I was in Afghanistan.

就在十年前

I was covering the war in Afghanistan,

我人在阿富汗

and I witnessed, as a reporter for Al Jazeera,

在那裡報導阿富汗戰爭

the amount of suffering and destruction

身爲半島電視台記者的我看到了

that emerged out of a war like that.

那樣的戰爭所帶來的

Then, two years later,

大量的受苦受難和摧毀

I covered another war -- the war in Iraq.

然後兩年後

I was placed at the center of that war

我報導了另一場戰爭－伊拉克戰爭

because I was covering the war

我被派到戰爭現場

from the northern part of Iraq.

因爲我必須報導那場

And the war ended

發生在伊拉克北方的戰爭

with a regime change,

然後戰爭結束了

like the one in Afghanistan.

政權改變了

And that regime

像在阿富汗發生的那樣

that we got rid of

那個政權

was actually a dictatorship,

我們唾棄的那個政權

an authoritarian regime,

確實是一個獨裁的政權

that for decades

是一個專制的政權

created a great sense of paralysis

那個政權幾十年來

within the nation, within the people themselves.

在國家之內、在人民之間製造了

However,

一個巨大的麻木感

the change that came through foreign intervention

然而外力介入

created even worse circumstances for the people

帶來的改變

and deepened the sense

給阿拉伯世界人民

of paralysis and inferiority

帶來更糟糕的情況

in that part of the world.

加深了阿拉伯人的

For decades,

麻木感和自卑感

we have lived under authoritarian regimes --

幾十年來

in the Arab world, in the Middle East.

在阿拉伯世界、在中東

These regimes

我們生活在專制的政權下

created something within us during this period.

此期間這些政權

I'm 43 years old right now.

在我們的心中製造了某種東西

For the last 40 years,

我現在已經43歲

I have seen almost the same faces

過去40年我所看到的

for kings and presidents ruling us --

幾乎總是那些老面孔

old, aged, authoritarian,

統治我們的無論是國王還是總統

corrupt situations --

年邁衰老、專制獨裁、

regimes that we have seen around us.

貪污腐敗

And for a moment I was wondering,

這就是在我們身邊看到的政權

are we going to live in order to see

有時候我很納悶

real change happening on the ground,

我們在有生之年

a change that does not come through foreign intervention,

是否有機會看到這世間真正的改變

through the misery of occupation,

看到非外力介入所造成的改變

through nations invading our land

不必經過被佔領的苦難

and deepening the sense of inferiority sometimes?

不必經過外國入侵我們的國家

The Iraqis: yes, they got rid of Saddam Hussein,

不再深化我們的自卑感？

but when they saw

伊拉克人，沒錯，他們去掉了海珊

their land occupied by foreign forces

但是他們看到

they felt very sad,

國家被外國勢力佔領了

they felt that their dignity had suffered.

他們感到悲傷

And this is why they revolted.

覺得本國的尊嚴受到蹂躪

This is why they did not accept.

這就是爲何他們反抗

And actually other regimes, they told their citizens,

這就是爲何他們不能接受的原因

"Would you like to see the situation of Iraq?

而事實上別的政權告訴他們的公民

Would you like to see civil war, sectarian killing?

"你們想看到像伊拉克的情況嗎？

Would you like to see destruction?

你們想看到內戰和派系鬥爭的殺戮嗎？

Would you like to see foreign troops on your land?"

你們想看到摧毀嗎？

And the people thought for themselves,

你們想看到外國軍隊在你們的國家嗎？"

"Maybe we should live with

人民想一想自己的情況

this kind of authoritarian situation that we find ourselves in,

"也許我們還是忍受

instead of having the second scenario."

這種無奈的專制集權吧

That was one of the worst nightmares that we have seen.

免得要接受另一種狀況"

For 10 years,

那會是我們所見過最糟的噩夢之一

unfortunately we have found ourselves

十年來

reporting images of destruction,

我們很不幸地處於

images of killing,

報導摧毀的景象

of sectarian conflicts,

殺戮的景象

images of violence,

派系衝突的景象

emerging from a magnificent piece of land,

暴力的景象

a region that one day was the source

在一塊偉大的土地上

of civilizations and art and culture

在一片曾經是

for thousands of years.

幾千年文明和藝術起源的地區

Now I am here to tell you

發生著那樣的景象

that the future

我現在來到這裡

that we were dreaming for

要告訴你們的是

has eventually arrived.

我們所夢想的未來

A new generation,

終於來臨了

well-educated,

一個新的世代

connected,

受過良好教育

inspired by universal values

能上網連結

and a global understanding,

受到普世價值的激勵

has created a new reality for us.

具有全球觀的新世代

We have found a new way

已經爲我們創造了新的現實

to express our feelings

我們找到了一個

and to express our dreams:

表達我們感情的新方法

these young people

表達我們夢想的新方法

who have restored self-confidence

這些年輕人

in our nations in that part of the world,

他們在我們的國家裡

who have given us

在阿拉伯世界中重建了自信

new meaning for freedom

他們爲我們帶來

and empowered us to go down to the streets.

