My escape from North Korea | Hyeonseo Lee | TED

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

翻译人员: Cho Lena 校对人员: Honghai Lee

当我还是个孩子的时候，

When I was little, I thought my country was the best on the planet.

我认为我的国家是世界上最好的。

And I grew up singing a song called "Nothing To Envy."

我大一点后学会了一首叫做"无可羡慕"的歌，

我觉得十分自豪。

And I was very proud.

In school, we spent a lot of time studying the history of Kim Il-Sung,

在学校，我们用很多时间

来学习金日成的历史，

but we never learned much about the outside world,

但是我们从来没有对外面的世界有过太多了解，

除了知道美国、韩国和日本是敌人外。

except that America, South Korea, Japan are the enemies.

虽然我也时常憧憬外面的世界，

Although I often wondered about the outside world,

我以为我会在朝鲜度过我的一生，

I thought I would spend my entire life in North Korea,

until everything suddenly changed.

直到所有事情都忽然改变。

When I was seven years old, I saw my first public execution.

当我七岁的时候，我第一次见证了公开处决，

But I thought my life in North Korea was normal.

但是我认为我在朝鲜的生活很正常。

我的家庭并不贫穷。

My family was not poor,

and myself, I had never experienced hunger.

而且对我自己来说，我从来没有体验过饥饿的感觉。

But one day, in 1995, my mom brought home a letter

但是1995年的一天，我妈妈带了一封信回家

from a coworker's sister.

是从她同事的姐妹那里寄来的。

It read, "When you read this,

上面写道，”当你读到这封信时,我家的所有五个人

our five family members will not exist in this world,

都将离开人世。

因为我们已经连续两周没有吃东西了。

because we haven't eaten for the past three weeks.

We are lying on the floor together,

我们现在一起躺在地板上，

and our bodies are so weak, we are waiting to die."

我们的身体都太虚弱，准备等死。“

I was so shocked.

我当时非常震惊，

This was the first time I heard that people in my country were suffering.

那是我第一次听到

活在我的国家的人们所在承受的一切。

在这之后不久，当我走过一个火车站时，

Soon after, when I was walking past a train station,

I saw something terrible that to this day I can't erase from my memory.

我看到一件非常痛心的事情

让我难以忘怀。

A lifeless woman was lying on the ground,

一个奄奄一息的女人正躺在地上，

while an emaciated child in her arms

怀里抱着一个虚弱的孩子，

just stared helplessly at his mother's face.

那个孩子只能绝望地望着他母亲的脸。

But nobody helped them,

但是没有人帮助他们，

because they were so focused on taking care of themselves and their families.

因为大家连自己和自己的家人都无法顾全。

A huge famine hit North Korea in the mid-1990s.

90年代中期朝鲜发生了一次严重的饥荒。

Ultimately, more than a million North Koreans died during the famine,

很不幸地，超过一百万朝鲜人

饿死在饥荒里。并且很多幸存者

and many only survived by eating grass, bugs and tree bark.

是依靠吃草、虫子和树根活下来的。

Power outages also became more and more frequent,

停电也变得越来越频繁，

so everything around me was completely dark at night,

到了晚上我周围的一切都变得漆黑一片，

except for the sea of lights in China,

除了中国的灯火通明，

just across the river from my home.

只要穿过我家旁的河就是。

I always wondered why they had lights, but we didn't.

我经常思考为什么他们有灯火而我们没有。

这是一张卫星图，拍摄了夜晚的朝鲜

This is a satellite picture showing North Korea at night,

compared to neighbors.

和周边国家的比较。

This is the Amnok River,

这是鸭绿江，

which serves as a part of the border between North Korea and China.

作为着中国和朝鲜

边界的一部分。

As you can see, the river can be very narrow at certain points,

如同你们所见，这条河在某些地方非常窄，

窄到朝鲜人能借此偷渡到中国。

allowing North Koreans to secretly cross.

But many die.

