fees

由此堆积相关的法律费用，

and then gave homeowners a choice:

再借此去威胁原有的房屋主人：

Pay up or lose your home.

把钱都付了，不然你将无家可归。

Imagine being threatened with losing your home

想象一下你被威胁无家可归

sometimes over a debt of just a few hundred dollars,

有时仅仅只是因为 一笔几百美元的债务，

and not being able to find out

而且你还不知道

who you were really up against.

你所面对的敌人究竟是谁。

Now anonymous companies

如今，匿名公司

are great for sanctions busting too.

也被用来打破国际制裁。

As the Iranian government found out

伊朗政府就曾发现

when, through a series of front companies,

通过一系列的幌子公司，

it owned a building in the very heart of Manhattan,

他们其实在纽约曼哈顿

on Fifth Avenue,

第五大道有一栋大楼，

despite American sanctions.

尽管这是美国严加制裁的。

And Juicy Couture, home of of the velvet track suit,

橘滋，这个天鹅绒运动套装的鼻祖，

and other companies were the unwitting,

以及其他一些公司，

unknowing tenants there.

都曾是不知情的大楼租用者。

There are just so many examples,

有太多这样的例子了，

the horesemeat scandal in Europe,

之前欧洲的马肉丑闻，

the Italian mafia, they've used these companies

在意大利的黑帮，

for decades.

他们已经使用匿名公司很多年了。

The $100 million American Medicare fraud,

上亿美元的美国医疗保障欺诈案件，

the supply of weapons to wars around the world

世界各地战乱之地武器的供应，

including those

包括追溯到上世纪90年代

in Eastern Europe in the early '90s.

东欧的一些国家 (都有匿名公司的出现)。

Anonymous companies

匿名公司

have even come to light

甚至还出现在

in the recent revolution in the Ukraine.

最近的乌克兰骚乱中。

But, for every case that we and others expose

但是，在每一个我们和其它组织 所披露案例的背后，

there are so many more that will remain hidden away

还有太多的事件仍会被继续隐埋着，

because of the current system.

这是因为现今的体制。

And it's just a simple truth

这是个简单的事实

that some of the people responsible for outrageous crimes,

那些应该为蛮横罪行负责的人，

for stealing from you and me

他们从你和我身上偷掠，

and millions of others,

还包括其他很多人，

they are remaining faceless

他们继续隐藏身份，

and they are escaping accountability

他们继续逃避责任，

and they're doing this with ease,

这些对他们来说很容易，

and they're doing it using legal structures.

而且是通过合法手段完成的。

And really, that is unfair.

这的确太不公平了。

Well, you might well ask,

好了，你可能会问，

what exactly is an anonymous company,

匿名公司到底是什么？

and can I really set one up, and use it,

我真的可以创办并使用匿名公司，

without anyone knowing who I am?

而且是在别人不知道我是谁的情况下？

Well, the answer is, yes you can.

答案是：是的，你可以。

But if you're anything like me,

但如果你和我一样，

you'll want to see some of that for yourself,

你会想要自己来看看，

so let me show you.

那让我来告诉你吧。

Well first you need to work out

首先你要决定

where you want to set it up.

在哪里建立公司。

Now, at this point you might be imagining

在这个时候，你可能会想像

one of those lovely tropical island tax havens

那些美丽的热带海岛 之中的某个避税天堂，

but here's the thing,

但有一件事，

shockingly,

令人很震惊，

my own hometown, London,

我的故乡，伦敦，

and indeed the U.K.,

对，也就是英国，

is one of the best places in the world

是世界上最容易

to set up an anonymous company.

建立匿名公司的地方之一。

And the other, even better,

还有一个更好的地方，

I'm afraid that's America.

很遗憾，那就是美国。

Do you know, in some states across America

你知道在美国的一些州

you need less identification

你需要更少的身份资料

to open up a company

来开办一个公司

than you do to get a library card,

比申请一个图书馆证还少，

like Delaware,

比如说特拉华州，

which is one of the easiest places

全球最容易

in the world to set up an anonymous company.

建立匿名公司的地方之一，

Okay, so let's say it's America,

好，那就让我们拿美国来举例，

and let's say it's Delaware,

谈谈特拉华州，

and now you can simply go online

你现在可以直接上网

and find yourself a company service provider.

给自己找一个公司服务代理。

These are the companies that can set your one up for you,

有这样的公司可以为你成立公司。

and remember, it's all legal, routine business practice.

记住，这可都是合法的， 常规的商业行为。

So, here's one,

那么，这有一个选择，

but there are plenty of others to choose from.

还有很多的其他类似的公司任你选择。

And having made your choice,

等你做好了决定，

you then pick what type of company you want

你就选择你想要的公司形式

and then fill in a contact, name and address.

然后填写一个联系人，名字和地址。

But don't worry,

不用担心，

it doesn't have to be your name.

你不一定要写自己的名字。

It can be your lawyer's

你可以写你的律师的，

or your service provider's,

或者你的服务代理商的，

and it's not for the public record anyway.

