TED英语演讲：我的阅读世界年

Word文档TED英语演讲：我的阅读世界年安.摩根认为自己擅于阅读，直到她在自己的书架上发觉到不得了的文化盲点;在众多的英、美作家之列，极少作品出自英语世界以外的作家。所以她订出一个豪情万丈的目标-「在一年的历程阅读世界各国的一本书」;现在她鼓舞其他的崇尚英风者们去阅读翻译作品。下面是我为大家收集关于TED英语演讲：我的阅读世界年，欢迎借鉴参考。

演说题目：我的阅读世界年!

演说者：AnnMorgan

Itsoftensaidthatyoucantellalotaboutapersonbylookingatwhatsontheirbookshelves.Whatdomybookshelvessayaboutme?Well,whenIaskedmyselfthisquestionafewyearsago,Imadeanalarmingdiscovery.Idalwaysthoughtofmyselfasafairlycultured,cosmopolitansortofperson.Butmybookshelvestoldaratherdifferentstory.PrettymuchallthetitlesonthemwerebyBritishorNorthAmericanauthors,andtherewasalmostnothingintranslation.Discoveringthismassive,culturalblindspotinmyreadingcameasquiteashock.

AndwhenIthoughtaboutit,itseemedlikearealshame.IknewtherehadtobelotsofamazingstoriesouttherebywritersworkinginlanguagesotherthanEnglish.AnditseemedreallysadtothinkthatmyreadinghabitsmeantIwouldprobablyneverencounterthem.So,Idecidedtoprescribemyselfanintensivecourseofglobalreading.20xxwassettobeaveryinternationalyearfortheUK;itwastheyearoftheLondonOlympics.AndsoIdecidedtouseitasmytimeframetotrytoreadanovel,shortstorycollectionormemoirfromeverycountryintheworld.AndsoIdid.AnditwasveryexcitingandIlearnedsomeremarkablethingsandmadesomewonderfulconnectionsthatIwanttosharewithyoutoday.

Butitstartedwithsomepracticalproblems.AfterIdworkedoutwhichofthemanydifferentlistsofcountriesintheworldtouseformyproject,IendedupgoingwiththelistofUN-recognizednations,towhichIaddedTaiwan,whichgavemeatotalof196countries.AndafterIdworkedouthowtofitreadingandbloggingabout,roughly,fourbooksaweekaroundworkingfivedaysaweek,

IthenhadtofaceuptothefactthatImightevennotbeabletogetbooksinEnglishfromeverycountry.Onlyaround4.5percentoftheliteraryworkspublishedeachyearintheUKaretranslations,andthefiguresaresimilarformuchoftheEnglish-speakingworld.Although,theproportionoftranslatedbookspublishedinmanyothercountriesisalothigher.4.5percentistinyenoughtostartwith,butwhatthatfiguredoesnttellyouisthatmanyofthosebookswillcomefromcountrieswithstrongpublishingnetworksandlotsofindustryprofessionalsprimedtogooutandsellthosetitlestoEnglish-languagepublishers.So,forexample,althoughwellover100booksaretranslatedfromFrenchandpublishedintheUKeachyear,mostofthemwillcomefromcountrieslikeFranceorSwitzerland.French-speakingAfrica,ontheotherhand,willrarelyevergetalook-in.

TheupshotisthatthereareactuallyquitealotofnationsthatmayhavelittleorevennocommerciallyavailableliteratureinEnglish.Theirbooksremaininvisibletoreadersoftheworldsmostpublishedlanguage.Butwhenitcametoreadingtheworld,thebiggestchallengeofallformewasthatfactthatIdidntknowwheretostart.HavingspentmylifereadingalmostexclusivelyBritishandNorthAmericanbooks,Ihadnoideahowtogoaboutsourcingandfindingstoriesandchoosingthemfrommuchoftherestoftheworld.IcouldnttellyouhowtosourceastoryfromSwaziland.IwouldntknowagoodnovelfromNamibia.Therewasnohidingit--Iwasacluelessliteraryxenophobe.SohowonearthwasIgoingtoreadtheworld?

