Christopher Ategeka: How adoption worked for me | TED

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Sunny4 Hou

How many of you are tired

在座有多少人，已經厭倦了

of seeing celebrities adopting kids from the African continent?

看到名人領養非洲大陸的小孩？

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Well, it's not all that bad.

嗯，其實沒那麼不好。

I was adopted.

我是被領養的。

I grew up in rural Uganda,

我在烏干達的鄉間長大，

lost both my parents when I was very, very young.

我非常小的時候就失去了雙親。

And when my parents passed,

我父母過世時，

I experienced all the negative effects of poverty,

我經受了生活的貧困潦倒，

from homelessness,

從無家可歸，

eating out of trash piles,

到在垃圾堆找食物，

you name it.

任何你能想到的。

But my life changed

但我被收進一家孤兒院後，

when I got accepted into an orphanage.

我的生活發生了翻天覆地的變化。

Through one of those sponsor-an-orphan programs,

通過一個「贊助一名孤兒」項目，

I was sponsored and given an opportunity to acquire an education.

我得到贊助，有機會受到教育。

I started off in Uganda.

我從烏干達出發。

I went through school, and the way this particular program worked,

我去上學，而我參與的 這個專案的運作方式是：

you finished high school and after high school,

你完成了高中學業，高中之後，

you go learn a trade -- to become a carpenter, a mechanic

你去學一種行業── 成為木工、機械工、

or something along those lines.

諸如此類。

My case was a little different.

我的情況有點不同。

The sponsor family that was sending these 25 dollars a month

贊助家庭每個月會給這間孤兒院

to this orphanage to sponsor me,

$25 來贊助我，

which -- I had never met them --

而我從來沒有見過他們。

said, "Well ...

他們說：「嗯……

we would like to send you to college instead."

我們想要改送你上大學。」

Oh -- it gets better.

噢，還有更好的。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And they said, "If you get the paperwork,

他們說：「若你能把文書作業搞定，

we'll send you to school in America instead."

我們想改送你上美國的大學。」

So with their help,

靠著他們的協助，

I went to the embassy and applied for the visa.

我到大使館，申請簽證。

I got the visa.

我拿到了簽證。

I remember this day like it was yesterday.

至今，我還清楚記得這一天， 彷彿就像是昨天。

I walked out of the embassy with this piece of paper in my hand,

我走出大使館，手上拿著這張紙，

a hop in my step,

邁出輕快小跳的步伐，

smile on my face,

臉上掛著微笑，

knowing that my life is about to change.

我知道我的人生將要改變。

I went home that night,

那天晚上，我回到家，

and I slept with my passport,

和我的護照一起睡覺，

because I was afraid that someone might steal it.

因為我怕有人會偷走它。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I couldn't fall asleep.

我睡不著。

I kept feeling it.

感覺揮之不去。

I had a good idea for security.

我對於安全很有概念。

I was like, "OK, I'm going to put it in a plastic bag,

我想：「好，我要 把它放進一個塑膠袋，

and take it outside and dig a hole, and put it in there."

把它拿到外面， 挖一個洞，把它放進去。」

I did that, went back in the house.

我真的做了，然後回到房子裡。

I could not fall asleep. I was like, "Maybe someone saw me."

我睡不著，我心想： 「也許我剛有被人看到。」

I went back --

我又回去了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I pulled it out, and I put it with me the entire night --

我把它弄出來， 整晚都把它放在身邊。

all to say that it was an anxiety-filled night.

那真是個充滿焦慮的晚上。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Going to the US was, just like another speaker said,

到美國，就像另一位講者說的，

was my first time to see a plane,

我第一次看見飛機，

be on one, let alone sit on it to fly to another country.

第一次坐飛機到另一個國家。

December 15, 2006.

2006 年 12 月 15 日，

7:08pm.

早上 7:08。

I sat in seat 7A.

我坐在阿聯酋航空飛機

Fly Emirates.

7A 的位置上。

One of the most gorgeous, beautiful women I've ever seen walked up,

一個我所見過最美麗、 最漂亮的女人朝我走來，

red little hat with a white veil.

戴著紅色的小帽子和白色面紗。

I'm looking terrified, I have no idea what I'm doing.

我看起來嚇壞了， 我不知道我在做什麼。

She hands me this warm towel --

她遞給我一條溫毛巾──

warm, steamy, snow white.

