3 Ideas for Communicating Across the Political Divide | Isaac Saul | TED

譯者: Jenny Huang 審譯者: Shelley Tsang 曾雯海

So I asked for a podium today,

我今天要了一個演講的機會

and I'm going to read from some notes when I give this talk,

在演講中我會看著我的一些筆記

because I care a great deal about language choices,

因為我非常注重用字遣詞

and I want to be absolutely precise

我希望我對於今天要使用的單字

in some of the words that I'm going to use today.

是絕對精準的

I'm going to start by telling you the same piece of information twice,

我要先告訴你們兩次一樣的資訊，

but I'm going to say it in two different ways.

但我將以兩種不同的方式說出來。

Here's the first way: "1,000 illegal aliens were arrested by US Border Patrol

這是第一種方法：「美國邊境 巡邏隊於周一在南部邊境

after crossing the southern border on Monday."

逮捕了 1,000名非法移名。」

Here's the second way.

這是第二種方法。

"1,000 undocumented immigrants turned themselves in to US Border Patrol

「一千名無證移民 於週一越過南部邊界後

after crossing the southern border on Monday."

向美國邊境巡邏隊自首。」

You may be able to see the difference between these statements.

您可能會看到這些陳述之間的差異。

The first one is written to cater to a conservative audience

第一種是為了滿足

in the United States,

美國保守派的觀眾，

and the second is meant to cater to a liberal audience.

而第二則旨在滿足 自由派觀眾。

The difference in how straightforward news stories like this are conveyed

這類新聞故事表達方式的差異

underscores just how polarized our politics have become.

凸顯了我們的政治已經變得多麼兩極化。

Everyone knows that polarization is a big issue

大家都知道兩極化是個重大議題

in the United States and across the globe.

不管是對於美國還是全球皆是。

But what fewer people talk about is the language choices

但較少有人談論的是

that the media and political partisans make

媒體和政黨所做的語言選擇

that push people away

這些選擇使那些可能有不同觀點的人遠離

who might have a different perspective than them,

儘管事實上

despite the fact there are often less alienating ways

通常有更少讓人奢遠的方式

to communicate the same ideas.

來傳達相同的觀點

For media companies that thrive on engagement,

對於那些依賴參與度的媒體公司而言

those choices might be intentional.

這些語言選擇可能是故意的

It doesn't matter if a news outlet loses half the country

如果新聞媒體稱移民為非法移民

calling migrants illegal aliens,

失去一半的國家也無所謂

so long as it retains the other half.

只要它能留住剩下的另一半

As individuals, however, we sometimes make those choices

然而，作為個體，我們有時 在沒有意識到的

without even realizing it.

情況下做出這些選擇。

I'd like to share some examples of language choices

我想分享一些語言選擇的例子

that I think signal what I call a political tribe.

我認為是 我所稱為政治部落的信號。

I'm going to start with some on the left.

我要從左邊的這些開始。

"Equity." "Lived experience."

「公平。」「生活經驗。」

"Oppression."

「壓迫。」

Someone may be sharing their pronouns or talking about gender affirming care

有人可能分享自己的代詞 或談論性別肯定照護，

or using the term "Latinx."

或使用「Latinx」一詞。

On the right, you might see words like "snowflake" or "deep state,"

在右側，您可能會看到 「娘娘腔」或「深度政府」，

"mainstream media," "alpha,"

「主流媒體」，「最強的」，「非法移民」，

"illegal alien," "woke," "social justice warrior."

「覺醒」，「社會正義戰士」。

For over a decade, I've been obsessing over language choices like this.

十多年來，我一直對這樣的語言選擇著迷。

I'm a politics reporter from Bucks County, Pennsylvania,

我是賓夕法尼亞州 巴克斯縣的政治記者

a bellwether county in a bellwether state.

貝爾韋瑟州的貝爾韋瑟縣。

And in 2019, I started an independent, nonpartisan news outlet called Tangle

2019 年，我創立了一家獨立的非黨派新聞 媒體稱為 Tangle

in response to the bias and partisanship

這是對我在全美主要新聞編輯部

that I saw flourishing in major newsrooms all across America.

看到的偏見和黨派之爭蓬勃發展的回應

In fact, I started Tangle to solve the problem

事實上，我開始了 Tangle 是為了解決

of what I like to call "news polarization."

