Coya Paz Brownrigg: The haunting truth of ghost stories | TED

Transcriber:

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Fifteen years ago, I was doing my graduate research

十五年前，我在做我的畢業報告，

on the lynching of Mexicans and Latin Americans

主題是加州淘金潮時對 墨西哥人和拉丁美洲人的私刑。

in gold rush California.

And I was having a very hard time

那時我很難找到

finding the evidence I needed to make my claim.

我需要的證據來支持我的主張。

I don't know how much you know about lynching,

我不知道各位有多了解私刑， 但根據定義，私刑就是

but they are, by definition,

public executions that happen off the official record.

未出現在官方記錄上的公開行刑。

These deaths aren't technically sanctioned by the state,

技術上來說，這些死刑 並非由州所批准，

and often, towns and communities would deny they even happened,

且通常小鎮和社區會 否認曾經發生過這種事。

which made it harder to prove that they did.

讓我更難證明私刑的確發生過。

Still, even when the official record refused an act of violence,

不過，就算官方記錄 沒有記載暴力行爲，

local lore often served as an alternative archive,

地方傳說通常也能 扮演記錄的功能，

a different way of recording history.

成爲另一種記載歷史的方式。

A ghost story about someone being killed and coming back to haunt the town

傳說有人被殺害後 在小鎮上陰魂不散的鬼故事

was an important arrow,

就是個重要的指標，

a sign to look more deeply into the history of a place.

暗示我們可以更深入 挖掘這個地方的歷史。

Very often, if local legend featured a story about a ghost

大部分的時候，如果 地方傳説的主軸故事是

有人被吊死、謀殺，或以私刑 處死之後在鎮上陰魂不散，

who had been hung, murdered or lynched,

and came back to haunt the town,

digging through the archive, newspapers, letters, diaries,

去挖舊檔案、報紙、信件、日記，

would reveal that the event, or something like it,

就會發現這個事件，或類似的事件，

had actually happened.

確實發生過。

So the ghost story was one way

所以，社區用鬼故事這種方式

that communities were holding the violent history of a place,

保存一個地方的暴力歷史，

passing down the story from generation to generation.

將故事一代一代傳下去。

Now, I don't know if an actual ghost was haunting any of these places,

我不知道這些地方是否真的鬧鬼，

but their history certainly was.

但對它們的歷史肯定是存在的。

And this is pretty much my stance on it.

我對此的立場大致上是這樣。

It doesn't matter whether or not a ghost is real.

鬼是不是真的並不重要，

The ghost story is,

重要的是真有鬼故事。

and the fact that we maybe, kind of, sort of believe a ghost might be real

且，我們可能會相信鬼可能是真的，

is significant, and we should pay attention to it.

這個現象很明顯， 我們應該多注意它。

I'm not the only one who thinks this, by the way.

順道一提，不只是我有這樣的想法。

There is a whole field of interdisciplinary research

有一個跨學科的研究領域 稱作「幽靈研究」，

called “spectrality studies,”

which is proof that academics will think of anything.

這就證明了學者什麼都想得到。

Still, this idea was transformative for me,

不過，這個想法對我仍然影響很大，

and not just in my research.

不只影響到我的研究。

For most of my life, I was terrified of ghosts.

我大半生怕鬼。

I didn’t even want to hear a ghost story,

我甚至不想聽鬼故事，

because I didn't want to entertain the possibility that a ghost might exist.

因為我不想接受鬼魂也許真的存在。

And why not?

為什麼不呢？

In popular culture,

在流行文化中，

ghosts are portrayed as mean, vengeful, destructive forces.

鬼魂被描繪為卑鄙、

復仇心很重、具毀滅性的力量。

They’re terrifying at worst

鬼魂有可能非常恐怖，

and unsettling at best.

再怎麼好也會讓人很不安。

Unexpected presences who show up and demand your emotional attention,

未預期地出現，

不計代價要求你情緒上的注意力，

at any cost.

We are taught to be afraid of dying and death,

我們被教導要懼怕赴死、死亡

and the dead.

以及亡者。

But when I stopped worrying about ghosts

但，當我不再擔心鬼魂 而開始擔心鬼故事，

and started worrying about ghost stories,

I found myself in a new relationship with the world around me.

我發現我和自己周遭的 世界建立了新的關係。

In addition to being a historian,

除了是歷史學家， 我也是表演創作者，

I'm also a performance maker,

and about five years ago,

大約五年前，我很榮幸

I had the great honor of working with Free Street Theater in Chicago

能和芝加哥的自由街道劇院合作，

to create a performance called "100 Hauntings."

