TED英语演讲 | 做任何事情之前，都应该问自己这三个问题

简介：Stacey Abrams是第一个被提名为州长候选人的黑人女性——她分享了常常牵绊住我们人生的3答问题：财务、恐惧与疲惫厌倦，但更为重要的是——“面对自己的雄心，不要因为失败而受挫。知道自己想要什么，明白自己的动力何在，清楚如何得到它。”

中英文演讲稿 

When I was in high school at the age of 17-- I graduated from high school in Decatur, Georgia, as valedictorian of my high school--I was very proud of myself. I was from a low-income community, I had grown up in Mississippi, we'd moved from Mississippi to Georgia so my parents could pursue their degrees as United Methodist ministers. We were poor, but they didn't think we were poor enough, so they were going for permanent poverty.

当我还是个十七岁的高中生时——我从乔治亚州迪凯特的高中毕业，我是致告别辞的学生代表——我对自己挺骄傲的。我来自低收入小区，我在密西西比长大，我们从密西西比搬到乔治亚，是因为我父母想要取得联合循道宗牧师的身分。我们很穷，但他们觉得我们还不够穷，所以他们要去争取永久的贫穷。

And so, while they studied at Emory, I studied at Avondale, and I became valedictorian. Well, one of the joys of being valedictorian in the state of Georgia is that you get invited to meet thegovern or of Georgia. I was mildly interested in meeting him. It was kind of cool. I was more intrigued by the fact that he lived in a mansion, because I watched a lot of "General Hospital" and "Dynasty" as a child.

所以，他们在埃默里大学读书，我在雅芳戴尔高中读书，且成了致告别辞的学生代表。身为乔治亚州致告别辞的学生代表，其中一项乐趣就是你会受邀请去见乔治亚州的州长。对于能见到他，我是略感兴趣。那还蛮酷的。比较吸引我的是，他住在官邸中，我小时候常常在看《杏林春暖》和《朝代》。

And so I got up that morning, ready to go to visit the governor. My mom and my dad, who were also invited, got up, and we went outside. But we didn't get in our car. And in the south, a car is a necessary thing. We don't have a lot of public transit, there aren't a lot of options. But if you're lucky enough to live in a community where you don't have a car, the only option is public transit. 

所以，我那天早上起床，准备好要去拜访州长。我爸妈也受到邀请，他们起床了，我们出了门。但我们没有上我们的车。在南方，一定要有车。我们没有太多的大众交通工具可以选择。但如果你够幸运，住在一个小区中，在那里若你没有车，唯一的选择就是大众交通工具。

And that's what we had to take. And so we got on the bus. And we took the bus from Decatur all the way to Buckhead, where the Governor's Mansion sat on this really beautiful acreage of land, with these long black gates that ran the length of the property.

那就是我们得要搭乘的。所以我们上了巴士。我们从迪凯特一路搭巴士到巴克海特，在那里，州长的官邸坐落在一片非常漂亮的土地上，有很长的黑色大门，从地产的这一头到那一头。

We get to the Governor's Mansion, we pull the little lever that lets them know this is our stop, we get off the bus, my mom, my dad and I, we walk across the street. We walk up the driveway, because there are cars coming up, cars bringing in students from all across the state of Georgia. 

我们到了州长的官邸，我们按了下车铃让他们知道我们要下车，我们下了巴士，我爸妈和我，我们穿过街道，我们走上车道，因为有一些车抵达，那些车载来了乔治亚州各地的学生。

So we're walking along the side. And as we walk single file along the side, my mom and dad sandwiching me to make sure I don't get hit by one of the cars bringing in the other valedictorians, we approach the guard gate.

我们延着边边行走。我们成一路纵队延着边边行走，我爸妈把我夹在中间，以免我被其他学生代表载来的车给撞到，我们接近了警卫门。

When we get to the guard gate, the guard comes out. He looks at me, and he looks at my parents, and he says, "You don't belong here, this is a private event." My dad says, "No, this is my daughter, Stacey. She's one of the valedictorians." But the guard doesn't look at the checklist that's in his hands. 

当我们到达警卫门时，警卫走出来。他看着我，他看着我爸妈，他说：「你们不属于这里，这是私人的活动。」我爸爸说：「不，这是我女儿，史黛西。她是学生代表之一。」但警卫并没有看他手上的名单。

He doesn't ask my mom for the invitation that's at the bottom of her very voluminous purse. Instead, he looks over our shoulder at the bus, because in his mind, the bus is telling him a story about who should be there. And the fact that we were too poor to have our own car -- that was a story he told himself. 

