What adults can learn from kids | Adora Svitak

翻译人员: Min Chen 校对人员: Chaoran Yu

Now, I want to start with a question:

首先我要问大家一个问题：

When was the last time you were called "childish"?

上一回别人说你幼稚是什么时候？

For kids like me,

像我这样的小孩，

being called childish can be a frequent occurrence.

可能经常会被人说成是幼稚。

Every time we make irrational demands,

每一次我们提出不合理的要求，

exhibit irresponsible behavior,

做出不负责任的行为，

or display any other signs of being normal American citizens,

或者展现出有别于

普通美国公民的惯常行为之时，

we are called childish.

我们就被说成是幼稚。

这让我很不服气。

Which really bothers me.

After all, take a look at these events:

首先，让我们来回顾下这些事件：

Imperialism and colonization,

帝国主义和殖民主义，

world wars, George W. Bush.

世界大战，小布什。

Ask yourself, who's responsible? Adults.

请你们扪心自问下：这些该归咎于谁？是大人。

Now, what have kids done?

而小孩呢，做了些什么？

Well, Anne Frank touched millions

安妮·弗兰克(Anne Frank)对大屠杀强有力的叙述

with her powerful account of the Holocaust.

打动了数百万人的心。

Ruby Bridges helped to end segregation in the United States.

鲁比·布里奇斯为美国种族隔离的终结作出了贡献。

And, most recently,

另外，最近还有一个例子，

Charlie Simpson helped to raise 120,000 pounds for Haiti,

查理·辛普森（Charlie Simpson）骑自行车

为海地募得

on his little bike.

12万英镑。

So as you can see evidenced by such examples,

所以，这些例子证明了

age has absolutely nothing to do with it.

年龄与行为完全没有关系。

The traits the word "childish" addresses are seen so often in adults,

"幼稚"这个词所对应的特点

是常常可以从大人身上看到，

that we should abolish this age-discriminatory word,

由此我们在批评

when it comes to criticizing behavior associated with irresponsibility

不负责和非理性的相关行为时，

应停止使用这个年龄歧视的词。

and irrational thinking.

（掌声）

(Applause)

Thank you.

谢谢！

Then again, who's to say that certain types of irrational thinking

话说回来，谁能说

我们这个世界不正是需要

aren't exactly what the world needs?

某些类型的非理性思维吗？

Maybe you've had grand plans before,

也许你以前有过宏大的计划，

but stopped yourself, thinking,

但却半途而废，心想：

"That's impossible," or "That costs too much,"

这个不可能，或代价太高

or "That won't benefit me."

或这对我不利。

For better or worse, we kids aren't hampered as much

不管是好是坏，我们小孩子

when it comes to thinking about reasons why not to do things.

在思考不做某事的理由时，不太受这些考量的影响。

Kids can be full of inspiring aspirations and hopeful thinking,

小孩可能会有满脑子的奇思妙想

和积极的想法，

like my wish that no one went hungry,

例如我希望没有人挨饿

or that everything were free, a kind of utopia.

或者所有东西都是免费的，有点像乌托邦的理念。

How many of you still dream like that, and believe in the possibilities?

你们当中有多少人还会有这样的梦想

并相信其可能性？

Sometimes a knowledge of history and the past failures of Utopian ideals

有时候对历史

及对乌托邦的了解，

可能是一种负担，

can be a burden,

because you know that if everything were free,

因为你知道假如所有东西都是免费的，

then the food stocks would become depleted and scarce and lead to chaos.

食物储备会被清空，

而缺失将会导致混乱。

On the other hand, we kids still dream about perfection.

另一方面，

我们小孩还对完美抱有希望。

And that's a good thing, because in order to make anything a reality,

这是件好事，因为

要将任何事情变为现实，

you have to dream about it first.

你首先得心怀梦想。

在很多方面，我们的大胆想象

In many ways, our audacity to imagine

helps push the boundaries of possibility.

拓宽了可能性的疆界。

For instance, the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington,

例如，华盛顿州塔可马市的玻璃博物馆，

my home state -- yoohoo, Washington!

我的家乡华盛顿州——你好！

(Applause)

（掌声）

has a program called Kids Design Glass,

这个博物馆里有一个项目叫“儿童玻璃设计”，

and kids draw their own ideas for glass art.

