This sound,

這氣味

this smell,

這景象

this sight

都讓我回想起童年時分的篝火

all remind me of the campfires of my childhood,

任何人都能在跳躍的火焰前成為講故事的人

when anyone could become a storyteller in front of the dancing flames.

結尾更是神奇

There was this wondrous ending

人們和火焰一起和諧地入睡

when people and fire fell asleep almost in unison.

這是夢的時刻

It was dreaming time.

我的故事多數是關於夢的

Now my story has a lot to do with dreaming,

雖然我靠實現夢想成名

although I'm known to make my dreams come true.

去年，我創造了一場個人秀

Last year, I created a one-man show.

在一個半小時的時間裡

For an hour and a half I shared with the audience

與觀眾分享我創造性的一生

a lifetime of creativity,

如何追逐完美，如何欺騙不可能

how I pursue perfection, how I cheat the impossible.

TED對我提出挑戰：

And then TED challenged me:

“菲力浦，可以把這一生濃縮成18分鐘嗎？”

"Philippe, can you shrink this lifetime to 18 minutes?"

(笑聲)

(Laughter)

18分鐘——明顯不可能

Eighteen minutes, clearly impossible.

但我還是來了

But here I am.

一個方法是說得像機關槍一樣快

One solution was to rehearse a machine gun delivery

每個母音每秒鐘都有它的意義

in which every syllable, every second will have its importance

然後向上帝祈禱觀眾能跟上我的速度#￥&*@%……

and hope to God the audience will be able to follow me.

不，不，不

No, no, no.

不，於我最好的開場方式

No, the best way for me to start

是像創造力的神明致敬

is to pay my respects to the gods of creativity.

請跟我一起默默享受接下來的一分鐘

So please join me for a minute of silence.

好吧，我耍賴了，這只有20秒

Okay, I cheated, it was a mere 20 seconds.

不過我們是在TED次元嘛

But hey, we're on TED time.

我六歲時

When I was six years old,

愛上了魔術

I fell in love with magic.

我拿到的聖誕禮物是一本魔術書

For Christmas I got a magic box

一本非常古老的介紹紙牌魔術的書

and a very old book on card manipulation.

我對純粹玩牌技巧的興趣

Somehow I was more interested in pure manipulation

遠遠超過黑箱子裡的花哨戲法

than in all the silly little tricks in the box.

我在書裡找到了其中最難的一項技法

So I looked in the book for the most difficult move,

像這樣

and it was this.

我不該把這秘訣告訴你們

Now I'm not supposed to share that with you,

不過你們看，紙牌被藏在手的背面

but I have to show you the card is hidden in the back of the hand.

這個技法

Now that manipulation

(在書中)被分解為七個步驟

was broken down into seven moves

用七頁篇幅詳細描述

described over seven pages.

一、二、三、

One, two, three,

四、五、六、七．

four, five, six and seven.

我還要告訴你們一點

And let me show you something else.

紙牌比我的手大

The cards were bigger than my hands.

兩個月後，才六歲

Two months later, six years old,

我就能做完一、二、三、四、五、六、七

I'm able to do one, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

於是我去見一位有名的魔術師

And I go to see a famous magician

驕傲地問他：“你覺得怎樣？”

and proudly ask him, "Well what do you think?"

才六歲啊

Six years old.

魔術師看著我說：“一場災難

The magician looked at me and said, "This is a disaster.

你不能花上兩秒鐘(才完成動作)

You cannot do that in two seconds

還有牌角露出來了

and have a minuscule part of the card showing.

這個動作的專業標準是用時不到一秒鐘

For the move to be professional, it has to be less than one second

必須完美。”

and it has to be perfect."

兩年後，數到一

Two years later, one -- zoop.

我可沒耍花招。牌在背面，非常完美

And I'm not cheating. It's in the back. It's perfect.

熱情

Passion is the motto

是我所有作為的座右銘

of all my actions.

在學習魔術的過程中

As I'm studying magic,

拋接戲法被反復提及

juggling is mentioned repeatedly

極適合訓練靈活性和協調性

as a great way to acquire dexterity and coordination.

我一直很羡慕拋接雜耍演員的快速和流暢

Now I had long admired how fast and fluidly

讓物品飛起來

jugglers make objects fly.

