Nalini Nadkarni: Life science in prison

譯者: 張新永 Davidchang 審譯者: Marie Wu

Trees epitomize stasis.

樹象徵靜止，

Trees are rooted in the ground in one place

樹歷經好幾個世代，都植根於

for many human generations,

同一地區的同一塊土地，

but if we shift our perspective

但是如果我們將注意力

from the trunk to the twigs,

由樹幹轉移到細枝，

trees become very dynamic entities,

樹木的活動力就顯現出來了，

moving and growing.

它一直在活動及成長。

And I decided to explore this movement

我決定探索細枝的活動情形，

by turning trees into artists.

我把樹木當作藝術家，

I simply tied the end of a paintbrush onto a twig.

在細枝的末端綁上一枝畫筆，

I waited for the wind to come up and held up a canvas,

然後靜待風起，撐起畫布，

and that produced art.

這樣一幅藝術品就完成了。

The piece of art you see on your left

你現在看到在左邊的那幅圖，

is painted by a western red cedar

就是由香杉所畫的，

and that on your right by a Douglas fir,

右邊那幅則是花旗松的作品。

and what I learned was that different species

我發現不同的樹種

have different signatures, like a Picasso versus a Monet.

所留下的圖型特徵不同, 就像畢卡索和莫內的畫風不同一樣。

But I was also interested in the movement of trees

我對於樹木的活動力

and how this art might let me capture that and quantify it,

以及將圖上的活動軌跡量化，也很有興趣。

so to measure the distance that a single vine maple tree --

為測量創作這幅畫的藤楓

which produced this painting -- moved in a single year,

一年內所移動的距離，

I simply measured and summed

我測量這圖上每條線的長度，

each of those lines.

而後加總，

I multiplied them by the number of twigs per branch

然後乘上每個樹枝上細枝數目

and the number of branches per tree

及每棵樹的樹枝數目，

and then divided that by the number of minutes per year.

再乘以每年的分鐘數，

And so I was able to calculate

這樣我就可以算出

how far a single tree moved in a single year.

每一株樹每年的移動距離。

You might have a guess.

你可以猜猜看，

The answer is actually 186,540 miles,

答案是186,540英里(約30萬公里)，

or seven times around the globe.

也就是繞著地球轉七圈的長度。

And so simply by shifting our perspective from a single trunk

所以只要將觀注的重點由一株樹幹

to the many dynamic twigs,

轉移至許多動態的細枝，

we are able to see that trees are not simply static entities,

我們就可以看出樹木不只具有活動力，

but rather extremely dynamic.

它的動作可還大著呢！

And I began to think about ways that

接著我想到，

we might consider this lesson of trees,

這個由樹木移動所學到的啟示，

to consider other entities that are also static and stuck,

是不是可以應用在其它呼喊著要改變、要自由的

but which cry for change and dynamicism,

靜態或被限制行動的事物上呢？

and one of those entities is our prisons.

監獄就是這其中之一。

Prisons, of course, are where people who break our laws

監獄當然將要將違紀犯法的人

are stuck, confined behind bars.

困限在牢欄之後，

And our prison system itself is stuck.

但是我們的監獄體系卻自困一角。

The United States has over 2.3 million

美國有超過二百三十萬位

incarcerated men and women.

被監禁的男女囚犯，

That number is rising.

而且數目還在上升中。

Of the 100 incarcerated people that are released,

在一百個出獄的囚犯裡，

60 will return to prison.

有六十個會再回籠，

Funds for education, for training

但是用在教育訓練、

and for rehabilitation are declining,

輔導罪犯改過遷善的經費卻一直在減少，

so this despairing cycle of incarceration continues.

所以整個監禁體系是在令人絕望的循環中不斷重複。

I decided to ask whether the lesson

我決定去探究是否可以將

I had learned from trees as artists

把樹當作藝術家的經驗，

could be applied to a static institution

運用在像監獄這樣靜態、

such as our prisons,

停滯不前的機構上。

and I think the answer is yes.