他没有向我妈妈要邀请函，我妈妈把邀请函放在她那宽松的皮包底部。反之，他看向我们后面的巴士，因为在他的想法中，巴士就能告诉他谁该在这里。我们太贫穷了，没有自己的车——这是他告诉他自己的故事。

And he may have seen something in my skin color, he may have seen something in my attire; I don't know what went through his mind. But his conclusion was to look at me again, and with a look of disdain, say, "I told you, this is a private event. You don't belong here." Now, my parents were studying to become United Methodist ministers, but they were not pastors yet.

他可能在我的肤色中看到了些信息，他可能在我的穿著中看到了些信息，我不知道他在想什么。但他的结论是，再看我一次，他脸上是轻蔑的表情，说：「我说过了，这是私人活动。你们不属于这里。」我爸妈在读书，想要成为联合循道宗的牧师，但他们还不是牧师。

And so they proceeded to engage this gentleman in a very robust discussion of his decision-making skills.

所以他们开始跟这位男士进行非常稳健的讨论，谈他的决策技巧。

My father may have mentioned that he was going to spend eternity in a very fiery place if he didn't find my name on that checklist. And indeed, the man checks the checklist eventually, and he found my name, and he let us inside. But I don't remember meeting the governor of Georgia. 

我爸爸可能有提及若他不在名单上找到我的名字，他就会永久待在一个非常炽热的地方（下地狱）。那名男子终于看了他的名单，他找到了我的名字，让我们进入。但我不记得和乔治亚州州长的会面。

I don't recall meeting my fellow valedictorians from 180 school districts. The only clear memory I have of that day was a man standing in front of the most powerful place in Georgia, looking at me and telling me I don't belong.

我想不起来我有见到来自180个学区的其他学生代表。我对那天唯一清楚的记忆，就是有名男子站在乔治亚州最有权势的场所前面，看着我，告诉我我不属于这里。

And so I decided, 20-some-odd years later, to be the person who got to open the gates.

所以，二十多年后，我决定要成为打开那些大门的人。

Unfortunately, you may have read the rest of the story. It didn't quite work out that way. And now I'm tasked with figuring out: How do I move forward? Because, you see, I didn't just want to open the gates for young black women who had been underestimated and told they don't belong. I wanted to open those gates for Latinas and for Asian Americans.

不幸的是，你们可能已经读过故事剩下的部分了。发展并不如我预期。我现在的任务，就是要想出：我要如何向前迈进？因为，我不只是想要为那些被低估、被告知不属于这里的年轻黑人女性打开那些大门，我想要为拉丁美洲裔和亚裔美国人打开那些大门。

I wanted to open those gates for the undocumented and the documented. I wanted to open those gates as an ally of the LGBTQ community. I wanted to open those gates for the families that have to call themselves the victims of gun violence. I wanted to open those gates wide for everyone in Georgia, because that is our state, and this is our nation, and we all belong here.

我想要为没有证明文件和有证明文件的人打开那些大门。我想要为LGBTQ族群打开那些大门。我想要为成为枪枝暴力下受害者的家庭打开那些大门。我想要为乔治亚州的每个人，把那些大门开到底，因为那是我们的州，这是我们的国家，我们都属于这里。

But what I recognized is that the first try wasn't enough. And my question became: How do I move forward? How do I get beyond the bitterness and the sadness and the lethargy and watching an inordinate amount of television as I eat ice cream?

但我发现，第一次尝试并不足够。我的问题变成了：我要如何向前迈进？我要如何超越痛苦、悲伤、没精打采，以及一边吃冰淇淋一边无节制地看电视？

What do I do next? And I'm going to do what I've always done. I'm going to move forward, because going backwards isn't an option and standing still is not enough.

我接下来要怎么做？我要做的，是我一直在做的。我要向前迈进，因为没有「后退」这个选项，且「站着不动」并不足够。

You see, I began my race for governor by analyzing who I was and what I wanted to be. And there are three questions I ask myself about everything I do, whether it's running for office or starting a business; when I decided to start the New Georgia Project to register people to vote; 

我竞选州长的第一件事，就是分析我以前是什么人、我想要成为什么人。对于我做的每一件事，我都会问自己三个问题，不论是竞选或是创业；包括当我发动「新乔治亚计划」，让大家登记去投票；

Or when I started the latest action, Fair Fight Georgia. No matter what I do, I ask myself three questions: What do I want? Why do I want it? And how do I get it? And in this case, I know what I want. I want change. That is what I want. But the question is: What change do I want to see?

