I spend most of my time

我大部分的時間都待在

in jails, in prisons, on death row.

看守所、監獄，或者死囚牢房中

I spend most of my time in very low-income communities

我也花很多時間參與低收入戶社區的計畫

in the projects and places where there's a great deal of hopelessness.

或者到一些充滿絕望的地方工作

And being here at TED

今天來到TED會場

and seeing the stimulation, hearing it,

所看到的，聽見的訊息

has been very, very energizing to me.

十分激勵人心

And one of the things that's emerged in my short time here

在我短暫到訪的時間內，我意識到

is that TED has an identity.

TED具有自己獨特的定位

And you can actually say things here

你在這裡說的話

that have impacts around the world.

可以影響整個世界

And sometimes when it comes through TED,

透過TED傳送的訊息

it has meaning and power

它的重要性和力量

that it doesn't have when it doesn't.

大於別的傳播平台

And I mention that because I think identity is really important.

提到這個，是因為我認為自我定位是非常重要的

And we've had some fantastic presentations.

我們已經聽過一些十分美妙的演講

And I think what we've learned

我想我們已經瞭解

is that, if you're a teacher your words can be meaningful,

如果你是老師，你說的話會變得有影響力

but if you're a compassionate teacher,

但如果你是一個富有同情心的老師

they can be especially meaningful.

你的話會更別具意義意

If you're a doctor you can do some good things,

如果你是醫生，你可以做些好事

but if you're a caring doctor you can do some other things.

但如果你是有愛心的醫生，你可以做的更多

And so I want to talk about the power of identity.

所以我要談關於自我定位的力量

And I didn't learn about this actually

其實我不是在工作中

practicing law and doing the work that I do.

學習到這些的

I actually learned about this from my grandmother.

實際上，我是從我外婆身上學到的

I grew up in a house

我在一個

that was the traditional African American home

傳統的非裔美國家庭中長大

that was dominated by a matriarch,

我的外婆

and that matriarch was my grandmother.

掌管家中大小事

She was tough, she was strong,

她既強悍又硬朗

she was powerful.

很有權威

She was the end of every argument in our family.

家中所有紛爭都由她收尾，做最終定奪

She was the beginning of a lot of arguments in our family.

同樣的，家中很多的爭吵也是她起的頭

She was the daughter of people who were actually enslaved.

她是奴隸的女兒

Her parents were born in slavery in Virginia in the 1840's.

她的父母在1840年代出生於維吉尼亞洲，生下來就是奴隸

She was born in the 1880's

她出生於1880年代

and the experience of slavery

過去身為奴隸的經歷

very much shaped the way she saw the world.

構成她看待世界的方式

And my grandmother was tough, but she was also loving.

我外婆雖然強悍，但她也很慈愛

When I would see her as a little boy,

當我小的時候

she'd come up to me and she'd give me these hugs.

她見到我時，總是走來給我擁抱

And she'd squeeze me so tight I could barely breathe

她緊緊得抱住我，幾乎到了無法呼吸的地步

and then she'd let me go.

然後才放開我

And an hour or two later, if I saw her,

一兩個小時後，外婆看到我

she'd come over to me and she'd say, "Bryan, do you still feel me hugging you?"

會問我：「Bryan，你仍然感受的到我的擁抱嗎？」

And if I said, "No," she'd assault me again,

如果我回答，「沒有。」她會再次攻擊我

and if I said, "Yes," she'd leave me alone.

如果我說，「有。」她就不再打擾我

And she just had this quality

她有一種

that you always wanted to be near her.

讓人想親近她的特質

And the only challenge was that she had 10 children.

唯一的困擾是她有十個小孩

My mom was the youngest of her 10 kids.

我媽媽是當中最年幼的

And sometimes when I would go and spend time with her,

有時候我想要花時間和她相處

it would be difficult to get her time and attention.

很難得她的時間和注意力

My cousins would be running around everywhere.

我的表兄弟姊妹們總是在圍繞在四周

And I remember, when I was about eight or nine years old,

我記得，當我大概八或九歲的時候

waking up one morning, going into the living room,

有天早上醒來，走進客廳

and all of my cousins were running around.

