How to Keep Your Hometown from Becoming a Ghost Town | John Paget | TED

翻译人员: Yip Yan Yeung 校对人员: sylvia feng

Think about your hometown.

想想你的家乡。

Think about the place where important things have happened in your life

在这里，发生了你的人生大事，

and in the lives of those you love.

发生了你所爱之人的人生大事。

Now, what if you woke up one day

如果某天醒来，

and it was just gone?

一切都灰飞烟灭了呢？

My very first film was about a town that disappeared.

我的第一部电影 讲述了一座消失的小镇。

I was 16 at the time,

当时我 16 岁，

and my family was on a vacation

我和我的家人正在度假，

to see the great national parks of the West.

领略西部国家公园的美景。

And somewhere in Wyoming we happened upon a classic tourist trap:

在怀俄明州的某处， 我们来到了一个经典的骗游客景点：

an old Western ghost town.

一座古老的西部鬼城。

And admission was five dollars a head,

门票每人五美元，

and there were six of us and my dad was frugal.

我们一行六人，但我老爸很抠门。

So his idea was

所以他想的是

send John in alone with the video camera,

就让约翰一个人进去， 带上一台摄影机，

and the rest of the family will just watch the videotape later.

其他人以后再看视频就得了。

So I ventured in alone

所以我独自探索，

and attempted to capture all of the mystery and mystique

试图拍下这座失落之城的

of this town lost to time.

一切波谲云诡。

Now, old Western ghost towns capture our imagination

古老的西部鬼城 引发了我们的无限遐想，

because they are a touchstone to America's pioneer history.

因为它们是美国开拓史的试金石。

But in time I would come to understand

但是我最终意识到

that ghost towns still happen.

现在还是会出现鬼城。

Wildfires rage, earthquakes strike, levees break.

山火肆虐、地震、决堤。

But more commonly,

但是更常见的情况是

it is the insidious, slow-motion disaster.

隐蔽的、缓慢的灾害。

Layoffs at the textile mill.

纺织厂下岗。

The closing of a steel plant.

钢铁厂倒闭。

Or the suburban sprawl

或是郊区蔓延，

that slowly sucks all life out of an old downtown,

缓缓吸走老旧城区的生机，

leaving it in constant decline.

让它不断走下坡路。

The COVID-19 lockdown turned every city into a temporary ghost town,

新冠疫情封城让每个城市 都变成了暂时的鬼城，

and we’re still not sure if some communities can emerge

我们依旧不知道在经济重创后

from the economic devastation.

是否还能萌生一些社区。

And it also taught us that the forces that destroy cities are big and complex

这也告诉我们，摧毁城市的力量 势不可挡、错综复杂，

and out of our control

我们无法掌控，

and sometimes impossible to predict.

有时也无法预测。

But there is something that we can do,

但依旧有我们能做的事，

that we can control,

我们可以掌控的事，

that will help us navigate these challenges.

帮助我们在困难中前行。

We can develop community resilience.

我们可以提高社区复原能力。

We can build civic pride

我们可以为我们的集体 打造公民自豪感

and a strong identity for our communities

和强烈的身份认同，

that will give us the determination to survive and to succeed or to rebuild,

给予我们活下去、打胜仗、 重整旗鼓的决心，

even when rebuilding from ruins.

即使眼前只有残垣断壁。

And this is the power of the civic story.

这就是公民故事的力量。

I first learned that a story can change a city

我第一次听说 一个故事可以改变一座城

from a barber.

是一个理发师告诉我的。

When I was 24, I set out to make my first real film,

当时我 24 岁， 出发拍我第一部真正的电影，

a feature documentary about Route 66,

一部讲述 66 号公路的专题纪录片，

once known as the Mother Road and the Main Street of America.

它被称为美国的 “母亲之路”和主街。

And along this road is a tiny town in northern Arizona called Seligman.

公路经过一座北亚利桑那的小镇， 名叫塞利格曼（Seligman）。

And in this town is where I met the barber,

在这座小镇上， 我遇到了这位理发师，

Angel Delgadillo,

安杰尔·德尔加迪略 （Angel Delgadillo），

and he became one of the narrators in my film.

他成为了我电影中的一位叙述者。

Now, hundreds of towns along Route 66 became 21st-century ghost towns

66 号公路沿途的上百个小镇 被州际公路系统绕过，

when they were bypassed by the interstate freeway system.