我發現答案是：可行!

In the year 2007,

在2007年，

I started a partnership

我開始和華盛頓州的

with the Washington State Department of Corrections.

囚犯矯正部門合作，

Working with four prisons, we began bringing science and scientists,

選定四個監獄，引進科學實驗及科學家，

sustainability and conservation projects

在這四個州立監獄裡，進行永續發展

to four state prisons.

及保育等專案計畫。

We give science lectures,

我們給這些囚犯上科學課程。

and the men here are choosing to come to our science lectures

這些人選擇來上我們提供的科學課程，

instead of watching television or weightlifting.

而不是去看電視或舉重，

That, I think, is movement.

這,就是我認為的改變。

We partnered with the Nature Conservancy

我們和自然資源保護局合作

for inmates at Stafford Creek Correctional Center

請在史塔佛溪矯正中心的囚犯

to grow endangered prairie plants

種植瀕臨絕種的草原植物，

for restoration of relic prairie areas in Washington state.

用來重建華盛頓州的荒廢草原，

That, I think, is movement.

這,就是我認為的改變。

We worked with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife

我們也和華盛頓州的魚類及野生動物部門

to grow endangered frogs -- the Oregon spotted frog --

合作養殖瀕臨絕種的奧勒崗州斑蛙，

for later release into protected wetlands.

然後放回溼地保護區，

That, I think, is movement.

這,就是我認為的改變。

And just recently, we've begun to work with

最近我們開始和

those men who are segregated

被隔離在戒備最森嚴的

in what we call Supermax facilities.

牢房裡的重刑犯合作，

They've incurred violent infractions

他們都曾經與警衛或是

by becoming violent with guards

其他囚犯

and with other prisoners.

有過暴力衝突，

They're kept in bare cells like this

他們每天都被關在像這樣的

for 23 hours a day.

囚室裡23小時。

When they have meetings with their review boards or mental health professionals,

當他們與審查委員或心理專家會面時，

they're placed in immobile booths like this.

他們是被安置在這樣一個固定的隔離房間裡，

For one hour a day

他們每天僅有一小時的時間，

they're brought to these bleak and bland exercise yards.

可以在這單調乏味的運動場放風。

Although we can't bring trees and prairie plants

雖然我們無法將樹、草原植物、

and frogs into these environments,

或是蛙類引進這裡，

we are bringing images of nature

但是我們選擇將自然的影像

into these exercise yards,

帶入運動場、

putting them on the walls, so at least they get contact

掛在牆壁上，這樣至少他們在視覺上

with visual images of nature.

還可以與自然接觸。

This is Mr. Lopez, who has been in solitary confinement for 18 months,

這位是已經被單獨監禁了18個月的Lopez先生，

and he's providing input on the types of images

他對這樣的圖片提供意見表示，

that he believes would make him and his fellow inmates

他相信這會使與他以及其他囚犯，

more serene, more calm,

更有安詳鎮定的感覺，

less apt to violence.

因而不易訴之暴力。

And so what we see, I think,

由前述我們看到，

is that small, collective movements of change

這些微小但卻可積少成多的行動改變，

can perhaps move

或許可以推動

an entity such as our own prison system

像監獄體系這樣的個體，

in a direction of hope.

往看得見希望的方向前進。

We know that trees are static entities

我們知道光只看樹幹的話，

when we look at their trunks.

樹是靜止的；

But if trees can create art,

但是如果樹能作藝術創作、

if they can encircle the globe seven times in one year,

如果樹一年能夠繞地球七次、

if prisoners can grow plants and raise frogs,

如果囚犯可以種植植物、養殖蛙類，

then perhaps there are other static entities

那也許深藏在我們心中

that we hold inside ourselves,

那些頑固的想法，

like grief, like addictions,

像是哀傷、沉溺、

like racism,

種族偏見等等，

that can also change.

也是可以被改變的。

Thank you very much.

謝謝大家。

(Applause)

(掌聲)