can help improve our lives.

幫助我們改善生活

We don't bump into every neighbor,

但是我們不可能碰到每一個鄰居

so a lot of wisdom never gets passed on,

所以雖然我們的確共用相同的公共空間

though we do share the same public spaces.

他們的智慧仍然無法傳遞給我們

So over the past few years, I've tried ways to share more

所以過去幾年，我試著用不同的方法

with my neighbors in public space,

在公共空間裡跟我的鄰居分享更多的事

using simple tools like stickers, stencils and chalk.

我使用像便利貼、模板蠟紙及粉筆等簡單的工具

And these projects came from questions I had, like,

這些計劃源自我的一些疑問，譬如說

how much are my neighbors paying for their apartments?

我的鄰居用多少錢租他們的房子？

(Laughter) How can we lend and borrow more things

（笑聲）我們怎樣可以互相借還更多物品

without knocking on each other's doors at a bad time?

卻不會在不方便的時機敲彼此的大門？

How can we share more of our memories

要如何讓我們多分享一些

of our abandoned buildings,

對那些廢棄大樓的回憶

and gain a better understanding of our landscape?

因而更加瞭解我們的都市景觀？

And how can we share more of our hopes

如何讓我們對那些空置的店面

for our vacant storefronts, so our communities

分享更多的希望，讓我們這個社區

can reflect our needs and dreams today?

能反映出我們現今的需求和夢想？

Now, I live in New Orleans,

我住在新奧爾良(New Orleans)

and I am in love with New Orleans.

而我也愛上了新奧爾良

My soul is always soothed by the giant live oak trees,

那些巨型橡樹總是安撫著我的靈魂

shading lovers, drunks and dreamers

幾百年來這些樹遮蔽着戀人、醉客及懷夢者

for hundreds of years, and I trust a city

而我對一個總是有辦法

that always makes way for music. (Laughter)

產生音樂的都市也懷抱著期待（笑聲）

I feel like every time someone sneezes,

我覺得好像每次有人打噴嚏

New Orleans has a parade. (Laughter)

紐奧良就來一個遊行（笑聲）

The city has some of the most beautiful architecture

這個城市擁有世上最美麗的建築物

in the world, but it also has one of the highest amounts

但同時也擁有全美國最高的

of abandoned properties in America.

廢棄物業數量

I live near this house, and I thought about how I could

我住在這棟房子附近，我在想要如何

make it a nicer space for my neighborhood,

讓我的住家附近變成一個更好的居住空間

and I also thought about something

我也想著一件

that changed my life forever.

讓我永遠改變生命的事

In 2009, I lost someone I loved very much.

2009年，我失去了一位我所鍾愛的人

Her name was Joan, and she was a mother to me,

她叫瓊，對我而言她就像母親

and her death was sudden and unexpected.

她的死很突然、很意外

And I thought about death a lot,

我經常想到死亡

and

而且

this made me feel deep gratitude for the time I've had,

這讓我對我所擁有的時光深深感謝

and

而且

brought clarity to the things that are meaningful

讓我清楚地知道什麼事情對我的生活

to my life now.

是有意義的

But I struggle to maintain this perspective in my daily life.

但是在日常生活中我很難保持這個觀點

I feel like it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day,

我覺得好像很容易陷在每天的瑣事裡

and forget what really matters to you.

卻忘記了什麼才是真正重要的

So with help from old and new friends,

所以藉由舊雨新知的幫助

I turned the side of this abandoned house

我把這棟廢棄屋的一面牆

into a giant chalkboard and stenciled it

變成一塊巨型黑板，並且用蠟紙模板漆上

with a fill-in-the-blank sentence:

一句填空題：

"Before I die, I want to ... "

“在我死之前，我想做...”

So anyone walking by can pick up a piece of chalk,

所以每一個經過的人都可以拿起粉筆

reflect on their lives, and share their personal aspirations

在這個公共空間裡，思考一下人生

in public space.

