The intangible effects of walls | Alexandra Auer

Transcriber: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Camille Martínez

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: SF Huang

Humankind loves to build walls.

人類很喜歡築牆。

Have you ever noticed that?

你們有注意到這點嗎？

We build walls for everything:

我們會為各種目的造牆：

for shelter, for protection, for privacy.

為了遮蔽、為了保護、為了隱私。

Over the past 70 years,

在過去七十年間，

the number of barriers between countries has doubled.

國家間的邊境屏障數量加倍了。

Right now, there are more walls than at the end of the Second World War,

現今，牆的數目 比第二次大戰結束時還多，

more than during the Cold War.

比冷戰時期還多。

Growing up in Germany,

我在德國長大，

the fall of the Berlin Wall always felt to me

我總覺得柏林圍牆的倒塌

like the introduction of a new world, a world without barriers.

讓我看到了一個嶄新的世界， 一個沒有隔閡的世界。

But since the attacks of 9/11,

但，九一一事件之後，

the construction has experienced an extreme rise.

築牆進入另一波高峰。

Since then, the amount has doubled,

從那時起，數量就加倍了，

with about 30 new structures that were planned or built.

規劃或建造出來的牆大約有三十座。

Walls and fences are often built with the intention of security,

建造圍牆通常是為了安全起見，

security from another group of people,

抵禦其他族群的人、

from crime, from illegal trades.

犯罪、非法交易。

But walls and fences only provide us with a feeling of security,

但圍牆只能讓我們覺得好像安全，

which is different from real security.

但與真正的安全感有所不同。

Even though they might make us feel safe,

雖然這些建築物能讓我們感到安全，

the structures themselves can't protect us.

建物本身其實無法保護我們。

Instead, they do something else:

它們帶來適得其反的效果：

they separate.

分裂了我們。

They create an us and a them.

這些建築物創造出了 「我們」和「他們」。

They establish an enemy.

這些建築物樹立了敵人。

Walls make us build a second wall in our head, a mental wall.

實體的牆讓我們在腦中 建造出第二座牆，心理的牆。

And those mental walls slowly make us lose sight

那些心理的牆慢慢地讓我們看不見

of all the things we have in common with the people on the other side.

我們和另一邊的人有什麼共通點。

The other way around,

反過來，

mental walls can grow so strong that they encourage us to build,

心理的牆也會越來越茁壯， 鼓勵我們去建造、

keep or strengthen physical walls.

維持或強化實體的牆。

Physical and mental walls are closely interlinked,

實體和心理的牆有很密切的關聯，

and one almost always comes with the other.

兩者幾乎是焦孟不離。

It's a constant cycle:

這是種持續性的循環：

physical walls empower mental walls, and mental walls empower physical walls

實體的牆讓心理的牆變強大， 心理的牆讓實體的牆變強大，

until at one point one part falls away,

直到某一部分垮掉，

and the cycle is disrupted.

循環才會中斷。

When the Berlin Wall was being built,

當柏林圍牆建造時，

it was hard to tell who the wall was facing,

很難分別這座牆是要阻隔誰，

because the people living around it identified as one.

因為生活在圍牆附近的人 覺得彼此並無差異。

There was no us and them.

沒有「我們」和「他們」的區別。

There was no others.

沒有「其他人」。

During the time of separation,

在分裂的期間，

both sides developed differently and formed individual identities.

兩邊有了不同的發展， 形成了個別的自我認同。

All of a sudden, there was an us and a them.

突然間，就分出了 「我們」和「他們」，

A mental wall was built,

心理的牆被築起。

and when the Berlin Wall fell again in 1989,

當柏林圍牆在 1989 年拆除時，

this mental wall in the head of the people stayed.

人民腦海中這座 心理的牆仍然留存著。

Eastern Germans had to be reintegrated into their own country,

東德人必須重新整合 回歸到自己的國家中，

and even though they didn't have to move places,

即使他們不需要搬遷，

many still today feel like they have never fully arrived.

至今許多人仍然覺得 他們始終沒有歸屬感。

Those remaining effects of the mental wall are also measurable.

心理的牆所留下的效應是可量化的。

A study from the Freie University of Berlin in 2005

柏林自由大學在 2005 年 所做的一項研究指出，

shows that even 15 years after the reunification,

即使重新統一已經十五年，

Germans still believed that cities on the other side of the former wall

德國人仍然認為 在已倒塌圍牆的另一邊城市

are further away than they really are.

