Boniface Mwangi: The day I stood up alone

譯者: Melody Tang 審譯者: Coco Shen

People back home call me a heckler,

家鄉的人稱我是擾亂者，

a troublemaker, an irritant,

闖禍精，討厭鬼，

a rebel, an activist,

反抗者，活動家，

the voice of the people.

為民喉舌的人。

But that wasn't always me.

但我並不是一直是這樣的一個人。

Growing up, I had a nickname.

在成長過程中，我有一個暱稱。

They used to call me Softy,

他們叫我軟仔。

meaning the soft, harmless boy.

意思是一個很柔軟，無害的男孩。

Like every other human being, I avoided trouble.

和其他人一樣， 我盡量避開麻煩。

In my childhood, they taught me silence.

小時候，他們教我要沈默。

Don't argue, do as you're told.

不要反嘴，聽話就是。

In Sunday school, they taught me don't confront, don't argue,

在星期日的主日學校，他們教我 不要對抗，不要爭論，

even if you're right, turn the other cheek.

即使你是對的，轉過臉去。

This was reinforced by the political climate of the time.

那時的政治氛圍加強了這一點。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Kenya is a country where you are guilty

在肯亞，你是有罪的

until proven rich.

除非你被證明你是有錢人。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Kenya's poor are five times more likely

比起被罪犯所殺， 肯亞的窮人有五倍的機率

to be shot dead by the police who are meant to protect them

被應該保護他們的警察所槍殺。

than by criminals.

被應該保護他們的警察所槍殺。

This was reinforced by the political climate of the day.

這也是被那時的政治氛圍所促成的。

We had a president, Moi, who was a dictator.

我們那時的總統，莫依，是一個獨裁者。

He ruled the country with an iron fist,

他以鐵腕統治國家。

and anyone who dared question his authority

任何挑戰他的權威的人，

was arrested, tortured, jailed or even killed.

都被逮捕，折磨，關進監獄， 或者甚至被殺。

That meant that people were taught to be smart cowards, stay out of trouble.

因此，人們被教得聰明了， 不要自找麻煩。

Being a coward was not an insult.

懦夫不是恥辱。

Being a coward was a compliment.

懦夫的稱呼是讚嘆。

We used to be told that a coward goes home to his mother.

我們被教導 一個懦夫可以回家見到母親。

What that meant: that if you stayed out of trouble you're going to stay alive.

意思是：如果你不惹麻煩， 你才能活著。

I used to question this advice,

我一直懷疑這個忠告。

and eight years ago we had an election in Kenya,

八年前，我們肯亞有一個選舉，

選舉結果被激烈爭論。

and the results were violently disputed.

What followed that election was terrible violence, rape,

選舉後發生很嚴重的暴力，強暴，

and the killing of over 1,000 people.

以及有一千多人被殺。

My work was to document the violence.

我的工作是紀錄這個暴行。

As a photographer, I took thousands of images,

我是攝影記者， 我照了幾千張相片。

and after two months,

兩個月後，

the two politicians came together, had a cup of tea,

兩個政客見面、喝茶，

signed a peace agreement, and the country moved on.

簽了一份和平協議書， 國家繼續向前走。

I was a very disturbed man because I saw the violence firsthand.

我那時非常不安， 因為我親眼目睹那些暴行。

I saw the killings. I saw the displacement.

我看到人們被殺。 我看到人們流離失所。

I met women who had been raped, and it disturbed me,

我與曾被強暴的女人見面， 我覺得非常不安。

but the country never spoke about it.

但是在這個國家裏沒人敢說話。

We pretended. We all became smart cowards.

我們假裝。 我們都成為聰明的懦夫。

We decided to stay out of trouble and not talk about it.

我們決定逃避麻煩， 不去談論它。

Ten months later, I quit my job. I said I could not stand it anymore.

十個月後，我辭掉我的工作。 我說我再也無法忍受下去了。

After quitting my job, I decided to organize my friends

辭職後，我決定組織我的朋友們，

to speak about the violence in the country,

談論這個國家的暴力，

to speak about the state of the nation,

來談論這個國家的狀態。

and June 1, 2009 was the day that we were meant to go to the stadium

2009年6月1日是 我們本來要去體育場，

and try and get the president's attention.

引起總統的注意的日子

It's a national holiday,

那是一個國定假日。

it's broadcast across the country,

消息已在國內傳播了，

and I showed up at the stadium.

我去了體育場。

My friends did not show up.

我的朋友都沒有露面。

I found myself alone,

我獨自一人，

and I didn't know what to do.

我不知如何是好。

I was scared,

我很害怕，

but I knew very well that that particular day,

但我知道在那一天，

I had to make a decision.

我必須決定。

Was I able to live as a coward, like everyone else,

我能夠像個懦夫一樣活著， 和其他人一樣，

or was I going to make a stand?

還是我要表明我的的立場？

And when the president stood up to speak,

當總統站起來說話時，

I found myself on my feet shouting at the president,

我發現自己站起來， 對著總統大叫，

telling him to remember the post-election violence victims,

提醒他要記得選舉後的暴力犧牲者，

to stop the corruption.

要制止貪腐。

And suddenly, out of nowhere,

突然，不知從哪裡出來，

the police pounced on me like hungry lions.

像是飢餓的獅子，警察撲向我。

They held my mouth

他們遮住我的嘴，

and dragged me out of the stadium,

將我從體育場拖出來。

where they thoroughly beat me up and locked me up in jail.

然後他們對我施以暴力， 再將我關進監牢。

I spent that night in a cold cement floor in the jail,

我在監獄裡的寒冷的水泥地上過了一晚，

and that got me thinking.