就它了！我十四歲。我要成為一個拋接雜耍演員

So that's it. I'm 14; I'm becoming a juggler.

我認識一個拋接雜耍劇團的年輕演員

I befriend a young juggler in a juggling troupe,

他同意賣給我三根拋接棒

and he agrees to sell me three clubs.

在美國你需要解釋一下什麼是拋接棒

But in America you have to explain. What are clubs?

跟高爾夫可沒關係

Nothing to do with golf.

是美麗的橢圓形物體

They are those beautiful oblong objects,

很難製作

but quite difficult to make.

必須準確地分佈重量

They have to be precisely lathed.

我買它們的時候

Oh, when I was buying the clubs,

那個年輕雜耍演員故意躲著別人

somehow the young juggler was hiding from the others.

我當時不以為意

Well I didn't think much of it at the time.

不管怎樣，我用那套新拋接棒開始練習

Anyway, here I was progressing with my new clubs.

但弄不明白

But I could not understand.

我能做得很快，但無法變得流暢

I was pretty fast, but I was not fluid at all.

棒子隨著每次拋出不斷脫出我的掌控

The clubs were escaping me at each throw.

我不得不一直把它們找回來

And I was trying constantly to bring them back to me.

直到有一天我在Francis Brunn面前演練

Until one day I practiced in front of Francis Brunn,

世界上最棒的拋接雜耍者

the world's greatest juggler.

他皺起眉頭

And he was frowning.

最後他問：“可以給我看看嗎？”

And he finally asked, "Can I see those?"

我驕傲地亮給他看我的棒子

So I proudly showed him my clubs.

他說：“菲力浦，你被騙了。

He said, "Philippe, you have been had.

這些是次品，重心完全歪了

These are rejects. They are completely out of alignment.

用它們可玩不轉拋接戲法。”

They are impossible to juggle."

韌性

Tenacity is how I kept at it

是我克服困難堅持下來的法寶

against all odds.

我參加了馬戲團，去看更多的魔術師，更多的拋接雜耍者

So I went to the circus to see more magicians, more jugglers,

我看到——哦不，不是看到

and I saw -- oh no, no, no, I didn't see.

比看到更有趣：是聽說

It was more interesting; I heard.

我聽說了那些神奇的演員

I heard about those amazing men and women

在空中漫步

who walk on thin air --

高空走索者

the high-wire walkers.

我整個童年階段都在玩繩子和攀爬

Now I have been playing with ropes and climbing all my childhood,

就它了！我十六歲。我要成為走鋼索者。

so that's it. I'm 16; I'm becoming a wire walker.

我找到兩棵樹

I found two trees --

不是普通的樹

but not any kind of trees,

而是兩棵很有個性的樹

trees with character --

一根很長的繩子

and then a very long rope.

將繩子繞一圈又一圈

And I put the rope around and around

一圈又一圈，直到繞完為止。

and around and around and around till I had no more rope.

有了這樣一段段平行的繩子

Now I have all of those ropes parallel like this.

我又用兩隻老虎鉗和一些衣架

I get a pair of pliers and some coat hangers,

把繩子集中在一起成為一條繩子軌道

and I gather them together in some kind of ropey path.

這樣我做出了世界上最寬的鋼索

So I just created the widest tightrope in the world.

我還需要什麼？我需要世界上最寬的鞋子

What did I need? I needed the widest shoes in the world.

我找到一雙大到離譜、十分搞笑的滑雪靴

So I found some enormous, ridiculous, giant ski boots

蹣跚著，我走上了繩索

and then wobbly, wobbly I get on the ropes.

幾天後我就能走上一回了

Well within a few days I'm able to do one crossing.

於是我剪斷一根繩子

So I cut one rope off.

第二天再剪斷一根

And the next day one rope off.

又過了幾天，我就只剩下一根繩索了

And a few days later, I was practicing on a single tightrope.

可想而知

Now you can imagine at that time

當時我就能把搞笑的滑雪靴換成輕便的舞鞋

I had to switch the ridiculous boots for some slippers.

這就是——以防在場觀眾有人想要嘗試

So that is how -- in case there are people here in the audience who would like to try --

這就是學習走鋼索最不可取的方法

this is how not to learn wire walking.

