Who am I? Think again | Hetain Patel

譯者: Marssi Draw 審譯者: Geoff Chen

Hetain Patel: (In Chinese)

赫頓：（中文）我們可以透過學習 不同的語言，來認識不同的文化嗎？

除了要學習口音和腔調以外，還有手勢。

Yuyu Rau: Hi, I'm Hetain. I'm an artist.

宇玉：嗨，我是赫頓，我是藝術家。

And this is Yuyu,

這位是宇玉，

who is a dancer I have been working with.

她是和我一起工作的舞者，

I have asked her to translate for me.

我請她擔任我的翻譯。

HP: (In Chinese)

赫頓：（中文）更重要的是， 手勢特有的習慣和動作。

YR: If I may, I would like to tell you

宇玉：如果可以的話，我想向你

a little bit about myself

簡單介紹我自己

and my artwork.

和我的藝術作品。

HP: (In Chinese)

赫頓：（中文）我們可以透過學習 不同的語言，來認識不同的文化嗎？

YR: I was born and raised near Manchester,

宇玉：我在英國的曼徹斯特

in England,

出生和成長，

but I'm not going to say it in English to you,

但是我不打算對你說英文，

because I'm trying to avoid any assumptions

因為我想避免任何

that might be made from my northern accent.

我的北方口音可能造成的誤解。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

HP: (In Chinese)

赫頓：（中文）除了要學習口音 和腔調以外，還有手勢。

更重要的是，手勢特有的習慣和動作。

YR: The only problem with masking it

宇玉：用中文來掩飾

with Chinese Mandarin

唯一會出現的問題是

is I can only speak this paragraph,

我只能說這段話，

which I have learned by heart

這是我用盡心力學習而成的，

when I was visiting in China. (Laughter)

在我造訪中國的期間。 （笑聲）

So all I can do is keep repeating it in different tones

因此，我能做的只有 用不同的聲調一再重覆，

and hope you won't notice.

然後祈禱你們不會察覺。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

HP: (In Chinese)

赫頓：（中文）更重要的是， 手勢特有的習慣和動作。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

YR: Needless to say, I would like to apologize

宇玉：當然，我必須

to any Mandarin speakers in the audience.

向所有說中文的觀眾朋友致歉。

As a child, I would hate being made

身為小孩，我討厭生來就必須

to wear the Indian kurta pajama,

穿著印度傳統長袍，

because I didn't think it was very cool.

因為我覺得那一點也不酷。

It felt a bit girly to me, like a dress,

我覺得那很女孩子氣，就像洋裝，

and it had this baggy trouser part

而且它有個像布袋的褲管，

you had to tie really tight

你得綁得非常緊，

to avoid the embarrassment of them falling down.

免得它掉下來很丟臉。

My dad never wore it,

我爸從來不穿那個，

so I didn't see why I had to.

所以我搞不懂為什麼我得穿。

Also, it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable,

還有，那個讓我不太舒服，

that people assume I represent something

當我穿上它的時候，別人都覺得我代表了

genuinely Indian when I wear it,

真正的印度人，

because that's not how I feel.

因為我根本不這麼覺得。

HP: (In Chinese)

赫頓：（中文）我們可以透過學習 不同的語言，來認識不同的文化嗎？

YR: Actually, the only way I feel comfortable

宇玉：其實，要穿上它， 唯一讓我覺得舒服的方式，

wearing it is by pretending

就是假裝

they are the robes of a kung fu warrior

那是武功大師的長袍，

like Li Mu Bai from that film,

像是李慕白，就是那部電影

"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

《臥虎藏龍》。

(Music)

（音樂）

Okay.

因此，

So my artwork is about identity and language,

我的藝術作品是關於身分和語言，

challenging common assumptions

挑戰常見的假設，

based on how we look like or where we come from,

依據我們的外表、故鄉、

gender, race, class.

性別、種族、階級。

What makes us who we are anyway?

究竟是什麼讓我們成為我們呢？

HP: (In Chinese)

赫頓：（中文）我們可以透過學習 不同的語言，來認識不同的文化嗎？

YR: I used to read Spider-Man comics,

宇玉：我以前常看蜘蛛人漫畫，

watch kung fu movies,

功夫電影，

take philosophy lessons from Bruce Lee.

從李小龍身上學哲學。

He would say things like --

他會說一些像是──

HP: Empty your mind.

赫頓：保持空靈之心。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Be formless, shapeless, like water.

無形，無法，就像水一樣。

Now you put water into a cup.

水倒入杯中，

It becomes the cup.

就成了杯子的形狀；

You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle.

倒入瓶中，就成為瓶子的形狀；

Put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot.

倒入茶壺中，就成為茶壺的形狀。

Now, water can flow

而水能載舟

or it can crash.

亦能覆舟。

Be water, my friend. (Applause)

像水一樣吧，我的朋友。 （掌聲）

YR: This year, I am 32 years old,

饒宇玉：我今年 32 歲，

the same age Bruce Lee was when he died.