比實際的距離還要遙遠。

The interesting thing is that they found a link between political attitude

有趣的是，他們發現政治態度

和預估距離遠近兩者間是相關的。

and estimation of the distance.

The more a participant was against the German reunification,

越是反對德國重新統一的受測者，

the further away they estimated cities to be.

所預估另一邊城市的距離就會越遠。

It's the mental wall which keeps cities on the other side far away,

是心理的牆讓另一邊的 城市顯得很遙遠，

and the higher and stronger this mental wall,

這座心理的牆越高、越堅固，

the more difficult they seem to be reached.

另一邊的城市似乎就越遙不可及。

I tried to repeat this study

我試著針對成長過程中

with a group of young Germans who grew up without the wall

沒有歷經柏林圍牆的 年輕德國人重新進行這項研究，

to see if these effects are still measurable nowadays.

我想知道現今是否 仍然能發現這些效應。

And the results show that this generation,

結果顯示，這一代，

my generation,

我所屬的世代，

is just kind of bad at geography in general --

地理基本上都蠻爛的。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

East and West.

東、西都一樣。

But in our defense, this could be seen as an improvement, right?

但我們可以辯解說 這也算是某種改善，對吧？

We never experienced the actual wall.

我們從來沒有經歷過實體的牆。

This physical barrier was never able to make us build a mental wall

打從一開始，這座實體的障礙

就從來沒有讓我們築起心理的牆。

in the first place.

I would love to take this as a serious indication

我很希望這項發現意味著

that there could be a future without a mental wall dividing Germany,

德國未來可能不會有 一道分化彼此的心牆存在。

but I think we have to face reality:

但我想我們也必須要面對現實：

this one wall could be disappearing,

這一座牆可能會消失，

but in the meanwhile, a billion others are constructed.

但在這期間，還有十億座牆 正在建造中。

One global trend we are currently experiencing

我們目前所經歷到的一項全球趨勢

is the rise of gated communities.

就是門禁（封閉式）社區的興盛。

And in a way, gated communities can be seen the same exact way as countries,

在某種層面上， 門禁社區就像國家一樣，

just on the small scale --

只是規模較小——

neighborhoods surrounded by walls and fences

街坊被圍牆和柵欄環繞，

to protect citizens from other citizens --

保護住民不受其他住民的侵擾——

and the only difference is, it's by choice.

唯一的差別是，這是人們的選擇。

But the physical and mental effects on the people living inside

但，就所受到的身體 及心理影響來說，

and the people kept outside

住在裡面的人 和被拒於外的人是相同的，

are the same,

separating cities, neighborhoods

城市、街坊被分離開來，

and even playgrounds.

連遊樂場都是。

In the spring of last year, I worked on a design project in Brussels

去年春天，我在 布魯塞爾的兩間小學

at two elementary schools where this was the case.

進行一個設計計畫， 就發現了這個狀況。

Both the schools share an entrance and the schoolyard.

兩間學校的入口和運動場是共用的。

Both schools teach in Dutch.

兩間學校都用荷語教學。

But one school is mainly visited by Belgian children,

但其中一間收的學生 主要是比利時的孩子，

and the other school, by immigrant children.

另一間則是移民家庭的孩子。

The schools are separated by walls and fences,

兩間學校用圍牆和柵欄分開，

leaving the children no point of interaction

孩子們唯一能夠互動的地方

other than this fence on the schoolyard that separates them.

就是運動場上將他們隔開的柵欄。

When I started to work there,

我開始在那裡工作時，

it made me sad to see children having to stand at a fence

看到這些孩子要站在柵欄旁

才能和另一邊的朋友 交談，讓我很感傷。

to talk to their friend on the other side.

But what's even worse is that most of the children

但，更糟的是，大部分的孩子

will never get the opportunity to even make a friend on the other side.

永遠不會有機會 和另一邊的人交朋友。

School should be the place where children, all children,

學校應該是讓孩子，所有的孩子，

聚集在一起學習的地方——

come together and learn --

learn from the teacher, but more importantly,

向老師學習，但更重要的是，

learn from each other.

向彼此學習。

And the more diversity, the more there is to learn.

多樣性越豐富，能學的就越多。

In fact, school might be the only time in our lives

事實上，學校可能就是我們一生中，

where establishing a contact despite social differences is even possible.

有機會讓我們與有著 社會差異的彼此，建立連結的地方。

Separating children during this time of their development

在孩子發展過程的 這個時期將他們隔離，

will make integration extremely difficult,

只會讓融合變得極度困難，

if not impossible.