(笑聲)

(Laughter)

直覺，是我人生中最本質的手段

Intuition is a tool essential in my life.

那段時間，我先後被五所不同的學校開除

In the meantime, I am being thrown out of five different schools

因為我從不聽從老師

because instead of listening to the teachers,

我以自己為師，鑽研我的新藝術

I am my own teacher, progressing in my new art

成為一個街頭雜耍藝人

and becoming a street juggler.

在高空鋼索上，不過幾個月

On the high wire, within months,

我就精通了馬戲團演員的所有絕技

I'm able to master all the tricks they do in the circus,

但我並不滿足。

except I am not satisfied.

我開始發明自己的新動作，並練習到盡善盡美

I was starting to invent my own moves and bring them to perfection.

沒有人願意雇用我

But nobody wanted to hire me.

於是我開始偷偷地假設鋼索，在未經許可的場所演出

So I started putting a wire up in secret and performing without permission.

巴黎聖母院

Notre Dame,

悉尼海港大橋

the Sydney Harbor Bridge,

世貿中心

the World Trade Center.

我開始形成一種信念

And I developed a certitude, a faith

說服我定能安全抵達對面

that convinced me that I will get safely to the other side.

否則，我絕不會邁出第一步

If not, I will never do that first step.

儘管如此

Well nonetheless,

在世貿中心的屋頂上

on the top of the World Trade Center

我的第一步極為駭人

my first step was terrifying.

忽然間空氣密度變了

All of a sudden the density of the air is no longer the same.

曼哈頓不再顯得廣闊無邊

Manhattan no longer spreads its infinity.

都市的細語化作嚎叫

The murmur of the city dissolves into a squall

我不再感到那股冰冷的力量

whose chilling power I no longer feel.

我舉起平衡杆，走向大樓邊緣

I lift the balancing pole. I approach the edge.

我跨過桁梁

I step over the beam.

左腳踏上鋼索

I put my left foot on the cable,

我的重心從右腳上

the weight of my body raised on my right leg

移動到大樓的側邊

anchored to the flank of the building.

我要不要繼續把體重移到左腳上

Shall I ever so slightly shift my weight to the left?

我的右腿可以放輕鬆

My right leg will be unburdened,

我的右腳就能自由地踏上鋼索

my right foot will freely meet the wire.

一邊是崇山，是我熟知的生活

On one side, a mass of a mountain, a life I know.

另一邊是雲海

On the other, the universe of the clouds,

充滿未知，以至我們以為虛空

so full of unknown we think it's empty.

我腳下是延伸到北塔的路——60碼長的鋼索

At my feet, the path to the north tower -- 60 yards of wire rope.

那是一條直線，下垂著

It's a straight line, which sags,

搖擺著，顫動著

which sways, which vibrates,

自身扭轉

which rolls on itself,

那是冰

which is ice,

那是三噸重的緊繃，隨時可能爆發

which is three tons tight, ready to explode,

隨時可能將我吞噬

ready to swallow me.

體內有一個聲音吼叫著攻擊著我

An inner howl assails me,

無法抑制地渴望逃離

the wild longing to flee.

然而太遲了

But it is too late.

鋼索嚴陣以待

The wire is ready.

我決然地邁出另一隻腳

Decisively my other foot sets itself onto the cable.

信念，取代了猶豫

Faith is what replaces doubt

在我的詞典裡

in my dictionary.

完成這次演出後

So after the walk

人們問我，“你怎麼超越你自己？”

people ask me, "How can you top that?"

這於我不是問題

Well I didn't have that problem.

我對收集壯舉

I was not interested in collecting the gigantic,

或打破記錄都沒有興趣

in breaking records.

事實上，我把世貿中心的那次演出

In fact, I put my World Trade Center crossing

與其他小型的演出放在同一個藝術水準上

at the same artistic level as some of my smaller walks --

有些甚至是完全不同形式的演出

or some completely different type of performance.

比如說，相似於我的街頭雜耍

Let's see, such as my street juggling, for example.

每一次

So each time

當我在人行道上用粉筆畫出一個大圓圈

I draw my circle of chalk on the pavement

然後像即興默劇演員那樣進入圓圈的範圍

and enter as the improvising comic silent character

這是我45年前想出的噱頭

I created 45 years ago,

這與在雲端上同樣高興

I am as happy as when I am in the clouds.