或是当我成立最新的行动「乔治亚公平之争」时。不论我做什么，我都会问自己三个问题：我想要什么？我为什么想要它？我要如何得到它？我这个案例中，我知道我要什么。我要改变。那就是我想要的。但，问题是：我想要看到什么样的改变？

And I know that the questions I have to ask myself are: One, am I honest about the scope of my ambition? Because it's easy to figure out that once you didn't get what you wanted, then maybe you should have set your sights a little lower, but I'm here to tell you to be aggressive about your ambition. Do not allow setbacks to set you back.

我知道我得要问我自己的问题是：一，我对于我野心的范围是否有诚实？因为，很容易就能想通，如果你得不到你想要的，也许你应该把目标设低一点，但我来这里是要告诉各位，对你们的野心要很积极。不要让挫折使你受挫。

Number two, let yourself understand your mistakes. But also understand their mistakes, because, as women in particular, we're taught that if something doesn't work out, it's probably our fault. And usually, there is something we could do better, but we've been told not to investigate too much what the other side could have done. 

二，让你自己了解你的错误。但也要了解他们的错误，因为，特别是女性，我们被教导，若事情没成功，很可能是我们的错。通常，会有我们能做更好的地方，但我们被告知的是，不要追究另一方本来还可以怎么做。

And this isn't partisan -- it's people. We're too often told that our mistakes are ours alone, but victory is a shared benefit. And so what I tell you to do is understand your mistakes, but understand the mistakes of others. And be clearheaded about it. And be honest with yourself and honest with those who support you.

这不是支持党派——这是人。我们太常被告知，我们的错误完全是我们的错误，但胜利则是要共享的利益。我要各位做的是，了解你的错误，但也要了解他人的错误。且要能清楚明辨。对自己诚实，对支持你的人诚实。

But once you know what you want, understand why you want it. And even though it feels good, revenge is not a good reason.

但一旦你知道你想要什么，就要去了解你为什么想要它。且虽然报仇很爽，但它并不是个好理由。

Instead, make sure you want it because there's something not that you should do, but something you must do. It has to be something that doesn't allow you to sleep at night unless you're dreaming about it; something that wakes you up in the morning and gets you excited about it; or something that makes you so angry, you know you have to do something about it. But know why you're doing it. And know why it must be done.

应该做的，是要确保你想要它是因为有你非做不可的事，而不是应该做的事。它必须要是那种，晚上你如果不梦到它就无法入睡的事；它必须要是那种让你早上起来就很兴奋的事；或是让你非常愤怒的事，你知道你得要做点什么来处理它。但要知道你为什么要做它。知道为什么它必须要被完成。

You've listened to women from across this world talk about why things have to happen. But figure out what the "why" is for you, because jumping from the "what" to the "do" is meaningless if you don't know why. Because when it gets hard, when it gets tough, when your friends walk away from you, when your supporters forget you, when you don't win your first race -- if you don't know why, you can't try again.

你们已经听过了来自世界各地的女性谈论事情为什么必须要发生。但找出「为什么」是你个人的事，因为如果你不知道为什么，从「什么」跳到「做」就是无意义的。因为当情况变艰难时，当你的朋友都离开你时，当你的支持者都忘了你时，当你无法赢得你的第一场比赛时——若你不知道为什么要做，你就无法再试一次。

So, first know what you want. Second, know why you want it, but third, know how you're going to get it done. I faced a few obstacles in this race.

所以，先知道你想要什么。再来，知道你为什么想要它，但，第三，知道要如何做到它。在这场竞赛中，我面对了几个障碍。

Just a few. But in the pursuit, I became the first black woman to ever become the nominee for governor in the history of the United States of America for a major party.

只有几个。但在这场追寻当中，我成了美国史上第一个被大党提名为州长的黑人女性。

But more importantly, in this process, we turned out 1.2 million African American voters in Georgia. That is more voters than voted on the Democratic side of the ticket in 2014.

但，更重要的是，在这个过程中，我们让乔治亚州的120万名非裔美国投票人站出来。这比2014年投票给民主党的投票者还多。

Our campaign tripled the number of Latinos who believed their voices mattered in the state of Georgia. We tripled the number of Asian Americans who stood up and said, "This is our state, too." Those are successes that tell me how I can get it done. But they also let me understand the obstacles aren't insurmountable. They're just a little high.

我们的竞选活动让相信自己的声音在乔治亚洲会被重视的拉丁美洲裔人数变为三倍。我们让站出来说「这也是我们的州」的亚裔美国人人数变为三倍。那些成功，让我知道我如何能做到它。但它们也让我了解到，障碍并非不能克服。这些障碍只是高了点。

But I also understand that there are three things that always hold us hostage. The first is finances. Now, you may have heard, I'm in a little bit of debt. If you didn't hear about it, you did not goout side.