自由的新意義

Nothing happened. No violence. Nothing.

讓我們有勇氣走上街頭

Just step out of your house,

一點都沒事、沒有暴力、沒事

raise your voice

只要走出家門

and say, "We would like to see the end of the regime."

擡高你們的聲音

This is what happened in Tunisia.

大聲說："我們要看到這個政權終結"

Over a few days,

突尼西亞發生的就是這個情況

the Tunisian regime that invested billions of dollars

不消幾天功夫

in the security agencies,

突尼西亞那個撒下幾十億美元

billions of dollars

加強情治機構控制的政權

in maintaining, trying to maintain,

那個撒下幾十億美元

its prisons,

維持、試圖維持

collapsed, disappeared,

監禁人民的監獄

because of the voices of the public.

那個政權就垮台、消失了

People who were inspired to go down to the streets

那是因爲公衆的聲音

and to raise their voices,

受到激勵的人民走上了街頭

they tried to kill.

擡高了他們的聲音

The intelligence agencies wanted to arrest people.

維安部隊試圖殺人

They found something called Facebook.

情治機構想要逮人

They found something called Twitter.

他們發現有個東西叫臉書

They were surprised by all of these kinds of issues.

他們發現有個東西叫推特

And they said,

他們想分而治之

"These kids are misled."

他們說

Therefore, they asked their parents

"這些孩子們被蠱惑誤導了"

to go down to the streets

因此要求他們的父母

and collect them, bring them back home.

上街找他們的孩子們

This is what they were telling. This is their propaganda.

把孩子們帶回家

"Bring these kids home

他們這麽說的、這麼宣傳的

because they are misled."

"把這些孩子們帶回家

But yes,

因爲他們受到誤導"

these youth

可是呢

who have been inspired

這些年輕人

by universal values,

他們受到

who are idealistic enough

普世價值的激勵

to imagine a magnificent future

他們充滿著理想

and, at the same time, realistic enough

憧憬偉大的未來

to balance this kind of imagination

而同時又實事求是

and the process leading to it --

能夠平衡這種憧憬

not using violence,

結果是－

not trying to create chaos --

沒有使用暴力

these young people,

沒有試圖製造混亂

they did not go home.

這些年輕人

Parents actually went to the streets

他們沒有回家

and they supported them.

他們的父母上了街頭

And this is how the revolution was born in Tunisia.

反倒是去支持孩子們的

We in Al Jazeera

這就是突尼西亞革命的誕生

were banned from Tunisia for years,

我們半島電視台

and the government did not allow

好幾年來就被突尼西亞禁止採訪

any Al Jazeera reporter to be there.

該國政府不允許我們

But we found that these people in the street,

半島的記者到該國

all of them are our reporters,

但是我們發現街頭的這些人

feeding our newsroom

個個都是我們的記者

with pictures, with videos

不斷湧向我們的新聞室

and with news.

照片、影片

And suddenly that newsroom in Doha

還有新聞報導

became a center

位於杜哈的那個新聞室突然

that received all this kind of input from ordinary people --

變成了接收平凡百姓

people who are connected and people who have ambition

傳來的這類資料的中心－

and who have liberated themselves

上網連結的人、具有雄心壯志的人

from the feeling of inferiority.

他們解放了自己

And then we took that decision:

不再感到自卑

We are unrolling the news.

於是我們做了那個決定：

We are going to be the voice for these voiceless people.

我們開始披露這些新聞

We are going to spread the message.

我們要成爲這些無聲人民的喉舌

Yes, some of these young people

我們要把這個信息傳播出去

are connected to the Internet,

沒錯，這些年輕人當中

but the connectivity in the Arab world

有些是連結到網路上的

is very little, is very small,

但是在阿拉伯世界的連結率

because of many problems that we are suffering from.

很小、很少人連結網路

But Al Jazeera took the voice from these people

由於我們遭遇到許多問題

and we amplified [it].

不過半島電視台接收這些人的聲音

We put it in every sitting room in the Arab world --

然後將他們的聲音放大

and internationally, globally,

把那聲音帶到阿拉伯世界的每個客廳－

through our English channel.

也透過英語頻道

And then people started to feel

跨越國際，帶到全球

that there's something new happening.

於是人們開始感受到

And then Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali

有一種新的情況正在發生

decided to leave.

於是班阿里

And then Egypt started,

決定下台

and Hosni Mubarak decided to leave.

然後埃及開始了

And now Libya as you see it.

穆巴拉克決定下台

And then you have Yemen.

現在利比亞是大家都看到的

And you have many other countries trying to see

此外還有葉門

and to rediscover that feeling

還有許多其他的國家

of, "How do we imagine a future

正在嘗試重新發現那種

which is magnificent and peaceful and tolerant?"

"我們到底憧憬怎樣的

I want to tell you something,

既偉大又平和且寬容的未來呢？"

that the Internet and connectivity

我想告訴各位

has created [a] new mindset.

