TED十佳演讲之2.0版城市:为何市长应该统治世界(1)
日期:2015-03-27 08:38

(单词翻译:单击)

演讲文本

Democracy is in trouble, no question about that,
毫无疑问的是,民主正处于危难之中。
and it comes in part from a deep dilemma
这种危难部分来自于
in which it is embedded.
扎根于其中的两难境地。
It's increasingly irrelevant to the kinds of decisions
我们面临的抉择越来越与国与国之间的界线无关。
we face that have to do with global pandemics,
如我们所面临的的全球性流行病,
a cross-border problem;
不是境内境外的问题;
with HIV, a transnational problem;
如获得性免疫缺陷综合征(简称HIV),不是国家内部的问题;
with markets and immigration,
如市场与移民,
something that goes beyond national borders;
不是国家领土界线内的问题;
with terrorism, with war,
再如恐怖主义、战争,
all now cross-border problems.
这些都是超越了国家与界线的问题。
In fact, we live in a 21st-century world
实际上,我们共存在二十一世纪
of interdependence,
这是一个互相依赖的世界,
and brutal interdependent problems,
也是一个有着很多残酷的互相依赖问题的世界,
and when we look for solutions in politics and in democracy,
当我们去政界和民主中找答案时,
we are faced with political institutions
我们面对的是400年前
designed 400 years ago,
组织建立起来的政治机构,
autonomous, sovereign nation-states
与有着法律与领土界线的
with jurisdictions and territories
自治的主权国家,
separate from one another,
这些政治机构与国际彼此分离,
each claiming to be able to solve the problem
各自主张自己能够解决
of its own people.
自己人民的问题。
Twenty-first-century, transnational world
我们生活在的是二十一世纪,应是一个有着困难和挑战
of problems and challenges,
的无国界世界,
17th-century world of political institutions.
而它却笼罩在十七世纪的政治机构体制之下。
In that dilemma lies the central problem of democracy.
民主的核心问题正存在于这种两难境地中。
And like many others, I've been thinking about
我与其他人一样都在想一个问题,
what can one do about this, this asymmetry
那就是,我们可以如何处理
between 21st-century challenges
这横跨在二十一世纪众多挑战中的不平衡
and archaic and increasingly dysfunctional
我们应该如何处理这种古旧的政体和
political institutions like nation-states.
越发机能失调的政治机构(如单一民族国家)。
And my suggestion is
我的建议是,
that we change the subject,
我们应该改一改话题,
that we stop talking about nations,
不谈国家,
about bordered states,
不谈界线,
and we start talking about cities.
而开始把我们的话题转移到城市。
Because I think you will find, when we talk about cities,
因为,我想相信当我们开始谈到城市的时候,你就会发现
we are talking about the political institutions
我们谈到的是
in which civilization and culture were born.
孕育着文明与文化的政治机构;
We are talking about the cradle of democracy.
我们谈到的是民主的摇篮;
We are talking about the venues in which
我们谈到的是人民在公共场所集会,
those public spaces where we come together
谈论民主、创造民主,
to create democracy, and at the same time
而与此同时,
protest those who would take our freedom, take place.
也抗议那些剥夺我们自由的势力。
Think of some great names:
想想那些伟大的名字吧:
the Place de la Bastille,
巴士底广场(法国巴黎,巴士底狱所在地),
Zuccotti Park,
祖科蒂公园(美国纽约,占领华尔街集会所在地)
Tahrir Square,
塔利尔解放广场(埃及开罗,埃及七月革命所在地)
Taksim Square in today's headlines in Istanbul,
和在今日头条的塔克西姆广场(土耳其伊斯坦布尔,人民示威游行所在地)
or, yes,
或者,是的,
Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
中国北京的天安门广场。
Those are the public spaces
在这些公共场所中,
where we announce ourselves as citizens,
我们宣告自己为公民,
as participants, as people with the right
为参与者,
to write our own narratives.
为有权利书写我们自己人生的人民。
Cities are not only the oldest of institutions,
城市不仅仅是最古老的机构,
they're the most enduring.
还是最经久不衰的机构。
If you think about it,
想想看,
Constantinople, Istanbul, much older than Turkey.
君士坦丁堡和伊斯坦布尔(城市)比土耳其(国家)持久;
Alexandria, much older than Egypt.
亚历山大港,比埃及更不朽;
Rome, far older than Italy.
罗马,远比意大利经久不衰。
Cities endure the ages.
城市,经得起岁月的考验。
They are the places where we are born,
城市是我们出生、
grow up, are educated, work, marry,
成长、受教育、工作以及结婚的地方;
pray, play, get old, and in time, die.
也是我们祈祷、玩耍、老去以及死亡的地方。
They are home.
城市是我们的家。
Very different than nation-states,
他们不同于抽象意义上的
which are abstractions.
民族与国家。
We pay taxes, we vote occasionally,
我们也许会纳税,也许会偶尔投票选举,
we watch the men and women we choose rule
也许会看着那些由我们选举出来的男人和女人们
rule more or less without us.
或多或少不考虑我们的统治着这个国家。
Not so in those homes known as our towns
他们都不如我们誉为家的小镇,
and cities where we live.
和我们生活的城市。

视频及简介

演讲简介

国家级的政治家们似乎总是制造僵局比解决世界性的难题要多。那么,应该由谁来挑起重任解决问题?答案是市长们。政治理论家本杰明·巴伯建议,“让市长们多一点处理全球性事务的权利。” 巴伯同时说明这些“哥们儿”们是如何解决他们自己管辖范围的要事,并可能将其方法推广到世界性的范围。


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