变成了 21 世纪的鬼城。

And Angel told me about the day

安杰尔给我描述了

that they opened Interstate 40 across Arizona

40 号州际公路（I-40）开通的 那一天，它穿过了亚利桑那州，

and bypassed his town of Seligman.

却绕过了他的家乡塞利格曼。

Up until that day,

在那天以前，

hundreds or even thousands of cars would pass by his barber shop window

每天有上百，甚至上千辆车 经过他的理发店门口。

every day.

He told me that the minute they open the lanes of I-40,

他告诉我， I-40 开通的那一瞬间，

the traffic stopped.

他眼前的车流就停下了。

And it was as if they had gone to the edge of town

感觉就像小镇的周围

and put up a gate and forbidden people to come into town,

安了一道城门， 禁止人们进入小镇，

like somebody had turned off a faucet.

就像有人把水龙头关上了。

For years after this,

从这天起的多年以来，

he sat in his barber chair and stared out at the empty streets

他坐在他的理发椅上， 看着空荡荡的街道，

and realized Seligman was dying.

意识到塞利格曼命不久矣了。

And he grew bitter, and he grew angry.

他很心酸，他很愤怒。

And then he realized something important.

然后，他想到了一件重要的事。

While Seligman may be off the beaten path,

虽然塞利格曼不在主道上，

it wasn't obsolete.

但它还没有被废弃。

It had something special.

它有自己的独特之处。

Route 66 was an important part of American history,

66 号公路是美国历史的 一个重要部分，

and Seligman was part of that story.

塞利格曼也是这个故事的一部分。

And he had a hunch that if the entire community embraced that heritage,

他有预感，如果整个社区都能 心系这个传统，

it would lead to a future.

那塞利格曼就还有未来。

So they swept the sidewalks and painted and cleaned up

于是，他们清扫了人行道， 粉刷、清理，

and petitioned the state of Arizona to mark the old road,

向亚利桑那州请愿 将以前的老路——

the route through town, as a historic highway.

穿城而过的那条路线， 标为历史遗产公路。

And it took ten years, but eventually they did it.

努力了十年，终于成功了。

And the state of Arizona made the stretch from Williams

亚利桑那州将 自威廉姆斯市（Williams），

through Seligman to Kingman an official historic Route 66 Highway,

经塞利格曼镇， 至金曼市（Kingman）的路段

定为官方的 “历史遗产 66 号公路路段”，

and the iconic 66 Highway shield signs returned.

那标志性的 66 号公路 盾牌标志也回归了。

And that's when I met him.

这时，我遇到了他。

By then, his barbershop had morphed into a visitor center,

从此之后，他的理发店 转型成了一个游客中心，

and he was selling maps and souvenirs and mugs and fridge magnets

出售地图、纪念品、 马克杯、冰箱贴，

and occasionally still giving a shave and a haircut.

偶尔还是会给人刮刮面、剪剪头。

But mostly he was telling the story of Route 66 and posing for photos.

但主要还是为了讲述 66 号公路的 故事，摆拍一些照片。

And this story, their story, eventually revived Seligman.

这个故事，他们的故事， 最终让塞利格曼重获新生。

And not just Seligman,

不仅仅是塞利格曼，

but dozens of towns, from Chicago to LA, were inspired by Angel and Seligman,

还有好几个城镇， 从芝加哥到洛杉矶，

都受到了安杰尔 和塞利格曼的启发，

and they also embraced their heritage and found a way forward.

他们心怀历史传统， 找到了前进的道路。

On a recent trip there,

在我最近一次拜访塞利格曼时，

the Seligman visitor center told me

塞利格曼游客中心告诉我，

they were averaging 160,000-200,000 visitors per year

他们每年平均能有 16 万到 20 万游客，

and Angel is still posing for photos 24 hours a day,

安杰尔也无时无刻不在摆拍照片，

as a life-sized cutout in his barber shop.

作为理发店里的真人道具。

As a filmmaker focused on telling the stories of cities and towns,

作为一名讲述城镇故事的电影制作人，

I've observed something firsthand.

我直观地看到了一些事。

Communities that are successful,

成功的社区，

that are managing to stage a comeback

那些在式微后重振旗鼓

or revitalize after an era of demise

或重获新生的社区，

are places where people of the towns seem to know their story.