溫暖的、蒸過的、雪白的毛巾。

I'm looking at this warm towel;

我看著這條溫毛巾；

I don't know what to do with my life, let alone with this damn towel --

我都不知道該拿我的人生怎麼辦了， 更何況這條該死的毛巾。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

I did one of the --

我做了

you know, anything anyone could do in that situation:

在那情況下，任何人 都可能這麼做的事情：

look around, see what everyone else is doing.

環顧四周，看看別人怎麼用它。

I did the same.

我也照做。

Mind you, I drove about seven hours from my village to the airport that day.

提醒各位，我那天是從我的村落 開了七小時的車到機場。

So I grab this warm towel,

所以我抓起來條溫毛巾，

wipe my face just like everyone else is doing,

拿來擦臉，跟每個人的做法一樣。

I look at it --

我看著它──

damn.

要命。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It was all dirt brown.

它整個變成泥土色。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I remember being so embarrassed that when she came by to pick it up,

當她回來拿毛巾時， 因為我覺得好尷尬，

I didn't give mine.

我沒給她我的。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I still have it.

我還留著它。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Going to America opened doors for me

到美國這件事，為我打開了門，

to live up to my full God-given potential.

讓我能把神給我的 所有潛能都發揮出來。

I remember when I arrived,

我記得當我抵達時，

the sponsor family embraced me,

贊助家庭擁抱了我，

and they literally had to teach me everything from scratch:

他們真的得要教我 所有一切，從零開始：

this is a microwave, that's a refrigerator --

這是微波爐，那是冰箱──

things I'd never seen before.

這些都是我以前沒見過的東西。

And it was also the first time

那也是我第一次

I got immersed into a new and different culture.

處在一個新的、不同的文化當中。

These strangers showed me

這些陌生人讓我看到了

true love.

真實的愛。

These strangers showed me that I mattered,

這些陌生人讓我知道，我是重要的，

that my dreams mattered.

我的夢是重要的。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you.

謝謝你們。

These individuals had two of their own biological children.

這些人自己也有兩個親生的孩子。

And when I came in, I had needs.

當我過去時，我有需求。

They had to teach me English,

他們得要教我英文，

teach me literally everything,

幾乎什麼都要教我，

which resulted in them spending a lot of time with me.

結果就是他們得花 很多時間和我在一起。

And that created a little bit of jealousy with their children.

那造成了他們的孩子有些嫉妒。

So, if you're a parent in this room,

如果在座的各位為人父母，

and you have those teenager children

且你的孩子是青少年少女，

who don't want anything to do with your love and affection --

他們不想要和你的 愛及感情扯上關係──

in fact, they find it repulsive --

事實上，他們還覺得厭惡──

I got a solution:

我有解決方案：

adopt a child.

領養一個小孩。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It will solve the problem.

問題就解決了。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

I went on to acquire two engineering degrees

我接著拿到了兩個工程學位，

from one of the best institutions in the world.

且我讀的是世界上 最好的學術機構之一。

I've got to tell you:

我得告訴各位：

talent is universal,

才華是全世界都有的，

but opportunities are not.

但機會卻不是。

And I credit this

我把這功勞歸給

to the individuals who embrace multiculturalism,

擁抱多文化主義、

love, empathy

愛、同理心，

and compassion for others.

及同情他人的那些人。

We live in a world filled with hate:

我們所居住的世界充斥著仇恨、

building walls,

築起心牆、

Brexit,

英國脫歐，

xenophobia here on the African continent.

在非洲大陸還有仇外。

Multiculturalism can be an answer

對於許多這些糟糕的人類特質，

to many of these worst human qualities.

多文化主義可能會是個答案。

Today, I challenge you

今天，我挑戰各位，

to help a young child experience multiculturalism.

去協助一名年輕孩子 體驗多文化主義。

I guarantee you that will enrich their life,

我向各位保證， 那會讓他們的生活更豐富，

and in turn,

反過來，

it will enrich yours.

也會讓你的生活更豐富。

And as a bonus,

還有額外的好處，

其中一個孩子可能會到 TED 演講。

one of them may even give a TED Talk.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

We may not be able to solve the bigotry and the racism of this world today,

我們也許無法今天就解決 世界上的偏執和種族主義，

but certainly we can raise children

但，我們肯定可以透過養育孩子，

to create a positive, inclusive, connected world

來創造一個正面、 包容、有連結的世界，

full of empathy,

充滿了同理心、

love

愛，

and compassion.

以及同情心。

Love wins.

愛能戰勝一切。

Thank you.

謝謝你們。

(Applause)

（掌聲）