和李小龍過世的時候一樣大。

I have been wondering recently,

我最近常想：

if he were alive today,

如果他現在還活著，

what advice he would give me

對於我要在 TED 演說，

about making this TED Talk.

他會給我什麼建議？

HP: Don't imitate my voice.

赫頓：不要模仿我的聲音，

It offends me.

那會冒犯我。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

YR: Good advice,

宇玉：好建議，

but I still think that we learn who we are

但是我還是認為我們學著成為自己

by copying others.

是透過模仿他人。

Who here hasn't imitated their childhood hero

在座有誰從未模仿小時候

in the playground, or mum or father?

在遊樂場裡崇拜的英雄，或是父母？

I have.

我有。

HP: A few years ago, in order to make this video

赫頓：幾年前，為了讓這部影片

for my artwork, I shaved off all my hair

成為我的藝術作品，我剃了光頭，

so that I could grow it back as my father had it

這樣一來，我可以讓它長回來，就像我爸爸

when he first emigrated from India

剛從印度移民

to the U.K. in the 1960s.

到英國的模樣，在 1960 年代時。

He had a side parting and a neat mustache.

他有分了邊的整齊鬍鬚。

At first, it was going very well.

剛開始還蠻順利的，

I even started to get discounts in Indian shops.

我甚至可以在印度商店拿到折扣。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But then very quickly,

但是沒過多久，

I started to underestimate

我開始低估

my mustache growing ability,

鬍鬚生長的能力，

and it got way too big.

結果它變得太長了，

It didn't look Indian anymore.

看起來一點也不像印度人。

Instead, people from across the road,

相反的，人們會在對街

they would shout things like --

對著我喊──

HP and YR: Arriba! Arriba! Ándale! Ándale!

赫頓與宇玉：阿里巴！阿里巴！安德烈！安德烈！ （註：卡通《飛毛鼠》台詞）

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

HP: Actually, I don't know why I am even talking like this.

赫頓：其實，我不知道為什麼我會這樣說。

My dad doesn't even have an Indian accent anymore.

我父親甚至一點印度口音也沒有，

He talks like this now.

他講話聽起來像這樣…

So it's not just my father that I've imitated.

我不只模仿我父親。

A few years ago I went to China for a few months,

幾年前，我去中國住了幾個月，

and I couldn't speak Chinese,

我不會講中文，

and this frustrated me,

那讓我很挫折，

so I wrote about this and had it translated

所以我寫下這段話，

把它翻譯成中文，然後發自內心的學習，

into Chinese, and then I learned this by heart,

like music, I guess.

大概就像音樂一樣。

YR: This phrase is now etched into my mind

饒宇玉：現在這段話深深烙印在我心上，

clearer than the pin number to my bank card,

比我提款卡的密碼還清楚，

so I can pretend I speak Chinese fluently.

因此我可以假裝自己能夠流暢的說中文。

When I had learned this phrase,

當我學這段話的時候，

I had an artist over there hear me out

有一位藝術家聽我說，

to see how accurate it sounded.

看看聽起來標不標準。

I spoke the phrase, and then he laughed

我說了那段話，然後他大笑，

and told me, "Oh yeah, that's great,

然後跟我說：「噢，說得很好，」

only it kind of sounds like a woman."

「只是聽起來很像…女生。」

I said, "What?"

我說：「什麼？！」

He said, "Yeah, you learned from a woman?"

他說：「沒錯，你是從女生那學來的吧？」

I said, "Yes. So?"

我說：「對啊，所以？」

He then explained the tonal differences

然後他開始向我解釋音調的差異，

between male and female voices

男性和女性之間

are very different and distinct, and that I had learned it very well,

有很大的分別，我學得很好，

but in a woman's voice.

但是那是女性的發音。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

HP: Okay. So this imitation business

赫頓：好吧，所以模仿這件事

does come with risk.

會有點冒險。

It doesn't always go as you plan it,

模仿並不會總是如你所願，

even with a talented translator.

即使你有一個很棒的翻譯。

But I am going to stick with it,

但是我打算繼續下去，

because contrary to what we might usually assume,

因為和我們通常假設相反的是：

imitating somebody can reveal something unique.

模仿某個人可以顯露出 自己某種獨一無二的特質。

So every time I fail

因此每次只要我無法

to become more like my father,

學得更像我父親，

I become more like myself.

我就變得更像自己一點。

Every time I fail to become Bruce Lee,

每次只要我無法學得更像李小龍，

I become more authentically me.

我就變得更像真實的自己。

This is my art.

這是我的藝術，

I strive for authenticity,

我為了真實而努力，

even if it comes in a shape

即使後來會顯得

that we might not usually expect.

不太像期待的那個樣子。

It's only recently that I've started to understand

一直到最近，我才開始了解，

that I didn't learn to sit like this

我學來的坐姿，

through being Indian.

並不是印度人的風格，

I learned this from Spider-Man.

而是從蜘蛛人那學來的。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Thank you.

謝謝！

(Applause)

（掌聲）