小孩们自由创作自己的玻璃作品。

The resident artist said they got some of their best ideas

后来，驻馆艺术家说

他们所有的一些极佳灵感就来自这个项目，

from the program, because kids don't think about the limitations

因为小孩不去理会

of how hard it can be to blow glass into certain shapes,

吹出不同形状玻璃的难度限制

他们只是构思好的点子。

they just think of good ideas.

Now, when you think of glass, you might think of colorful Chihuly designs,

当说到玻璃的时候，你们可能

想到的是奇胡利(Chihuly)色彩丰富的玻璃设计

or maybe Italian vases,

或意大利花瓶，

but kids challenge glass artists to go beyond that,

但小孩子敢于挑战玻璃艺术家，并超越他们

into the realm of brokenhearted snakes

进入心碎蛇

and bacon boys, who you can see has meat vision.

和火腿男孩的领地——看到了吗，火腿男孩有“肉视力”哦

（笑声）

(Laughter)

Now, our inherent wisdom doesn't have to be insider's knowledge.

我们先天的智慧

堪比内行人的知识。

Kids already do a lot of learning from adults,

小孩已经从大人身上学到许多，

而我们也有很多东西可以和大人共享。

and we have a lot to share.

I think that adults should start learning from kids.

我认为大人应该开始向小孩学习。

Now, I do most of my speaking

听我演讲的观众大都是教育圈子里的，

in front of an education crowd -- teachers and students,

这其中有老师和学生。我喜欢这个类比。

and I like this analogy:

It shouldn't be a teacher at the head of the class,

不应该只是老师站在教室讲台上

告诉学生做这个做那个。

telling students, "Do this, do that."

The students should teach their teachers.

学生亦应教育他们的老师。

成人和儿童之间

Learning between grown-ups and kids should be reciprocal.

应该互相学习。

The reality, unfortunately, is a little different,

不幸的是，于现实里，情况是截然不同的。

and it has a lot to do with trust, or a lack of it.

这跟信任的关系很大，或者说是缺乏信任的结果。

Now, if you don't trust someone, you place restrictions on them, right?

如果你不信任某人，你就给他们设限，对吧。

If I doubt my older sister's ability to pay back the 10 percent interest

如果我怀疑我姐姐没有能力

偿还我给她的上一笔贷款的

I established on her last loan,

百分之十的利息时，

I'm going to withhold her ability to get more money from me,

我将要限制她再向我借钱，

until she pays it back.

直到她还清借款为止。（笑声）

(Laughter)

True story, by the way.

顺便提一下，这是个真实的例子。

Now, adults seem to have

大人呢，似乎普遍地

a prevalently restrictive attitude towards kids,

对小孩持限制性的态度，

from every "Don't do that, don't do this" in the school handbook,

从学校手册里的

“不能做这个”、“不能做那个”

to restrictions on school Internet use.

到学校互联网使用的各种限制性规定。

As history points out, regimes become oppressive

历史告诉我们，当政体害怕统治失控时，

when they're fearful about keeping control.

它就会变得暴虐。

And although adults may not be quite at the level

虽然大人可能不会

of totalitarian regimes,

像独裁政权一样心狠手辣，

kids have no or very little say in making the rules,

但小孩在制定规则方面是几乎没有话语权的。

when really, the attitude should be reciprocal,

而正确的态度应该是两者相互尊重的，

meaning that the adult population should learn

也就是说成人群体应该了解

并认真对待年幼群体的

and take into account the wishes of the younger population.

愿望。

Now, what's even worse than restriction,

然而比限制更糟糕的是，

is that adults often underestimate kids' abilities.

大人常常低估小孩的能力。

We love challenges, but when expectations are low,

我们喜欢挑战，但假如大人对我们期望很低的话，

说真的，我们就会不思进取。

trust me, we will sink to them.

My own parents had anything but low expectations

我自己的父母对我和姐姐

for me and my sister.

抱很高的期望。

Okay, so they didn't tell us to become doctors or lawyers or anything like that,

当然，他们没有让我们立志成为医生

或律师诸如此类的，

but my dad did read to us about Aristotle and pioneer germ-fighters,

但我爸经常读

关于亚里斯多德

和先锋细菌斗士的故事给我们听，

when lots of other kids were hearing

而其他小孩大多听的是

"The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round."

《公车的轮子转呀转》。

Well, we heard that one too, but "Pioneer Germ Fighters" totally rules.

其实我们也有听这个，但《先锋细菌斗士》实在是比那个强多了。

（笑声）

(Laughter)

I loved to write from the age of four, and when I was six,

四岁的时候我就喜欢上写作，

六岁的时候，

my mom bought me my own laptop equipped with Microsoft Word.

