The Story We Tell About Poverty Isn't True | Mia Birdsong | TED Talks

譯者: LUNG CHEN HUANG 審譯者: Kaiwen Li

For the last 50 years,

過去50年來，

a lot of smart, well-resourced people -- some of you, no doubt --

很多聰明又富足的人...... 無疑在座某些人

have been trying to figure out how to reduce poverty

不斷努力得尋找方法降低

in the United States.

美國的貧窮問題

People have created and invested millions of dollars

人們創立非營利組織

into non-profit organizations

投入了數百萬美元

with the mission of helping people who are poor.

背負著濟貧的使命

They've created think tanks

他們建立了知識庫

that study issues like education, job creation and asset-building,

研究關於敎育、創造就業機會 和資產建立等的問題

and then advocated for policies to support our most marginalized communities.

支持政府輔助邊緣化族群

They've written books and columns and given passionate speeches,

他們編撰書籍、專欄 和情緒激昂的演說

decrying the wealth gap that is leaving more and more people

抨擊財富差距使愈來愈多人

entrenched at the bottom end of the income scale.

無法擺脫薪水不高的情況

And that effort has helped.

那些努力有幫助

But it's not enough.

但是不夠

Our poverty rates haven't changed that much in the last 50 years,

在過去50年來，我們的貧困指數

since the War on Poverty was launched.

在抗貧計畫後沒有大幅變化

I'm here to tell you

我在這裡告訴你們

that we have overlooked the most powerful and practical resource.

我們輕忽了最強大而有效的資源

Here it is:

請看這裡

people who are poor.

貧困的人

Up in the left-hand corner is Jobana, Sintia and Bertha.

在左上角的是喬邦納、辛蒂亞、柏莎

They met when they all had small children,

他們都在有了小孩後，

through a parenting class at a family resource center

在舊金山一間

in San Francisco.

家庭資源中心親職教育課程而認識

As they grew together as parents and friends,

既是家長又是朋友的他們一同成長

they talked a lot about how hard it was

他們談論很多關於

to make money when your kids are little.

兼顧孩童和賺錢是多麼困難

Child care is expensive,

照顧小孩不便宜

more than they'd earn in a job.

超過他們所能賺的

Their husbands worked,

她們丈夫有在上班

but they wanted to contribute financially, too.

但他們也想在財務上有所貢獻

So they hatched a plan.

所以他們想到一個計畫

They started a cleaning business.

他們開始清掃事業

They plastered neighborhoods with flyers

他們在鄰近地區張貼傳單

and handed business cards out to their families and friends,

遞出名片給他們的家人與朋友

and soon, they had clients calling.

不久，客戶上門了

Two of them would clean the office or house

其中兩個人清理辦公室或房子

and one of them would watch the kids.

其中一人照顧小孩

They'd rotate who'd cleaned and who'd watch the kids.

他們輪流清理和照顧孩子

(Laughs) It's awesome, right?

（笑聲）很厲害，對吧？

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And they split the money three ways.

然後他們分攤酬勞

It was not a full-time gig,

這不是全職的工作

no one could watch the little ones all day.

沒有人一整天都在照顧小孩

But it made a difference for their families.

然而這讓他們的家庭變得不一樣

Extra money to pay for bills when a husband's work hours were cut.

在丈夫工時縮短的時候 有額外的錢支付帳單

Money to buy the kids clothes as they were growing.

有錢買小孩子的新衣服

A little extra money in their pockets

口袋裡的閒錢

to make them feel some independence.

讓他們覺得獨立一些

Up in the top-right corner is Theresa and her daughter, Brianna.

在右上角的是泰蕾莎和她女兒布里安娜

Brianna is one of those kids

布里安娜是其中一位

with this sparkly, infectious, outgoing personality.

充滿活力、 有影響力、個性外向的孩子

For example, when Rosie,

舉例來說，

a little girl who spoke only Spanish, moved in next door,

只會說西班牙話的 小女孩羅西剛搬到隔壁

Brianna, who spoke only English,

只會說英文的布里安娜

borrowed her mother's tablet and found a translation app

向她媽媽借了平板電腦 發現一個翻譯程式

so the two of them could communicate.

以便他們兩個人可以聊天

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I know, right?

我知道，對吧？

Rosie's family credits Brianna with helping Rosie to learn English.