Iwasgoingtohavetoaskforhelp.SoinOctober20xx,Iregisteredmyblog,,andIpostedashortappealonline.IexplainedwhoIwas,hownarrowmyreadinghadbeen,andIaskedanyonewhocaredtotoleaveamessagesuggestingwhatImightreadfromotherpartsoftheplanet.Now,Ihadnoideawhetheranyonewouldbeinterested,butwithinafewhoursofmepostingthatappealonline,peoplestartedtogetintouch.Atfirst,itwasfriendsandcolleagues.Thenitwasfriendsoffriends.Andprettysoon,itwasstrangers.

FourdaysafterIputthatappealonline,IgotamessagefromawomancalledRafidahinKualaLumpur.Shesaidshelovedthesoundofmyproject,couldshegotoherlocalEnglish-languagebookshopandchoosemyMalaysianbookandpostittome?Iacceptedenthusiastically,andafewweekslater,apackagearrivedcontainingnotone,buttwobooks--RafidahschoicefromMalaysia,andabookfromSingaporethatshehadalsopickedoutforme.Now,atthetime,Iwasamazedthatastrangermorethan6,000milesawaywouldgotosuchlengthstohelpsomeoneshewouldprobablynevermeet.

ButRafidahskindnessprovedtobethepatternforthatyear.Timeandagain,peoplewentoutoftheirwaytohelpme.Sometookonresearchonmybehalf,andothersmadedetoursonholidaysandbusinesstripstogotobookshopsforme.Itturnsout,ifyouwanttoreadtheworld,ifyouwanttoencounteritwithanopenmind,theworldwillhelpyou.WhenitcametocountrieswithlittleornocommerciallyavailableliteratureinEnglish,peoplewentfurtherstill.

Booksoftencamefromsurprisingsources.MyPanamanianread,forexample,camethroughaconversationIhadwiththePanamaCanalonTwitter.Yes,thePanamaCanalhasaTwitteraccount.AndwhenItweetedatitaboutmyproject,itsuggestedthatImightliketotryandgetholdoftheworkofthePanamanianauthorJuanDavidMorgan.IfoundMorganswebsiteandIsenthimamessage,askingifanyofhisSpanish-languagenovelshadbeentranslatedintoEnglish.Andhesaidthatnothinghadbeenpublished,buthedidhaveanunpublishedtranslationofhisnovelTheGoldenHorse.Heemailedthistome,allowingmetobecomeoneofthefirstpeopleevertoreadthatbookinEnglish.

Morganwasbynomeanstheonlywordsmithtosharehisworkwithmeinthisway.FromSwedentoPalau,writersandtranslatorssentmeself-publishedbooksandunpublishedmanuscriptsofbooksthathadntbeenpickedupbyAnglophonepublishersorthatwerenolongeravailable,givingmeprivilegedglimpsesofsomeremarkableimaginaryworlds.Iread,forexample,abouttheSouthernAfricankingNgungunhane,wholedtheresistanceagainstthePortugueseinthe19thcentury;andaboutmarriageritualsinaremotevillageontheshoresoftheCaspianseainTurkmenistan.ImetKuwaitsanswertoBridgetJones.

AndIreadaboutanorgyinatreeinAngola.

Butperhapsthemostamazingexampleofthelengthsthatpeoplewerepreparedtogototohelpmereadtheworld,cametowardstheendofmyquest,whenItriedtogetholdofabookfromthetiny,Portuguese-speakingAfricanislandnationofS?oTomandPrncipe.Now,havingspentseveralmonthstryingeverythingIcouldthinkoftofindabookthathadbeentranslatedintoEnglishfromthenation,itseemedasthoughtheonlyoptionlefttomewastoseeifIcouldgetsomethingtranslatedformefromscratch.Now,Iwasreallydubiouswhetheranyonewasgoingtowanttohelpwiththis,andgiveuptheirtimeforsomethinglikethat.But,withinaweekofmeputtingacalloutonTwitterandFacebookforPortuguesespeakers,IhadmorepeoplethanIcouldinvolveintheproject,includingMargaretJullCosta,aleaderinherfield,whohastranslatedtheworkofNobelPrizewinnerJosSaramago.Withmyninevolunteersinplace,ImanagedtofindabookbyaS?oTomanauthorthatIcouldbuyenoughcopiesofonline.Heresoneofthem.AndIsentacopyouttoeachofmyvolunteers.Theyalltookonacoupleofshortstoriesfromthiscollection,stucktotheirword,senttheirtranslationsbacktome,andwithinsixweeks,Ihadtheentirebooktoread.