我妈给我买了台装有微软Word软件的个人手提电脑。

Thank you, Bill Gates, and thank you, Ma.

谢谢你比尔·盖茨！也谢谢你，妈咪！

I wrote over 300 short stories on that little laptop,

我用那个小手提电脑

写了300多篇短篇故事，

and I wanted to get published.

而且我想发表我的作品。

Instead of just scoffing at this heresy that a kid wanted to get published,

一个小孩想发表作品

这简直是天方夜谭，但我父母没有嘲笑我，

or saying wait until you're older,

也没有说等你长大点儿再说，

my parents were really supportive.

他们非常支持我。

Many publishers were not quite so encouraging.

但是很多出版社的回应让人失望。

One large children's publisher ironically said

颇具讽刺意味的是，一个很大的儿童出版社说，

that they didn't work with children.

他们不跟儿童打交道。

Children's publisher not working with children?

儿童出版社不跟儿童打交道？

I don't know, you're kind of alienating a large client there.

怎么说呢，你这是在怠慢一个大客户嘛。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

One publisher, Action Publishing, was willing to take that leap and trust me,

有一个出版商，行动出版社

愿意给我一个机会，

and to listen to what I had to say.

并倾听我想说的话。

They published my first book, "Flying Fingers," you see it here.

他们出版了我的第一本书《飞舞的手指》——就是这个——

And from there on, it's gone to speaking at hundreds of schools,

那以后，我到数百个学校去演讲，

keynoting to thousands of educators,

给数千个老师作主题演讲，

and finally, today, speaking to you.

最后，在今天，给你们作演讲。

I appreciate your attention today,

我感谢你们今天听我演讲，

because to show that you truly care, you listen.

因为你们会倾听我，

这证明你们真的在乎。

But there's a problem with this rosy picture

但小孩比大人强得多的这幅乐观图景

of kids being so much better than adults.

是存在一个问题的。

Kids grow up and become adults just like you.

小孩会长大并变成像你们一样的大人。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Or just like you? Really?

跟你们一样，真的吗？

The goal is not to turn kids into your kind of adult,

我们的目标不是让小孩变成你们这样的大人，

而是比你们强的大人。

but rather, better adults than you have been,

which may be a little challenging, considering your guys' credentials.

考虑到你们都这么了不起，

这可能颇具挑战性。

(Laughter)

But the way progress happens,

但进步

is because new generations and new eras

是因新的一代人和新的时期而发生，

grow and develop and become better than the previous ones.

不断的进步和发展，并超越之前的年代。

It's the reason we're not in the Dark Ages anymore.

这就是为什么我们不再处于黑暗时代。

No matter your position or place in life,

不管在生活中你的位置在哪里，

it is imperative to create opportunities for children,

你必须给孩子创造机会。

so that we can grow up to blow you away.

这样他们才能成长并让你扬眉吐气。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Adults and fellow TEDsters,

大人和TED观众们，

you need to listen and learn from kids,

你们需要倾听并向小孩学习，

and trust us and expect more from us.

信任我们和对我们怀有更高的期望。

You must lend an ear today,

今天你们需要聆听，

because we are the leaders of tomorrow, which means

因为我们是明天的领导，

这意味着当你们年老体衰时，

we're going to take care of you when you're old and senile.

我们会照顾你们。哈，只是开玩笑了。

No, just kidding.

(Laughter)

确实，我们将成为推动世界前进

No, really, we are going to be the next generation,

的下一代人。

the ones who will bring this world forward.

And in case you don't think that this really has meaning for you,

而且，假如你认为这对你没有意义的话，

remember that cloning is possible,

不要忘了克隆是可能的，

and that involves going through childhood again,

而这意味着童年可以重来，

in which case you'll want to be heard, just like my generation.

这种情况下，像我们这一代人一样，

你也会希望大人倾听你们的心声。

Now, the world needs opportunities for new leaders and new ideas.

世界需要产生新的领导人

和新想法的机会。

Kids need opportunities to lead and succeed.

小孩需要机会去领导和取得成功。

Are you ready to make the match?

你准备好去促成这一切了吗？

Because the world's problems shouldn't be the human family's heirloom.

因为这个世界的问题，

不应该是人类家庭的传家宝。

Thank you.

谢谢你们！

(Applause)

（掌声）

Thank you. Thank you.

谢谢！谢谢！