但是很多尝试偷渡的人死了。

Sometimes, I saw dead bodies floating down the river.

有时候我看见尸体浮在水面上。

I can't reveal many details about how I left North Korea,

我不能披露太多我离开朝鲜时的细节，

but I only can say that during the ugly years of the famine,

但是我只能说那是在饥荒中最艰难的几年，

I was sent to China to live with distant relatives.

我被送到中国和远亲一起住。

But I only thought that I would be separated from my family

当时我以为，

我只是和我的家人分开很短一段时间。

for a short time.

I could have never imagined

但是我从没想到，

that it would take 14 years to live together.

经历了14年我们才得以重聚。

在中国，我作为一个没家的小女孩过得很辛苦。

In China, it was hard living as a young girl without my family.

I had no idea what life was going to be like

我根本不知道，身为一个朝鲜的难民

as a North Korean refugee.

我未来的生活会怎样。

But I soon learned it's not only extremely difficult,

但是我很快意识到那生活不但充满了艰辛，

it's also very dangerous,

甚至无比危险。

since North Korean refugees are considered in China as illegal migrants.

因为朝鲜难民在中国

被视为非法移民，

So I was living in constant fear that my identity could be revealed,

所以我总是生活在恐惧中，

我害怕我的身份会被人发现。

and I would be repatriated to a horrible fate,

我会被遣送回朝鲜，

back in North Korea.

去接受悲惨的命运。

One day, my worst nightmare came true,

有一天，我最糟糕的恶梦成真了，

when I was caught by the Chinese police,

我被中国警察抓住

and brought to the police station for interrogation.

并带去警察局接受审问。

Someone had accused me of being North Korean,

有人指控我是朝鲜人，

so they tested my Chinese language abilities,

所以警察测试了我的汉语能力，

and asked me tons of questions.

并且问了我很多问题。

I was so scared.

我当时非常害怕，

I thought my heart was going to explode.

感觉我的心都快因恐惧而爆炸了。

If anything seemed unnatural, I could be imprisoned and repatriated.

如果有任何异样，我就会入狱

并被遣送回去，

I thought my life was over.

我以为我这辈子完了。

But I managed to control all the emotions inside me,

尽管如此，我还是努力隐藏了自己的恐惧和担忧，

and answer the questions.

并回答了他们的问题。

这之后，

After they finished questioning me,

one official said to another,

一个警察对另一个人说，“

"This was a false report. She's not North Korean."

报告是错误的，

她不是朝鲜人。”

And they let me go. It was a miracle.

然后他们放我走了。真是个奇迹。

Some North Koreans in China seek asylum in foreign embassies.

一些朝鲜人在中国

到外国大使馆去寻求庇护，

But many can be caught by the Chinese police,

但是很多人被中国警察抓住，

and repatriated.

并被送回朝鲜。

These girls were so lucky.

这些女孩是幸运的，

Even though they were caught,

尽管她们被抓住了，

they were eventually released, after heavy international pressure.

但是迫于巨大的国际舆论压力

她们最终被释放了。

但还有一些朝鲜人就没那么幸运了。

These North Koreans were not so lucky.

Every year, countless North Koreans are caught in China

每年，无数的朝鲜人在中国被捕

and repatriated to North Korea,

并被遣送，

where they can be tortured, imprisoned, or publicly executed.

回到朝鲜后，他们被折磨、关押

或者被公开处决。

Even though I was really fortunate to get out,

尽管我足够幸运能离开朝鲜，

many other North Koreans have not been so lucky.

我的好多同胞却没有这样的好运气。

It's tragic that North Koreans have to hide their identities

这是个很悲惨的事实，那就是朝鲜人必须要隐姓埋名，

and struggle so hard just to survive.

如此努力仅仅为了能生存下去。

Even after learning a new language and getting a job,

即使他们学会了中文，找到了工作，

their whole world can be turned upside down in an instant.