創作一場表演， 名為《百件鬧鬼事》。

To make this performance,

為了創作這場表演，我們 詢問了許許多多芝加哥人，

we asked hundreds and hundreds of Chicagoans

if they'd ever encountered a ghost.

他們是否有撞鬼的經歷。

We were interested in what I call ordinary ghost stories,

我們感興趣的是 我所謂的平凡鬼故事，

so, not the kinds of ghosts who show up in urban legends

不是出現在都市傳說 或鬼店裡的那種鬼。

or on a city's ghost tour,

but the kind of ghost people say they've just found in the bathroom,

而是一般人說他們 剛簽下新公寓的租約

right after signing the lease on a new apartment.

就在浴室裡撞見的鬼魂。

Following my research,

隨著研究，

we were interested in what these ghosts might tell us

我們不止好奇這些鬼故事 會訴說什麼被埋沒的芝加哥歷史，

about Chicago's hidden history,

but we were also interested in the ghost story as a form.

也對鬼故事的形式很感興趣。

Like no other kind of storytelling,

和其他的說故事方式都不一樣，

ghost stories ask us to gather around, lean in and thrill at the possibility

鬼故事讓我們要圍成一圈，

湊得很近，很緊張地相信，很有可能

that some very scary, very chilling thing actually happened,

有些非常可怕、非常驚悚的事情 確曾發生過，

while at the same time being sure, so sure, that it didn't, right?

同時又確信並未真的發生，對吧？

Right?

對吧？

I have found that almost everyone has a ghost story.

我發現，幾乎每個人都有個鬼故事。

Even people who say they don't believe in ghosts usually have a "Well ..." story

就連嘴巴上說不相信鬼的人，

通常也有個「嗯……」的故事，

about something they're sure has a rational explanation,

他們相信一定有個合理的解釋，

even if they're not quite sure what it is.

即使他們自己也不確定該怎麼解釋。

And this not knowing has left them unsettled,

而這種未知，讓他們心神不寧，

with a feeling they can't quite explain.

有種他們不太能解釋的感受。

And this is what I love about ghost stories --

這就是為什麼我熱愛鬼故事—— 它們通常會直接進入感受。

how so often, they get right to feeling.

Underneath the fun and chill of it are complex relationships

在樂趣和冷顫的背後是

和人生、和死亡、 和彼此的複雜關係。

with life, with death, and with each other.

And whenever anyone tells me a ghost story,

每當有人跟我說鬼故事，

I ask them two questions.

我會問他們兩個問題。

First:

第一：

"What do you think this ghost wanted?"

「你認為這鬼魂想要什麼？」

And second, because most people are ambivalent

第二，因為大部分人對於

到底有沒有鬼其實感到很矛盾，

about whether or not the ghost actually exists,

I ask, "What is it that you want from the ghost?"

我會問：「你想要從 這鬼魂身上得到什麼？」

The first question is pretty easy to answer.

第一個問題很容易回答。

I have found that most ghosts fall into one of three categories,

我發現，大部分的鬼魂 可被歸為三種類別之一，

and what they all want is pretty much the same --

他們想要的都大同小異——

to be acknowledged.

被認可。

The first type of ghost is the kind I started studying.

第一類的鬼魂 是我一開始研究的鬼魂，

These are the furious returned --

是帶著憤怒回來的鬼魂，

ghosts who have met a terrible end,

慘死的鬼魂，

他們希望我們活人記住這事。

and they want us, the living, to remember it.

These are your victims of a great injustice.

他們是極度不公正的受害者。

Murders, most often,

最常見的是謀殺，但也有工廠大火

but also things like factory fires and mysterious deaths in jail.

和監獄中的神秘死亡。

I'll give you an example.

讓我舉個例子。

Once, in a story circle for our show "100 Hauntings,"

有一次，在我們的節目 《百件鬧鬼事》的故事圈中，

a man told us a story about going as a teenager

有名男子跟我們說了 他青少年時期的一個故事，

to break into an abandoned mental hospital on the northwest side of the city.

他闖入城市西北邊 一間廢棄的精神病院。

Now, we’d never heard of this mental hospital,

我們從來沒有聽過這間 精神病院，且老實說，

and honestly

it sounded like any "teenagers breaking into a mental hospital" story

這聽起來和所有你聽過的

「青少年闖入精神病院」的 故事沒兩樣，

you've ever heard --

a wheelchair mysteriously following them, doors slamming shut,

輪椅很詭秘地跟蹤他們，

門突然砰一聲關上， 有令人毛骨悚然的笑聲。

creepy laughter.