我喜歡稱為「新聞兩極化」的問題。

I wanted to create a place where all Americans

我想創造一個地方

from the most hardcore MAGA Republican

讓所有美國人，從最激進的MAGA共和黨人

to the most progressive, blue-blooded liberal

到最進步的藍血自由派

could trust as a source of wide-ranging perspectives

都能信任作為提供廣泛觀點

and balanced reporting.

和均衡報導的來源

And a place where an international audience

同時也是一個可以讓國際觀眾 可以閱讀美國新聞的地方

could read about US news without the typical partisan slant.

在不帶有典型的黨派偏見下

Our approach is simple.

我們的方法很簡單。

It's just to share perspectives from across the political spectrum

我們做法就是從政治光譜的各個角度分享觀點

in language that reaches as many people as possible.

以能夠觸及盡可能多人的語言來表達

But, as you might imagine, we ran into some problems.

但正如你想像的那樣， 我們遇到了一些問題。

We found that while attempting to bring conservatives and liberals under one roof,

我們發現，試圖將保守派和自由派 聚集在同一屋簷下時

we were often losing people

經常會在他們甚至未閱讀 我們所呈現的不同觀點之前

before they even read the different ideas we were presenting.

就失去了他們

Early on, I would get emails from liberal readers

初期，我收到自由派讀者的電子郵件

saying they were unsubscribing

表示他們會取消訂閱

over things like my use of the term "pro-life"

原因是我使用「捍衛生命權」

instead of "anti-abortion" or "anti-choice."

而不是「反對墮胎」或是「反對自由墮胎」

At the same time, I would get emails from conservative readers

同時，我會收到保守的讀者的電子郵件，

saying they were unsubscribing

說他們取消訂閱，

because I described abortion as women's health care,

因為我將流產描述為婦女的健康護理，

which made them feel like I was in the tank for the pro-choice side.

這使他們感覺像我正在選擇的一方面。

We realized that if we wanted people

我們意識到，如果我們希望

to actually hear arguments from the other side,

人們真正聽到另一方的辯論，

we had to make some changes to our language choices.

我們必須對我們的語言 選擇進行一些更改。

So I'd like to talk about how I navigate this problem of polarizing language

因此，我想談談我如何解決 這個偏差語言的問題，

as a reporter seeking to communicate

為為一位想要與

with an audience from across the political spectrum,

來自各個政治範疇的觀眾溝通的記者，

but also how I do it in my personal life.

以及我如何在我的個人生活中做到這一點。

First, we really want to avoid making language choices

首先，我們真的想避免做出語言選擇，

that signal to people, "you are not on my team."

讓人們表示「你不在我的團隊中。」

That's incredibly difficult.

這是難以置信的困難。

Immigration is one subject where news organizations

移民是新聞組織

most commonly signal tribe,

最常提示部落的主題，

like in our first example,

就像我們的第一個例子中，

"undocumented immigrant" versus "illegal immigrant."

「無證的移民」與「非法移民」一樣。

We know that a conservative might see "undocumented immigrant"

我們知道保守者可能會看到「無證的移民」

and unsubscribe, suspecting that we're soft on immigration,

並取消訂閱，懷疑我們對移民很柔軟，

while a liberal might see "illegal immigrant"

而自由主義者可能會看到「非法移民」

and write in to tell us that no person is illegal

並在取消帳戶之前，寫信告訴我們，

before canceling their account.

沒有任何人是非法的。

That leads us to our first solution.

這使我們到了我們的第一個解決方案。

When possible, find a compromise.

盡可能的時候，找到妥協。

We settled on the term "unauthorized migrant,"

我們決定了「未經授權的移民」一詞，

a legal expression that seems not to offend

the sensibilities of either side,

任何一方的敏感，

instead allowing readers to take in the arguments we're presenting

而是允許讀者接受我們所提出的論點，

while also accurately portraying what we're trying to communicate.

同時準確描述我們嘗試傳達的內容。

Unfortunately, not every problem has a simple compromise.

不幸的是，並非每個問題都有簡單的妥協。

So let's go to a classic example.

因此，讓我們來看一個經典的例子。

Abortion is a big indicator of political tribe.