都是那些人民了解自己故事的地方。

They know where they've been and where they're going.

他们知道自己的历史和未来。

Now why is this?

为什么？

Why does story matter?

故事为什么这么重要呢？

Well, here's a clue.

给大家一点提示。

It comes from a groundbreaking psychological study

这个结论来自埃默里大学

done by Emory University

和埃默里美国生活、 神话与仪式研究中心的

and the Emory Center for the Study of Myth and Ritual in American Life.

一个突破性研究。

And in this study, they determined

这个研究表明

that the single biggest predictor of a child's emotional strength

对儿童的情感力量、

and health and resilience was story.

健康和韧性 最有力的预测因素就是故事。

The more a child knew about their family history,

孩子越了解家族历史，

the stronger they were.

他们就越坚强。

Somehow, the stories of their ancestors and relatives,

祖先和亲戚的故事，

how they overcame obstacles and endured hardship,

他们是如何克服困难、 渡过难关的，

seem to infuse children with confidence and courage and grit.

似乎为孩子们带来了 信心、勇气和胆量。

Well, as it turns out, what's true for a child

其实在孩子身上成立的事，

is true for a community.

对社区来说也是一样的。

Tenino, Washington is a small town

华盛顿州特奈诺镇（Tenino） 是距我家乡

about 15 miles from my hometown of Olympia, Washington.

华盛顿奥林匹亚市（Olympia） 15 英里的一座小镇。

It’s [has] a population of about 2,000 people.

人口约为两千人。

It was founded as a sandstone city.

它在创立之初是一座砂岩城。

Sandstone from the quarries in Tenino

砂岩采自特奈诺镇的采石场，

were used to build some of the West Coast’s grandest buildings:

用于建设西海岸的一些宏伟建筑：

churches and libraries and railroad stations.

教堂、图书馆、火车站。

And if you walk Tenino's Main Street today,

如果你现在 在特奈诺的主街上走一走，

you'll see many buildings built from this sandstone.

就会看见很多用这种砂岩建成的建筑。

As a matter of fact, the city council recently passed a law

其实市议会最近通过了一部法律，

requiring that any new building in Tenino in the central district

要求特奈诺镇中心城区的 任何一座新建筑物

must use a certain percentage of sandstone in its construction.

都必须在建设过程中 使用一定量的砂岩。

And this gives the town a unique look

这让小镇看起来别具一格，

and a physical and visual connection to their own story.

和他们自己的故事 产生了实质和视觉上的联结。

I recently traveled to Tenino to create a short film about this community

我最近前往特奈诺拍摄了 一部关于这个社区的短片，

and their connection to their story.

还讲述了他们与故事的联结。

Tenino's toughest time was the Great Depression.

特奈诺最艰难的时刻 是大萧条时期。

The only bank in town closed, and they ran out of money.

镇上唯一的一家银行 关门了，没钱了。

There was a run on physical currency,

出现了实体货币挤兑，

and the city leaders at the time decided,

市领导当时决定，

well, why don't we just print our own?

那我们为什么不直接印自己的钞票呢？

And they devised a way to print wooden dollars,

他们想出了一个方法， 印刷木质货币，

and they distributed this throughout the community

在社区中分发，

to allow commerce to continue.

让商业继续维持下去。

Fast forward, the year 2020,

快进到 2020 年，

the COVID pandemic hits, another economic crisis.

新冠疫情来袭， 又是一场经济危机。

Well, everybody in Tenino remembered the Great Depression

特奈诺镇民都记得大萧条

and the wooden dollars,

和木质货币，

and they thought, why don't we just do it again?

他们想：为什么不再来一次呢？

The 1870s-era printing press that had printed money back then

18 世纪 70 年代的印钞机

was still down at the local history museum.

还在当地的历史博物馆里躺着。

So they poured the ink and fired it up

于是，他们倒入了墨水，开机，

and started printing 25-dollar COVID relief funds.

开始印 25 美元面值的新冠纾困金。

And they distributed this to residents.

他们把这些货币发给了居民。

Now, Walmart and Amazon do not accept this.

但沃尔玛和亚马逊 不接受这种货币。

But that’s OK.

没关系。

In fact, that's the point.

恰恰这就是关键所在。

Tenino businesses do.

