What I learned about freedom after escaping North Korea | Yeonmi Park | TED

譯者: Marssi Draw 審譯者: Regina Chu

I was born in 1993 in the northern part of North Korea,

1993 年我出生在北韓的北部

in a town called Hyesan,

一個名叫惠山的小鎮，

which is on the border with China.

鄰近中國邊界。

I had loving parents

我有愛我的父母

and one older sister.

和一個姊姊。

Before I was even 10 years old,

在我才十歲大的時候，

my father was sent to a labor camp

我爸就被送去勞改營，

for engaging in illegal trading.

因為他非法買賣一些東西。

Now, by "illegal trading" --

所謂的非法買賣，

he was selling clogs, sugar, rice and later copper

其實他是賣一些木鞋、 糖、米，之後還賣了銅，

to feed us.

只為了餵飽我們。

In 2007, my sister and I decided to escape.

2007 年，我姊姊和我決定逃跑。

She was 16 years old,

她當時 16 歲，

and I was 13 years old.

我 13 歲。

I need you to understand what the word "escape" means

你們要了解，

「逃跑」這兩字在北韓是什麼意思。

in the context of North Korea.

We were all starving,

我們都非常飢餓，

and hunger means death in North Korea.

而飢餓在北韓意謂著死亡。

So it was the only option for us.

所以逃跑是我們唯一的選擇。

I didn't even understand the concept of escape,

我當時還不了解逃跑是什麼意思，

but I could see the lights from China at night,

但晚上我可以看見 中國那頭的燈光，

and I wondered if I go where the light is,

我想著如果我能到有光的地方，

I might be able to find a bowl of rice.

也許就能找到一碗飯。

It's not like we had a grand plan or maps.

我們沒有什麼宏偉計畫或地圖。

We did not know anything about what was going to happen.

我們完全不知道會發生什麼事。

Imagine your apartment building caught fire.

想像你的公寓大樓失火了，

I mean, what would you do?

你會怎麼辦？

Would you stay there to be burned,

你會坐以待斃，

or would you jump off out of the window

還是從窗戶跳下，

and see what happens?

之後再看著辦？

That's what we did.

我們就是那樣想的。

We jumped out of the house

我們從大樓跳下，

instead of the fire.

而不是等火燒上來。

North Korea is unimaginable.

北韓的情況難以想像。

It's very hard for me

對我來說，要回答

when people ask me what it feels like to live there.

住北韓是什麼感覺很難。

To be honest,

說實話，

I tell you:

我可以告訴各位，

you can't even imagine it.

你絕對想像不到。

The words in any language can't describe,

沒有任何語言可以形容，

because it's a totally different planet,

因為那是個完全不同的星球，

as you cannot imagine your life on Mars right now.

就像你無法想像現在 要在火星上的生活一樣。

For example, the word "love" has only one meaning:

比如說，「愛」只有一個意思：

love for the Dear Leader.

就是愛偉大的領袖。

There's no concept of romantic love in North Korea.

在北韓沒有浪漫的那種愛。

And if you don't know the words,

如果你不認得某個字，

that means you don't understand the concept,

也就是你不了解這個概念，

and therefore, you don't even realize that concept is even a possibility.

因此你也不會理解， 這個概念甚至有可能存在。

Let me give you another example.

讓我再舉一個例子。

Growing up in North Korea,

在北韓長大，

we truly believed that our Dear Leader is an almighty god

我們真心相信我們的 偉大領袖是萬能的神，

who can even read my thoughts.

他甚至能看穿我在想什麼。

I was even afraid to think in North Korea.

我在北韓甚至不敢思考。

We are told that he's starving for us,

我們聽說他為我們挨餓，

and he's working tirelessly for us,

他日夜無休為我們工作，

and my heart just broke for him.

而我就因此為他感到心痛。

When I escaped to South Korea,

我逃到南韓之後，

people told me that he was actually a dictator,

有人跟我說他其實是獨裁者，

he had cars,

他有車，

many, many resorts,

很多很多渡假別墅，

and he had an ultraluxurious life.

他的生活極為奢華。

And then I remember looking at a picture of him,

我記得自己看著一張有他的照片，

realizing for the first time

第一次意識到

that he is the largest guy in the picture.

他是照片裡最大的那一隻。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And it hit me.

這件事讓我大受打擊。

Finally, I realized he wasn't starving.

那時我才終於了解，他沒有挨餓。

But I was never able to see that before,

但我以前從來沒有辦法看清這些，

until someone told me that he was fat.

直到有人跟我說他很胖我才懂。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Really, someone had to teach me that he was fat.

真的，要有人教我說， 他這樣叫做胖。

If you have never practiced critical thinking,

如果你沒學過批判性思考，

then you simply see what you're told to see.

你看到的就只會是別人跟你說的。

The biggest question also people ask me

其他人對我提出的大哉問還有：

is: "Why is there no revolution inside North Korea?

「為什麼北韓沒有革命？

Are we dumb?

我們傻嗎？

Why is there no revolution for 70 years of this oppression?"

