Ronald Rael: An architect's subversive reimagining of the US-Mexico border wall | TED

譯者: Bruce Sung 審譯者: Helen Chang

Isn't it fascinating how the simple act of drawing a line on the map

簡單地在地圖上畫一條線

便能改變我們體驗看待 這個世界的方式，

can transform the way we see and experience the world?

這不是很有意思嗎？

And how those spaces in between lines, borders,

那些線、那些邊界之間的空間，

become places.

成了一個個地區。

They become places where language and food and music

在這些地區裡，不同文化的 語言、食物，音樂和人，

and people of different cultures rub up against each other

以美麗的、時而帶暴力的，

in beautiful and sometimes violent and occasionally really ridiculous ways.

甚至偶爾是極荒謬的方式互動。

And those lines drawn on a map

而畫在地圖上的線，

can actually create scars in the landscape,

不僅形成景觀上的疤痕，

and they can create scars in our memories.

也能在記憶中留下瘡疤。

My interest in borders came about

在找尋邊境地區建築的時候，

when I was searching for an architecture of the borderlands.

我開始對邊界感到興趣。

And I was working on several projects along the US-Mexico border,

當時我正在美墨邊境做幾個項目，

designing buildings made out of mud taken right from the ground.

設計泥土造的建築。

And I also work on projects that you might say immigrated to this landscape.

我也參與了一些可說是 遷徙到那片土地上的項目。

"Prada Marfa," a land-art sculpture

「馬爾法的普拉達」 這個土地藝術雕塑，

that crosses the border between art and architecture,

穿越了藝術與建築的邊界，

and it demonstrated to me that architecture could communicate ideas

向我展示建築也能傳達

that are much more politically and culturally complex,

很複雜的政治文化理念，

that architecture could be satirical and serious at the same time

而且建築可以同時具 諷刺性而又嚴肅，

and it could speak to the disparities between wealth and poverty

它可以展現貧富差距，

and what's local and what's foreign.

也能顯現什麼是本地、 什麼是外來的。

And so in my search for an architecture of the borderlands,

因此，當我找尋邊境地區建築時，

I began to wonder,

我也開始質疑：

is the wall architecture?

邊境牆算是建築嗎？

I began to document my thoughts and visits to the wall

我以創造一系列紀念品的方式開始，

記錄對邊境牆的想法及實地勘察，

by creating a series of souvenirs

to remind us of the time when we built a wall

藉以提醒關注牆的興建，

and what a crazy idea that was.

以及建牆這主意是多瘋狂。

I created border games,

我創造了邊境遊戲、

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

postcards,

明信片、

snow globes with little architectural models inside of them,

裡頭有小建築模型的雪花球、

and maps that told the story of resilience at the wall

講述這堵牆的頑強事蹟的地圖，

and sought for ways that design could bring to light the problems

尋思要如何設計， 才能引起大眾注意

that the border wall was creating.

邊牆所帶來的問題。

So, is the wall architecture?

那麼，邊界境牆算是建築嗎？

Well, it certainly is a design structure,

它肯定是一個設計結構，

and it's designed at a research facility called FenceLab,

由「FenceLab」這研究單位所設計，

where they would load vehicles with 10,000 pounds

他們在那兒開載重 10,000 磅的車，

and ram them into the wall at 40 miles an hour

以 40 英里時速撞擊，

to test the wall's impermeability.

來測試牆的抗穿透性。

But there was also counter-research going on on the other side,

但另一邊也有人做對應的研究，

the design of portable drawbridges

設計可攜式吊橋，

that you could bring right up to the wall

你可以把它帶到牆邊架起，

and allow vehicles to drive right over.

由牆上開車過去。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And like with all research projects, there are successes

如同所有的研究項目，

有的成功，有的失敗。

and there are failures.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But it's these medieval reactions to the wall --

但這是種中世紀對牆的反應——

drawbridges, for example --

例如吊橋——

that are because the wall itself is an arcane, medieval form of architecture.