我所有的表兄弟姊妹都在

And my grandmother was sitting across the room

我外婆坐在客廳的另外一邊

staring at me.

盯著我看

And at first I thought we were playing a game.

一開始我以為我們在玩遊戲

And I would look at her and I'd smile,

我笑著回看她

but she was very serious.

但她非常嚴肅

And after about 15 or 20 minutes of this,

大約 15 或 20 分鐘之後

she got up and she came across the room

她起身走過客廳

and she took me by the hand

牽起我的手

and she said, "Come on, Bryan. You and I are going to have a talk."

她說：「來吧，Bryan。我們需要談一下。」

And I remember this just like it happened yesterday.

這彷彿是昨天才發生過的事

I never will forget it.

我永遠不會忘記

She took me out back and she said, "Bryan, I'm going to tell you something,

她帶我到外面，跟我說：「Bryan，我要跟你說一些事，

but you don't tell anybody what I tell you."

但你不可以跟任何人說。」

I said, "Okay, Mama."

我說，「好的，嬤嬤。」

She said, "Now you make sure you don't do that." I said, "Sure."

她說：「你保證你不跟別人說。」我說：「當然。」

Then she sat me down and she looked at me

然後她要我坐下，看著我

and she said, "I want you to know

她說：「我要你知道

I've been watching you."

我一直都在注意你。」

And she said, "I think you're special."

「我覺得你很特別。」

She said, "I think you can do anything you want to do."

「我認為你可以做到任何你想要做的事。」

I will never forget it.

我永遠忘不了這一幕

And then she said, "I just need you to promise me three things, Bryan."

接著她說：「我要你答應我三件事情，Bryan。」

I said, "Okay, Mama."

我說：「沒問題，嬤嬤。」

She said, "The first thing I want you to promise me

她說：「第一，我要你答應我

is that you'll always love your mom."

你會永遠愛你的母親。」

She said, "That's my baby girl,

她說：「她是我的寶貝女兒

and you have to promise me now you'll always take care of her."

你要答應我，你會永遠照顧她。」

Well I adored my mom, so I said, "Yes, Mama. I'll do that."

我非常愛我媽媽，於是我說：「好的，嬤嬤。」

Then she said, "The second thing I want you to promise me

接著她說：「第二，我要你答應我

is that you'll always do the right thing

你永遠都要做正確的事

even when the right thing is the hard thing."

即使有時候，正確的事是相對困難的事。」

And I thought about it and I said, "Yes, Mama. I'll do that."

我想了一下，回答：「好的，嬤嬤。我會照做。」

Then finally she said, "The third thing I want you to promise me

最後她說：「第三件事，我要你保證

is that you'll never drink alcohol."

你永遠不喝酒。」

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Well I was nine years old, so I said, "Yes, Mama. I'll do that."

我當時才九歲，所以我說：「好的，嬤嬤。我答應妳。」

I grew up in the country in the rural South,

我在南方的鄉村中長大

and I have a brother a year older than me and a sister a year younger.

我有一個大一歲的哥哥和一個小一歲的妹妹

When I was about 14 or 15,

當我大概 14 或 15 歲的時候

one day my brother came home and he had this six-pack of beer --

有一天我哥哥帶了半打啤酒回家

I don't know where he got it --

我不知道他從哪裡弄來的

and he grabbed me and my sister and we went out in the woods.

然後，他帶著我和我妹妹到樹林中

And we were kind of just out there doing the stuff we crazily did.

我們在那裡瘋狂玩樂嬉鬧

And he had a sip of this beer and he gave some to my sister and she had some,

我哥哥喝了一口啤酒，接著交給我妹妹，她跟著喝了一些

and they offered it to me.

然後他們將酒遞給我

I said, "No, no, no. That's okay. You all go ahead. I'm not going to have any beer."

我說：「不用了，你們喝就好，我不喝啤酒。」

My brother said, "Come on. We're doing this today; you always do what we do.

我哥哥說：「試試看，今天我們就是要一起嘗試這件事

I had some, your sister had some. Have some beer."

我喝了，妹妹也喝了，你也喝一些吧。」

I said, "No, I don't feel right about that. Y'all go ahead. Y'all go ahead."

