while I was studying in the seminary

我經歷了一件事，

and training to be a priest.

那時我就讀神學院，

I came in contact with a different idea of life.

受訓要成為神職人員。

An idea of life that contradicted the main teachings of religion --

我接觸到了一種不同的人生想法。

humanism.

這種人生想法和宗教的 主要教義有所矛盾──

Some of you may be wondering, what on earth is humanism?

人道主義。

Humanism is a way of thinking and living

在座有些人可能納悶， 人道主義到底是什麼？

that emphasizes the agency of human beings.

人道主義是一種思考和生活的方式，

Humanism stresses the fact that we, human beings,

強調的是人類的施為。

are capable of changing the world.

人道主義強調一個事實：

That we have the power to make a difference in our lives,

我們人類有能力改變世界。

both individually and collectively,

我們有力量讓世界因我們而不同，

without recourse to some outside force.

不論是單打獨鬥或通力合作，

It may interest you to know that the best humanist lessons I learned

而不用求助於外在力量。

were not from reading philosophy books

你們可能會想知道， 我所學到最棒的人道主義課，

or from poring over humanist manifestos and declarations.

並不是來自閱讀哲學書籍，

No, not at all.

也不是來自熟讀 人道主義宣言及聲明。

The best humanist lesson I learned was from the life of my own parents.

不，完全不是。

My parents come from a poor family background

我所學到最棒的人道主義課， 是來自我父母的人生。

in Mbaise, in southeastern Nigeria.

我父母來自貧窮的家庭，

They had limited opportunities.

位在奈及利亞南部的姆巴依斯。

But my parents did not allow the circumstances of their bad upbringing

他們的機會有限。

to determine the ambition and dreams for themselves and for their children.

但我父母不讓那糟糕的教養環境

My father worked part-time, trained as a teacher,

決定他們及孩子的野心和夢想。

and rose to become a headmaster at a local primary school.

我父親一邊打工， 一邊受訓成為老師，

My mother dropped out of school quite early,

升遷成為一間地方小學的校長。

because her mother, my grandmother, could not afford her education.

我母親很早就休學，

As a parent, my mother worked very hard,

因為她的母親，我的祖母， 負擔不起她的教育。

combining farming, petty trading and taking care of my siblings and me.

身為家長，我母親非常努力，

By the time I was born --

同時務農、做小額貿易， 還要照顧我和我的手足。

that was shortly after the Nigerian civil war --

到我出生時──

life was very difficult, a struggle day by day.

那是奈及利亞內戰之後沒多久──

My family was living in a hut.

生活非常困苦，每天都是場硬仗。

With the eye of a child, I can still see water

我的家庭住在一間簡陋小屋中。

dripping from the thatched roof of our house when it rained.

那時我還是個孩子， 到現在我還看得到

My father reared goats to supplement the family income.

下雨時水從我們房子的 茅草屋頂滴落。

And part of my duty after school hours or during vacation

我父親有養羊，來補足家庭收入。

was to feed these goats.

我下課後或是假日時有一部分責任

There was no electricity, no pipe with water.

是要餵食這些羊。

We trekked to fetch water from the nearby streams.

那時沒有電力，沒有自來水。

That was an easy work in the wet season,

我們要艱苦跋涉到附近的溪流取水。

but kilometers when it was hot and dry.

在雨季，那是簡單的工作，

Through hard work and perseverance,

但在又熱又乾的日子， 要走上數公里。

my parents were able to erect a block apartment

透過辛勤工作和堅持不懈，

and send my siblings and me to school.

我父母才得以建了一棟公寓，

They made it possible for us to enjoy a standard of living

並讓我和我的手足可以上學。

which they never did

他們讓我們享受到的生活水平，

and to attain educational levels

是他們從來沒有的，

which they only imagined when they were growing up.

讓我們達到的教育水準，

My parents' life, their story, is my best lesson in humanism.

是他們成長時只能用想像的。

So as a humanist, I believe that human beings

我父母的人生，他們的故事， 是我學過最棒的人道主義課。

are challengers, not prisoners of faith.

所以，身為人道主義者，

Our destinies are in our hands, not predetermined.

我相信人類是信仰的挑戰者而非囚犯。

And it's left for us to shape our lives and destinies

我們的命運掌握在 我們的手中，不是注定的。

to reflect our best hopes and aspirations.

要由我們自己來形塑 我們的人生和命運，

I believe that human beings have the power

來反映出我們最好的希望和熱望。

to turn situations of poverty into those of wealth and prosperity.

我相信人類有力量

We have the capacity to alleviate suffering,

能夠把貧窮轉變成富有和興榮。

extend life, prevent diseases,

我們有能力可以緩和苦難、

cure debilitating ailments, reduce infant mortality

延長生命、預防疾病、

and preserve our planet.