然後分享他們個人的願望

I didn't know what to expect from this experiment,

我並不知道會從這個實驗裡得到什麼

but by the next day, the wall was entirely filled out,

但次日，這面牆寫的滿滿是字

and it kept growing.

而且答案還繼續增加中

And I'd like to share a few things

我要跟各位分享一些

that people wrote on this wall.

人們寫在這面牆上的東西

"Before I die, I want to be tried for piracy." (Laughter)

“在我死之前，我想因我的海盜行為受審。”〈笑聲〉

"Before I die, I want to straddle the International Date Line."

“在我死之前，我想要跨過國際換日線。”

"Before I die, I want to sing for millions."

“在我死之前，我想要在數百萬人前唱歌。”

"Before I die, I want to plant a tree."

“在我死之前，我想要種棵樹。”

"Before I die, I want to live off the grid."

“在我死之前，我想要離經叛道一下。”

"Before I die, I want to hold her one more time."

“在我死之前，我想再擁抱她一次。”

"Before I die, I want to be someone's cavalry."

“在我死之前，我想當某人的騎兵。”

"Before I die, I want to be completely myself."

“在我死之前，我想完全當我自己。”

So this neglected space became a constructive one,

所以這個被忽略的空間變成有建設性的地方

and people's hopes and dreams

而人們的希望與夢想

made me laugh out loud, tear up,

讓我開懷大笑或撕裂我心

and they consoled me during my own tough times.

他們在我困難的時候安慰了我

It's about knowing you're not alone.

這讓你明瞭你並不孤單

It's about understanding our neighbors

這是對我們的街坊鄰居

in new and enlightening ways.

產生新的啟發與了解

It's about making space for reflection and contemplation,

這是營造讓我們自省及思考的空間

and remembering what really matters most to us

以及記得隨著我們成長及改變

as we grow and change.

到底什麼對我們真正重要

I made this last year, and started receiving

我在去年做了這個計劃，然後開始收到

hundreds of messages from passionate people

數以百計從充滿熱情的人們捎來的訊息

who wanted to make a wall with their community,

想要在他們的社區做這樣的一面牆

so my civic center colleagues and I made a tool kit, and now

所以我與我在Civic Center（講員的工作室）的同事做了一個小工具套件

walls have been made in countries around the world,

現在世上很多國家都有這面牆

including Kazakhstan, South Africa,

包括哈薩克、南非

Australia,

澳洲

Argentina and beyond.

阿根廷及其它國家

Together, we've shown how powerful our public spaces

這樣的合作讓大家看到了，如果我們有機會發言

can be if we're given the opportunity to have a voice

並且與大家分享，我們的公共空間

and share more with one another.

可以功能如此強大

Two of the most valuable things we have are time

我們最寶貴的兩件事就是時間

and our relationships with other people.

及我們與其他人的關係

In our age of increasing distractions,

在這個時代，使人分心的事愈來愈多

it's more important than ever to find ways to maintain

如何堅持自己的看法及記得生命是短暫脆弱

perspective and remember that life is brief and tender.

是比以往任何時候都來的重要

Death is something that we're often discouraged

死亡是我們不鼓勵

to talk about or even think about, but

談論甚至思考的事，但是

I've realized that preparing for death

我瞭解到為死亡做好準備

is one of the most empowering things you can do.

是你所能做的最有能力的事之一

Thinking about death clarifies your life.

思索死亡可以釐清你的生活

Our shared spaces can better reflect what matters to us

我們的公共空間可以更佳反映出什麼對我們是重要的

as individuals and as a community,

無論是以個人的角度，或是以社群的角度

and with more ways to share our hopes, fears and stories,

隨著有愈來愈多的方法可以分享我們的希望、恐懼及經歷

the people around us can not only help us

我們四周的人不但可以幫助我們

make better places, they can help us lead better lives.

創造更美好的地方，還可以幫助我們活出更好的生命

Thank you. (Applause)

謝謝（鼓掌）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

Thank you. (Applause)

謝謝（鼓掌）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）