反正这不是为了公共记录。

And then you add the owner of the company.

然后你要加上公司的所有者。

Now this is the key part,

这是关键的一部分，

and again it doesn't have to be you,

同样的，这不需要是你，

because you can get creative,

因为你可以发挥想象，

because there is a whole universe out there of nominees

因为可选的人比比皆是

to choose from.

供你选择。

And nominees are the people that you

这些人是你可以用合法的方式

can legally pay to be your company's owner.

支付费用从而充当你公司拥有人的。

And if you don't want to involve anyone else,

如果你不想把其他人搅进来，

it doesn't even have to be an actual human being.

它甚至不需要是个真正的人，

It could be another company.

它可以是另一个公司，

And then finally,

最后，

give your company a name

给你的公司取个名字

add a few more details and make your payment.

加上一些具体信息，然后付费，

And then the service provider

服务代理商会花上几个小时

will take a few hours or more to process it.

或更长的时间来做处理。

But there you are,

然而你就这么做到了，

in 10 minutes of online shopping

在这个10分钟的网上购物过程中

you can create yourself an anonymous company.

你可以给自己开办一个匿名公司。

And not only is it easy,

这不仅简单，

really, really easy and cheap,

非常简单和廉价，

it's totally legal too.

也是完全是合法的。

But the fun doesn't have to end there,

但这个乐趣还没有完，

maybe you want to be even more anonymous.

可能你想更加隐秘。

Well, that's no problem either.

这也没问题。

You can simply keep adding layers,

你可以简单地一直制造幌子，

companies owned by companies.

公司所拥有的公司，

You can have hundreds of layers

你可以有一百层的幌子

with hundreds of companies spread across

几百个公司

lots of different countries,

跨越很多不同的国家，

like a giant web,

好像一个庞大的网络，

each layer adds anonymity.

每一层幌子添加一层保密。

Each layer makes it more difficult

每一层都是一个难题

for law enforcement and others

这令法规执行者和其他人

to find out who the real owner is.

找出真正的所有者的任务更加困难。

But whose interests is this all serving?

可是这一切都在为谁服务呢？

It might be in the interests of the company

这可能对一个公司

or a particular individual,

或者某个人有利，

but what about all of us, the public?

可是对于我们大家，公众来说呢？

There hasn't even been a global conversation yet

目前还没有一个全球性对话

about whether it's okay

来讨论是否可以接受

to misuse companies in this way.

这种滥用公司的行为。

And what does it all mean for us?

这对我们来说又意味着什么呢?

Well, an example that really haunts me

有一个案例一直困扰着我，

is one I came across recently.

是我最近接触到的一个案例。

And it's that of a horrific fire

那是一场可怕的火灾

in a nightclub in Buenos Aires

发生在布宜諾斯艾利斯的一个夜店 （注：阿根廷首都）

about a decade ago.

大约在十年前。

It was the night before New Year's Eve.

那是在新年夜前一天的晚上。

Three thousand very happy revelers,

三千多名非常开心的狂欢者们，

many of them teenagers,

大多数是青少年，

were crammed into a space meant for 1,000.

挤在一个仅能容纳一千人的地方。

And then tragedy struck,

然后悲剧降临了，

a fire broke out

火灾发生了

plastic decorations were melting from the ceiling

天花板上的塑料装潢开始融化

and toxic smoke filled the club.

毒气充满了整个夜店。

So people tried to escape

然后人们开始逃命

only to find that some of the fire doors

却发现一些防火门

had been chained shut.

被锁了起来。

Over 200 people died.

两百多人失去了生命。

Seven hundred were injured trying to get out.

七百多人在逃命的过程中受伤。

And as the victims' families and the city and the country

受害人的家人， 整个城市，整个国家

reeled in shock,

被震惊了，

investigators tried to find out who was responsible.

调查人员试图找出该负责的人。

And as they looked for the owners of the club,

当他们寻找这个夜店的拥有人时，

they found instead anonymous companies,

他们却找到了一些匿名公司，

and confusion surrounded the identities of those

和有关人员的身份谜团所带来的困惑

involved with the companies.

这些人有参与这些匿名公司。

Now ultimately, a range of people were charged

最终，一群人被定了罪

and some went to jail.

其中一些进了监狱，

But this was an awful tragedy,

这是多么可怕的一个悲剧啊，

and it shouldn't have been so difficult

而且不应该这么困难吧

just to try and find out who was responsible

仅仅是想要弄清谁应该承担负责

for those deaths.

为死难者们负责。

Because in an age

因为在这样一个时代

when there is so much information

有太多信息

out there in the open,

公布于众，

why should this crucial information

为什么这样关键的信息

about company ownership

关系到公司的所有权

stay hidden away?

要保持隐藏呢？

Why should tax evaders, corrupt government officials,

为什么逃税者，政府贪官，

arms traders and more,

军火商，等等

be able to hide their identities from us, the public?

能够避开我们大众， 隐藏他们的身份呢？

Why should this secrecy be such an accepted business practice?