墮胎是政治部落的重要指標。

Is a person pro-life for wanting to make the killing of a fetus illegal,

一個人是因為想讓殺死 胎兒成為非法而支持生命，

or are they anti-choice?

還是反選擇？

Is another person pro-choice

另一個人是希望

for wanting a woman to be able to choose what happens to her body,

女人能夠選擇身體會發生什麼，

or are they anti-life?

還是他們是反生命？

Ardent supporters of one side of this debate or the other

這場辯論的一方或另一方面的熱烈支持者

will insist on using their preferred terms.

將堅持使用自己喜歡的術語。

So what do you do?

那你要做什麼？

Solution number two.

解決方案第二

We tend to use a group's preferred term.

我們傾向於使用群組的首選術語。

That allows us to maintain a neutral tone in the discussion

這使我們能夠在討論中保持中立的聲音，

and treat everyone's position with tolerance.

並以寬容對待每個人的立場。

Pro-life people say they're pro-life, so we call them that.

支持生命的人說他們支持生命， 所以我們這麼稱呼他們。

Pro-choice people say they're pro-choice, so we say that, too.

支持選擇的人說他們支持選擇， 所以我們也這樣說。

We may use a term like "anti-abortion" to describe a pro-life group,

我們可能會使用「反流產」這樣的術語 來描述一個支持生命的團體，

but only if we've seen them use that language themselves,

但只有在我們看到他們自己 使用這種語言，順便說一句，

which, by the way, many of them do.

他們中的許多人都會使用這種語言。

We ran into a similar issue with the term "Latinx,"

我們遇到了類似的問題， 「Latinx」這個詞是一個性別中立的單詞，旨

a gender-neutral word invented to describe people of Hispanic descent.

在描述西班牙裔人士。

In theory, it's a decent idea,

理論上，這是一個不錯的想法，

but it has a major problem.

但它有一個重大問題。

The people whom that word refers to, people of Hispanic or Latin descent,

這個詞指的是西班牙裔或拉丁裔的人，

they don't like it.

他們不喜歡它。

I got emails and emails from Latino and Latina people

我收到拉丁裔和拉丁裔人士的 電子郵件和電子郵件，

telling me that when referring to the group,

告訴我，當提到該群組時，

they preferred "Hispanic" or "Latino."

他們更喜歡「西班牙裔」或「拉丁裔」。

And that's not just anecdotal.

而這不僅僅是故事。

Polling shows this too.

投票也表明了這一點。

68 percent of people of Hispanic descent favor the term "Hispanic,"

68% 的西班牙裔人喜歡「西班牙裔」一詞，

21 percent favor "Latina" or "Latino,"

21% 喜歡「拉丁裔」或「拉丁裔」，

and only 2 percent use the term "Latinx."

而只有 2% 使用「拉丁裔」一詞。

On top of that, a whopping 40 percent find the term "Latinx" offensive.

最重要的是，超過 40％的人 認為「Latinx」一詞是令人反感的。

So we stopped using it.

所以我們停止使用它。

I have another example of a way you can work

我還有另一個例子， 說明您可以使用更中

to communicate more neutrally.

立地溝通的方式。

This one's a little bit of a doozy.

這個有點麻煩了

This is one of the more controversial things that we do.

這是我們做的最具爭議性的事情之一。

The AP Stylebook, which most media outlets use,

大多數媒體使用的 AP Stylebook

began calling for the capitalizing of the B in "Black" in 2020

在 2020 年開始呼籲在涉及種族、 文化或 種族時，以「黑色」字

when referring to a race, culture or ethnicity.

大寫字母為「黑色」。

They also offered the guidance not to capitalize "white,"

他們還提供了 不要大寫「白色」的指導，

saying that "Black" communicated a wider, shared cultural experience

說「黑人」傳達了更廣 泛的共享文化體驗，

that "white" did not.

而「白人」卻沒有。

For a long time we followed this guidance, but we don't anymore.

很久以來，我們遵循這個指導， 但我們不再這樣了。

Believe it or not, there's not actually good polling on this that I could find,

不信不信，我實際上沒有 很好的民意調查，

but there are a lot of arguments for and against.

但是有很多支持和反對的論據。

And I found the arguments of Black writers

而我發現黑人作家喜歡這

who preferred the term to be lowercase to be more persuasive.