那使我開始想。

What was making me feel this way?

是什麼讓我覺得這樣呢？

My friends and family thought I was crazy because of what I did,

我的朋友和家人都認為我的行為很瘋狂，

and the images that I took were disturbing my life.

我照的相擾亂了我的生命。

The images that I took were just a number to many Kenyans.

我照的這些照片 對許多肯亞人來說只是一個數字。

Most Kenyans did not see the violence.

大多數的肯亞人沒有目睹那些暴力行為。

It was a story to them.

對他們而言，只是一個故事。

And so I decided to actually start a street exhibition

所以我決定在開始做街頭展覽。

to show the images of the violence across the country

展示國內的暴力相片，

and get people talking about it.

來引起人們談論。

We traveled the country and showed the images,

我們在過內各地展示這些相片，

and this was a journey that has started me to the activist path,

那就是我成為活動家的開始，

where I decided to become silent no more,

因為我決定不再沈默，

to talk about those things.

開始要談論這些事。

We traveled, and our general site from our street exhibit

我們到各地。我們從街頭展覽，

became for political graffiti about the situation in the country,

成為有關這個國家的狀況的政治繪圖，

talking about corruption, bad leadership.

談論有關貪腐，以及很壞的領導。

We have even done symbolic burials.

我們甚至舉行象徵性的葬禮。

We have delivered live pigs to Kenya's parliament

我們將活豬送入肯亞的國會

as a symbol of our politicians' greed.

作為我們的政客的貪婪的象徵。

It has been done in Uganda and other countries,

這些在烏干達和其他國家都有人做過，

and what is most powerful is that the images have been picked by the media

最有力的是有些影像被媒體採用，

and amplified across the country, across the continent.

在全國各地廣泛的傳播。

Where I used to stand up alone seven years ago,

七年前我曾經獨自站立的地方，

now I belong to a community of many people who stand up with me.

現在我屬於許多和我志同道合的 團體的一份子。

I am no longer alone when I stand up to speak about these things.

當我站著談論這些事時， 我再也不是孤單一個人了。

I belong to a group of young people who are passionate about the country,

我屬於一群熱愛這個國家的 年輕人的團體，

who want to bring about change,

他們想要帶來改變，

and they're no longer afraid, and they're no longer smart cowards.

他們不再害怕， 而且他們不再是聰明的懦夫。

So that was my story.

這是我的故事。

That day in the stadium,

那天在體育館，

I stood up as a smart coward.

我以一個聰明的懦夫站起來。

By that one action, I said goodbye to the 24 years living as a coward.

以那個行動，我告別了24年以來的 懦夫生活。

There are two most powerful days in your life:

你的生命中有兩天是最強而有力的：

the day you're born, and the day you discover why.

你出生的那天， 和你發現生命的理由的那天。

That day standing up in that stadium shouting at the President,

在體育館對著總統大叫的那天，

I discovered why I was truly born,

我發現了我出生的真正理由，

that I would no longer be silent in the face of injustice.

就是面對不正義，我不會再沈默。

Do you know why you were born?

你知道你出生的理由嗎？

Thank you.

謝謝！

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Tom Rielly: It's an amazing story.

湯姆．賴利：這是一個驚人的故事。

I just want to ask you a couple quick questions.

我想問你幾個問題。

So PAWA254:

所以，PAWA254

you've created a studio, a place where young people can go

是你創立的一個工作室， 讓年輕人可以去那裏，

and harness the power of digital media

利用電子化媒體的力量

to do some of this action.

來做一些行動。

What's happening now with PAWA?

目前PAWA在做什麼？

Boniface Mwangi: So we have this community of filmmakers,

班尼菲斯．馬王吉: 我們有一個 電影製片人，

graffiti artists, musicians, and when there's an issue in the country,

塗鴉藝術家，音樂家的團體。 當這個國家有一個問題，

we come together, we brainstorm, and take up on that issue.

我們會聚在一起，我們集思廣益， 然後對那個問題採取行動。

So our most powerful tool is art,

所以我們最強而有力的工具是藝術。

because we live in a very busy world where people are so busy in their life,

因為我們住在一個非常忙碌的世界， 人們在他們的生活裡非常忙碌，

and they don't have time to read.

他們沒有時間閱讀。

So we package our activism and we package our message in art.

所以我們以藝術包裝我們的活動， 和我們的訊息。

So from the music, the graffiti, the art, that's what we do.

所以用音樂，塗鴉，藝術， 那就是我們在做的。

Can I say one more thing?

班尼菲斯．馬王吉：我可以再說一件事嗎？

TR: Yeah, of course. (Applause)

湯姆．賴利: 當然可以。 （掌聲）

BM: In spite of being arrested, beaten up, threatened,

班尼菲斯．馬王吉：除了被逮捕、 施暴、威脅、

the moment I discovered my voice,

我發現我的聲音，

that I could actually stand up for what I really believed in,

我可以為我相信的站出來的那一刻，

I'm no longer afraid.

我就不再害怕。

I used to be called softy, but I'm no longer softy,

我曾被稱為軟仔， 但我不再是個軟仔。

because I discovered who I really am, as in, that's what I want to do,

因為我發現我是誰， 也就是我要做什麼，

and there's such beauty in doing that.

而且在做那些事的那種美。

There's nothing as powerful as that, knowing that I'm meant to do this,

知道我生來就是注定要做這個， 沒有比那個更有力的了。

because you don't get scared, you just continue living your life.

因為你不會害怕， 你只是繼續過你的日子。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）