But remember,

但別忘了，

these kinds of stories can be important arrows,

這種故事很可能是重要的指標， 所以我們去追蹤了。

so we followed up.

And sure enough, multiple city records

沒錯，多個城市記錄

show that there was a poor farm and almshouse

指出曾經有個救濟農場和貧民所，

on the northwest side of the city,

就位在城市的西北邊，

which later became one of the largest carceral mental hospitals

後來成為美國最大的 監獄精神病院之一。

in the United States.

It was the kind of place where people,

那樣的地方會把人， 大部分是窮人和移民，

mostly poor people and immigrants,

were locked up for decades, often against their will.

強制關上數十年。

It was also the kind of place where, when they died,

他們如果死在那樣的地方，

they were usually buried in the back, in an unmarked grave.

通常就會被埋在後面 沒有標記的墳墓裡。

The Chicago Tribune reports

芝加哥論壇報報導

that as many as 38,000 unmarked graves are in the back.

那後面有多達三萬八千個 沒有標記的墳墓。

Now,

this is a really significant piece of Chicago history,

這是芝加哥歷史中很重要的一段，

but I'd argue it's not well-known.

但我認為沒多少人知道。

Most people who live here don't know anything about it.

大部分住在這裡的人 對此事一無所知。

But the ghost story asks us to remember.

但鬼故事要我們記住它。

The second kind of ghost story is probably the most common.

第二類的鬼故事可能最為常見，

We'll call them the leave-me-alone ghost.

我們把他們稱為「別來煩我」鬼魂。

This is the kind of ghost who just wants us the living to get out.

這種鬼魂只希望我們活人滾出去。

Usually, people experience this as bad energy

通常，人對這種鬼魂的感受 會是不好的能量，

or a creepy, unwelcome feeling in some parts of the house,

或者在房子的某些地方 有毛毛的、不歡迎的感覺。

and people usually imagine that this is a former resident

通常大家把這種感覺想像成

前任住戶不爽有新住戶搬進來。

who's not happy that new people have moved in.

What's interesting to me about this kind of ghost story

我認為這種鬼故事有趣的地方在於

is that you find it most often in appropriated spaces --

這種故事通常都發生在 佔用的空間裡——

think gentrifying neighborhoods

比如仕紳化（中產階級化）的鄰里

or the old "built on a sacred burial ground" trope.

或「建在神聖墓地上」的古老比喻。

And here's where I want to remind you that it doesn't matter

在此，我想再次提醒大家，

重點不是鬼魂是不是真的，

whether or not the ghost is real.

The ghost story is.

重點在於鬼故事。

So maybe there really is a ghost who’s trying to push us out,

也許確實有鬼魂在那裡， 想把我們趕出去，

or maybe there’s some part of our unconscious

或者也許我們的無意識當中有一部分

that's grappling with whether or not we have a right to be here,

還在掙扎我們到底 有沒有權利待在這裡，

whether or not we really belong.

我們是否屬於這裡。

Sure, we live here now, but should we?

的確，我們現在住在這裡，

但應該嗎？

What happened to the people who came before?

先前這裡的人發生了什麼事？

The third kind of ghost is my favorite.

第三類鬼魂是我的最愛，

I'll call them "are still with us."

我稱他們為「還與我們同在」。

These are your beloved grandparents,

這些鬼魂是你親愛的祖父母，

the child still playing with a ball up and down a hallway,

孩子還在走廊上跑來跑去玩球，

the elevator operator still showing up to work.

還會去上工的電梯操作員。

Sometimes, these ghosts are strangers to us.

有時，這些鬼魂 對我們來說是陌生人，

They're not people we used to know,

不是我們以前認識的人，

but they're not bothering us or meaning us any harm --

但他們沒騷擾我們， 也無意傷害我們——

they're just kind of there.

他們就只是在那裡。

I'll give you an example.

讓我舉個例子。

Many people believe that the building where my theater is located

許多人相信

我的劇院所在的那棟大樓鬧鬼。

is haunted.

I've not experienced this myself,

我自己沒遇過，

but I can't tell you how many people have described seeing exactly half a man

但我無法告訴各位 有多少人說他們看到

有半個人坐在我們的大廳。

sitting in our lobby.

He doesn't interact with us or disturb us in any way.

他不會以任何方式 和我們互動或打擾我們，

He's just there.

他就只是在那裡。

Sometimes, though, these ghosts are more active.