或甚至根本不可能。

And yet, somehow,

但不知怎麼的， 似乎只有我一個人

I seem to be the only one having a problem with this fence in Brussels.

覺得布魯賽爾的這道柵欄有問題。

Most of the parents, teachers and children

大部分的家長、老師、孩子

stopped seeing or at least questioning the structure.

都已經完全無視這道柵欄， 甚至連質疑都免了。

It's just how it is.

實情就是這樣。

Nobody has ever seen it differently.

沒有人用其他方式看待它。

And people are in favor of it.

人人都支持它。

I once asked a boy if he would like to play with the other side,

我曾經問過一個男孩是否 會想和另一邊的孩子玩，

and he said, "No."

他說：「不會。」

Then I asked if he would play with them if the fence wasn't there,

接著我問他，如果沒有 柵欄的阻隔，會和他們玩嗎？

and he said, "Probably."

他說：「有可能。」

But then he quickly added that the fence should stay,

但，接著他馬上 補充說不該拆掉柵欄，

because the other side is mean and they never give back his ball.

因為另一邊的人不好， 都不把他的球還給他。

It's funny, because I talked to children from both sides,

這很有趣，因為我和 兩邊的孩子都談過，

and everyone told me that the other side is mean

大家都告訴我另一邊的人不好，

because they never give back the ball.

且都是因為不會把球還回去。

The children on both sides dislike each other,

兩邊的孩子都不喜歡對方，

and there are regularly arguments breaking out at this fence,

在柵欄旁經常會有孩子發生口角，

which is also the main reason why people feel the need

這也是大家認為柵欄應該 留在那裡的主要原因：

for it to be there:

it protects the children from each other,

它能保護雙方的孩子 或至少雙方的玩具，

or at least their toys,

and it prevents chaos.

且能預防混亂。

At some point, the children started to crawl beneath the fence

不知何時，孩子開始從柵欄下

爬過去把他們的球取回，

to get their ball back,

and the reaction of the schools was to put these metal plates there.

而學校的因應方式 就是加上這些金屬板。

Now they climb over.

現在孩子改從上面爬過去。

I don't know what came first in Brussels:

在布魯塞爾，我不知道何者先發生：

a mental wall that grew too strong that it made them build a physical fence,

是心理的牆太堅固， 導致他們要建造實體的牆，

or this fence that now emphasizes the social differences,

或是先有這個在運動場上

突顯社會差異的柵欄。

even on the schoolyard.

But what I did know when I started to work there

但當我開始在那裡工作時，

was that I wanted to change something about the situation.

我知道自己想要 做點什麼來改變這個情況。

I wanted to show both sides again how much they have in common.

我想要讓兩邊的人都再次了解 他們其實有很多的共通點。

For children, this isn't very hard,

對孩子來說，這並不困難，

because even though one schoolyard speaks Dutch

因為即使一個運動場是說荷語，

and the other schoolyard, a mix of French, Turkish and Arabic,

另一個運動場是說法語、 土耳其語及阿拉伯語，

they all speak the universal language of play.

但，「玩樂」是他們的共通語言。

And it turned out the desire to play

結果發現，想要玩樂的渴望

is a lot stronger than all the supposed differences between them.

遠大於他們之間存在的所謂差異。

I installed different games at the fence,

我在柵欄處設置了不同的遊戲，

which turned it into an interface, a common ground,

將柵欄轉變成一種介面， 雙方的共有地，而不是障礙。

instead of a barrier.

And all of a sudden, children were drawing together,

突然間，孩子們被吸引聚集在一起，

exchanging pencils

交換鉛筆，

and talking on the phone.

用電話交談。

Especially the phones were a great success,

其中尤以電話的設計最為成功，

because they were so amazed

因為孩子們很驚訝

by the fact that they can hear the other side through this device

他們能夠透過這個裝置 聽到另一邊的聲音，

that they couldn't stop speaking.

因此他們講個不停。

In the case of an elementary school, parents play a very big role

就小學而言， 家長扮演非常重要的角色，

in shaping the everyday life and the environment of their children.

他們會形塑出自己孩子的 日常生活以及環境。

So I knew that if I wanted to make a difference,

所以我知道，若我想要改變現況，

I had to somehow show them, too, how much they have in common

我得想辦法讓家長也能理解

他們和另一邊有多少共通點。

with the other side.

