TED演讲稿ThedangerofadinglestoryWord格式文档下载.docx

TED演讲稿ThedangerofadinglestoryWord格式文档下载.docx

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42ThenoneSaturdaywewenttohisvillagetovisit,andhismothershowedusabeautifullypatternedbasketmadeofdyedraffiathathisbrotherhadmade.Iwasstartled.Ithadnotoccurredtomethatanybodyinhisfamilycouldactuallymakesomething.AllIhadheardaboutthemwashowpoortheywere,sothatithadbecomeimpossibleformetoseethemasanythingelsebutpoor.Theirpovertywasmysinglestoryofthem.

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12Yearslater,IthoughtaboutthiswhenIleftNigeriatogotouniversityintheUnitedStates.Iwas19.MyAmericanroommatewasshockedbyme.SheaskedwhereIhadlearnedtospeakEnglishsowell,andwasconfusedwhenIsaidthatNigeriahappenedtohaveEnglishasitsofficiallanguage.Sheaskedifshecouldlistentowhatshecalledmy"

tribalmusic,"

andwasconsequentlyverydisappointedwhenIproducedmytapeofMariahCarey.（Laughter）SheassumedthatIdidnotknowhowtouseastove.

49Whatstruckmewasthis:

Shehadfeltsorryformeevenbeforeshesawme.Herdefaultpositiontowardme,asanAfrican,wasakindofpatronizing,well-meaningpity.MyroommatehadasinglestoryofAfrica:

asinglestoryofcatastrophe.InthissinglestorytherewasnopossibilityofAfricansbeingsimilartoherinanyway,nopossibilityoffeelingsmorecomplexthanpity,nopossibilityofaconnectionashumanequals.

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20ImustsaythatbeforeIwenttotheU.S.Ididn'

tconsciouslyidentifyasAfrican.ButintheU.S.wheneverAfricacameuppeopleturnedtome.NevermindthatIknewnothingaboutplaceslikeNamibia.ButIdidcometoembracethisnewidentity,andinmanywaysIthinkofmyselfnowasAfrican.AlthoughIstillgetquiteirritablewhenAfricaisreferredtoasacountry,themostrecentexamplebeingmyotherwisewonderfulflightfromLagostwodaysago,inwhichtherewasanannouncementontheVirginflightaboutthecharityworkin"

India,Africaandothercountries."

（Laughter）

55SoafterIhadspentsomeyearsintheU.S.asanAfrican,Ibegantounderstandmyroommate'

sresponsetome.IfIhadnotgrownupinNigeria,andifallIknewaboutAfricawerefrompopularimages,ItoowouldthinkthatAfricawasaplaceofbeautifullandscapes,beautifulanimals,andincomprehensiblepeople,fightingsenselesswars,dyingofpovertyandAIDS,unabletospeakforthemselvesandwaitingtobesavedbyakind,whiteforeigner.IwouldseeAfricansinthesamewaythatI,asachild,hadseenFide'

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34ThissinglestoryofAfricaultimatelycomes,Ithink,fromWesternliterature.Now,hereisaquotefromthewritingofaLondonmerchantcalledJohnLocke,whosailedtowestAfricain1561andkeptafascinatingaccountofhisvoyage.AfterreferringtotheblackAfricansas"

beastswhohavenohouses,"

hewrites,"

Theyarealsopeoplewithoutheads,havingtheirmouthandeyesintheirbreasts."

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04Now,I'

velaughedeverytimeI'

vereadthis.AndonemustadmiretheimaginationofJohnLocke.ButwhatisimportantabouthiswritingisthatitrepresentsthebeginningofatraditionoftellingAfricanstoriesintheWest:

AtraditionofSub-SaharanAfricaasaplaceofnegatives,ofdifference,ofdarkness,ofpeoplewho,inthewordsofthewonderfulpoetRudyardKipling,are"

halfdevil,halfchild."

31AndsoIbegantorealizethatmyAmericanroommatemusthavethroughoutherlifeseenandhearddifferentversionsofthissinglestory,ashadaprofessor,whooncetoldmethatmynovelwasnot"

authenticallyAfrican."

Now,Iwasquitewillingtocontendthattherewereanumberofthingswrongwiththenovel,thatithadfailedinanumberofplaces,butIhadnotquiteimaginedthatithadfailedatachievingsomethingcalledAfricanauthenticity.InfactIdidnotknowwhatAfricanauthenticitywas.Theprofessortoldmethatmycharactersweretoomuchlikehim,aneducatedandmiddle-classman.Mycharactersdrovecars.Theywerenotstarving.ThereforetheywerenotauthenticallyAfrican.

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20ButImustquicklyaddthatItooamjustasguiltyinthequestionofthesinglestory.Afewyearsago,IvisitedMexicofromtheU.S.ThepoliticalclimateintheU.S.atthetimewastense,andthereweredebatesgoingonaboutimmigration.And,asoftenhappensinAmerica,immigrationbecamesynonymouswithMexicans.TherewereendlessstoriesofMexicansaspeoplewhowerefleecingthehealthcaresystem,sneakingacrosstheborder,beingarrestedattheborder,thatsortofthing.