那是因為牆本身就是一種 神秘的中世紀建築形式。

It's an overly simplistic response to a complex set of issues.

這是對於一系列複雜的問題 所做出過於簡單的回應。

And a number of medieval technologies have sprung up along the wall:

還有另一些中世紀的技術 沿著牆壁如雨後春筍般湧現：

catapults that launch bales of marijuana over the wall

例如用投射機將 整袋大麻拋過圍牆，

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

or cannons that shoot packets of cocaine and heroin over the wall.

或用大砲將可卡因 和海洛因包裹射過去。

Now during medieval times,

在中世紀，

diseased, dead bodies

有時將病死的屍體投射過城牆，

were sometimes catapulted over walls as an early form of biological warfare,

作為生物戰的早期形式；

and it's speculated that today,

時至今日也有傳言，

humans are being propelled over the wall as a form of immigration.

說有人以被拋過牆的方式來移民。

真是荒謬的主意。

A ridiculous idea.

But the only person ever known to be documented to have launched over the wall

正式紀錄上僅有一人

被由墨西哥拋進美國。

from Mexico to the United States

他其實是美國公民，

was in fact a US citizen,

who was given permission to human-cannonball over the wall,

事先申請了人肉砲彈表演的許可，

200 feet,

飛越 200 英呎，

so long as he carried his passport in hand

條件是他必須帶著護照。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

and he landed safely in a net on the other side.

他成功降落在另一邊的網子上。

And my thoughts are inspired by a quote by the architect Hassan Fathy,

建築師哈桑·法西的話， 對我的想法很有啟發。

who said,

他說：

"Architects do not design walls,

「建築師不設計牆壁，

but the spaces between them."

設計的是牆壁之間的空間。」

So while I do not think that architects should be designing walls,

因此我不認為建築師 應該去設計牆壁，

I do think it's important and urgent that they should be paying attention

我認為更重要、更急迫的是

他們該著眼於牆與牆間的空間。

to those spaces in between.

They should be designing for the places and the people, the landscapes

他們應該為這些地方

受了那堵牆危害的人與風景來設計。

that the wall endangers.

Now, people are already rising to this occasion,

現在人們已經站出來。

and while the purpose of the wall is to keep people apart and away,

雖然牆的目的是將人分開，

它反而以非凡的方式， 將人凝聚在一起。

it's actually bringing people together in some really remarkable ways,

holding social events like binational yoga classes along the border,

他們舉辦社交活動，像是 沿著邊界的跨國瑜伽課，

to bring people together across the divide.

將被分隔的人帶到了一起。

I call this the monument pose.

這一招我稱之為「紀念碑式」。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And have you ever heard of "wall y ball"?

你們有沒有聽說過「牆球」？

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It's a borderland version of volleyball, and it's been played since 1979

這是一個邊境版的排球， 早自 1979 年便有人……

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

along the US-Mexico border

沿著美墨邊境玩，

to celebrate binational heritage.

來慶祝兩國的傳承。

And it raises some interesting questions, right?

這引發了一些有趣的問題，是不是？

Is such a game even legal?

這樣的遊戲究竟合不合法？

Does hitting a ball back and forth over the wall constitute illegal trade?

在牆頭上將球打過來打過去， 是否構成非法貿易？

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

The beauty of volleyball is that it transforms the wall

排球的美，

在於它將牆化為沙子上的一條線，

into nothing more than a line in the sand

negotiated by the minds and bodies and spirits of players on both sides.

由雙方球員的思想、 身體和精神協商而來。

And I think it's exactly these kinds of two-sided negotiations

而且我認為要撤掉這堵分裂的牆，

that are needed to bring down walls that divide.

所需要的正是這種雙邊協商。

Now, throwing the ball over the wall is one thing,

扔球過去是一回事，

but throwing rocks over the wall

把石頭扔過圍牆又是另一回事。

has caused damage to Border Patrol vehicles

砸壞了邊境巡邏車，

and have injured Border Patrol agents,

傷到邊巡人員，

and the response from the US side has been drastic.

