Edi Rama: Take back your city with paint

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

翻译人员: Emma Zhao 校对人员: Sarah Zhang

In my previous life, I was an artist.

以前，我曾是个艺术家

I still paint. I love art.

我仍然画画，我喜欢艺术。

I love the joy that color can give to our lives

我喜欢颜色给我们生活

and to our communities,

和社会带来的喜悦

and I try to bring something of the artist in me

我尝试把我身上艺术家的那一面

in my politics,

带进政治，

and I see

我发现，

part of my job today, the reason for being here,

今天我工作的一部分，我站在这里的原因

not just to campaign for my party,

不只是为我的党派宣传，

but for politics, and the role it can play

也是为政治，以及它在改善我们生活的方面

for the better in our lives.

能起到的作用

For 11 years, I was mayor of Tirana, our capital.

我做我们的首都地拉那的市长有11年了

We faced many challenges.

我们面对过很多挑战

Art was part of the answer,

艺术解决了部分问题

and my name, in the very beginning,

起初，我的名字

was linked with two things:

与两样事情有关：

demolition of illegal constructions

为恢复公共空间

in order to get public space back,

而拆除违章建筑，

and use of colors in order to revive the hope

以及用颜色来重燃我们城市

that had been lost in my city.

丢失的希望

But this use of colors was not just an artistic act.

这些颜色的使用不光是为了追求艺术

Rather, it was a form of political action

在当时，它更是一种政治行动

in a context when the city budget I had available

我当选以后

after being elected amounted to zero comma something.

城市的预算经费所剩无几

When we painted the first building,

我们粉刷第一幢大楼时

by splashing a radiant orange on the somber gray

在铅灰色的大楼正面

of a facade,

泼上了明亮的橙色

something unimaginable happened.

跟着不可思议的事情发生了

There was a traffic jam

一时交通阻塞

and a crowd of people gathered

众人聚集

as if it were the location of some spectacular accident,

好像重大事故的现场

or the sudden sighting of a visiting pop star.

或者突然撞到了来游玩的明星

The French E.U. official in charge of the funding

负责基金的法国欧盟官员

rushed to block the painting.

赶来阻止正在进行的喷涂作业

He screeched that he would block the financing.

他尖叫着说要中止融资

"But why?" I asked him.

我问他，“为什么呀？”

"Because the colors you have ordered

他回答说：“你用的那些颜色

do not meet European standards," he replied.

不符合欧洲标准。”

"Well," I told him,

我跟他说

"the surroundings do not meet European standards,

“这周围的一切都不符合欧洲标准

even though this is not what we want,

尽管这也不是我们想要的

but we will choose the colors ourselves,

但是我们要自己选择颜色

because this is exactly what we want.

因为这就是我们想要的

And if you do not let us continue with our work,

如果你不让我们继续工作

I will hold a press conference here,

我要马上举行一个新闻发布会

right now, right in this road,

就在这条路上

and we will tell people that you look to me

我们会告诉人们你们提防着我们

just like the censors of the socialist realism era."

就像社会主义现实主义时代的审查们。”

Then he was kind of troubled,

他也很为难

and asked me for a compromise.

并请我作出让步

But I told him no, I'm sorry,

但我告诉他，很抱歉

compromise in colors is gray,

妥协有颜色来表示的话是灰色

and we have enough gray to last us a lifetime.

我们人生中已经有太多的灰色

(Applause)

（掌声)

So it's time for change.

是改变的时候啦

The rehabilitation of public spaces

恢复公共空间

revived the feeling of belonging

会恢复人们对所遗失的城市

to a city that people lost.

的归属感

The pride of people about their own place of living,

人们对自己居住地的自豪

and there were feelings that had been buried

以及多来年他们对

deep for years under the fury of the illegal,

公共场所滋生的非法野蛮建筑

barbaric constructions that sprang up in the public space.

的愤慨背后的情感

And when colors came out everywhere,

当各处有了颜色

a mood of change started transforming the spirit of people.

人们的精神开始转变

Big noise raised up: "What is this? What is happening?

有人大声问：“这是什么？这是怎么回事？”

What are colors doing to us?"

这些颜色对我们有什么影响？

And we made a poll,

我们做了个民意调查

the most fascinating poll I've seen in my life.

是我一生中见过的最迷人的调查

We asked people, "Do you want this action,

我们问他们，“你们想要这次行动

and to have buildings painted like that?"

就是把建筑漆成这样子吗？”

And then the second question was,

第二个问题是

"Do you want it to stop or do you want it to continue?"

“你们想让它停止还是让它继续？”

To the first question,

第一个问题呢

63 percent of people said yes, we like it.

63%的人说是，我们喜欢这样

Thirty-seven said no, we don't like it.

37%的人回答不，我们不喜欢这样

But to the second question, half of them that didn't like it,

对第二个问题，说不喜欢这样的人当中有一半

they wanted it to continue. (Laughter)

希望这个行动能继续下去。（笑声）

So we noticed change.