我說：「不要，我覺得這樣不好。你們喝吧。」

And then my brother started staring at me.

我哥哥盯著我看

He said, "What's wrong with you? Have some beer."

他說：「你哪根筋不對勁？喝點啤酒吧。」

Then he looked at me real hard and he said,

接著他懷疑地看著我，他說

"Oh, I hope you're not still hung up

「噢，我希望你不是還在

on that conversation Mama had with you."

為了嬤嬤跟你說的話煩惱。」

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

I said, "Well, what are you talking about?"

我說：「你在說什麼？」

He said, "Oh, Mama tells all the grandkids that they're special."

哥哥說：「喔，嬤嬤告訴所有孫子他們很特別。」

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

I was devastated.

我當時心碎了

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

And I'm going to admit something to you.

但我要跟你們承認一件事

I'm going to tell you something I probably shouldn't.

這件事我也許不該說出來

I know this might be broadcast broadly.

我知道這個演說是會散播出去的

But I'm 52 years old,

我現在 52 歲了，

and I'm going to admit to you

而且我要承認

that I've never had a drop of alcohol.

我從來沒有沾過一滴酒精

(Applause)

(掌聲)

I don't say that because I think that's virtuous;

我說這個不是因為我認為這是有品德的事

I say that because there is power in identity.

我說這個是因為自我定位是有力量的

When we create the right kind of identity,

當有了正確的自我定位

we can say things to the world around us

我們可以讓周遭的人

that they don't actually believe makes sense.

更輕易被說服

We can get them to do things

我們能激勵他們做些

that they don't think they can do.

他們不認為自己可以做的事

When I thought about my grandmother,

當我想到我的外婆

of course she would think all her grandkids were special.

她當然會認為她所有的孫子都很特別

My grandfather was in prison during prohibition.

在美國的禁酒時期，我外公被關在監獄裡

My male uncles died of alcohol-related diseases.

我的幾個舅舅死於酒精相關的疾病

And these were the things she thought we needed to commit to.

所以這是外婆要我們承諾她的理由

Well I've been trying to say something

我開始來聊一些

about our criminal justice system.

關於美國的犯罪司法系統

This country is very different today

我們的國家和 40 年前相比

than it was 40 years ago.

有非常大的不同

In 1972, there were 300,000 people in jails and prisons.

在1972年，有三十萬人被關在拘留所或監獄中

Today, there are 2.3 million.

現在，人數已經高達兩百三十萬人

The United States now has the highest rate of incarceration

美國有全世界最高比例的

in the world.

服刑人口

We have seven million people on probation and parole.

我們有七百萬人在緩刑和假釋中

And mass incarceration, in my judgment,

我認為，大量的判刑

has fundamentally changed our world.

徹底改變了我們的世界

In poor communities, in communities of color

在貧困的社區裡，有色人種的社區裡

there is this despair,

充滿了絕望

there is this hopelessness,

對未來不抱希望

that is being shaped by these outcomes.

這就是現今制度產生的一些後果

One out of three black men

18 歲到 30 歲的黑人

between the ages of 18 and 30

有三分之一

is in jail, in prison, on probation or parole.

在拘留所、監獄裡，緩刑或假釋中

In urban communities across this country --

美國的大城市

Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington --

洛杉磯，賓州，巴爾地摩，華盛頓

50 to 60 percent of all young men of color are

百分之五十到六十的年輕有色人種

in jail or prison or on probation or parole.

在拘留所、監獄裡，緩刑或假釋中

Our system isn't just being shaped

我國的法制系統

in these ways that seem to be distorting around race,

不僅是被種族問題扭曲了

they're also distorted by poverty.

似乎也被貧窮所扭曲了

We have a system of justice in this country

在這個國家，我們的司法系統

that treats you much better

對待富有的犯罪者

if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent.

比貧窮但清白的人還好

Wealth, not culpability,

財富決定結果

shapes outcomes.

而不是有罪與否

And yet, we seem to be very comfortable.

然而，一般民眾似乎還蠻習慣的

The politics of fear and anger

恐懼和憤怒的政治操作

have made us believe

讓我們相信

that these are problems that are not our problems.