他们的整个世界也会在顷刻间颠覆。

That's why, after 10 years of hiding my identity,

这就是为什么，在隐姓埋名10年后，

我决定冒险去韩国。

I decided to risk going to South Korea.

And I started a new life yet again.

就这样，我又一次开始了新的生活。

Settling down in South Korea

在韩国定居比我想象的更加困难

was a lot more challenging than I had expected.

并且充满了挑战。

English was so important in South Korea,

英语在韩国太重要了，

so I had to start learning my third language.

所以我必须要开始学习第三门语言——英语。

Also, I realized there was a wide gap between North and South.

此外，我意识到，

韩国与朝鲜之间有巨大的差异。

We are all Korean, but inside,

尽管我们都是朝鲜族人，

we have become very different, due to 67 years of division.

但是我们的内在已经变得非常不同了，

由于67年的分裂。

我甚至经历了自我身份的质疑。

I even went through an identity crisis.

Am I South Korean or North Korean?

我到底是韩国人还是朝鲜人？

Where am I from? Who am I?

我从哪里来？我是谁？

Suddenly, there was no country I could proudly call my own.

突然间，我似乎无法骄傲地称任何一个国家

为我自己的国家。

Even though adjusting to life in South Korea was not easy,

尽管适应韩国的生活并不是易事，

I made a plan -- I started studying for the university entrance exam.

但是我还是决定

准备大学入学考试。

Just as I was starting to get used to my new life,

就在我刚开始习惯新生活不久，

I received a shocking phone call.

我接到了一个令人震惊的电话。

The North Korean authorities intercepted some money

朝鲜政府拦截了

我寄回家的部分钱款，

that I sent to my family,

作为惩罚，我的家人要被

and, as a punishment, my family was going to be forcibly removed

强制搬走，

搬到农村的一个偏僻的地方去。

to a desolate location in the countryside.

They had to get out quickly.

他们必须要赶快逃走，

So I started planning how to help them escape.

所以我开始计划帮助他们逃脱。

North Koreans have to travel incredible distances

朝鲜人通往自由的道路

on the path to freedom.

是如此遥不可及。

It's almost impossible to cross the border

要想穿越朝鲜与韩国

between North Korea and South Korea.

的边境几乎是不可能的，

So, ironically, I took a flight back to China

所以，颇具讽刺意味的是，我坐飞机到了中国

and headed toward the North Korean border.

然后再前往中朝边境。

因为我的家人不懂中文，

Since my family couldn't speak Chinese,

I had to guide them somehow through more than 2,000 miles

所以我得帮助他们

在中国穿越2000多公里，

in China, and then into Southeast Asia.

进入东南亚。

我们在巴士上的旅途有一周之久，

The journey by bus took one week,

and we were almost caught several times.

好几次都差点被抓住。

One time, our bus was stopped and boarded by a Chinese police officer.

又一次，我们坐的巴士被拦下了，

一个中国警官上了车，

He took everyone's I.D. cards,

他查看每个人的身份证，

and he started asking them questions.

并开始问问题。

Since my family couldn't understand Chinese,

因为我的家人不懂中文，

我害怕他们会被抓住。

I thought my family was going to be arrested.

所以当那个中国警官快检查到我家人时，

As the Chinese officer approached my family,

I impulsively stood up, and I told him

我本能地站起来告诉他

that these are deaf and dumb people that I was chaperoning.

这几位是聋哑人，

我是他们的监护人。

He looked at me suspiciously,

他怀疑地看着我，

but luckily, he believed me.

但幸运地，他相信了我的话。

We made it all the way to the border of Laos.

就这样我们一路来到了老挝，

But I had to spend almost all my money

但是我却要几乎花光全部积蓄来

to bribe the border guards in Laos.

贿赂老挝的边境警察。

而且即使我们过了这一关，

But even after we got past the border,

my family was arrested and jailed for illegal border crossing.

我的家人还是因非法入境，

被捕入狱了。

After I paid the fine and bribe,

在我交了罚金和贿赂用的钱后，

my family was released in one month.