羅西的家人很感謝布里安娜 教導羅西學習英文

A few years ago,

幾年前

Brianna started to struggle academically.

布里恩娜在學業上遇到瓶頸

She was growing frustrated and kind of withdrawn

在上課時愈來癒挫折

and acting out in class.

似乎有點沉默寡言表現不佳

And her mother was heartbroken over what was happening.

她母親為此而心痛

Then they found out that she was going to have to repeat second grade

後來他們知道她女兒需要重讀二年級

and Brianna was devastated.

布里安娜痛不欲生

Her mother felt hopeless and overwhelmed and alone

她母親深受打擊感到孤獨無助

because she knew that her daughter was not getting the support she needed,

因為知道她女兒得不到必要的協助

and she did not know how to help her.

她不知道如何幫助她

One afternoon, Theresa was catching up with a group of friends,

有一天下午，泰蕾莎遇上一群朋友

and one of them said,

其中有人說：

"Theresa, how are you?"

『泰蕾莎，你好嗎？』

And she burst into tears.

她突然哭了

After she shared her story, one of her friends said,

在說完她的遭遇後，其中一位朋友說：

"I went through the exact same thing with my son about a year ago."

『一年前我兒子和你的一樣， 遭遇到同樣的情況』

And in that moment,

那時泰蕾莎了解一點

Theresa realized that so much of her struggle

她真正的困難

was not having anybody to talk with about it.

就是沒有人可以聽她訴苦

So she created a support group for parents like her.

所以她組了個互助會 幫助像她一樣遭遇的父母

The first meeting was her and two other people.

剛開始會面只有她和另外兩人

But word spread, and soon 20 people, 30 people

但消息傳得很快，不久就二十、三十人

were showing up for these monthly meetings that she put together.

來參加這些他舉辦的集會

She went from feeling helpless

她從感到無助

to realizing how capable she was of supporting her daughter,

到發現幫助她女兒的能力

with the support of other people who were going through the same struggle.

有著那些正在經歷同樣苦難的人的幫助

And Brianna is doing fantastic -- she's doing great academically

現在的布里安娜很厲害

and socially.

在學業和社交方面都表現得不錯

That in the middle is my man Baakir,

在中間的是我的人巴基爾

standing in front of BlackStar Books and Caffe,

站在紐奧良的一家 BlackStar咖啡廳前

which he runs out of part of his house.

是他房子的一部分

As you walk in the door,

一走進門，

Baakir greets you with a "Welcome black home."

巴基爾會說：『歡迎來到黑屋』

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Once inside, you can order some Algiers jerk chicken,

進去可以點一些阿爾及爾香辣烤雞

perhaps a vegan walnut burger,

或是素核桃漢堡

or jive turkey sammich.

或是捷舞火雞山姆明治

And that's sammich -- not sandwich.

是山姆明治不是三明治

You must finish your meal with a buttermilk drop,

你一定要配白脫牛奶醬

which is several steps above a donut hole

白脫牛奶醬是淋在甜甜圈球上

and made from a very secret family recipe.

而且是家族秘方

For real, it's very secret, he won't tell you about it.

真的很神秘，他不會告訴你

But BlackStar is much more than a café.

然而BlackStar不僅是一家咖啡廳

For the kids in the neighborhood,

對於住在附近的孩童來說

it's a place to go after school to get help with homework.

是一個課後輔導的場所

For the grown-ups, it's where they go

對於成年人來說

to find out what's going on in the neighborhood

在那可以了解當地的時事

and catch up with friends.

和朋友見面

It's a performance venue.

而且是表演場所

It's a home for poets, musicians and artists.

作為詩人、音樂家以及藝術家的聚集處

Baakir and his partner Nicole,

巴基爾和他的另一半妮可

with their baby girl strapped to her back,

背著他們的女兒

are there in the mix of it all,

跟大家混在一起

serving up a cup of coffee,

提供咖啡、

teaching a child how to play Mancala,

教小孩玩 《播棋》

or painting a sign for an upcoming community event.

或是為即將舉辦的團體活動描繪標誌

I have worked with and learned from people just like them

我和像他們的人一樣

for more than 20 years.