Inthatcase,asIfoundsooftenduringmyyearofreadingtheworld,mynotknowingandbeingopenaboutmylimitationshadbecomeabigopportunity.WhenitcametoS?oTomandPrncipe,itwasachancenotonlytolearnsomethingnewanddiscoveranewcollectionofstories,butalsotobringtogetheragroupofpeopleandfacilitateajointcreativeendeavor.Myweaknesshadbecometheprojectsstrength.

ThebooksIreadthatyearopenedmyeyestomanythings.Asthosewhoenjoyreadingwillknow,bookshaveanextraordinarypowertotakeyououtofyourselfandintosomeoneelsesmindset,sothat,forawhileatleast,youlookattheworldthroughdifferenteyes.Thatcanbeanuncomfortableexperience,particularlyifyourereadingabookfromaculturethatmayhavequitedifferentvaluestoyourown.Butitcanalsobereallyenlightening.Wrestlingwithunfamiliarideascanhelpclarifyyourownthinking.Anditcanalsoshowupblindspotsinthewayyoumighthavebeenlookingattheworld.

WhenIlookedbackatmuchoftheEnglish-languageliteratureIdgrownupwith,forexample,Ibegantoseehownarrowalotofitwas,comparedtotherichnessthattheworldhastooffer.Andasthepagesturned,somethingelsestartedtohappen,too.Littlebylittle,thatlonglistofcountriesthatIdstartedtheyearwith,changedfromaratherdry,academicregisterofplacenamesintoliving,breathingentities.

Now,Idontwanttosuggestthatitsatallpossibletogetaroundedpictureofacountrysimplybyreadingonebook.Butcumulatively,thestoriesIreadthatyearmadememorealivethaneverbeforetotherichness,diversityandcomplexityofourremarkableplanet.Itwasasthoughtheworldsstoriesandthepeoplewhodgonetosuchlengthstohelpmereadthemhadmadeitrealtome.Thesedays,whenIlookatmybookshelvesorconsidertheworksonmye-reader,theytellaratherdifferentstory.Itsthestoryofthepowerbookshavetoconnectusacrosspolitical,geographical,cultural,social,religiousdivides.Itsthetaleofthepotentialhumanbeingshavetoworktogether.

And,itstestamenttotheextraordinarytimeswelivein,where,thankstotheInternet,itseasierthaneverbeforeforastrangertoshareastory,aworldview,abookwithsomeoneshemaynevermeet,ontheothersideoftheplanet.IhopeitsastoryImreadingformanyyearstocome.AndIhopemanymorepeoplewilljoinme.Ifweallreadmorewidely,theredbemoreincentiveforpublisherstotranslatemorebooks,andwewouldallbericherforthat.

Thankyou.

常说看一个人的书架就能了解到这个人许多事情那么我的书架是怎么呈现我的呢?嗯，当几年前我问自己这个问题时我被自己吓了一跳我始终觉得自己是一个有教养的比较与时俱进的人但我的书架呈现的却是另一回事大部分的书都是英国或北美的基本没什么翻译过来的书在我的阅读里，我发觉了这个浩大的文化盲点的确挺惊人的

当我认真去想的时候，真的挺圆满的我知道在这个世界上除了英语肯定还有许多其他语言的好玩的故事而我的阅读习惯意味着我估量永久也不会去接触这一类书这想起来让人有点难过所以我下定决心把自己的阅读范围扩大到世界级的范围20xx年对于英国来说是特别国际化的一年这一年伦敦举办了奥运会所以我打算把它当成一个时间段去尝试从世界上不同的国家里选一本小说来读，不管是短篇的还是自传的所以我这么做了特别刺激我学到许多有用的东西也了解到许多好玩的联系让我很想今日跟大家共享