個詞以小寫字母的論點更具說服力。

Writers like Glenn Loury, John McWhorter and Minna Salami.

像格倫·洛里，約翰·麥克沃特 和米娜薩拉米這樣的作家。

Loury put it like this:

Loury 這樣說：

"But if all the disparate groups that constitute 'whites'

「但如果組成 ‘白人’的所有不同的群體

don't comprise a single people,

並不包括一個人，

why should all the disparate groups that constitute 'blacks' do so?

為什麼組成「黑人」的 所有不同的群體要這樣做？

To be honest, I don't think they do.

老實說，我不認為他們這樣做。

I would probably have a hard time seeing the sociological similarities,

我可能會很難看到

say, between a wealthy member of Lagos's business class

拉各斯商務艙的富有成員

and a man on Chicago's South Side

和芝加哥南區的有三份兼職工作 僅為了支付租金的一個男子之間，

working three part-time jobs just to pay his rent.

有什麼社會學上的相似之處。

Learning that both are black would tell me precisely nothing."

學到兩者都是黑人， 就不會告訴我什麼。」

End quote.

結束引用。

I agree, and I find this reasoning much more compelling

我同意，我發現這個理由 比 AP 樣式書

than the argument behind the AP stylebook's decision.

決定背後的論點更有吸引力。

And that is solution number three.

這就是第三個解決方案。

Sometimes you have to follow your own thoughts,

有時，您必須遵循自己的想法，

state them honestly, listen to the arguments,

誠實地說明它們，傾聽論點，

make a call as best you can, and communicate your choice when asked.

盡可能地撥打電話， 並在被問時傳達自己的選擇。

Language choices designed to connect people

旨在將政治界各方面的人

on all sides of the political spectrum

聯繫起來的語言

will never be perfect,

選擇永遠不是完美的，

but we can try our very best.

但我們可以盡力。

I believe it is our responsibility to connect with people

我相信與政治部落以外的人

outside of our political tribes.

聯繫是我們的責任。

But that responsibility doesn't only belong to the people

但這個責任不僅屬於

communicating the news;

傳播新聞的人，

it also lies with you and with me,

而且還歸於你們和我，

the consumers.

消費者。

And it requires that we all listen more neutrally, too.

這也要求我們所有人 都要更中立地聆聽。

If you disagree with my decision on that, capitalizing the B in "Black,"

如果您不同意我在這方面的決定， 在「黑色」中寫大寫 B，

as I'm sure many people in this room do, that's fine.

就像我相信這個房間的許多 人都這樣做，那就沒關係。

I would hope that we can have an honest disagreement about it

我希望我們能夠對此有誠實的異議，

and be able to see each other as people who disagree

並能夠將彼此視為不同意的人

instead of political enemies.

而不是政治敵人

But that takes work.

但這需要工作。

And a lot of the time, a person you're speaking with

而且很多時候， 你和你交談的人

will use a phrase intended to signal their membership to a political tribe,

會使用一個短語，旨在向政治部落提示 他們的成員資格，

but that doesn't always mean the other person intended to pick a fight.

但這並不總是意 味著另一個人打算打架。

You can make the decision not to take offense

您可以決定不會因某人

by someone's tribal language choices,

的部落語言選擇感到侵犯，

and rather hear their intended meaning.

而是聽聽他們的意義。

Progressives or more liberal media outlets, for example,

例如，進步主義者或更自由的 媒體可能會

may center lived experiences or share the pronouns of authors,

集中生活經歷或分享作者的代詞，

while conservatives and conservative pundits

而保守派和保守的專家可能會討

might riff about the deep state or the mainstream media.

論深層狀態或主流媒體。

What's fascinating to me about these signals

這些信號對我來說令人著迷的是，

is that they often give extra meaning to mostly apolitical ideas.

它們通常對大多數非政治的想法 賦予了額外的意義。

Deep state is really just code

深度州真的只是一種

for a kind of sinister federal bureaucracy run amok,

邪惡的聯邦官官官政 管理行動的代碼，

something plenty of progressives would be open to acknowledging

如果文字只有一點不同，許多進步者將

if the wording were just a little bit different.

願意承認的這一點。

Meanwhile, discussing lived experiences isn't about being extra sensitive

與此同時，討論生活的 經歷並不是關於對您經歷過的

to every transgression you've ever experienced.