為什麼歷經 70 年壓迫 卻沒人發動革命？」

And I say:

我回答：

If you don't know you're a slave,

「如果你不知道自己是奴隸，

if you don't know you're isolated or oppressed,

不知道自己被與世隔絕、壓迫，

how do you fight to be free?

要怎麼為自由而戰？

I mean, if you know you're isolated,

我的意思是，如果你知道 自己被與世隔絕，

that means you are not isolated.

那就表示你並非真的與世隔絕。

Not knowing is the true definition of isolation,

不知道才是與世隔絕真正的定義，

and that's why I never knew

所以我從不知道

I was isolated when I was in North Korea.

我在北韓是被與世隔絕。

I literally thought I was in the center of the universe.

我真的以為我們是在宇宙中心。

So here is my idea worth spreading:

我想要傳遞值得分享的想法是：

a lot of people think

很多人以為

humans inherently know what is right and wrong,

人類生來就能分辨是非對錯，

the difference between justice and injustice,

懂得正義與邪惡的差別，

what we deserve and we don't deserve.

我們值得被怎樣對待。

I tell them: BS.

我跟他們說：放屁。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Everything,

所有的事，

everything must be taught,

所有的事都得經過教導，

including compassion.

憐憫也是。

If I see someone dying on the street right now,

如果我現在看見有人 在路邊奄奄一息，

I will do anything to save that person.

我會不顧一切來救他。

But when I was in North Korea,

但我在北韓的時候，

I saw people dying and dead on the streets.

我會看著有人路死街頭，

I felt nothing.

而沒有任何感覺。

Not because I'm a psychopath,

不是因為我是心理病態，

but because I never learned the concept of compassion.

而是因為我從未學過憐憫的概念。

Only, I felt compassion, empathy and sympathy in my heart

只有在我的內心感受到 憐憫、同理和同情，

after I learned the word "compassion" and the concept,

我才學會「憐憫」 這個字和這個概念，

and I feel them now.

我現在有這些感覺了。

Now I live in the United States as a free person.

現在我住在美國，人身自由。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

And recently,

最近，

the leader of the free country, our President Trump,

自由國度的領袖，我們的川普總統，

met with my former god.

和我以前的神會面。

And he decided human rights is not important enough

他認定，人權沒那麼重要，

to include in his agendas,

不需要排進議題裡，

and he did not talk about it.

所以他對此隻字不提。

And it scares me.

這嚇壞我了。

We live in a world right now

我們現在所住的世界裡，

where a dictator can be praised for executing his uncle,

獨裁者處決伯父還能受到讚揚，

for killing his half brother,

他殺害同父異母的哥哥、

killing thousands of North Koreans.

殺害成千上萬名北韓人，

And that was worthy of praise.

還能夠得到讚揚。

And also it made me think:

這也讓我想，

perhaps we all need to be taught something new about freedom now.

也許我們現在都需要學習 自由還有什麼新的涵義。

Freedom is fragile.

自由很脆弱。

I don't want to alarm you, but it is.

我不想讓你受驚，但事實是如此。

It only took three generations

只花了三個世代

to make North Korea into George Orwell's "1984."

就讓北韓變成喬治．歐威爾 筆下的《一九八四》。

It took only three generations.

只花了三個世代。

If we don't fight for human rights

如果我們不為人權而戰，

for the people who are oppressed right now who don't have a voice,

不為受壓迫、無法發聲的人而戰，

as free people here,

身為自由的人，

who will fight for us when we are not free?

當我們不自由的時候， 誰會為我們而戰？

Machines? Animals? I don't know.

機器嗎？動物嗎？我不知道。

I think it's wonderful that we care about climate change,

我覺得能關心一些議題很美好，

像是氣候變遷、動物權益、性別平等

animal rights, gender equality,

all of these things.

這類的事。

The fact that we care about animals' rights,

因為我們關心動物權益，

that means that's how beautiful our heart is,

也就代表了我們的心地有多善良，

that we care about someone who cannot speak for themselves.

我們關心無法為自己發聲的對象。

And North Koreans right now cannot speak for themselves.

北韓人民現在無法為自己發聲。

They don't have internet in the 21st century.

身在 21 世紀的他們沒有網路可用。

We don't have electricity,

我們沒有電，

and it is the darkest place on earth right now.

那裡是現在地球上最暗的地方。

Now I want to say something to my fellow North Koreans

現在我想告訴我在北韓

who are living in that darkness.

活在黑暗之中的同胞。

They might not believe this,

也許他們不會相信我，

but I want to tell them that an alternative life is possible.

但是我想告訴他們， 生活有其他可能。

Be free.

可以活得自由。

From my experience,

從我的經驗看來，

literally anything is possible.

真的什麼事都有可能發生。

I was bought,

我被人買走，

I was sold as a slave.

賣給別人當奴隸。

But now I'm here,

但我現在在這裡，

and that is why I believe in miracles.

這也就是為什麼我相信奇蹟。

The one thing that I learned from history

我從歷史上學到的一件事，

is that nothing is forever in this world.

就是世界上沒有什麼是永遠的。

And that is why we have every reason to be hopeful.

而這也就是為什麼 我們無論如何都能懷抱希望。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）