Dave Meslin: The antidote to apathy

譯者: Coco Shen 審譯者: Geoff Chen

How often do we hear that people just don't care?

我們是否時常聽到

沒人關心政治？

是否時常有人告訴你

How many times have you been told

that real, substantial change isn't possible

真正的改變是不可能的

因為大多數的人們要不是太自私

because most people are too selfish,

太白癡，就是太懶惰

too stupid or too lazy

沒人想真正努力改變自己的社區

to try to make a difference in their community?

I propose to you today that apathy as we think we know it

今天我想要告訴大家的你所熟悉的這些冷漠

doesn't actually exist;

其實並不存在

but rather, that people do care,

其實人們在乎

but that we live in a world that actively discourages engagement

但我們所在的這個世界

卻往往以許多阻礙

by constantly putting obstacles and barriers in our way.

來阻擾我們參與社區事務

I'll give you some examples of what I mean.

讓我舉出一些例子來說明我的論點

從市政府開始

Let's start with city hall.

你看過這個嗎？

You ever see one of these before?

這是個報紙廣告

This is a newspaper ad.

It's a notice of a zoning application change for a new office building

一個新商業大樓申請區域重劃

於是登報告訴當地住戶

so the neighborhood knows what's happening.

如你所見，這根本無法閱讀

As you can see, it's impossible to read.

你需要一路看到中間

You need to get halfway down

to even find out which address they're talking about,

才能找到這塊地的地址

你得再往下找到這些更小的字

and then further down, in tiny 10-point font,

才知道如何參與討論

to find out how to actually get involved.

Imagine if the private sector advertised in the same way --

想像私人企業也用這套 －

if Nike wanted to sell a pair of shoes --

如果耐吉想賣鞋

(Laughter)

And put an ad in the paper like that.

然後登這種報紙廣告

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Now, that would never happen.

這是不可能的

你不會看到這種廣告

You'll never see an ad like that,

因為耐吉真心希望你買他們的鞋子

because Nike actually wants you to buy their shoes,

whereas the city of Toronto clearly doesn't want you involved

但多倫多市政府

很明顯地不要你參與重劃過程

with the planning process,

otherwise their ads would look something like this,

要不然他們的廣告應該看起來像這樣

所有的資訊都一目了然

with all the information laid out clearly.

要是市政府的公告總是這樣

As long as the city's putting out notices like this

還期待市民加入討論

to try to get people engaged,

那麼當然，不會得到任何結果

then of course people aren't going to be engaged.

但這不是冷漠

But that's not apathy; that's intentional exclusion.

而是刻意排除

Public space.

公共空間

(Applause)

（掌聲）

The manner in which we mistreat our public spaces

我們對待公共空間的方式

也是一個

is a huge obstacle towards any type of progressive political change,

阻礙政治進步和改變的障礙

because we've essentially put a price tag on freedom of expression.

就像是我們為言論自由貼上價格標簽

Whoever has the most money gets the loudest voice,

誰有錢，誰大聲

dominating the visual and mental environment.

充斥著我們的視覺和心靈環境

The problem with this model is there are some amazing messages

這個模式的問題是

那些需要被聽到的重要訊息

that need to be said, that aren't profitable to say.

並不賺錢

So you're never going to see them on a billboard.

於是你永遠無法在告示牌上看見它們

媒體在我們處理公共事務和促進政治改變的心態上

The media plays an important role

in developing our relationship with political change,

扮演著非常重要的角色

mainly by ignoring politics and focusing on celebrities and scandals,

它們避開那些爭議性的話題

過分關心娛樂新聞和醜聞

就連它們好不容易提到重要的議題時

but even when they do talk about important political issues,

they do it in a way that I feel discourages engagement.

都是用一種避免人參與的方式

I'll give you an example.

讓我舉出一個例子：這是上禮拜的“現在”雜誌

The "Now" magazine from last week: progressive, downtown weekly in Toronto.

一本先進的，多倫多市中心的週刊

這是封面故事

This is the cover story.

It's an article about a theater performance,

一個有關劇場表演的文章

and it starts with basic information about where it is,

一開始它就寫出上演的地方

in case you actually want to go and see it after you've read the article --

因為你讀完這篇文章後，很有可能會想去看

where, the time, the website.

地點，時間，網頁

Same with this -- it's a movie review.

這個電影評論也是

An art review.

還有藝術評論

A book review -- where the reading is in case you want to go.

書評 － 朗讀會在哪裡舉辦，如果你想去的話

A restaurant -- you might not want to just read about it,

餐廳 － 因為你不只想讀

你還會想去吃

maybe you want to go there.

So they tell you where it is, the prices, the address, the phone number, etc.

於是它們會告訴你在哪裡，大概甚麼價位

地址，電話等等

Then you get to their political articles.

等到你開始讀政治評論

Here's a great article about an important election race that's happening.

這個文章為現在進行的選舉做了很好的報導

它談論我們的候選人 － 寫的很好

It talks about the candidates, written very well,

但沒有後續資訊

but no information, no follow-up, no websites for the campaigns,

沒有選舉網頁

no information about when the debates are, where the campaign offices are.

也沒有選舉中心的地址，或辯論大會舉行的資料

這裡有另一個好文章

Here's another good article,

about a new campaign opposing privatization of transit,

談論反對大眾運輸私有化

without any contact information for the campaign.

卻也沒有附上活動的連絡方式

The message seems to be

這本雜誌透露出來的訊息彷彿是

that the readers are most likely to want to eat, maybe read a book,

讀者們最喜歡的是吃

偶爾看本書、看部電影，但絕不是改變社區

maybe see a movie, but not be engaged in their community.