這也引發了美方的激烈反應。

Border Patrol agents have fired through the wall,

邊巡人員朝圍牆另一邊開槍，

killing people throwing rocks on the Mexican side.

打死了墨西哥方面扔石頭的人。

And another response by Border Patrol agents

邊巡人員的另一種回應，

is to erect baseball backstops to protect themselves and their vehicles.

是豎立起棒球場那種擋球網 來保護人員和車輛。

And these backstops became a permanent feature

在建造新牆的時候，

擋球網已經成了標準設施。

in the construction of new walls.

And I began to wonder if, like volleyball,

我開始想：和排球一樣，

maybe baseball should be a permanent feature at the border,

也許棒球應該是邊境的標準設施，

and walls could start opening up,

邊牆可以開始開放，

allowing communities to come across and play,

讓附近社區一起來玩。

and if they hit a home run,

如果打了個全壘打，

maybe a Border Patrol agent would pick up the ball and throw it

或許邊巡人員會幫忙撿起球，

back over to the other side.

扔回牆的另一邊。

A Border Patrol agent buys a raspado, a frozen treat,

這裡的邊巡人員

向幾英呎外的小販購買墨西哥冰沙，

from a vendor just a couple feet away,

food and money is exchanged through the wall,

食物和錢穿過牆交換，

an entirely normal event made illegal by that line drawn on a map

一件完全正常的事，

但被地圖上的一條線 及幾毫米厚的鋼材劃定為非法。

and a couple millimeters of steel.

And this scene reminded me of a saying:

這一幕讓我想起了一句話：

"If you have more than you need, you should build longer tables

「如果你有多的， 應該要擺更大的客桌，

and not higher walls."

而不是築更高的牆。」

So I created this souvenir to remember the moment that we could share

所以我做了這個紀念品， 來紀念我們可以跨越藩籬

food and conversation across the divide.

分享食物和對話的那一刻。

A swing allows one to enter and swing over to the other side

這個鞦韆讓人進去，盪到另一邊，

until gravity deports them back to their own country.

直到重力將他遣返原居國。

The border and the border wall

邊界和邊界牆

is thought of as a sort of political theater today,

今天被當作政治劇場看待，

so perhaps we should invite audiences to that theater,

也許我們應該邀請觀眾到那個劇院，

to a binational theater where people can come together

一個兩國劇院，人們可以

和表演者、音樂家聚在一起。

with performers, musicians.

Maybe the wall is nothing more than an enormous instrument,

也許這牆不過是一個巨大的樂器，

the world's largest xylophone, and we could play down this wall

世界上最大的木琴，而我們 可以用大規模打擊性樂器

with weapons of mass percussion.

來打下這堵牆。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

When I envisioned this binational library,

當我構想這座兩國圖書館，

I wanted to imagine a space where one could share

我想像一個人們可以共享

books and information and knowledge across a divide,

書籍、信息和知識， 跨越鴻溝的地方，

where the wall was nothing more than a bookshelf.

那裡面牆只不過是個書架。

And perhaps the best way to illustrate the mutual relationship that we have

也許墨西哥和美國間的相互關係

最好的說明方式

with Mexico and the United States

is by imagining a teeter-totter,

是想像一個蹺蹺板：

where the actions on one side had a direct consequence

一方的行動，

會直接影響到另一方。

on what happens on the other side,

because you see, the border itself

因為，你看，邊界本身

is both a symbolic and literal fulcrum for US-Mexico relations,

是一個美墨關係上的支點，

and building walls between neighbors severs those relationships.

而在鄰居之間建牆 就切斷了那些關係。

You probably remember this quote, "Good fences make good neighbors."

你可能還記得這句話： 「有好圍牆，才有好鄰居。」

It's often thought of as the moral of Robert Frost's poem "Mending Wall."

它常被認為是羅伯．佛洛斯特的 詩《修補牆》的寓意。

But the poem is really about questioning the need for building walls at all.

但其實這首詩在質疑需不需要建牆。

It's really a poem about mending human relationships.

