Christopher Ategeka: How adoption worked for me | TED

翻译人员: Ethan Ouyang 校对人员: Alice Sun

How many of you are tired

你们之中有多少人已经对那些

of seeing celebrities adopting kids from the African continent?

从非洲领养小孩的明星而感到厌倦了？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Well, it's not all that bad.

嗯，那也不全是坏事。

I was adopted.

我就是被其中领养的一员。

I grew up in rural Uganda,

我在乌干达的郊区长大，

lost both my parents when I was very, very young.

在我很小的时候，我的父母就去世了。

And when my parents passed,

在我父母离世之后，

I experienced all the negative effects of poverty,

我经历了所有贫困带来的困难，

from homelessness,

从无家可归，

eating out of trash piles,

到捡食路边的垃圾，

you name it.

所有你能想得到的。

But my life changed

但自从我被一家孤儿院收养

when I got accepted into an orphanage.

我的生活就发生了巨变。

Through one of those sponsor-an-orphan programs,

通过孤儿院的一个补助项目，

I was sponsored and given an opportunity to acquire an education.

我获得了接受教育的机会， 以及相应的资助。

I started off in Uganda.

一开始是在乌干达。

I went through school, and the way this particular program worked,

我去了学校念书， 而根据这个项目的运作流程，

you finished high school and after high school,

他们会在你读完高中以后，

you go learn a trade -- to become a carpenter, a mechanic

送你去学一门手艺，比如木匠， 或者机修工

or something along those lines.

或者其他的一些专业技术。

My case was a little different.

而我的情况却有所不同。

The sponsor family that was sending these 25 dollars a month

每个月我会在孤儿院收到25美元补助。

to this orphanage to sponsor me,

这钱来自资助我的家庭，

which -- I had never met them --

我从未见过他们

said, "Well ...

他们说，

we would like to send you to college instead."

“我们希望资助你去上大学”

Oh -- it gets better.

哦，那再好不过了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And they said, "If you get the paperwork,

他们还说：“如果你能通过申请

we'll send you to school in America instead."

我们会把你送到美国的大学读书。“

So with their help,

所以，在他们的帮助下，

I went to the embassy and applied for the visa.

我去大使馆申请了签证。

I got the visa.

并且通过了签证。

I remember this day like it was yesterday.

那一天对我来说就像昨天一样。

I walked out of the embassy with this piece of paper in my hand,

我拿着手里的文件走出大使馆，

a hop in my step,

一路蹦跳，

smile on my face,

难掩笑意，

knowing that my life is about to change.

我明白我的生活将不复从前。

I went home that night,

那天晚上我回到家里，

and I slept with my passport,

抱着我的护照睡着了，

because I was afraid that someone might steal it.

因为我担心有人会把它偷走。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I couldn't fall asleep.

而我辗转反侧。

I kept feeling it.

那念头依然挥之不去。

I had a good idea for security.

我突然想到了一个万全的主意。

I was like, "OK, I'm going to put it in a plastic bag,

我说：”好吧，我可以把它 放进一个塑料袋里

and take it outside and dig a hole, and put it in there."

然后在外面地上挖一个洞， 把袋子放进去。”

I did that, went back in the house.

我真的做了，然后又回到屋子里。

I could not fall asleep. I was like, "Maybe someone saw me."

但我依然无眠，我想， “也许有人看到我了。”

I went back --

我又回去了

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I pulled it out, and I put it with me the entire night --

我把袋子拿出来， 然后抓着它度过了一宿

all to say that it was an anxiety-filled night.

我只想说那真是焦虑的一晚。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Going to the US was, just like another speaker said,

来到美国的感受， 和其他初来乍到的人一样

was my first time to see a plane,

那是我第一次坐飞机，

be on one, let alone sit on it to fly to another country.

坐在座位上，飞向另一个国家。

December 15, 2006.

2006年12月15日

7:08pm.

晚上7点08分

I sat in seat 7A.

我坐在7A座位上。

Fly Emirates.

乘坐阿联酋航班。

One of the most gorgeous, beautiful women I've ever seen walked up,

一个我有生以来见过的最美的女人 朝我走来，

red little hat with a white veil.

她戴着红色的帽子和白色的口罩。

I'm looking terrified, I have no idea what I'm doing.

我真的吓坏了，我简直手足无措。

She hands me this warm towel --

她递给我一张温热的纸巾

warm, steamy, snow white.