但是此時此地

But this here,

並不是街頭

this is not the street.

請理解我不能做街頭雜耍

So I cannot street juggle here, you understand.

你們都不希望我做街頭雜耍，對不對？

So you don't want me to street juggle here, right?

你們懂的，對不對？

You know that, right?

你們不會讓我雜耍的，對不對？

You don't want me to juggle, right?

(鼓掌聲)

(Applause)

(音樂)

(Music)

(鼓掌聲)

(Applause)

謝謝。謝謝

Thank you. Thank you.

每一次我做街頭雜耍

Each time I street juggle

都運用到即興

I use improvisation.

即興的力量在於

Now improvisation is empowering

它歡迎未知

because it welcomes the unknown.

因為不可能總是未知的

And since what's impossible is always unknown,

它讓我相信我可以去欺騙不可能

it allows me to believe I can cheat the impossible.

至今我完成不可能的任務已不止一次

Now I have done the impossible not once,

而是許多次

but many times.

我揀哪次來說？哦對了，是以色列那次。

So what should I share? Oh, I know. Israel.

幾年前我被邀請做以色列節的開場演出

Some years ago I was invited to open the Israel Festival

是一次高空走索表演

by a high-wire walk.

我選擇架設鋼索的地方

And I chose to put my wire

在耶路撒冷阿拉伯區和猶太區之間

between the Arab quarters and the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem

在欣嫩子谷上方

over the Ben Hinnom Valley.

我設計了一個驚人的場面

And I thought it would be incredible

在鋼索中間

if in the middle of the wire

我停下來，像魔術師那樣

I stopped and, like a magician,

變出一隻鴿子，將它送上天空

I produce a dove and send her in the sky

象徵和平

as a living symbol of peace.

現在我要說

Well now I must say,

在以色列找只鴿子真不容易，不過我找到了

it was a little bit hard to find a dove in Israel, but I got one.

每次我練習變出鴿子扔向半空

And in my hotel room,

它都會擦上牆，最後掉在床上

each time I practiced making it appear and throwing her in the air,

我覺得無所謂。房間太小了嘛

she would graze the wall and end up on the bed.

我的意思是，鳥需要空間去飛

So I said, now it's okay. The room is too small.

我的意思是，鳥需要空間去飛

I mean, a bird needs space to fly.

正式演出那天絕對沒有問題

It will go perfectly on the day of the walk.

到了正式演出那天

Now comes the day of the walk.

整個山谷裡聚集了8萬民眾

Eighty thousand people spread over the entire valley.

當時的耶路撒冷市長泰迪•科勒克走過來祝我好運

The mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Kollek, comes to wish me the best.

但他看上去很緊張

But he seemed nervous.

我的鋼索緊緊抻著

There was tension in my wire,

地面上也彌漫著緊張的氣氛

but I also could feel tension on the ground.

因為在場的群眾

Because all those people

一直以來

were made up of people who, for the most part,

都當對方是敵人

considered each other enemies.

我開始走了，一切順利

So I start the walk. Everything is fine.

我停在中間

I stop in the middle.

我變出了鴿子

I make the dove appear.

人們驚喜地鼓掌

People applaud in delight.

我以極佳的姿勢

And then in the most magnificent gesture,

將這只和平之鳥送上蔚藍的天空

I send the bird of peace into the azure.

但這只鳥並沒有飛走

But the bird, instead of flying away,

而是撲騰撲騰地落到了我的頭上

goes flop, flop, flop and lands on my head.

(笑聲)

(Laughter)

有人尖叫起來

And people scream.

我抓起這只鴿子

So I grab the dove,

試圖第二次將它送上天空

and for the second time I send her in the air.

這只笨鳥顯然沒有上過飛行學校

But the dove, who obviously didn't go to flying school,

又撲騰撲騰地，結果停在了平衡杆的一端！

goes flop, flop, flop and ends up at the end of my balancing pole.

(笑聲)

(Laughter)

真好笑，真好笑——嘿！

You laugh, you laugh. But hey.

我立馬坐下。這是走索者的反射動作