Monika Bulaj: The hidden light of Afghanistan

Translator: Xun Lin Reviewer: Yipeng Xie

My travels to Afghanistan

好多好多年前

began many, many years ago

我就以阿富汗為終點開始旅行

on the eastern border of my country,

旅程由我嘅國家

my homeland, Poland.

波蘭嘅東邊界開始

I was walking through the forests

我行過

of my grandmother's tales.

嫲嫲故仔入邊嘅森林

A land where every field hides a grave,

個森林周圍都係墓地

where millions of people

墓地背後，代表 20 世紀

have been deported or killed

成千上萬嘅人

in the 20th century.

被放逐或殺害

Behind the destruction,

但係喺生靈塗炭之外

I found a soul of places.

我發現咗一片温暖嘅土地

I met humble people.

我遇到謙遜嘅人

I heard their prayer

我聽到佢哋祈禱

and ate their bread.

我食佢哋食嘅麵包

Then I have been walking East for 20 years --

從東歐到中亞

from Eastern Europe to Central Asia --

我行咗 20 年

through the Caucasus Mountains,

我穿過高加索山脈

Middle East,

行過咗中東

North Africa,

北非

Russia.

同俄羅斯

And I ever met more humble people.

喺呢啲地方我仲遇到更加多謙遜嘅人

And I shared their bread and their prayer.

我食佢哋嘅麵包，聽佢哋祈禱

This is why I went to Afghanistan.

依個就係我去阿富汗嘅原因

One day, I crossed the bridge

有一日，我行過

over the Oxus River.

奧克蘇斯河上條橋

I was alone on foot.

我獨自一人行

And the Afghan soldier was so surprised to see me

個阿富汗士兵見到我嘅時候都好驚訝

that he forgot to stamp my passport.

甚至唔記得喺我嘅護照上蓋章

But he gave me a cup of tea.

但係佢哋畀咗杯茶我

And I understood

我覺得

that his surprise was my protection.

佢嘅驚訝反而保護咗我

So I have been walking and traveling,

由阿富汗接壤伊朗邊境

by horses, by yak, by truck, by hitchhiking,

到阿富汗嘅瓦罕走廊

from Iran's border

我騎過馬

to the bottom, to the edge of the Wakhan Corridor.

撐過艇，搭過順風車

And in this way

通過依種方式

I could find noor, the hidden light of Afghanistan.

我發現咗阿富汗神秘嘅一面

My only weapon

我僅有嘅物件

was my notebook and my Leica.

就係本筆記簿同部相機

I heard prayers of the Sufi --

我聽到伊斯蘭教蘇菲派祈禱

humble Muslims,

蘇菲派係一班謙遜嘅穆斯林

hated by the Taliban.

但係塔利班分子好憎佢哋

Hidden river,

仲有不為人知嘅河流

interconnected with the mysticism

從直布羅陀到印度

from Gibraltar to India.

扯上好多神秘嘅嘢

The mosque where the respectful foreigner

喺清真寺，信徒

is showered with blessings

會以淚水祝福

and with tears,

恭敬嘅外國人

and welcomed as a gift.

而且會當係寶咁歡迎佢哋

What do we know

關於依個國家同人民

about the country and the people

我哋知道幾多？

that we pretend to protect,

我哋只係假扮保護佢哋

about the villages

我哋又有幾瞭解啲鄉鎮？

where the only one medicine

嗰度唯一嘅止痛藥

to kill the pain and to stop the hunger

唯一止餓嘅食物

is opium?

係鴉片

These are opium-addicted people

依班身處喀布爾屋頂上嘅人

on the roofs of Kabul

係戰爭 10 年後

10 years after the beginning of our war.

染上鴉片癮

These are the nomad girls

依啲係遊牧民族嘅女仔

who became prostitutes for Afghan businessmen.

佢哋成為咗阿富汗商人嘅性工具

What do we know about the women

戰爭 10 年後

10 years after the war?

我哋對呢度嘅女性瞭解幾多？

Clothed in this nylon bag,

佢哋身上套住個中國造嘅

made in China,

尼龍袋

with the name of burqa.

係所謂嘅穆斯林傳統波卡服裝

I saw one day,

有一日

the largest school in Afghanistan,

我見到阿富汗最大嘅學校

a girls' school.

係間女校

13,000 girls

有一萬三千個女仔

studying here

喺依度返學

in the rooms underground,

佢哋喺地牢一間房上堂

full of scorpions.

入邊周圍滿佈蝎子

And their love [for studying]

但係佢哋對學習嘅熱愛

was so big that I cried.

令我熱淚盈眶

What do we know

我哋又知道幾多

about the death threats by the Taliban

嗰啲夠膽送自己個女去返學嘅家長

nailed on the doors

受到幾多

of the people who dare to send their daughters to school as in Balkh?

阿富汗恐怖分子嘅死亡恐嚇？

The region is not secure, but full of the Taliban,

依個地區好危險，周圍都係塔利班份子

and they did it.

但係啲女仔都讀到書

My aim is to give a voice

我想幫啲無辦法出聲嘅人

to the silent people,

講出佢哋嘅故仔

to show the hidden lights

向外界展示佢哋不為人知嘅一面

behind the curtain of the great game,

展示喺依場遊戲嘅帷幕後邊

the small worlds ignored by the media

被媒體、全世界

and the prophets of a global conflict.

所遺忘嘅小小世界

Thanks.

多謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）