温暖，湿润，白净如雪。

I'm looking at this warm towel;

我盯着这张温暖的纸巾；

I don't know what to do with my life, let alone with this damn towel --

我都不知道我该拿我的生活怎么办， 更别说这张纸巾了

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

I did one of the --

我做了一件 --

you know, anything anyone could do in that situation:

你懂的，任何人都会做的事：

look around, see what everyone else is doing.

我环顾四周，看其他人的举动。

I did the same.

然后我也跟着他们做。

Mind you, I drove about seven hours from my village to the airport that day.

顺便一提，从村子到机场， 那一天我开了7个小时的车。

So I grab this warm towel,

所以我拿起那张温暖的纸，

wipe my face just like everyone else is doing,

效仿着别人擦拭了自己的脸，

I look at it --

我看了看纸巾 --

damn.

该死。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

It was all dirt brown.

已经变成屎黄色了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I remember being so embarrassed that when she came by to pick it up,

我记得我是那么的尴尬， 以至于当她来回收纸巾的时候，

I didn't give mine.

我没好意思给她。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

I still have it.

我现在都还带着它。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

Going to America opened doors for me

美国向我敞开了大门

to live up to my full God-given potential.

让我能够发挥自己最大的潜力。

I remember when I arrived,

我记得我刚到的时候，

the sponsor family embraced me,

我的资助家庭迎接了我，

and they literally had to teach me everything from scratch:

然后他们就把一切从头开始教给我：

this is a microwave, that's a refrigerator --

这是一个微波炉，那是一个冰箱--

things I'd never seen before.

那些都是我以前闻所未闻的东西。

And it was also the first time

那也是我第一次

I got immersed into a new and different culture.

被放置在全新的文化环境当中。

These strangers showed me

这些陌生人向我展示了

true love.

真正的关爱。

These strangers showed me that I mattered,

这些陌生人让我明白，我很重要

that my dreams mattered.

我的梦想很重要。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Thank you.

谢谢。

These individuals had two of their own biological children.

他们有两个亲生孩子。

And when I came in, I had needs.

当我走进他们家庭的时候， 我急需帮助。

They had to teach me English,

他们要教我英文，

teach me literally everything,

教我几乎所有的事情，

which resulted in them spending a lot of time with me.

这导致他们要在我的身上 花费很多的精力。

And that created a little bit of jealousy with their children.

而这致使他们的亲生孩子 对我产生了一丝妒忌。

So, if you're a parent in this room,

所以，如果你们有人是家长，

and you have those teenager children

而你又有这样一群青少年小孩

who don't want anything to do with your love and affection --

他们对你们的爱和关心置若罔闻

in fact, they find it repulsive --

事实上，还对你们很冷淡

I got a solution:

我有一个办法：

adopt a child.

领养一个孩子。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

It will solve the problem.

问题就会迎刃而解。

(Applause)

（掌声）

I went on to acquire two engineering degrees

在一所世界一流学府中

from one of the best institutions in the world.

我习得了两个工程师学位。

I've got to tell you:

我必须要说：

talent is universal,

天赋人人都有，

but opportunities are not.

但机会一缘难求。

And I credit this

我想要赞美

to the individuals who embrace multiculturalism,

那些拥抱多元文化的人，

love, empathy

那些关爱，理解

and compassion for others.

并且同情他人的人。

We live in a world filled with hate:

我们生活在一个充满憎恨的世界上：

building walls,

高筑围墙，

Brexit,

英国脱欧，

xenophobia here on the African continent.

非洲大陆的仇外心理。

Multiculturalism can be an answer

而这些人类最负面的东西

to many of these worst human qualities.

都可以被多元文化海涵。

Today, I challenge you

今天，我挑战你们在座的观众们

to help a young child experience multiculturalism.

去帮助一个年轻的孩子 感受多元文化的魅力。

I guarantee you that will enrich their life,

我保证那会充实他的生活，

and in turn,

作为回报，

it will enrich yours.

你们的生活也会得到升华。

And as a bonus,

而作为奖励，

one of them may even give a TED Talk.

他们其中之一也许还会在TED演讲。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

We may not be able to solve the bigotry and the racism of this world today,

我们也许无力解决 当今社会的种族歧视与偏见，

but certainly we can raise children

但我们完全可以引导我们的孩子

to create a positive, inclusive, connected world

去创建一个积极的，包容的， 紧密相连的世界。

full of empathy,

那里将充满理解，

love

关爱，

and compassion.

同情。

Love wins.

真爱无敌。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）