TED英语演讲一个娱乐界偶像充满意义的一生.docx

TED英语演讲一个娱乐界偶像充满意义的一生.docx

《TED英语演讲一个娱乐界偶像充满意义的一生.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《TED英语演讲一个娱乐界偶像充满意义的一生.docx（12页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

TED英语演讲一个娱乐界偶像充满意义的一生

TED英语演讲：

一个娱乐界偶像充满意义的一生

演说题目：

一个娱乐界偶像充满意义的一生!

演说者：

NormanLear

演讲稿

EricHirshberg:

SoIassumethatNormandoesntneedmuchofanintroduction,butTEDsaudienceisglobal,itsdiverse,soIvebeentaskedwithstartingwithhisbio,whichcouldeasilytakeuptheentire18minutes.Soinsteadweregoingtodo93yearsin93secondsorless.

YouwereborninNewHampshire.

NormanLear:

NewHaven,Connecticut.

EH:

NewHaven,Connecticut.

NL:

Theregoessevenmoreseconds.

EH:

Nailedit.

YouwereborninNewHaven,Connecticut.Yourfatherwasaconman--Igotthatright.Hewastakenawaytoprisonwhenyouwerenineyearsold.Youflew52missionsasafighterpilotinWorldWarII.Youcamebackto--

NL:

Radiooperator.

EH:

YoucametoLAtobreakintoHollywood,firstinpublicity,theninTV.Youhadnotrainingasawriter,formally,butyouhustledyourwayin.Yourbreakthrough,yourdebut,wasalittleshowcalledAllintheFamily.YoufollowedthatupwithastringofhitsthattothisdayisunmatchedinHollywood:

SanfordandSon,Maude,GoodTimes,TheJeffersons,OneDayataTime,MaryHartman,MaryHartman,tonameliterallyafractionofthem.Notonlyaretheyallcommercially--

Notonlyaretheyallcommerciallysuccessful,butmanyofthempushourcultureforwardbygivingtheunderrepresentedmembersofsocietytheirfirstprime-timevoice.Youhavesevenshowsinthetop10atonetime.Atonepoint,youaggregateanaudienceof120millionpeopleperweekwatchingyourcontent.ThatsmorethantheaudienceforSuperBowl50,whichhappensonceayear.

NL:

Holyshit.

EH:

Andwerenoteventotheholyshitpart.

YoulandyourselfonRichardNixonsenemieslist--hehadone.

Thatsanapplauseline,too.

YoureinductedintotheTVHallofFameonthefirstdaythatitexists.Thencamethemovies.FriedGreenTomatoes,ThePrincessBride,StandByMe,ThisIsSpinalTap.

Again,justtonameafraction.

Thenyouwipetheslateclean,startathirdactasapoliticalactivistfocusingonprotectingtheFirstAmendmentandtheseparationofchurchandstate.YoustartPeopleForTheAmericanWay.YoubuytheDeclarationofIndependenceandgiveitbacktothepeople.Youstayactiveinbothentertainmentandpoliticsuntiltheripeoldofageof93,whenyouwriteabookandmakeadocumentaryaboutyourlifestory.Andafterallthat,theyfinallythinkyourereadyforaTEDTalk.

NL:

Ilovebeinghere.AndIloveyouforagreeingtodothis.

EH:

Thankyouforasking.Itsmyhonor.Soheresmyfirstquestion.Wasyourmotherproudofyou?

NL:

Mymother...whataplacetostart.Letmeputitthisway--whenIcamebackfromthewar,sheshowedmethelettersthatIhadwrittenherfromoverseas,andtheywereabsoluteloveletters.

Thisreallysumsupmymother.Theywereloveletters,asifIhadwrittenthemto--theywereloveletters.AyearlaterIaskedmymotherifIcouldhavethem,becauseIdliketokeepthemalltheyearsofmylife...Shehadthrownthemaway.

Thatsmymother.

ThebestwayIcansumitupinmorerecenttimesis--thisisalsomorerecenttimes--anumberofyearsago,whentheystartedtheHallofFametowhichyoureferred.ItwasaSundaymorning,whenIgotacallfromthefellowwhorantheTVAcademyofArtsSciences.Hewascallingmetotellmetheyhadmetalldayyesterdayandhewasconfidentiallytellingmetheyweregoingtostartahalloffameandtheseweretheinductees.IstartedtosayRichardNixon,becauseRichardNixon--

EH:

Idontthinkhewasontheirlist.

NL:

WilliamPaley,whostartedCBS,DavidSarnoff,whostartedNBC,EdwardR.Murrow,thegreatestoftheforeigncorrespondents,PaddyChayefsky--Ithinkthebestwriterthatevercameoutoftelevision--MiltonBerle,LucilleBallandme.

EH:

Notbad.

NL:

IcallmymotherimmediatelyinHartford,Connecticut.Mom,thisiswhatshappened,theyrestartingahalloffame.

Itellherthelistofnamesandme,andshesays,Listen,ifthatswhattheywanttodo,whoamItosay?

ThatsmyMa.Ithinkitearnsthatkindofalaughbecauseeverybodyhasapieceofthatmother.

EH:

AndthesitcomJewishmotherisborn,rightthere.

Soyourfatheralsoplayedalargeroleinyourlife,mostlybyhisabsence.

NL:

Yeah.

EH:

Telluswhathappenedwhenyouwerenineyearsold.