我们注意到了变化

People started to drop less litter in the streets, for example,

譬如说，人们往街上扔垃圾的行为变少了

started to pay taxes,

开始付税金

started to feel something they had forgotten,

开始感觉到一度淡忘了的一些事

and beauty was acting as a guardsman

当城市警察，或说国家本身正在消亡的时候

where municipal police, or the state itself, were missing.

美就充当了捍卫者

One day I remember walking along a street

记得有一天我走在街上

that had just been colored,

那里刚被涂上颜色

and where we were in the process of planting trees,

树木也正在那里栽种

when I saw a shopkeeper and his wife

我看到一个店老板和他太太

putting a glass facade to their shop.

在店里装一个玻璃门面

They had thrown the old shutter

他们把旧的卷帘门

in the garbage collection place.

扔进垃圾回收处

"Why did you throw away the shutters?" I asked him.

我问他，“为什么把那些卷帘门扔掉呢？”

"Well, because the street is safer now," they answered.

他们回答道，“因为，这条街现在安全多了。”

"Safer? Why? They have posted more policemen here?"

“更安全了吗？是吗？他们派了更多的警察吧？”

"Come on, man! What policemen?

“我说，伙计，什么警察？

You can see it for yourself. There are colors,

你自己看看。这些色彩，

streetlights, new pavement with no potholes,

街灯，新铺的没有坑坑洼洼的路面，

trees. So it's beautiful; it's safe."

树木。又漂亮，又安全。”

And indeed, it was beauty that was giving people

事实上，是美给了人们

this feeling of being protected.

被保护的感觉

And this was not a misplaced feeling.

这不是一种情感错位

Crime did fall.

犯罪率降低了

The freedom that was won in 1990

1990年赢得的自由

brought about a state of anarchy in the city,

带来了城市的无政府状态

while the barbarism of the '90s

90年代的野蛮

brought about a loss of hope for the city.

导致城市失去了希望

The paint on the walls did not feed children,

墙上的图画不能喂饱孩子们

nor did it tend the sick or educate the ignorant,

也不会照顾病号或教育无知者

but it gave hope and light,

但是它带来了希望和光明

and helped to make people see

帮助人们看见

there could be a different way of doing things,

还有另外一种办法

a different spirit, a different feel to our lives,

另一种精神，另一种对生活的感受

and that if we brought the same energy and hope

如果我们能把这种同样的热情和希望

to our politics, we could build a better life

引入我们的政治，我们就能够

for each other and for our country.

给我们和我们的国家一个更好的生活

We removed 123,000 tons of concrete

单单从河边呀

only from the riverbanks.

我们就搬走了123，000吨的水泥

We demolished more than 5,000 illegal buildings

我们在整个城市拆毁了

all over the city,

5千多非法建筑

up to eight stories high, the tallest of them.

当中最高的有8层楼高

We planted 55,000 trees and bushes in the streets.

我们种植了5万5千棵树和灌木

We established a green tax,

我们设立了一项绿色税

and then everybody accepted it

每人都接受了

and all businessmen paid it regularly.

所有的生意人都定期纳税

By means of open competitions,

我们通过公开竞争

we managed to recruit in our administration

招募了我们的公务员

many young people,

当中有许多年轻人

and we thus managed to build

我们设法建立

a de-politicized public institution

一个去除政治化的公共机构

where men and women were equally represented.

在这里男女被平等对待

International organizations

国际组织

have invested a lot in Albania during these 20 years,

在这20年中在阿尔巴尼亚投了很多资金，

not all of it well spent.

有些没有被利用好

When I told the World Bank directors

当我告诉世界银行的董事们

that I wanted them to finance a project to build

我想让他们融资设立一个项目

a model reception hall for citizens

为市民建立一个符合标准的接待厅

precisely in order to fight endemic daily corruption,

正是为了打击地方腐败

they did not understand me.

他们并不理解我

But people were waiting in long queues

但人们在烈日下风雨里

under sun and under rain

排长队等候

in order to get a certificate or just a simple answer

只为了从那两个金属亭上的两个小窗口里

from two tiny windows of two metal kiosks.

拿到证明或区区一个答复

They were paying in order to skip the queue,

他们为了不排长队

the long queue.

就得付钱

The reply to their requests was met

他们得到的回答

by a voice coming from this dark hole,

就是来那个黑洞里

and, on the other hand,

同时

a mysterious hand coming out to take their documents

一只神秘的手拿走他们的文件

while searching through old documents for the bribe.

一边在查旧文件就是为了捞点贿赂

We could change the invisible clerks within the kiosks,

我们可以每星期更换小亭子里隐藏的工作人员

every week, but we could not change this corrupt practice.

但我们改变不了这种腐败的行为

"I'm convinced," I told a German official

我告诉一位世界银行的德国官员，

with the World Bank,

“我确信，

"that it would be impossible for them to be bribed

如果他们在德国工作

if they worked in Germany,

他们是不可能受贿的

in a German administration,

在德国政府

just as I am convinced that if you put German officials

正如我确信的，如果你把德国政府官员

from the German administration in those holes,

放进那些小亭里

they would be bribed just the same."

他们也会同样受贿。”

(Applause)

（掌声）

It's not about genes.