一起合作學習超過二十年

I have organized against the prison system,

我招集人馬反對監獄體制

which impacts poor folks,

影響了貧困的人

especially black, indigenous and Latino folks,

特別是黑人、本土人、拉丁美洲人

at an alarming rate.

而且是以驚人的速度

I have worked with young people who manifest hope and promise,

我和一群年輕人合作 他們滿懷希望，對未來有所憧憬

despite being at the effect of racist discipline practices in their schools,

儘管他們受到校園裡種族岐視的處分

and police violence in their communities.

與生活中的警察暴力

I have learned from families

我從各個家庭學到

who are unleashing their ingenuity and tenacity

他們的別出心裁與堅定

to collectively create their own solutions.

使他們一同打造自己的解決辦法

And they're not just focused on money.

他們不只有賺錢

They're addressing education, housing, health, community --

他們改善教育、居住、健康及社區的問題

the things that we all care about.

改善我們所關懷的事情

Everywhere I go,

每到一個地方

I see people who are broke but not broken.

我看到那些口袋沒錢四肢健全的人

I see people who are struggling to realize their good ideas,

我看到那些人陷於無法想到好點子

so that they can create a better life for themselves,

以便給他們自己、

their families, their communities.

家庭與社會開創一片天

Jobana, Sintia, Bertha, Theresa and Baakir are the rule,

喬邦納、辛蒂亞、柏莎、 泰蕾莎和巴基爾的事情很常見

not the shiny exception.

沒什麼特別的

I am the exception.

我不一樣

I was raised by a quietly fierce single mother in Rochester, New York.

在紐約州羅徹斯特，我被一位表面深沉 內心澎湃的單親媽媽培育長大

I was bussed to a school in the suburbs, from a neighborhood

我搭校車從住區到郊區一座學校上課

that many of my classmates and their parents considered dangerous.

很多同學和父母認為那住區很危險

At eight, I was a latchkey kid.

八歲的我放學後一個人在家

I'd get myself home after school every day and do homework and chores,

每天回家做功課和家事

and wait for my mother to come home.

等待母親回來

After school, I'd go to the corner store

下課後，我會到街角超商

and buy a can of Chef Boyardee ravioli,

買一罐柏亞迪廚師義大利方餃

which I'd heat up on the stove as my afternoon snack.

在爐子上加熱作為下午的點心

If I had a little extra money, I'd buy a Hostess Fruit Pie.

如果有還有錢，我會買女主人水果派

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Cherry.

櫻桃口味的

Not as good as a buttermilk drop.

但不像白脫牛奶那麼好吃

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

We were poor when I was a kid.

小時候我們很窮

But now, I own a home in a quickly gentrifying neighborhood

但現在，我在加州奧克蘭

in Oakland, California.

新興開發地區擁有一棟房子

I've built a career.

我有自己的事業

My husband is a business owner.

我丈夫是公司負責人

I have a retirement account.

我有個退休金帳戶

My daughter is not even allowed to turn on the stove

除非大人在家

unless there's a grown-up at home

不然我女兒不准使用爐火

and she doesn't have to,

她不必煮東西

because she does not have to have the same kind of self-reliance

因為不用像我小時候一樣

that I had to at her age.

要自立更生

My kids' raviolis are organic

我孩子的義大利方餃是有機食品

and full of things like spinach and ricotta,

富含類似食材菠菜、瑞可達起司的食材

because I have the luxury of choice

因為對於孩子的飲食

when it comes to what my children eat.

我能夠擁有不同的選擇

I am the exception,

我不一樣

not because I'm more talented than Baakir

不是因為我比巴基爾更有才華

or my mother worked any harder than Jobana, Sintia or Bertha,

不是我媽比喬邦納、辛蒂亞、柏莎更勤勞工作

or cared any more than Theresa.

也不是比泰蕾莎更照顧自己的孩子

Marginalized communities are full of smart, talented people,

邊緣化族群充滿著聰明、才華洋溢的人

hustling and working and innovating,

他們每日工作很忙碌，富有創新的思維

just like our most revered and most rewarded CEOs.

就像受各位尊敬、獲獎無數的執行長

They are full of people tapping into their resilience

邊緣化族群充滿著適應力強的人

to get up every day, get the kids off to school

每天醒來，送孩子上學

and go to jobs that don't pay enough,

到薪水不高的地方上班

or get educations that are putting them in debt.