为什么这个秘密 是被允许的商业行为？

Anonymous companies

匿名公司

might be the norm right now

或许现在是很平常的事，

but it wasn't always this way.

但它不是一直都是这样的。

Companies were created

我们建立公司

to give people a chance to innovate

是为了给人们创新的机会

and not have to put everything on the line.

而不需要承担失败的全部风险。

Companies were created to limit financial risk,

我们建立公司是为了限制财务风险，

they were never intended to be used as a moral shield.

它们从来就不是用来作为道德盾牌的。

Companies were never intended to be anonymous,

我们从来就没有期望公司是匿名的，

and they don't have to be.

而且它们没有必要是匿名的。

And so I come to my wish.

所以我的愿望

My wish is for us to know

就是让大家知道

who owns and controls companies

谁拥有和控制公司

so that they can no longer be used anonymously

这样公司从此不再能以匿名使用

against the public good.

而违反公共利益。

Together let's ignite world opinion,

让我们一起来点亮全球观点，

change the law,

改变法律，

and launch a new era of openness in business.

开启商业公开化的新时代。

So what might this look like?

但这个新时代可能会是怎样的呢？

Well, imagine if you could go online

好，我们想象如果你可以上网

and look up the real owner of a company.

查看一个公司的真正拥有者。

Imagine if this data were open and free,

想象这个信息是公开和免费的，

accessible across borders

超越国度，

for citizens and businesses

公民和企业

and law enforcement alike.

还有法律执行者等都可以查阅。

Imagine what a game changer that would be.

想象这所带来的变化会有多大。

So how are we going to do this?

那我们接下来应该怎么做呢？

Well, there is only one way.

这只有一条路。

Together, we have to change the law globally

齐心协力，我们可以 在世界各地推动法律改革

to create public registries

建立公共名册，

which list the true owners of companies

明细公司的真正拥有者

and can be accessed by all

供所有人查阅

with no loopholes.

没有任何漏洞。

And yes, this is ambitious,

是的，这是个雄心勃勃的计划，

but there is momentum on this issue,

但在这个问题上我们有推动力，

and over the years I have seen

这些年来我见识过

the sheer power of momentum,

推动力的绝对威力，

and it's just starting on this issue.

而且在这个问题上刚起步，

There is such an opportunity right now.

现在是个绝佳机会。

And the TED community

而且TED社区

of creative and innovative thinkers and doers

创意与革新的思想家们和行动者们

across all of society

分布于社会各个角落，

could make the crucial difference.

你们能够做出关键的贡献。

You really can make this change happen.

你们真的可以做到。

Now, a simple starting point

现在，一个简单的出发点

is the address behind me

就是我身后的这个地址

for a Facebook page that you can join now

你可以加入一个脸书网页

to support the campaign and spread the word.

来支持这个活动，广而告之。

It's going to be a springboard

这将是我们在全球

for our global campaigning.

开展活动的一个跳板。

And the techies among you,

你们身边的科技人士，

you could really help us create a prototype

可以帮助我们建立一个

public registry

公共注册的样板

to demonstrate what a powerful tool this could be.

来展示这个工具有多大的威力。

Campaign groups from around the world

全球的活动团队

have come together to work on this issue.

聚到一起，为解决这个问题而共同努力。

The U.K. government is already on board;

英国政府已经加入其中；

it supports these public registries.

支持公共名册。

And just last week,

就在上周，

the European Parliament came on board

欧洲议会也加入进来

with a vote 600 to 30 in favor of public registries.

以六百对三十的压倒性投票数 支持公共名册。

That is momentum.

这就是推动力。

(Applause)

（掌声）

But it's early days.

然而这只是个开端。

America still needs to come on board,

美国也应该加入进来，

as do so many other countries.

还有很多其他的国家也一样。

And to succeed we will all together

为了成功，我们必须

need to help and push our politicians,

齐心协力帮助和推动我们的政治家们，

because without that,

因为如果没有这个，

real far-reaching, world-shifting change

真正长期的，颠覆世界的改变

just isn't going to happen.

是不会发生的。

Because this isn't just about changing the law,

因为这不仅仅是改变法律，

this is about starting a conversation

这是开始一个对话，

about what it's okay for companies to do,

关系到公司可以做什么，

and in what ways is it acceptable to use company structures.

并以何种方式来运用 公司结构是可以接受的，

This isn't just a dry policy issue.

这不是一个简单枯燥的政策问题，

This is a human issue

这是一个关系到我们所有人的

which affects us all.

人类问题。

This is about being on the right side of history.

这关系到我们是否 站在历史正确的一边。

Global citizens, innovators, business leaders, individuals,

全球公民们，创新者们， 商业领袖们，人们，

we need you.

我们需要你们。

Together, let's kickstart this global movement.

让我们一起开动这个全球活动。

Let's just do it,

让我们即刻去行动吧，

let's end anonymous companies.

让我们结束匿名公司。

Thank you.

谢谢你。

(Applause)

（掌声）