事實上它是一首關於 修補人際關係的詩。

My favorite line is the first one:

我最喜歡第一句：

"Something there is that doesn't love a wall."

「有個東西不愛牆。」

Because if there's one thing that's clear to me --

因為我很清楚——

there are not two sides defined by a wall.

不存在被牆界定出的不同兩面。

This is one landscape, divided.

它不過是被牆割裂的同一景觀。

On one side, it might look like this.

在一邊，它可能看起來像這樣：

A man is mowing his lawn while the wall is looming in his backyard.

一個人在割草，有片牆 緊傍著他的後院。

And on the other side, it might look like this.

在另一邊，它可能 看起來像這樣：

The wall is the fourth wall of someone's house.

那片牆是某人房子 四面牆壁中的一面。

But the reality is that the wall is cutting through people's lives.

但現實情況是牆正在 切割人們的生活。

It is cutting through our private property,

它切過我們的私人財產、

我們的公共土地、

our public lands,

our Native American lands, our cities,

我們美洲原住民的土地、 我們的城市、

a university,

一所大學、

our neighborhoods.

我們的社區。

And I couldn't help but wonder

我很想知道

what it would be like if the wall cut through a house.

牆穿過房子是什怎樣的情景？

Remember those disparities between wealth and poverty?

還記得那些貧富的差距嗎？

On the right is the average size of a house in El Paso, Texas,

右邊是美國德州 埃爾帕索的房子平均大小，

and on the left is the average size of a house in Juarez.

而左邊是墨西哥 華雷斯的房子平均尺寸。

And here, the wall cuts directly through the kitchen table.

在這裡，牆壁直接切過廚房的桌子。

And here, the wall cuts through the bed in the bedroom.

在這裡，牆壁穿過臥室裡的床。

Because I wanted to communicate how the wall is not only dividing places,

因為我想要傳達的是： 牆不僅僅分隔了地域，

it's dividing people, it's dividing families.

它也分隔了人，分隔了家庭。

And the unfortunate politics of the wall

今日不幸的邊界牆政治

is today, it is dividing children from their parents.

讓小孩與父母分離。

You might be familiar with this well-known traffic sign.

你可能熟悉這個有名的交通標誌。

It was designed by graphic designer John Hood,

由平面設計師約翰．胡德設計，

他是美洲原住民、退伍軍人，

a Native American war veteran

working for the California Department of Transportation.

在加州交通運輸部工作。

And he was tasked with creating a sign to warn motorists

他被指派設計一個標誌， 用以提醒駕駛人

of immigrants who were stranded alongside the highway

在高速公路邊的移民者

and who might attempt to run across the road.

可能冒險橫越馬路。

今天移民的困境，讓胡德聯想到

Hood related the plight of the immigrant today

to that of the Navajo during the Long Walk.

納瓦霍印第安人 被迫長途遷徙的血淚史。

And this is really a brilliant piece of design activism.

這真是一件設計 行動主義的精彩作品。

And he was very careful

他非常細心地思考，

in thinking about using a little girl with pigtails, for example,

例如採用紮辮子的小女孩，

because he thought that's who motorists might empathize with the most,

因為那可能更容易 讓駕駛人產生同情；

and he used the silhouette of the civil rights leader Cesar Chavez

他也採用了民權領袖 西薩．查維斯的剪影

to create the head of the father.

作為那個父親的頭像。

I wanted to build upon the brilliance of this sign

我想繼續延伸這個標誌的光彩，

to call attention to the problem of child separation at the border,

來喚起大家注意在邊境 兒童與父母被分離這個問題。

and I made one very simple move.

我做了一個非常簡單的改動，

I turned the families to face each other.

讓這家人面對面。

And in the last few weeks,

過去幾週裡，

I've had the opportunity to bring that sign back to the highway

我把那個標誌帶回高速公路

to tell a story,

去講故事，

the story of the relationships that we should be mending

講我們應該修補關係的故事，

and a reminder that we should be designing

提醒我們應該設計團結的國家，

a reunited states and not a divided states.

而不是分裂的國家。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）