或是被受教育而身陷負債

They are full of people applying their savvy intelligence

邊緣化族群充滿著崇高智慧的人

to stretch a minimum wage paycheck,

他們讓自己的最低工資最大限度得其所用

or balance a job and a side hustle to make ends meet.

或是兼顧正職與副業得以維持生計

They are full of people doing for themselves and for others,

邊緣化族群充滿著為自己與大家想的人

whether it's picking up medication for an elderly neighbor,

無論是幫年長的鄰居取藥

or letting a sibling borrow some money to pay the phone bill,

或是借兄弟姊妹一些錢繳電話費

or just watching out for the neighborhood kids

或是照看

from the front stoop.

在門廊前的鄰居小孩

I am the exception because of luck and privilege,

我不一樣 是因為我的運氣和榮幸

not hard work.

而不是努力工作

And I'm not being modest or self-deprecating --

我沒有謙虛或自卑

I am amazing.

我很了不起

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But most people work hard.

然而大多人工作很勤奮

Hard work is the common denominator in this equation,

努力工作是大家所公認的事

and I'm tired of the story we tell

我厭倦大家所說的

that hard work leads to success,

努力工作就能成功

because that allows --

因為那讓...

Thank you.

謝謝各位

(Applause)

（掌聲）

... because that story allows those of us who make it to believe we deserve it,

因為這樣說來 那些成功的人認為我們可以成功

and by implication,

也意味著

those who don't make it don't deserve it.

那些失敗的人不會成功

We tell ourselves, in the back of our minds,

我們不自覺地告訴自己

and sometimes in the front of our mouths,

而且有時候在大家面前告訴自己

"There must be something a little wrong with those poor people."

這些貧窮的人必定有什麼地方錯了

We have a wide range of beliefs

對於錯誤的事情，

about what that something wrong is.

大家有不同的想法

Some people tell the story that poor folks are lazy freeloaders

有些人說窮人是好吃懶做的寄生蟲

who would cheat and lie to get out of an honest day's work.

他們善用欺騙和謊言 來擺脫腳踏實地的工作

Others prefer the story that poor people are helpless

其他人相信窮人很無助

and probably had neglectful parents that didn't read to them enough,

而且可能沒有父母的陪伴 沒有父母為他們說故事

and if they were just told what to do

如果有人告訴他們該做的事

and shown the right path,

指引正確的道路

they could make it.

他們便得以功成名遂

For every story I hear demonizing low-income single mothers

每個故事中，我都聽到

or absentee fathers,

糟糕的低薪單親媽媽與不負責任的父親

which is how people might think of my parents,

可能大家覺得是我父母的樣子

I've got 50 that tell a different story about the same people,

我聽到五十個人用不同的方式 談論同一群人

showing up every day and doing their best.

他們每天出現各說各話

I'm not saying that some of the negative stories aren't true,

我並不是說有些負面的故事不正確

but those stories allow us to not really see who people really are,

而是那些故事不是真的 讓我們了解到真實面貌

because they don't paint a full picture.

因為那些故事沒有鉅細靡遺的刻畫出來

The quarter-truths and limited plot lines have us convinced

那些一知半解的事實讓我們相信

that poor people are a problem that needs fixing.

窮人是需要改善的問題

What if we recognized that what's working is the people

要是我們了解人在做

and what's broken is our approach?

但方法不對呢？

What if we realized that the experts we are looking for,

要是我們知道我們要找的專家

the experts we need to follow,

與建議

are poor people themselves?

是從窮人他們本身呢？

What if, instead of imposing solutions,

要是我們沒有解決問題

we just added fire

只是在本身的情況上

to the already-burning flame that they have?

火上加油呢？

Not directing --

沒有得到效果

not even empowering --

更不要說改善

but just fueling their initiative.

而就他們提議給予幫助

Just north of here,

就在這北方

we have an example of what this could look like:

大家有個例子可以看到這樣的情況

Silicon Valley.

矽谷

A whole venture capital industry has grown up around the belief

整個創投產業始終抱持著

that if people have good ideas and the desire to manifest them,

如果有人提供好點子，

we should give them lots and lots and lots of money.

我們應該投資他們很多很多錢

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Right? But where is our strategy for Theresa and Baakir?