網際網路和連結

But this mindset

已經創造出新的心態

has continued to be faithful

但這種心態

to the soil and to the land

仍一直是忠於

that it emerged from.

孕育它的

And while this was the major difference

斯土斯地

between many initiatives before

而且在一方面這一點是與以往

to create change,

許多創造改變的方案最大的不同是－

before we thought, and governments told us --

以往我們只能想

and even sometimes it was true --

政府說了算－

that change was imposed on us,

而且這往往還是真實的情況

and people rejected that,

改變是加諸在我們身上的－

because they thought that it is alien to their culture.

人民不能接受那樣

Always, we believed

因爲他們覺得那與我們的文化相違

that change will spring from within,

我們一直相信

that change should be a reconciliation

改變將會從內部湧出

with culture, cultural diversity,

那樣的改變應該是一種和解

with our faith in our tradition

一種與文化、與文化多樣性、

and in our history,

與我們的傳統信仰

but at the same time,

以及歷史的和解

open to universal values, connected with the world,

但另一方面也同時

tolerant to the outside.

開放接納普世價值、連結世界

And this is the moment

而且具有對外的寬容

that is happening right now in the Arab world.

現在就是那個時刻

This is the right moment, and this is the actual moment

正在阿拉伯世界發生的

that we see all of these meanings meet together

這是再好不過的時刻

and then create the beginning

所有的價值意義都包含其中

of this magnificent era

於是造成了這個

that will emerge from the region.

偉大時代的開端

How did the elite deal with that --

它將在這個地區湧現

the so-called political elite?

而菁英們如何面對呢－

In front of Facebook,

那些所謂的政治菁英們？

they brought the camels in Tahrir Square.

面對著臉書

In front of Al Jazeera,

他們把駱駝帶到解放廣場

they started creating tribalism.

面對著半島電視台

And then when they failed,

他們開始製造族群分裂

they started speaking about conspiracies

但是當他們失敗了

that emerged from Tel Aviv and Washington

他們開始說那是台拉維夫

in order to divide the Arab world.

送來的陰謀

They started telling the West,

試圖分裂阿拉伯世界

"Be aware of Al-Qaeda.

他們開始告訴西方

Al-Qaeda is taking over our territories.

"當心蓋達組織

These are Islamists

蓋達正在接收我們的領土

trying to create new Imaras.

這些人是伊斯蘭基本教義派的

Be aware of these people

試圖建立新的政教國家

who [are] coming to you

當心這些人

in order to ruin your great civilization."

他們接下來攻擊的就是你們

Fortunately,

爲的是毀壞你們的偉大文明

people right now cannot be deceived.

所幸的是

Because this corrupt elite

現在的人不能被欺騙

in that region

因爲在那個地區的

has lost even the power of deception.

這些腐敗的菁英們

They could not, and they cannot, imagine

甚至已經失去了欺騙別人的能力

how they could really deal with this reality.

他們以往不能，現在也不能

They have lost.

想象到如何面對這個真實的情況

They have been detached

他們一籌莫展－

from their people, from the masses,

他們距離人民、

and now we are seeing them collapsing

距離群衆太過於遙遠

one after the other.

因此我們現在看到他們

Al Jazeera is not

一個接一個倒下來

a tool of revolution.

半島電視台不是

We do not create revolutions.

革命的工具

However,

我們沒有製造革命

when something of that magnitude happens,

然而

we are at the center of the coverage.

當那樣偉大的事件發生時

We were banned from Egypt,

我們處於報導事件的中心

and our correspondents,

我們被禁止進入埃及

some of them were arrested.

我們的新聞特派員

But most of our camera people

有些人被逮捕了

and our journalists,

但是我們大多數的攝影師

they went underground in Egypt -- voluntarily --

以及我們的記者－

to report what happened in Tahrir Square.

出於自願－他們潛入埃及

For 18 days,

以便能報導解放廣場的情況

our cameras were broadcasting, live,

整整十八天

the voices of the people in Tahrir Square.

我們的攝影機現場轉播

I remember one night

解放廣場上人民的聲音

when someone phoned me on my cellphone --

我記得有一天晚上

ordinary person who I don't know -- from Tahrir Square.

有人打電話到我的行動電話來－

He told me, "We appeal to you

我不認識的普通人－從解放廣場打來的

not to switch off the cameras.

他告訴我"我們請求你們

If you switch off the cameras tonight,

不要關掉攝影機

there will be a genocide.

如果你們今晚關掉攝影機

You are protecting us

那會鬧出人命的

by showing what is happening at Tahrir Square."

你們讓人們看見

I felt the responsibility

解放廣場發生的一切，是在保護我們"

to phone our correspondents there

我頓時感到責任重大

and to phone our newsroom

打電話給在那裡的特派員

and to tell them, "Make your best

打電話給我們的新聞室

not to switch off the cameras at night,

告訴他們"盡可能

because the guys there really feel confident

不要在晚間關掉攝影機