53IrememberwalkingaroundonmyfirstdayinGuadalajara,watchingthepeoplegoingtowork,rollinguptortillasinthemarketplace,smoking,laughing.Irememberfirstfeelingslightsurprise.AndthenIwasoverwhelmedwithshame.IrealizedthatIhadbeensoimmersedinthemediacoverageofMexicansthattheyhadbecomeonethinginmymind,theabjectimmigrant.IhadboughtintothesinglestoryofMexicansandIcouldnothavebeenmoreashamedofmyself.Sothatishowtocreateasinglestory,showapeopleasonething,asonlyonething,overandoveragain,andthatiswhattheybecome.

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37Itisimpossibletotalkaboutthesinglestorywithouttalkingaboutpower.Thereisaword,anIgboword,thatIthinkaboutwheneverIthinkaboutthepowerstructuresoftheworld,anditis"

nkali."

It'

sanounthatlooselytranslatesto"

tobegreaterthananother."

Likeoureconomicandpoliticalworlds,storiestooaredefinedbytheprincipleofnkali:

Howtheyaretold,whotellsthem,whenthey'

retold,howmanystoriesaretold,arereallydependentonpower.

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11Poweristheabilitynotjusttotellthestoryofanotherperson,buttomakeitthedefinitivestoryofthatperson.ThePalestinianpoetMouridBarghoutiwritesthatifyouwanttodispossessapeople,thesimplestwaytodoitistotelltheirstoryandtostartwith,"

secondly."

StartthestorywiththearrowsoftheNativeAmericans,andnotwiththearrivaloftheBritish,andyouhaveanentirelydifferentstory.StartthestorywiththefailureoftheAfricanstate,andnotwiththecolonialcreationoftheAfricanstate,andyouhaveanentirelydifferentstory.

51IrecentlyspokeatauniversitywhereastudenttoldmethatitwassuchashamethatNigerianmenwerephysicalabuserslikethefathercharacterinmynovel.ItoldhimthatIhadjustreadanovelcalledAmericanPsycho--（Laughter）--andthatitwassuchashamethatyoungAmericanswereserialmurderers.（Laughter）（Applause）Now,obviouslyIsaidthisinafitofmildirritation.（Laughter）

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29ButitwouldneverhaveoccurredtometothinkthatjustbecauseIhadreadanovelinwhichacharacterwasaserialkillerthathewassomehowrepresentativeofallAmericans.ThisisnotbecauseIamabetterpersonthanthatstudent,butbecauseofAmerica'

sculturalandeconomicpower,IhadmanystoriesofAmerica.IhadreadTylerandUpdikeandSteinbeckandGaitskill.IdidnothaveasinglestoryofAmerica.

54WhenIlearned,someyearsago,thatwriterswereexpectedtohavehadreallyunhappychildhoodstobesuccessful,IbegantothinkabouthowIcouldinventhorriblethingsmyparentshaddonetome.（Laughter）ButthetruthisthatIhadaveryhappychildhood,fulloflaughterandlove,inaveryclose-knitfamily.

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16ButIalsohadgrandfatherswhodiedinrefugeecamps.MycousinPollediedbecausehecouldnotgetadequatehealthcare.Oneofmyclosestfriends,Okoloma,diedinaplanecrashbecauseourfiretrucksdidnothavewater.Igrewupunderrepressivemilitarygovernmentsthatdevaluededucation,sothatsometimesmyparentswerenotpaidtheirsalaries.Andso,asachild,Isawjamdisappearfromthebreakfasttable,thenmargarinedisappeared,thenbreadbecametooexpensive,thenmilkbecamerationed.Andmostofall,akindofnormalizedpoliticalfearinvadedourlives.

57AllofthesestoriesmakemewhoIam.Buttoinsistononlythesenegativestoriesistoflattenmyexperienceandtooverlookthemanyotherstoriesthatformedme.Thesinglestorycreatesstereotypes,andtheproblemwithstereotypesisnotthattheyareuntrue,butthattheyareincomplete.Theymakeonestorybecometheonlystory.

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24Ofcourse,Africaisacontinentfullofcatastrophes:

Thereareimmenseones,suchasthehorrificrapesinCongoanddepressingones,suchasthefactthat5,000peopleapplyforonejobvacancyinNigeria.Butthereareotherstoriesthatarenotaboutcatastrophe,anditisveryimportant,itisjustasimportant,totalkaboutthem.

44I'

vealwaysfeltthatitisimpossibletoengageproperlywithaplaceorapersonwithoutengagingwithallofthestoriesofthatplaceandthatperson.Theconsequenceofthesinglestoryisthis:

Itrobspeopleofdignity.Itmakesourrecognitionofourequalhumanitydifficult.Itemphasizeshowwearedifferentratherthanhowwearesimilar.

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08SowhatifbeforemyMexicantripIhadfollowedtheimmigrationdebatefrombothsides,theU.S.andtheMexican?

WhatifmymotherhadtoldusthatFide'

sfamilywaspoorandhardworking?

WhatifwehadanAfricantelevisionnetworkthatbroadcastdiverseAfricanstoriesallovertheworld?

WhattheNigerianwriterChinuaAchebecalls"

abalanceofstories."

33WhatifmyroommateknewaboutmyNigerianpublisher,MuktaBakaray,aremarkablemanwholefthisjobinabanktofollowhisdreamandstartapublishinghouse?

Now,theconventionalwisdomwasthatNigeriansdon'

treadliterature.Hedisagreed.Hefeltthatpeoplewhocouldread,wouldread,ifyoumadeliteratureaffordableandavailabletothem.

55Shortlyafterhepublishedmy