治癒讓人衰弱的病痛、 減低嬰兒死亡率，

But we cannot accomplish all these goals by wishful thinking with our eyes closed

並保護我們的星球。

or by armchair speculation or by expecting salvation from empty sky.

但要達成這些目標，我們不能 閉上眼一廂情願地打如意算盤，

In contrast, millions of Africans imagine that their religious faith

不能做不切實際的思索推測， 也不能期望救贖會從天上掉下來。

will help their dream come true,

相對的，有數百萬非洲人 想像他們的宗教信仰

and they spend so much time praying for miracles

會讓他們的夢想成真，

and for divine intervention in their lives.

他們花了好多時間在祈禱奇蹟發生，

In 2009, a Gallup survey in 114 countries

祈禱他們的人生中出現神聖的干預。

revealed that religiosity was highest in the world's poorest nations.

2009 年，蓋洛普有一項 對 114 個國家進行的調查，

In fact, six of the 10 countries where 95 percent of the population

指出在世界上最貧窮的 國家，最多人篤信宗教。

said that religion was an important part of their daily lives, were African.

有 95% 人口都說宗教是他們 日常生活重要部分的國家中，

In some cases, religion drives many Africans to extraordinary length:

有六成都是非洲國家。

to attack other human beings, to commit ritual killing,

在一些情況中，宗教驅使 許多非洲人到不可思議的程度：

targeting those living with albinism,

去攻擊其他人類或犯下儀式性殺戮，

those with a humpback,

把矛頭對準有白化症的人、

and as I recently learned, those with a bald head.

駝背的人，

In Africa, superstition is widespread,

我最近才知道，還有光頭的人。

with so many people believing in witchcraft,

在非洲，迷信是很普遍的，

something that has no basis in reason or in science.

好多人相信巫術，

Yet alleged witches, usually women, children and elderly persons

那些沒有理由或是科學根據的東西。

are still routinely attacked, banished and killed.

而被指控為巫師的人，通常 是女人、孩童，以及老人，

And I've made it part of my life's mission

仍然經常被攻擊、流放，及殺害。

to end witchcraft accusation and witch persecution in Africa.

我的人生一大任務就是

So as a humanist, I believe in a proactive approach to life.

要終止非洲對巫師的指控及迫害。

The changes that we want cannot be achieved only by dreaming

身為人道主義者，我相信人生 要採取積極主動的方式。

but require doing as well.

我們想達成的那些改變， 不是用夢想就會實現，

The challenges that we face cannot go away

而需要行動。

if we recoil and retreat into our shells, wishing and imagining

我們所面對的挑戰不會不見，

that those problems will somehow magically disappear.

如果我們只是畏縮退怯地 在自己的保護殼當中，

The good life that we desire will not fall like manna from heaven.

希望和想像那些問題會神奇地消失。

My parents did not erect a block apartment by wishing and dreaming.

我們渴望的好生活不會像以色列人 漂泊時神賜的食物一樣從天而降。

They worked hard, they failed, they tried again.

我的父母並不是透過希望 和作夢而建起公寓的。

They toiled with rolled-up sleeves,

他們奮鬥，他們失敗， 他們再次嘗試。

with their hands deep in debt, they plowed ahead,

他們捲起袖子苦幹，

growing their dreams into reality.

他們負債累累， 他們艱難地緩慢前進，

So as a humanist, I believe we must be adventurous and even daring.

把他們的夢想變成現實。

The path of success is paved with risk and uncertainties.

身為人道主義者，我相信 我們必須要冒險，要大膽。

We have to muster the will and courage to do what people have never done.

成功之路舖滿了風險和不確定性。

To think what people have never thought.

我們得要堅定意志、鼓起勇氣， 去做以前沒人做過的事。

Envisage what people have never imagined.

去想以前沒人想過的事。

Go to places human beings have not been to.

正視以前沒人想像過的事。

And succeed where people have tried but failed.

去以前沒人去過的地方。

We must be ready to explore new frontiers of knowledge and understanding

把其他人嘗試過 但失敗的事做到成功。

and attempt doing not just what is possible

我們必須要準備好探索 知識和理解的新邊境，

but also what is seemingly impossible.

不只嘗試去做可能的事，

But I realize that at the end of the day,

也要嘗試去做似乎不可能的事。

our efforts do not always yield our desires.

但我明白到最後

We fail, we suffer disappointments and setbacks.

我們的努力不見得一定會 得到我們希望的結果。

Some problems, such as wars and conflict, poverty and diseases

我們會失敗，會因為 失望和挫折而受苦。

and other natural and human-made disasters

有些問題，比如戰爭 與衝突，貧窮與疾病，

seem as if they may never go away.

以及其他自然與人為災害，

Solutions to old problems have led to new dangers,

似乎永遠不會遠離。

new cures to diseases have resulted in new health risks.