NL:

HewasflyingtoOklahomawiththreeguysthatmymothersaid,Idontwantyoutohaveanythingtodowiththem,Idonttrustthosemen.ThatswhenIheard,maybenotforthefirsttime,Stifleyourself,Jeanette,Imgoing.Andhewent.Itturnsouthewaspickingupsomefakebonds,whichhewasflyingacrossthecountrytosell.ButthefactthathewasgoingtoOklahomainaplane,andhewasgoingtobringmebacka10-gallonhat,justlikeKenMaynard,myfavoritecowboywore.Youknow,thiswasafewyearsafterLindberghcrossedtheAtlantic.Imean,itwasexoticthatmyfatherwasgoingthere.Butwhenhecameback,theyarrestedhimashegotofftheplane.

Thatnightnewspaperswerealloverthehouse,myfatherwaswithhishatinfrontofhisface,manacledtoadetective.Andmymotherwassellingthefurniture,becausewewereleaving--shedidntwanttostayinthatstateofshame,inChelsea,Massachusetts.Andsellingthefurniture--thehousewasloadedwithpeople.

Andinthemiddleofallofthat,somestrangehorsesassputhishandonmyshoulderandsaid,Well,yourethemanofthehousenow.Imcrying,andthisassholesays,Yourethemanofthehousenow.AndIthinkthatwasthemomentIbegantounderstandthefoolishnessofthehumancondition.So...ittookalotofyearstolookbackatitandfeelitwasabenefit.But--

EH:

Itsinterestingyoucallitabenefit.

NL:

Benefitinthatitgavemethatspringboard.ImeanthatIcouldthinkhowfoolishitwastosaytothiscryingnine-year-oldboy,Yourethemanofthehousenow.AndthenIwascrying,andthenhesaid,Andmenofthehousedontcry.AndI...

So...Ilookback,andIthinkthatswhenIlearnedthefoolishnessofthehumancondition,anditsbeenthatgiftthatIveused.

EH:

Soyouhaveafatherwhosabsent,youhaveamotherforwhomapparentlynothingisgoodenough.Doyouthinkthatstartingoutasakidwhomaybeneverfeltheardstartedyoudownajourneythatendedwithyoubeinganadultwithaweeklyaudienceof120millionpeople?

NL:

Ilovethewayyouputthatquestion,becauseIguessIvespentmylifewanting--ifanything,wantingtobeheard.Ithink--Itsasimpleanswer,yes,thatwaswhatsparked--well,therewereotherthings,too.Whenmyfatherwasaway,Iwasfoolingwithacrystalradiosetthatwehadmadetogether,andIcaughtasignalthatturnedouttobeFatherCoughlin.

Yeah,somebodylaughed.

Butnotfunny,thiswasahorses--anotherhorsesass--whowasveryvocalabouthatingtheNewDealandRooseveltandJews.ThefirsttimeIranintoanunderstandingthattherewerepeopleinthisworldthathatedmebecauseIwasborntoJewishparents.Andthathadanenormouseffectonmylife.

EH:

Soyouhadachildhoodwithlittleinthewayofstrongmalerolemodels,exceptforyourgrandfather.Tellusabouthim.

NL:

Oh,mygrandfather.WellheresthewayIalwaystalkedaboutthatgrandfather.Therewereparades,lotsofparadeswhenIwasakid.TherewereparadesonVeteransDay--therewasntaPresidentsDay.TherewasAbrahamLincolnsbirthday,GeorgeWashingtonsbirthdayandFlagDay...Andlotsoflittleparades.Mygrandfatherusedtotakemeandwedstandonthestreetcorner,hedholdmyhand,andIdlookupandIdseeatearrunningdownhiseye.Andhemeantagreatdealtome.

AndheusedtowritepresidentsoftheUnitedStates.Everyletterstarted,Mydearest,darlingMr.President,andhedtellhimsomethingwonderfulaboutwhathedid.ButwhenhedisagreedwiththePresident,healsowrote,Mydearest,darlingMr.President,DidntItellyoulastweek...?

AndIwouldrundownthestairseverynowandthenandpickupthemail.Wewerethreeflightsup,74YorkStreet,NewHaven,Connecticut.AndIdpickupalittlewhiteenvelopereading,ShyaC.calledatthisaddress.AndthatsthestoryIhavetoldaboutmygrandfather--

EH:

Theywrotehimbackontheenvelopes--

NL:

Theywroteback.ButIhaveshownthemmyself,goingwaybacktoPhilDonahueandothersbeforehim,literallydozensofinterviewsinwhichItoldthatstory.ThiswillbethesecondtimeIhavesaidthewholestorywasalie.Thetruthwasmygrandfathertookmetoparades,wehadlotsofthose.Thetruthisatearcamedownhiseye.

Thetruthishewouldwriteanoccasionalletter,andIdidpickupthoselittleenvelopes.ButMydearestdarlingMr.President,alltherestofit,isastoryIborrowedfromagoodfriendwhosegrandfatherwasthatgrandfatherwhowrotethoseletters.And,Imean,IstoleArthurMarshallsgrandfatherandmadehimmyown.Always.

WhenIstartedtowritemymemoir--Eventhis--Howaboutthat?

EvenThisIGettoExperience.WhenIstartedtowritethememoirandIstartedtothinkaboutit,andthenI--I--Ididareasonableamountofcrying,andIrealizedhowmuchIneededthefather.SomuchsothatIappropriatedArthurMarshallsgrandfather.Somuchso,thewordfather--Ihavesixkidsbytheway.Myfavoriteroleinlife.ItandhusbandtomywifeLyn.ButIstolethemansidentitybecauseIneededthefather.

NowIvegonethroughawholelotofshitandcomeoutontheotherside,andIforgivemyfather--thebestthingI--theworstthingI--ThewordIdliketouseabouthimandthinkabouthimis--hewasarascal.Thefactthatheliedandstolea