對吧？對於泰蕾莎和巴基爾怎麼辦？

There are no incubators for them,

他們沒有創投組織的協助

no accelerators, no fellowships.

沒有加速器材、沒有研究獎助金

How are Jobana, Sintia and Bertha really all that different

喬邦納、辛蒂亞、柏莎的世界

from the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world?

真的與馬克祖克柏有那麼不同嗎？

Baakir has experience and a track record.

巴基爾有音軌錄製的經驗

I'd put my money on him.

我投資他

So, consider this an invitation to rethink a flawed strategy.

所以，考慮此為誘使你反思錯誤的門路

Let's grasp this opportunity

我們要抓住這機會

to let go of a tired, faulty narrative

拋開陳腔濫調，荒誕無稽的說法

and listen and look for true stories,

尋找真實的故事聆聽，

more beautifully complex stories,

更美妙、不簡單的故事

about who marginalized people and families and communities are.

發掘邊緣化的人、家庭與社會

I'm going to take a minute to speak to my people.

我要用一點時間對我的人說話

We cannot wait

我們不能坐以待斃，

for somebody else to get it right.

等著別人解決

Let us remember what we are capable of;

我們要想起自己被賦予的能力

all that we have built with blood, sweat and dreams;

用我們心血、汗水與夢想 所換來的

all the cogs that keep turning;

所有重要缺一不可的

and the people kept afloat because of our backbreaking work.

還有因為賣力工作而活下去的人

Let us remember that we are magic.

我們要想起自己真的不可思議

If you need some inspiration to jog your memory,

如果你要某些靈感來喚起你的記憶

read Octavia Butler's "Parable of the Sower."

可以讀奧維亞巴特勒《播種者的寓言》

Listen to Reverend King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail."

可以聽馬丁路德金牧師 《伯明翰監獄來鴻》

Listen to Suheir Hammad recite "First Writing Since,"

可以聽蘇荷哈梅朗誦《自從第一次寫作》

or Esperanza Spalding perform "Black Gold."

或是艾斯佩蘭蕯斯伯丁表演《黑金》

Set your gaze upon the art of Kehinde Wiley

觀賞凱欣德威利的藝術創作

or Favianna Rodriguez.

法維拉羅德里格斯的藝術創作

Look at the hands of your grandmother

想要一展絕活 看著你（外）祖母的手

or into the eyes of someone who loves you.

或望著愛你的人

We are magic.

我們真的不一樣。

Individually, we don't have a lot of wealth and power,

一個人沒有巨大的財富與力量

but collectively, we are unstoppable.

但是團結一致使我們無懈可擊

And we spend a lot of our time and energy

我們消耗很多自己的時間與體力

organizing our power to demand change from systems that were not made for us.

集結我們的力量來改變現在的制度

Instead of trying to alter the fabric of existing ways,

並非試圖打破常規

let's weave and cut some fierce new cloth.

我們要打造出全新的格局

Let's use some of our substantial collective power

我們要用強大的合作力量

toward inventing and bringing to life

在生活中創造

new ways of being that work for us.

適用於我們的新格局

Desmond Tutu talks about the concept of ubuntu,

戴斯蒙屠圖論述烏班圖（人性）的觀念

in the context of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation process

當時在南非的真相與和解過程

that they embarked on after apartheid.

也就是在種族隔離制度之後開始

He says it means,

他說烏班圖的意思是

"My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in yours;

『我與你同為一體，密不可分，

we belong to a bundle of life."

我們是生命共同體』

A bundle of life.

生命共同體

The Truth and Reconciliation process

開始真相與和解過程

started by elevating the voices of the unheard.

讓沒被聽見的聲音聽見

If this country is going to live up to its promise of liberty and justice for all,

如果這國家要實現對人民 自由與正義的承諾

then we need to elevate the voices of our unheard,

那我們要讓沒被聽見的聲音聽見

of people like Jobana, Sintia and Bertha,

像喬邦納、辛蒂亞、柏莎

Theresa and Baakir.

泰蕾莎和巴基爾一樣的人

We must leverage their solutions and their ideas.

我們必須採納他們的解決之道和想法

We must listen to their true stories,

我們必須聆聽他們真實故事

their more beautifully complex stories.

他們更美妙、不簡單的故事

Thank you.

謝謝各位

(Applause)

（掌聲）