我的家人一个月后被释放了，

But soon after, my family was arrested and jailed again,

但不久后，他们在老挝的首都，

in the capital of Laos.

又被抓起来了。

This was one of the lowest points in my life.

那是我人生中最低落的时刻之一。

I did everything to get my family to freedom,

我为了让我的家人获得自由，倾尽所能

and we came so close,

然而就在快要成功的时候，

but my family was thrown in jail,

家人却又要经历牢狱之灾，

just a short distance from the South Korean embassy.

并且这个监狱离朝鲜大使馆并不远。

I went back and forth between the immigration office

我在移民局和警察局，

and the police station,

来来回回折腾了好多次，

desperately trying to get my family out.

绝望地努力着，希望能把他们救出来，

but I didn't have enough money to pay a bribe or fine anymore.

但是我已没有足够的钱

来贿赂或是交罚金了。

I lost all hope.

我心灰意冷。

就在这时，我听见一个人问我，

At that moment, I heard one man's voice ask me,

"What's wrong?"

“怎么了？”

I was so surprised that a total stranger cared enough to ask.

我很是诧异，

一个完全的陌生人这样关切地询问。

In my broken English, and with a dictionary,

我用蹩脚的英文再借助字典，

I explained the situation, and without hesitating,

毫不犹豫地向那个人解释了情况。

the man went to the ATM,

那个人走去ATM机，

and he paid the rest of the money for my family,

为我的家人以及另两个朝鲜人

and two other North Koreans to get out of jail.

支付了出狱的剩余的所有费用。

I thanked him with all my heart, and I asked him,

我真心地感谢他，并问道，

"Why are you helping me?"

“你为什么要帮助我？”

"I'm not helping you," he said.

“我并不是在帮助你，”他回答，

"I'm helping the North Korean people."

“我是在帮助朝鲜的人们。“

I realized that this was a symbolic moment in my life.

我当时就意识到那是我人生很有象征意义的一个时刻。

The kind stranger symbolized new hope for me and the North Korean people,

那个善良的陌生人象征着我以及

朝鲜人最需要的希望。

when we needed it most.

And he showed me that the kindness of strangers

他使我明白，陌生人的善意

and the support of the international community

和国际社会的支持

真是我们朝鲜人需要的希望之光。

are truly the rays of hope we North Korean people need.

Eventually, after our long journey,

最终，在经历了漫长的旅行后，

my family and I were reunited in South Korea.

我和家人终于在韩国重聚。

But getting to freedom is only half the battle.

但是获得自由只是打赢了战争的一半。

Many North Koreans are separated from their families,

很多朝鲜人和他们的家人分离，

and when they arrive in a new country,

并且当他们来到新的国家时，

they start with little or no money.

他们通常都只有很少的钱，或者身无分文。

So we can benefit from the international community

所以我们可以通过国际社会的帮助

for education, English language training, job training, and more.

来接受教育，英语培训，

工作培训等等。

我们还可以作为

We can also act as a bridge

between the people inside North Korea and the outside world.

世界与生活在朝鲜的同胞之间

的沟通桥梁。

Because many of us stay in contact with family members still inside,

因为我们很多人都和

生活在朝鲜的家人保持联系。

and we send information and money

我们寄送回去的信息和钱

that is helping to change North Korea from inside.

都在内在地改变朝鲜。

I've been so lucky, received so much help and inspiration in my life,

我是如此幸运，

在人生中得到了这么多帮助和启示，

so I want to help give aspiring North Koreans

所以我想帮助那些心怀梦想的朝鲜人

a chance to prosper with international support.

在国际的援助下，

一个实现梦想的机会。

I'm confident that you will see more and more North Koreans

我有信心你们将会看到越来越多的

朝鲜人在世界的舞台上取得成功，

succeeding all over the world,

including the TED stage.

包括TED这个舞台。

Thank you.

谢谢

(Applause)

（掌声）