這些問題不是我們的問題

We've been disconnected.

我們已經脫節了

It's interesting to me.

引起我注意的是

We're looking at some very interesting developments in our work.

我在工作中看到些非常有趣的發展

My state of Alabama, like a number of states,

我所居住的阿拉巴馬州，如同很多其它州一般

actually permanently disenfranchises you

如果你曾經犯罪過

if you have a criminal conviction.

你的公民權利會被永遠剝奪

Right now in Alabama

現在在阿拉巴馬州

34 percent of the black male population

百分之三十四的黑人男性人口數

has permanently lost the right to vote.

已經永遠失去投票權

We're actually projecting in another 10 years

我們推斷，再過十年後

the level of disenfranchisement

被剝奪公民權的人數比例

will be as high as it's been

將和通過選舉權法之前

since prior to the passage of the Voting Rights Act.

不分上下

And there is this stunning silence.

這事實令人震驚

I represent children.

我很多客戶都非常年輕

A lot of my clients are very young.

有時我會成為一些孩子的委任律師

The United States is the only country in the world

美國是世界上唯一一個國家

where we sentence 13-year-old children

會將 13 歲的小孩

to die in prison.

判死刑

We have life imprisonment without parole for kids in this country.

這也是世界上唯一一個國家

And we're actually doing some litigation.

會判小孩終身監禁，不得保釋

The only country in the world.

實際上，我們仍然在為這些案子奮鬥，進行訴訟

I represent people on death row.

我也會為死刑犯辯護

It's interesting, this question of the death penalty.

死刑這個問題很有趣

In many ways, we've been taught to think

在很多方面，我們被引導朝向

that the real question is,

人們是否應該為他們所犯的罪而死？

do people deserve to die for the crimes they've committed?

這個問題去思考

And that's a very sensible question.

這是個非常合理的問題

But there's another way of thinking

但有另外一種思考的方式

about where we are in our identity.

這有關我們本身的定位

The other way of thinking about it

另一種思考的方式

is not, do people deserve to die for the crimes they commit,

不是人們是否應該為他們所犯的罪而死

but do we deserve to kill?

而是我們是否有權利去結束別人的生命？

I mean, it's fascinating.

我的意思是，這很值得玩味

Death penalty in America is defined by error.

在美國，死刑會被錯判

For every nine people who have been executed,

每九個被判死刑的人之中

we've actually identified one innocent person

就有一個是無辜的

who's been exonerated and released from death row.

事後會被證明無罪，然後釋放

A kind of astonishing error rate --

多人震驚的失誤率

one out of nine people innocent.

九個死刑犯中，就有一個是清白的

I mean, it's fascinating.

這真的難以置信

In aviation, we would never let people fly on airplanes

以飛行來比喻，如果每九架起飛的飛機中

if for every nine planes that took off

就有一架會墜機

one would crash.

我們絕對不會讓人們開飛機

But somehow we can insulate ourselves from this problem.

但不知道為什麼，我們卻無視這個問題

It's not our problem.

這不是我們自身的問題

It's not our burden.

這不是我們自身的責任

It's not our struggle.

這不是我們該努力爭取的

I talk a lot about these issues.

我談過很多相關的議題

I talk about race and this question

我講到種族

of whether we deserve to kill.

還有我們是否有權利結束別人的生命這個問題

And it's interesting, when I teach my students about African American history,

有趣的是，當我教我的學生非裔美國人的歷史時

I tell them about slavery.

我告訴他們有關奴隸制度，

I tell them about terrorism,

有關恐怖主義，

the era that began at the end of reconstruction

開始於南北戰爭結束後

that went on to World War II.

接著第二次世界大戰爆發

We don't really know very much about it.

其實我們不是真的非常了解這些

But for African Americans in this country,

但對這個國家中的非裔美國人

that was an era defined by terror.

那是個充滿恐懼的年代

In many communities, people had to worry about being lynched.

在很多社區，人們擔心被處私刑

They had to worry about being bombed.

擔心被武器攻擊

It was the threat of terror that shaped their lives.

這種恐怖威脅就一直存在是他們的生活

And these older people come up to me now