每一次違規變得更加敏感。

It's just another way of saying,

這只是另一種說法，

these are the things that have happened to me,

這些都是發生在我身上的事情，

something that conservatives center in their politics all the time.

保守派一直在他們的政治中關注的事情。

And lastly, I think it's worth noting

最後，我認為值得注意的是，

that sometimes a single word can mean totally different things

有時一個單詞對不同的群組

to different groups.

意味著完全不同的意思。

In recent months, one of the most controversial issues in the world

近幾個月，世界上最具爭議的問題之

has been Israel's incursion in Gaza.

一就是以色列入加沙。

That has set off a debate about Zionism,

這已引發了關於錫安主義的辯論，

a word that I've heard used as both a political term and a slur,

這一詞我聽說同時被用作政治術語， 也是一個淫語，

depending on the speaker.

具體取決於發言人。

I'd like to share three different definitions

我想分享我可以找到的錫安主義一詞的

for the word Zionism that I could find.

三個不同的定義。

The first is a definition from Britannica,

第一個是來自《大英百科全書》的定義， 它廣泛地將

which broadly defines it as a Jewish nationalist movement.

其定義為猶太民族主義運動。

The second is from the ADL,

第二個是來自 ADL，

which calls it a movement for self-determination and statehood.

它稱它為自決和國立運動。

And the third is a definition from Al Jazeera's website,

第三個是來自半島電視台網站的定義，

which describes it as a colonial movement by any means necessary.

它將其描述為以任何必要的方式 將其描述為殖民地運動。

Same word, three different definitions.

同一個詞，三個不同的定義。

Zionism is one of many terms

錫安主義是人們有完全不同定義的

that people have completely different definitions for.

許多術語之一。

And if you're talking with someone

如果您正在與使用某個術語的人

who's using a term in a way that you wouldn't,

以您不會使用的方式交談，

a really simple and effective tactic

那麼這個非常簡單有效的策略

is to ask them how they would define that term.

就是問他們如何定義這個術語。

That can be a good pathway to gaining mutual understanding,

這可能是獲得相互理解的好途徑，

whereas not doing so is often a serious impediment.

而不這樣做通常是一個嚴重的障礙。

And if you're in the media,

如果您在媒體上，在您的寫作中定義

defining these terms in your writing is almost always helpful.

這些術語幾乎總是有幫助。

Disagreement between two people over an idea can never be productive

如果兩個人都想 像另一個人正在說他們不是

if both people are imagining

的話，兩個人對一個

the other is saying something that they aren't.

想法之間的異議永遠不會有效率。

So how can you connect with people who think differently than you?

那麼，你如何與你不同思考的人聯繫？

For both media organizations and individuals in their everyday life,

對於媒體組織和個人在日常生活中，

you have to be sincere.

您都必須真誠。

People know when they're being pandered to.

人們知道什麼時候被接觸他們

You don't have to make everybody happy,

你不必讓每個人都快樂，

and you don't even have to like the people that you disagree with.

你甚至不必喜歡你不同意的人。

But you ought to try communicating in ways

但你應該嘗試以多個政治部落

that more than one political tribe can hear you.

能聽到你的方式進行溝通。

And when the other political tribe is communicating,

當另一個政治部落交流時，

you should try your best to be tolerant of their language choices.

你應該盡力容忍他們 的語言選擇。

That sometimes means calling a group something they prefer to be called,

這有時意味著稱一個群組 為他們喜歡被稱為的東西，

even if you disagree.

即使您不同意。

And it often means really hearing the intentions of another person,

這通常意味著真正聽到另一個人的意圖，

even if they are using language that puts you off.

即使他們正在使用令你困擾的語言。

The good news is that using more neutral language

好消息是，使用更中立的語言

isn't always difficult,

並不總是困難，

and tolerance is a pretty easy bar to clear if you try.

而且容忍是一個非常容易清除的條線。

So please, if you have some better suggestions

所以，如果你對如何跨政治界

for how to communicate and connect across the political spectrum,

溝通和聯繫有更好的建議，

I'm all ears.

我都在聽。

I'm always open to ideas and changing my mind,

我總是對想法和改變主意開放，

and I hope you are too.

希望您也是如此。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）