特奈诺镇的店铺接受。

And so in addition to being a relief program,

除了是一个纾困计划，

it is an economic stimulus for the local economy,

还刺激了当地经济，

encouraging people to spend their money at local shops,

鼓励人们把钱花在本土商店、

businesses and restaurants,

商业买卖和餐厅中，

the ones owned by their family, friends and neighbors.

由家人、朋友和邻居经营的生意。

Now, I noticed there was a strange Latin phrase on this money,

我发现这种货币 有一个奇怪的拉丁语描述，

and I asked the mayor what it meant.

我问市长是什么意思。

And he said, “Loosely translated,

他说：“不太准确的翻译是

it means 'We got this.'"

‘我们能行’。”

And I thought, there is another example of a community

我想，这是另一个

that summoned confidence in the face of a crisis

在危机面前，由公民故事 凝聚信心的社区案例。

empowered by their civic story.

Now, sometimes we get stuck in a cynical and self-defeating narrative.

有时我们深陷悲观厌世、 自暴自弃的故事之中。

Welcome to Buffalo, New York.

欢迎来到纽约州水牛城（布法罗）。

In all fairness,

平心而论，

Buffalo has had a bit of a streak of bad luck.

水牛城真是命运多舛。

Shortly after being founded,

建立后不久，

we were burned to the ground by the British.

我们就被英国人一把火烧光了。

The Erie Canal made us one of the richest,

伊利运河让我们成为了美国

most important cities in America.

最富有、最重要的城市之一。

But when shipping was replaced by trains and trucking,

但当运输由火车和货车取代时，

we went from indispensable to obsolete.

我们从不可或缺变成了无人问津。

And in the 1950s, a mass exodus began,

上世纪 50 年代， 大规模的人口迁徙开始了，

and we've lost roughly half our population.

我们失去了大约一半的人口。

The great blizzard of '77 made us a constant punchline

77 年的布法罗暴雪让我们成为了

and punching bag of national comedians.

国内喜剧人经久不衰的梗和段子。

The Christmastime closing of Bethlehem Steel in 1983

1983 年圣诞，伯利恒钢铁关厂，

and then four straight Super Bowl losses in the 1990s.

90 年代连续四次超级碗落败。

I won’t go into the details, just Google: “wide right.”

我不想解释细节， 搜一搜“wide right（‘偏右’）”吧。

By the time I arrived in Buffalo in 2005,

我在 2005 年抵达水牛城时，

you really can't blame people here for feeling like,

难怪这里的人流露出

"You know, we're just never going to win."

“你懂的，我们就是 不可能会赢”的感觉。

Matter of fact, I remember my first trip to Coles,

我记得我第一次 来到科尔斯（Coles），

a beloved neighborhood bar.

一家受大众喜爱的街头酒吧。

I told some of the local folks that I had just moved here

我告诉几个当地人 我刚从西雅图地区

from the Seattle area.

搬到这儿来。

And instead of saying, “Welcome to our city,”

他们没说： “欢迎来到我们的城市”，

they said, "What happened? Did you lose a bet?"

而是说：“咋回事？你是赌输了吗？”

This was Buffalo then,

这就是当时的水牛城，

a city walking through life with a "kick me" sign on its back.

一个把 “践踏我吧” 明晃晃 写在自己背上苟且偷生的城市。

And since making Buffalo home,

在水牛城安家之后，

I have made several short films

我拍摄了几部短片，

that, along with other artists and authors and photographers and bloggers,

和一些艺术家、作家、 摄影师、博主一起，

have helped to change the conversation.

为改变这个局面贡献了一份力。

In particular,

尤其是

the film "Buffalo: America's Best Designed City,"

影片《布法罗：美国 设计最精美的城市》，

helped to reframe things.

带来了新的视角。

The film tells the story of why Frederick Law Olmsted,

影片讲述了为什么 弗雷德里克·劳·奥姆斯特德

（Federick Law Olmsted）

once called Buffalo

曾经将水牛城称为

"the best planned city in America, if not the world."

“就算不是世界上规划最好的城市， 也是美国规划得最好的城市”。

And then it tells how he went on to design and build the first

影片描述了他如何在这里

and best park system in America right here.

