Fun, Fierce and Fantastical African Art | Wanuri Kahiu | TED

翻译人员: Jiawei Ni 校对人员: huang fu

So, my mother's a pediatrician,

我妈妈是儿科医生，

and when I was young, she'd tell the craziest stories

我小时候，她会说非常疯狂的故事，

that combined science with her overactive imagination.

结合了科学和她过度活跃的想像力。

One of the stories she told was that if you eat a lot of salt,

其中一个故事是如果你吃很多盐，

all of the blood rushes up your legs,

所有的血液会从你的脚向上冲，

through your body,

通过你的身体，

and shoots out the top of your head,

从你的头顶喷出，

killing you instantly.

让你立即死亡。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

She called it "high blood pressure."

她称之为「高血压」。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

This was my first experience with science fiction,

这是我对科幻小说的初体验，

and I loved it.

我很喜欢。

So when I started to write my own science fiction and fantasy,

所以当我开始自己写科幻及奇幻小说时，

I was surprised that it was considered un-African.

令我意外的是它们被 认为是「不非洲的」。

So naturally, I asked, what is African?

很自然的，我会问， 什么才算非洲的？

And this is what I know so far:

目前我所知道的如下：

Africa is important.

非洲是重要的。

Africa is the future.

非洲是未来。

It is, though.

不过，它的确是。

And Africa is a serious place where only serious things happen.

非洲是个严肃的地方，而且 只有严肃的事都会在那里发生。

So when I present my work somewhere, someone will always ask,

所以当我在某些地方展示 我的作品，总会有人问：

"What's so important about it?

“它为什么重要？

How does it deal with real African issues

它如何处理现实的非洲问题，

like war, poverty, devastation or AIDS?"

如战争、贫穷、毁坏、或艾滋病？

And it doesn't.

而我的作品不涉及这些。

My work is about Nairobi pop bands that want to go to space

我的作品内容是关于 奈洛比流行乐团想要上太空，

or about seven-foot-tall robots

或是关于七英尺高的机器人

that fall in love.

陷入爱河。

It's nothing incredibly important.

它不是什么特别重要的东西。

It's just fun, fierce and frivolous,

它就是好玩、激烈、轻浮的，

as frivolous as bubble gum --

像泡泡糖一样的轻浮…

"AfroBubbleGum."

「非洲泡泡糖」。

So I'm not saying that agenda art isn't important;

我并不是说关于重大问题的艺术不重要；

I'm the chairperson of a charity

我是一个慈善机构的主席，

that deals with films and theaters that write about HIV and radicalization

负责关于艾滋病毒和激进化的电影和剧院

and female genital mutilation.

以及女性外生殖器割礼。

It's vital and important art,

这是很必要且重要的艺术，

but it cannot be the only art that comes out of the continent.

但它不能是唯一从这个大洲出来的艺术。

We have to tell more stories

我们得要说更多的故事，

that are vibrant.

充满生气的故事。

The danger of the single story is still being realized.

单一化的危险逐渐被意识到，

And maybe it's because of the funding.

也许是资金原因，

A lot of art is still dependent on developmental aid.

许多艺术还依赖发展援助。

So art becomes a tool for agenda.

所以艺术成为议程工具。

Or maybe it's because we've only seen one image of ourselves for so long

也可能是因为我们长久以来 都只看见我们自己的一个形象，

that that's all we know how to create.

以致于我们只会创造这样的形象。

Whatever the reason, we need a new way,

不论是什么理由， 我们都需要新方法。

and AfroBubbleGum is one approach.

而非洲泡泡糖是一种方式。

It's the advocacy of art for art's sake.

它是为了艺术而做的艺术拥护。

It's the advocacy of art that is not policy-driven

它是不由政治驱使的艺术拥护，

or agenda-driven

不由议程驱使，

or based on education,

也不以教育为基础，

just for the sake of imagination:

单纯就是为了想像而做：

AfroBubbleGum art.

非洲泡泡糖艺术。

And we can't all be AfroBubbleGumists.

我们不能全都当非洲泡泡糖艺术家。

We have to judge our work for its potential poverty porn pitfalls.

我们得要判断我们的作品 会陷入贫困色情的可能性。

We have to have tests that are similar to the Bechdel test,

我们得要有类似 贝克德尔测验的测验，

and ask questions like:

问类似这样的问题：

Are two or more Africans in this piece of fiction healthy?

这部小说中，有两个以上的 非洲人是健康的吗？

Are those same Africans financially stable and not in need of saving?

这些健康的非洲人，在财务上 也很稳定且不需要救助吗？

Are they having fun and enjoying life?

他们过得开心、能享受人生吗？

And if we can answer yes to two or more of these questions,

如果这类问题有两个以上 的答案都是肯定的，

then surely we're AfroBubbleGumists.

我们就是非洲泡泡糖艺术家

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

And fun is political,

乐趣是政治的，

because imagine if we have images of Africans who were vibrant

因为，想像一下，如果我们的 非洲人形象是充满生气、

and loving and thriving

充满爱心、茁壮成长，

and living a beautiful, vibrant life.

过着美好、充满活力的生活。

What would we think of ourselves then?

那么我们会如何看待我们自己？

Would we think that maybe we're worthy of more happiness?

也许我们会觉得我们值得更多快乐？

Would we think of our shared humanity through our shared joy?

我们会透过我们共同的喜悦 来思考我们共同的人性吗？

I think of these things when I create.

当我创作时，我会想这些事。

I think of the people and the places that give me immeasurable joy,

我会想着给我无限喜悦 的人们以及地方，

and I work to represent them.

我会努力来代表他们。

And that's why I write stories

那就是为什么我写的故事是关于

about futuristic girls that risk everything to save plants

未来女孩愿赌上一切去拯救植物，

or to race camels

或是去和骆驼赛跑，

or even just to dance,

或甚至只是跳舞。

to honor fun,

向乐趣致敬，

because my world is mostly happy.

因为我的世界大部份是快乐的。

And I know happiness is a privilege in this current splintered world

我知道在目前这个分裂的世界里，快乐是项特权，

where remaining hopeful requires diligence.

在这个世界， 需要勤勉才能保持希望。

But maybe, if you join me in creating, curating and commissioning

但也许，如果你们能加入我， 创作、策划、实现

more AfroBubbleGum art,

更多非洲泡泡糖艺术，

there might be hope for a different view of the world,

也许会有希望达成 一个不同的世界观，

a happy Africa view

一个快乐的非洲观，

where children are strangely traumatized

那里孩童因为母亲的黑色幽默

by their mother's dark sense of humor,

而受到奇特的心理创伤，

(Laughter)

（笑声）

but also they're claiming fun, fierce and frivolous art

但同时，他们也索求好玩、激烈、轻浮的艺术，

in the name of all things unseriously African.

以所有不严肃的非洲事物之名。

Because we're AfroBubbleGumists

因为我们是非洲泡泡糖艺术家，

and there's so many more of us than you can imagine.

我们的人数超过你们的想像。

Thank you so much.

非常感谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）