但万事开头难当我整理出这个世界不同国家的列表后我又对比了联合国认证的国家列表所以我增加了台湾(中国)所以总共有196个国家在我算出如何在一周内一周五天的时间内读完并记录日志后，

我不得不面对这么一个现实就是我可能无法猎取每个国家书籍的英文版大约在英国出版的有翻译版本的书籍仅占全部的4.5%对于世界上讲英语的其他地区来说，这个数字也差不多尽管在很多其他国家翻译出版的书籍的比例要高许多4.5%对刚开头来说虽然足够但这个数字并没有告知你的是这些书中许多会来自拥有强大出版网络的国家而且当中许多专业人士也很想把这些书卖给英文出版社例如，虽然每年有超过100本的法语书会译成英文在英国发行但大部分是来自法国或瑞士另一方面，在非洲讲法语的地区则几乎没有机会涉及到

结果就是，有许多许多国家根本进不了英文文学的商业区根本进不了英文文学的商业区对世界上发行语言受众最多的读者来说这些国家的书籍鲜为人知但当谈到阅读世界这一做法时对我来说最大的困难就是我不知道从何入手我这一生几乎都在阅读英国和北美的书籍我根本不知道该怎么搜寻查找去选择世界上大部分其他地方的作品我没方法告知你要怎么去搜寻斯威士兰的文学作品我不知道纳米比亚有哪些好的文学作品这些作品并没有被藏起来我在文学上就是一个外盲那么我究竟要怎么去阅读这个世界呢?

我不得不寻求关心在20xx年10月，我注册了我的博客然后我发了一条简短的求助我解释我是谁我的阅读面有多窄我问有没有人情愿给我留言，建议我应当去读这个世界上其他地方的那些书我当时不知道有没有人会给我留言但在我发了求助后的几个小时内人们开头给我回复了一开头，是伴侣和同事然后就是伴侣的伴侣很快，就是生疏人

在我在网上留了那条求助之后的第四天我收到了一条消息它来自一位在吉隆坡叫Rafidah的女士她说她很喜爱我这个项目的意义问她能不能去当地的英文书店然后帮我选马来语书籍然后发给我?我满腔热忱地接受了几个星期后包裹来了，里面不是一本，是两本Rafidah选的一本是马来西亚的书还有一本也是她选的，来自新加坡的书当时，我都惊呆了一个远在6000英里之外的生疏人会如此专心去帮一个她从未见过的生疏人

但Rafidah的和善，成了那一年的常规一次又一次，人们用他们的方式来帮我有些人帮我做了讨论有些人在假期或出差的时候特地跑一趟书店帮我找书事实证明，假如你想阅读这个世界假如你想用开放的思维去与之沟通那么整个世界都会帮你对于那些在商业上没什么机会进入英文文学界的国家来说人们会更努力地去帮我

这些书籍的来源常常让我出乎意料举个例子，我的巴拿马阅读，是来自推特上我和“巴拿马水道”这个账号的对话是的，巴拿马水道在有推特账号的当我在推特上发布我这个项目的消息时它建议说，我可能会想要去读一读一位叫JuanDavidMorgan的巴拿马作家的作品我找到了作家的网站，然后给他发了一条消息问他，他的西语小说有没有被翻译成英文的他答复说目前还没有出版但他的确有一份未出版的英文译文一本名叫《金马》的小说他用邮件把译文发给我允许我成为第一批阅读这本书的英文版本的读者之一

Morgan并不是唯一一个情愿用这种方式和我共享他的作品的作家从瑞典到帕劳作家和翻译家给我发来他们自己出版的书籍还有未被以英文为母语的出版商挑中的或者是不再有机会发表的全部未出版的手稿这让我有机会一窥某些精彩的世界比如说，我读了关于南非国王Ngungunhane的书籍他在19世纪领导抵抗葡萄牙人我也读了土库曼斯坦的里海岸边那些偏僻村庄的结婚仪式我还读了科威特版本的《BJ单身日记》

我还读了安哥