但我也了解到，有三样东西总是挟持着我们。第一样是财务。你们可能听说过，我其实有欠点债。如果你们没听过，你们大概没出门。

And finances are something that holds us back so often, our dreams are bounded by how much we have in resources. But we hear again and again the stories of those who overcome those resource challenges. But you can't overcome something you don't talk about. 

我们常常被财务给拖住，我们的梦想会受限于我们有多少资源。但我们一再听到人们能够克服资源困难的故事。但你不拿出来谈论，就不可能克服。

And that's why I didn't allow them to debt-shame me in my campaign. I didn't allow anyone to tell me that my lack of opportunity was a reason to disqualify me from running. And believe me, people tried to tell me I shouldn't run. Friends told me not to run. Allies told me not to run. "USA Today" mentioned maybe I shouldn't run.

那就是为什么我在兢选时，不会让他们用债务来羞辱我。我不会让任何人来告诉我，我没资格竞选的理由是因为我缺乏机会。相信我，很多人试图告诉我说我不应该竞选。朋友告诉我不要竞选。盟友告诉我不要竞选。《今日美国》提到，也许我不该竞选。

But no matter who it was, I understood that finances are often a reason we don't let ourselves dream. I can't say that you will always overcome those obstacles, but I will tell you, you will be damned if you do not try.

但，不论是谁，我知道财务常常会是不让我们作梦的一个理由。我没办法保证你们一定都会克服那些障碍，但我会告诉各位，如果你们不尝试，才应该下地狱。

The second is fear. And fear is real. It is paralyzing. It is terrifying. But it can also be energizing, because once you know what you're afraid of, you can figure out how to get around it.

第二样是恐惧。恐惧是真实的。它会让你瘫痪不动。它很吓人。但它也能激励人，因为一旦你知道你害怕的是什么，你就能想出方法绕过它。

And the third is fatigue. Sometimes you just get tired of trying. You get tired of reading about processes and politics and the things that stop you from getting where you want to be. Sometimes, fatigue means that we accept position instead of power. We let someone give us a title as a consolation prize, rather than realizing we know what we want and we're going to get it, even if we're tired. That's why God created naps.

第三样是疲惫。有时，你会厌倦了再次尝试。你会厌倦了读到关于流程、政治，以及阻挡你朝目标前进的那些事物。有时，疲惫意味着我们接受位置而非权力。我们让某人给我们一个头衔，当作安慰奖，而不是了解到我们知道自己想要什么，且即使累了也还是要完成它。那就是为什么神会创造打盹。

But we also learn in those moments that fatigue is an opportunity to evaluate how much we want it. Because if you are beaten down, if you have worked as hard as you can, if you have done everything you said you should, and it still doesn't work out, fatigue can sap you of your energy. But that's why you go back to the "why" of it.

但，在那些时刻，我们也会学到疲惫是个机会，可以评估我们到底有多想要它。因为如果你被打倒，如果你已经尽力而为，如果你已经做到了所有你说你应该做的事，结果仍然不如人意，疲惫就会把你的能量吸光。但，那就是为什么你要回到它的「为什么」。

Because I know we have to have women who speak for the voiceless. I know we have to have people of good conscience who stand up against oppression. I know we have to have people who understand that social justice belongs to us all. And that wakes me up every morning, and that makes me fight even harder. 

因为我知道，必须要有女性来为无法发声的人发声。必须要有有良心的人站出来对抗压迫。必须要有人能了解社会正义属于所有人。这个想法每天早上把我唤醒，让我更努力奋斗。

Because I am moving forward, knowing what is in my past. I know the obstacles they have for me. I know what they're going to do, and I'm fairly certain they're energizing and creating new obstacles now. But they've got four years to figure it out.

因为我在向前行，知道什么已经是过去的事。我知道他们给我的障碍。我知道他们打算怎么做，我十分确定他们现在正精力充沛地在创造新的障碍。但他们有四年的时间可以想出来。

Maybe two.

也许两年。

But here's my point: I know what I want, and that is justice. I know why I want it, because poverty is immoral, and itis a stain on our nation. And I know how I'm going to get it: by moving forward every single day.

但，我的重点是：我知道我想要什么，就是正义。我知道我为什么想要它，因为贫穷是不道德的，它是我们国家的污点。我知道我要如何做到：每天都持续向前进。

Thank you so much.

非常谢谢。