But for parents, this was a lot more difficult,

但，對家長的難度就高很多，

because most of them speak different languages,

因為大部分的家長說不同的語言，

work different jobs with different incomes,

在各行各業領著不同薪資，

live in different social circles,

有不同的社交圈，

believe in different religions,

不同的宗教信仰，

experience different cultures

有著不同的文化背景，

and share different values.

且有不同的價值觀。

And then there was me, a student,

然後還有我，一個學生，

different in all of these aspects again.

與上述那些完全迥異。

So how could I show them

我要如何讓他們理解

how much they have in common?

他們有許多共通點？

I chose not to convince them myself

我選擇不要由我自己來說服他們，

but by letting their own children do the talking.

而是讓他們自己的孩子來講。

I designed a picture exhibition on the schoolyard

我在運動場上設計了一場照片展，

showing them their children playing together through the fence.

讓他們看到他們的孩子 透過柵欄在玩樂。

At the end of this exhibition,

展覽到尾聲時，

I asked people to write down their thoughts, ideas and wishes

我請大家寫下他們的 想法、點子和希望，

on these big wooden boxes,

寫在這些大木箱上，

and I labeled the boxes with, "What do you think?"

我把這些箱子貼上 「你認為呢？」的標籤。

A lot of people wrote "Yes" on it.

許多人在上面寫下「是的」。

Yes, what?

「是的」什麼？

I never mentioned my opinion or an action that should follow,

我始終沒有說出我的意見 或之後該採取什麼行動，

so which question were they answering with yes?

所以，他們是贊成哪個問題？

When I asked, they said yes, the fence should go.

我問他們，他們說， 是的，柵欄應該拆除。

Yes, we want to play with the other side.

是的，我們想要和另一邊一起玩。

The pictures implied enough to answer a question

這些照片本身的意涵就足以回答

that was never proposed.

根本沒被提出來的問題。

People were seeing the absurdity of the situation again

大家又再次看見了這個情況有多荒謬，

and felt how unnecessary this fence is

不用我來說，

就能感受到柵欄是有多麼地多餘。

without me forcing an opinion on them.

The exhibition showed the two sides their similarities for once.

這場展覽一次讓兩邊 都看到了他們的相似之處。

That day, there was no us and them,

那天，沒有「我們」 與「他們」之別，

there was no others.

沒有「其他人」。

The mental wall started to crumble.

心理的牆開始瓦解。

I chose the word "crumbling,"

我選用「瓦解」這個詞，

because breaking a mental wall is a long journey,

是因為破除心理的牆 是一趟漫長的旅程，

and breaking a mental wall can be a lot more difficult

且破除心理的牆可能會比

單純拆除實體的牆還要困難許多。

than simply tearing down the physical one.

We have to challenge our opinion and beliefs

我們必須要挑戰我們的意見和信念，

and maybe even admit our own wrongs.

甚至可能需要承認我們的過錯。

So what happened in Brussels was a big step,

在布魯塞爾發生的這件事 是向前邁進的一大步，

a step that has been taking generations in Germany.

但，德國是歷經數個世代 才踏出了這一步。

There are many examples from all over the world

世界各地有許多例子

telling the same story I experienced in Brussels and Germany,

都和我在布魯塞爾及德國的 經歷有著異曲同工之妙，

enough examples from which we could have learned.

這些例子足夠讓我們學到教訓了。

But still, we seek walls as solutions for problems that they cannot solve,

但，我們仍然試圖用築牆 來解決築牆無法解決的問題，

because walls don't fight the root of our problem.

因為築牆並不能治本。

If anything, they reduce the symptoms.

若築牆有用，那也只是減輕症狀而已。

So the next time you are planning to build a wall

所以，下次當你計劃要築牆時，

or you are planning to support someone who wants to build a wall,

或計劃要支持某位想要築牆的人時，

I want you to remember the impact you are really having.

我希望你能記得 你會造成的影響是什麼。

Because, this simple structure will hardly create more security.

因為，這種簡單的建物 很難創造出更多安全感。

Instead, it will affect the people living with it every day,

反之，它會影響到 每天與它共同生活的人，

people who, despite the geographic border,

儘管有地理上的邊界區別，

人們其實共享著許多文化和價值觀。

often share a lot of culture and values.

For them, you are not building one wall but two,

對他們而言，你建造了 兩座牆，而不是一座。

two walls which will take decades and generations to overcome again.

要花上數十年、數世代的時間， 才能夠再次打破隔閡的牆。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）