不過有些時候， 這些鬼魂會比較主動。

I've heard many stories from people

我聽過很多人說這樣的故事：

who thought that their child had an imaginary friend

他們以為他們的孩子 有個想像出來的朋友，

until suddenly, their child knew how to play chess,

直到突然間 他們的孩子會下棋了，

or was singing songs in a totally different language.

或者，會唱完全不同語言的歌曲。

And here's where these stories get really emotional.

故事說到這裡時就會非常情緒化。

Often, people are convinced that this is some family member

通常，大家會深信

這是某位家人回來了， 被派來照顧他們。

returned, sent to watch over them.

One woman told me a story about her husband coming to visit

有位女子跟我說過 一個故事，她的先生來訪，

on a day when she was so sad, she didn't know what else to do but cry.

那天她很傷心，除了 哭泣之外沒辦法做什麼。

Another woman told me she was sure

另一名女子告訴我，她很肯定

that a faucet turning on and off in her bathroom

她家浴室的水龍頭 開開關關，是她姐姐弄的，

was her sister, because it was so like the pranks her sister used to play

因為那很像是她姐姐 生前的惡作劇方式。

when she was alive.

I love these kinds of stories,

我很喜歡這類故事，

because they show us how much we want to connect,

因為它們顯示出我們有多想要連結，

not just with the living,

不只連結活人，

but with the dead.

還有亡者。

Asking people for their ghost stories can be bone-chilling fun,

請別人說他們的鬼故事 是種很恐怖的樂趣，

but it also gets at really intimate questions.

但這也會帶到很親密的問題。

How do we feel about death?

我們怎麼看待死亡？

What are we afraid of?

我們在害怕什麼？

Who did we love so much that we want them, desperately, to return?

我們愛誰愛到甚至希望他們會回來？

How do we want to be remembered?

我們希望別人記得怎樣的我們？

What do we wish we could change?

我們希望我們本來能改變什麼？

What and who is haunting us?

是什麼／誰在我們心頭揮之不去？

Despite what horror movies and campfire tales would have us believe,

不論恐怖片和圍著營火 說故事讓我們相信了什麼，

most ghost stories reveal a deep longing:

大部分的鬼故事顯露出 一種深刻的渴望：

a longing for adventure, for meaning,

渴望冒險、渴望意義、

for connection, for a beyond.

渴望連結、渴望來世；

A longing not to be forgotten,

渴望不要被忘記

and a longing not to forget.

以及渴望不要忘記。

We're living in a time that feels exceptionally hard.

我們現在所處的時代 感覺特別辛苦。

We're divided from one another by politics,

政治讓我們彼此分裂，

and the reality of a global pandemic means that many of us

而全球疫情的現實意味著我們許多人

have been away from the people and places we love the most.

有段時間無法接觸 我們最愛的人和地方。

So many of us are mourning untimely deaths,

好多人在哀悼過早的死亡，

and grief is all around us.

悲慟籠罩在我們周圍。

Unfortunately, I don't think we're always very good at grappling with loss

不幸的是，我認為我們未必總是擅長於

處理失去或者談論死亡，

or talking about death,

or talking about the way that our history is still living in the present.

或談論我們的歷史仍然存於現在。

Ghost stories can be scary,

鬼故事可能很嚇人，

but so is being vulnerable, so is any unknown.

但脆弱也很嚇人， 任何未知都很嚇人。

So the next time

所以下次

you're trying to figure out a way to connect

當你在想辦法建立連結，

and you’re not sure what to do, let me offer this.

而你不確定如何是好， 容我提供一個建議。

Try asking someone for a ghost story.

試著請對方說個鬼故事。

It's sure to start a conversation.

它肯定能開啟對談。

是啊，也許他們會笑你；

Yeah, maybe they'll laugh at you,

maybe they'll turn it back on you.

也許他們會反過來問你；

Maybe they'll tell you a story

也許他們會告訴你 一個讓你毛骨悚然的故事；

that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.

Maybe they'll tell you a story that makes you cry.

也許他們會告訴你 一個讓你落淚的故事。

And maybe, if you're really lucky,

也許，如果你很幸運的話，

they'll tell you a story that makes you wonder

他們會告訴你一個故事， 讓你好奇你還有什麼不知道的，

what else you don't know,

about a place, about a history,

對一個地方、一段歷史、 一個人，還有什麼不知道的。

about a people,

about each other

對彼此、對你自己 還有什麼不知道的。

and about yourself.

Don't forget to ask,

別忘了問：

"What did the ghost want?

「這鬼魂想要什麼？」

And more important,

更重要的是要問：

"What do you want from the ghost?"

「你想從這鬼魂身上得到什麼？」