设计、建设了美国第一个， 也是最好的公园系统。

It then honestly recounts how we squandered that legacy

然后坦诚地回顾了 我们是如何践踏了这笔遗产，

by making a series of mistakes that did severe damage to the city

一错再错，对城市、社区

and to our neighborhoods.

造成了严重伤害。

But in the final act,

但在最后一幕中，

it tells the story of how today's generation is rediscovering

影片讲述了当代人如何重拾、

and embracing Buffalo's exquisite urban design and the historic neighborhoods,

正视水牛城精美的 城市设计和历史街区，

and are committing themselves to the long and difficult task

致力于修理、修复它们的

of fixing and restoring it.

道阻且长的任务。

If the old story in Buffalo was “we’re unlucky,”

如果水牛城的老故事是 “我们真倒霉”，

the new story is "we'll make our own luck."

那新故事就会是 “好运由我们自己创造”。

If the old story was "we're doomed,"

如果老故事是“我们注定要完蛋”，

the new story is "we're destined."

那新故事就会是 “我们是天选之人”。

I think one of my favorite things about Buffalo

我觉得我最喜欢水牛城的一点

is that it is a city with a true narrative arc.

就是这座城市有着真实的叙事弧。

I mean, we've got highs and lows and wins and losses

我指的是我们都有起伏输赢，

and setbacks and comebacks.

艰难险阻，卷土重来。

And I think it is this narrative arc and our deep connection to it

我认为就是这样的叙事弧 和我们与它的强烈共鸣

that is our city's secret weapon and strange appeal.

成为了我们这座城的 秘密武器和奇妙魅力。

I mean, to be in Buffalo

住在水牛城，

is to live in a city that has embarked on the hero's journey.

就是住在一座 走上英雄之旅的城市里。

What about your town?

你的城市怎么样呢？

Has it set foot on that journey?

它有没有踏上这样的旅程？

I hate to say it,

虽然我不想这么说，

but I think one of the biggest threats to our cities is our own apathy.

但是我认为我们城市面临的 最大威胁之一就是我们自己的冷漠。

In too many places we have given up

我们在太多地方放弃了、屈服了、

or given in or grown to accept things the way they are.

逐渐接受了既成事实。

A well-told civic story

一个精彩的公民故事

can be the spark that rekindles love for our place.

可能就是重燃 对故土之爱的火种。

It can be the spark that rekindles our pride.

它也是重燃自豪感的火种。

The civic story, as we have learned, is not just about history.

我们的经验告诉我们， 公民故事不止在讲述历史。

It's also about the future, about what our cities are becoming.

它也在讲述未来， 讲述城市未来的样子。

And that's the story that we live and participate in every day.

它在讲述我们时时刻刻 身处其中、参与其中的故事。

I’m a filmmaker, and I love to tell the civic story of a place

我是个电影制作人， 我喜欢讲述一个地方的公民故事，

through the medium which I consider the modern-day campfire,

通过我认为是当代“篝火”的途径，

that flickering light in the dark that can gather a hushed crowd

黑暗中摇曳的火光 把安静的人群聚集起来，

to experience something together.

创造共同的体验。

But there are many ways to tell the civic story,

但是，讲述公民故事的方法有很多，

no matter your skill set.

不局限于任何技能。

Do you like to talk to people?

你喜欢和人说话吗？

Start a podcast series.

那就开个播客栏目吧。

Do you write or take photos?

你喜欢写作、拍照吗？

Create a book or a calendar

那就创作一本书、一本日历，

that chronicles the life and times of your town.

记录你城镇中的生活和片刻。

Fight to preserve an important building.

为保护一座重要建筑物斗争吧。

Make a musical album or a mural.

制作一张音乐专辑， 或者一幅壁画吧。

You could collect city memorabilia and use it to decorate your walls

你可以收集城市中的纪念品， 用它来装饰你的墙壁、

and your shelves and your bicycles

你的搁板、你的自行车、

and bumpers and computers and phone cases.

保险杠、电脑、手机壳。

All of these are ways to learn and share the civic story.

这些都是了解、 分享公民故事的方式。

So think about your place.

想想你的家乡吧。

Where are you from?

你是哪里人？

Does it have a past worth remembering?

它有没有值得铭记的过往？

Does it have a future worth hoping for?

它有没有值得期待的未来？

If so, a story can change a city.

如果有，一个故事可以改变一座城。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）