这不是基因的关系

It's not about some being with a high conscience

这不是说有些人有良知

and some others having not a conscience.

而另一些没有良知

It's about system, it's about organization.

这是体制问题，是组织问题

It's also about environment and respect.

也是环境问题和尊重问题

We removed the kiosks.

我们撤掉了这些小亭子

We built the bright new reception hall

建造了一个明亮的接待大厅

that made people, Tirana citizens,

使人们，地拉那的公民们

think they had traveled abroad when they entered

感觉他们到了这里像是到了国外

to make their requests.

去办他们的请求

We created an online system of control

我们设立了一个在线控制系统

and so speeded up all the processes.

以加快流程

We put the citizen first, and not the clerks.

我们以公民优先，而不是公务员

The corruption in the state administration

这种腐败现象

of countries like Albania --

在像阿尔吉尼亚这样的国家政府

it's not up to me to say also like Greece --

或者希腊，这不该由我来说

can be fought only by modernization.

可以用现代化的方式来解决

Reinventing the government by reinventing politics itself

通过重塑政治本身来重塑政府

is the answer, and not reinventing people

这就是答案，而不是用一个现成的公式

based on a ready-made formula

来改造人民

that the developed world often tries in vain to impose

就像发展中国家经常尝试强加于人民的那样

to people like us.

但徒劳无益

(Applause)

（掌声)

Things have come to this point

事到如今

because politicians in general,

大部分政客们

but especially in our countries, let's face it,

尤其在我们国家，承认吧

think people are stupid.

他们认为民众很蠢。

They take it for granted that, come what may,

他们理所当然认为，不管发生什么

people have to follow them,

民众必须跟从他们

while politics, more and more, fails to offer answers

政治越来越不能够为

for their public concerns

公众关注的

or the exigencies of the common people.

或人们亟待解决的问题提供答案

Politics has come to resemble

政治也越来越像

a cynical team game played by politicians,

一场由愤世嫉俗的政客们操弄的分组游戏

while the public has been pushed aside

公众被放置一边

as if sitting on the seats of a stadium

就像坐在球场的席位上

in which passion for politics

对政治的热情

is gradually making room for blindness and desperation.

逐渐被盲目和绝望取代

Seen from those stairs, all politicians today

从这个角度来看

seem the same,

当今所有的政客们看上去是一样的

and politics has come to resemble

政治就类似于

a sport that inspires more aggressiveness

一项激发更多进攻主义和厌世情绪的运动

and pessimism than social cohesion

而不是激发社会凝聚力

and the desire for civic protaganism.

和对市民主权的欲望

Barack Obama won

巴拉克·奥巴马赢了

— (Applause) —

--（掌声）--

because he mobilized people as never before

因为他通过使用社交媒体

through the use of social networks.

来动员民众，这是前所未有的

He did not know each and every one of them,

他并不认识每一个人

but with an admirable ingenuity,

但借助令人钦佩的独创性

he managed to transform them into activists

他把他们变成行动派

by giving them all the possibility to hold in their hands

让他们把任何可能为他赢得竞选的资源

the arguments and the instruments that each would need

握在手里

to campaign in his name by making his own campaign.

用他的名义为他奔走

I tweet. I love it.

我推特，我喜欢！

I love it because it lets me get the message out,

我喜欢它因为它把我的信息传出去

but it also lets people get their messages to me.

但也得到人们的消息

This is politics, not from top down,

这是政治，不是自上而下

but from the bottom up, and sideways,

而是自下而上地，甚至斜向地

and allowing everybody's voice to be heard

允许每个人的声音都被听到

is exactly what we need.

这就是我们所要的

Politics is not just about leaders.

政治不光是与领袖有关

It's not just about politicians and laws.

不只是政客和法律

It is about how people think,

它是关乎民众的想法

how they view the world around them,

他们如何来看待周围的世界

how they use their time and their energy.

如何利用他们的时间和能源

When people say all politicians are the same,

当人们讲政客都是一个样时

ask yourself if Obama was the same as Bush,

请扪心自问奥巴马和布什是否一样

if François Hollande is the same as Sarkozy.

弗朗索瓦·奥朗德和萨科齐是否一样

They are not. They are human beings with different views

他们不一样。他们观点不同

and different visions for the world.

世界观也不同

When people say nothing can change,

当人们说什么都不会改变时

just stop and think what the world was like

只要停下来想一想

10, 20, 50, 100 years ago.

10年前，20年前，50年前，100年前这个世界是什么样子

Our world is defined by the pace of change.

我们的世界是根据变化来定义的

We can all change the world.

我们都能够改变世界

I gave you a very small example

我给了你们一个小例子

of how one thing, the use of color,

一个如何通过颜色

can make change happen.

来产生变化的例子

I want to make more change

作为我们国家总理

as Prime Minister of my country,

我想做更多改变

but every single one of you can make change happen

但是如果你想做

if you want to.

你们每个人都会让改变发生

President Roosevelt, he said,

罗斯福总统说过，

"Believe you can, and you are halfway there."

"相信你可以，你就成功了一半。”

Efharisto and kalinihta.

谢谢，晚安

(Applause)

(掌声）