你可能覺得這都是小事

You might think this is a small thing, but I think it's important,

但我之所以覺得它重要是因為

because it sets a tone

and it reinforces the dangerous idea that politics is a spectator sport.

這一切都導向一個危險的訊息

就是我們可以袖手旁觀

Heroes: How do we view leadership?

英雄們：我們如何看待領導力

Look at these 10 movies. What do they have in common?

看看這十部電影，它們的共通處是甚麼？

Anyone?

誰來告訴我們？

電影裡的英雄都是被選擇的

They all have heroes who were chosen.

某個人出現對他們說“就是你了

Someone came up to them and said, "You're the chosen one.

預言說，你必須拯救世界。”

There's a prophecy. You have to save the world."

於是這個人就上路去拯救世界，因為有人要他們這樣做

And then they go off and save the world because they've been told to,

也沒幾個人跟隨他

with a few people tagging along.

這讓我理解

This helps me understand

why a lot of people have trouble seeing themselves as leaders --

為甚麼人們很難把自己看成領導者

because it sends all the wrong messages about what leadership is about.

因為這些都灌輸人們有關領導力的錯誤訊息

英雄事蹟是集體合作

A heroic effort is a collective effort,

第一

number one.

第二，它並不完美，也不華麗

Number two, it's imperfect; it's not very glamorous,

它不會突然開始又突然結束

and doesn't suddenly start and suddenly end.

它是一個持續發生的過程

It's an ongoing process your whole life.

最重要的是，它是自願的

But most importantly, it's voluntary.

自發性的

It's voluntary.

一旦我們教導我們的孩子

As long as we're teaching our kids

that heroism starts when someone scratches a mark on your forehead,

英雄都是從有個人在他額頭做上標記開始

or someone tells you you're part of a prophecy,

或是得有人過來告訴你：你是預言的一部分

他們都遺漏了領導力最重要的一個特性

they're missing the most important characteristic of leadership,

就是它是從內而生的

which is that it comes from within.

It's about following your own dreams, uninvited,

它有關跟隨你的夢想

無須他人邀請

and then working with others to make those dreams come true.

然後與他人一起合作，實現美夢

Political parties: oh, boy.

政黨，老天

政黨可以是，也應該是

Political parties could and should be one of the basic entry points

那些想參與政治活動的人

for people to get engaged in politics.

的絕佳入口

Instead, they've become, sadly,

但是它們，很不幸地

卻變成這些沒創意又沒想法的組織

uninspiring and uncreative organizations

that rely so heavily on market research and polling and focus groups

靠著市場調查

投票和意見調查

that they end up all saying the same thing,

說出一樣的話

pretty much regurgitating back to us what we already want to hear

反芻那些我們想聽的話

而不是提供有創意或勇敢的想法

at the expense of putting forward bold and creative ideas.

And people can smell that, and it feeds cynicism.

人們聽得出來，於是變得諷刺

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Charitable status.

慈善組織：

Groups who have charitable status in Canada aren't allowed to do advocacy.

加拿大擁有慈善身分的團體不能支持特定組織和人物

這是一個大問題，也是改變的一大阻力

This is a huge problem and a huge obstacle to change,

because it means that some of the most passionate and informed voices

這意味著最熱情和理解狀況的聲音

在選舉期間是完全靜默的

are completely silenced, especially during election time.

於是我們來到最後一點

Which leads us to the last one, which is: our elections.

我們的選舉

As you may have noticed,

大家都知道，加拿大的選舉根本是個笑話

our elections in Canada are a complete joke.

我們用落後的系統

We use out-of-date systems

that are unfair and create random results.

製造出不公平和隨性的結果

今日的加拿大是由

Canada's currently led by a party

that most Canadians didn't actually want.

大部分的加拿大人不想要的政黨所帶領的

How can we honestly and genuinely encourage more people to vote

我們該如何誠懇地鼓勵人們去投票

when votes don't count in Canada?

當投票在加拿大根本不算數呢？

你把以上原因全加在一起

You add all this up together, and of course people are apathetic.

你就知道為甚麼人們如此漠然

It's like trying to run into a brick wall.

就像撞進一堵磚牆

Now, I'm not trying to be negative by throwing all these obstacles out

列舉這些阻礙不是為了

帶來負面影響，然後說，我們就是這樣

and explaining what's in our way.

相反的，我覺得人們非常聰明

Quite the opposite --

I actually think people are amazing and smart and that they do care,

而且他們在乎

但誠如我所說，冷漠是來自我們的環境

but that, as I said, we live in this environment

where all these obstacles are being put in our way.

和這些立在我們之前的阻礙

As long as we believe that people, our own neighbors,

一旦我們相信人們，我們的鄰舍

都是些自私、愚蠢、又懶惰的人

are selfish, stupid or lazy,

then there's no hope.

就毫無希望

但我們可以改變我剛剛所提到的

But we can change all those things I mentioned.

我們可以向市政府提出要求

We can open up city hall.

We can reform our electoral systems.

我們可以改變我們的選舉系統

We can democratize our public spaces.

我們可以讓公共空間民主化

My main message is:

我的重點是

if we can redefine apathy,

如果我們可以把人們的漠然

not as some kind of internal syndrome,

不再歸咎於個人的心理狀態

but as a complex web of cultural barriers that reinforces disengagement,

而是歸咎於這些複雜的文化負擔

是這些負擔阻礙了我們的參與

and if we can clearly define, clearly identify what those obstacles are,

一旦我們重新思考

我們就可以辨認這些阻力

如果我們一起努力打破這些阻礙

and then if we can work together collectively to dismantle those obstacles,

任何事都是有可能的

then anything is possible.

謝謝各位

Thank you.

(Applause)

（掌聲）