對舊問題的解決方案 反而導致了新的危險，

But the fact that these problems persist

對疾病的新解藥反而 造成了新的健康風險。

and that solutions sometimes create their own problems

這些問題持續存在，

is not a reason for us to give up or to resign.

且解決方案本身有時也會創造問題，

It's not a reason for us to think that our efforts are of no consequence.

但這不是我們放棄或投降的理由。

In fact, there is fulfillment in striving,

這並不表示我們的努力就沒有結果。

and trying to provide answers and solutions

事實上，我們的努力不會是白費的，

to the problem humanity faces

我們試圖提供答案和解決方案，

even when the likely outcome is failure.

來處理人類面對的問題，

So as a humanist, I believe we must not despair for humanity.

即使結果可能會是失敗。

Even in the face of overwhelming difficulties

所以，身為人道主義者， 我相信我們不能對人性絕望。

and in the bleakest of circumstances.

即使是面對讓人無法招架的困難，

Human beings are creative beings.

即使是在最令人沮喪的情況中。

We have the power to generate new ideas, new solutions and new cures.

人類是有創造力的。

So why despair when the unexpected knocks on the horizon?

我們有力量可以產生出新點子、 新解決方案，以及新解藥。

It is in our nature to create anew, to be inventive and innovative,

所以，為什麼要在未預期的 結果出現時感到絕望？

so why languish in idle expectation of a savior from above?

我們的天性就是要重新創造， 我們有發明才能也有創新力，

So it is time for us Africans to take our destiny in our hands

那為什麼要無根據地 期待救星從天而降？

and realize we have agency in the scheme of life.

該是我們非洲人掌握 自己命運的時候了，

We need to put an end to this game of blame

要知道，我們在人生 計畫中都是有施為的。

that has prevented us from taking full responsibility for our own lives.

我們得要停止不斷地怪罪別人，

For too long, we have been prisoners of our past.

這樣我們才能對 自己的人生全權負責。

We have allowed despair and pessimism to drain us,

我們長期以來一直被過去給囚禁，

drain our energies, limit our imaginations

我們允許絕望和悲觀使我們耗竭，

and dim our vision for a better and brighter future.

耗盡了我們的能量， 限制了我們的想像，

We have let this continent flounder.

模糊了我們的視線讓我們 看不見更好、更明亮的未來。

Why passing the buck like a Frisbee?

我們讓這塊大陸舉步維艱。

We've blamed slavery, colonialism and the new colonialism

為何要把責任像飛盤一樣丟來丟去？

for the woes we experience, including our own self-inflicted wounds.

我們已怪罪過奴隸制度、 殖民主義，及新殖民主義，

We have conducted ourselves

怪它們造成我們所經歷過的痛苦， 包括我們自己造成的傷口。

in ways that seem as if Africa is damned and doomed.

一直以來我們都表現得

And that all these experiences in history

好像非洲已經被詛咒 且注定遭受厄運一樣。

have irreversibly, irreparably foreclosed the chances and possibility

歷史上所有的這些經歷

for Africa to emerge, thrive and flourish.

已經消滅了所有的機會和可能性， 不可挽回、不可彌補，

We must realize that there is no part of the world

非洲永遠不可能出頭、興旺、茁壯。

that has not been colonized or enslaved in the past.

我們必須要了解， 世界上沒有一個角落

And if other parts of the world have moved on,

在過去沒有被殖民過、奴役過。

why can't we, now?

如果世界上的其他地方 都已經走出陰影，

So as a humanist, I believe that the past is gone;

我們現在為什麼不能？

we cannot change it, we cannot alter it.

身為人道主義者， 我相信過去已經過去了；

But the future beckons us on with limitless possibilities

我們不能改變它，修改它。

to recreate, reshape and remake our destinies.

但未來在向我們招手， 帶著無限可能，

So let's all of us seize this opportunity.

可以重新創造、重新塑造、 重新打造我們的命運。

And as my parents did, begin the urgent task

讓我們大家抓住這個機會。

of rebuilding Africa, brick by brick.

就像我父母一樣，開始這項一磚一瓦

Let's give free reign to our ideas and imaginations,

重建非洲的迫切任務。

as demonstrated at this TEDGlobal 2017.

讓我們自由支配我們的想法和想像，

Let's open our hearts and minds.

就像在 TEDGlobal 2017 中 所展現的一樣。

And exert our energy, intelligence and ingenuity

讓我們打開我們的心胸。

and begin the urgent task of rebuilding Africa

發揮我們的能量、智慧、巧思，

and of transforming this continent

開始這項迫切任務，重建非洲，

into a citadel of unrivaled prosperity and civilization.

將這塊大陸打造

This is what I believe as a humanist, as an African humanist.

成為無比繁榮和文明的安全城堡。

Thank you.

身為人道主義者，非洲人道 主義者，這是我所相信的。

(Applause)

謝謝。