ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Frank Warren - Secret keeper
Frank Warren is the creator of the PostSecret Project, a blog full of secrets anonymously shared via postcard.

Why you should listen

Frank Warren is the creator of The PostSecret Project, a collection of highly personal and artfully decorated postcards mailed anonymously from around the world, displaying the soulful secrets we never voice. Since November 2004, Warren has received more than 500,000 postcards, with secrets that run from sexual taboos and criminal activity to confessions of secret beliefs, hidden acts of kindness, shocking habits and fears. PostSecret is a safe and anonymous "place" where people can hear unheard voices and share untold stories.

More profile about the speaker
Frank Warren | Speaker | TED.com
TED2012

Frank Warren: Half a million secrets

Frank Warren: medio millón de segredos

Filmed:
3,303,010 views

"Os segredos poden acadar moitas formas: poden ser impactantes, parvos ou conmovedores". Frank Warren, o fundador de PostSecret.com, comparte algúns dos medio millón de segredos que xente descoñecida lle enviou en postais.
- Secret keeper
Frank Warren is the creator of the PostSecret Project, a blog full of secrets anonymously shared via postcard. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:15
Hi, my name is Frank,
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Ola, o meu nome é Frank
00:17
and I collect secrets.
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e colecciono segredos.
00:19
It all started with a crazy idea
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Todo comezou cunha idea tola
00:21
in November of 2004.
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en novembro do 2004.
00:24
I printed up 3,000 self-addressed postcards,
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Imprimín máis de 3000 postais
coa miña dirección,
00:27
just like this.
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xusto coma esta.
00:29
They were blank on one side,
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Estaban en branco por un lado,
00:31
and on the other side
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e no outro lado
00:33
I listed some simple instructions.
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listei unhas instrucións sinxelas.
00:35
I asked people to anonymously share an artful secret
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Pedínlle a xente que compartise
anonimamente un segredo enxeñoso
00:38
they'd never told anyone before.
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que nunca lle contaran a ninguén.
00:41
And I handed out these postcards randomly
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E repartín esas postais ó azar
00:43
on the streets of Washington, D.C.,
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polas rúas de Washington D.C.
00:45
not knowing what to expect.
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sen saber que agardar.
00:47
But soon the idea began spreading virally.
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Pero a idea deseguida
empezou a expandirse.
00:50
People began to buy their own postcards
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A xente empezou a mercar
as súas propias postais
00:53
and make their own postcards.
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e a facer as súas propias postais.
00:55
I started receiving secrets in my home mailbox,
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Comecei a recibir segredos
na caixa de correo da miña casa,
00:58
not just with postmarks from Washington, D.C.,
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non só con mataselos de Washington D.C.,
01:01
but from Texas, California,
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senón de Texas, California,
01:03
Vancouver, New Zealand, Iraq.
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Vancouver, Nova Zelandia, Iraq.
01:06
Soon my crazy idea didn't seem so crazy.
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De súpeto a miña tolemia
non parecía tal tolemia.
01:10
PostSecret.com
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PostSecret.com
01:12
is the most visited advertisement-free blog in the world.
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é o blog sen publicidade
máis visitado do mundo.
01:16
And this is my postcard collection today.
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E esta é a miña colección de postais
no presente.
01:21
You can see my wife
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Podedes ver á miña muller
01:23
struggling to stack a brick of postcards
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intentando amorear un montón de postais
01:25
on a pyramid of over a half-million secrets.
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nunha pirámide
de máis de medio millón de segredos.
01:29
What I'd like to do now
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O que me gustaría facer agora
01:31
is share with you a very special handful of secrets
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é compartir con vós
unha manda moi especial de segredos
01:34
from that collection,
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desa colección,
01:36
starting with this one.
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empezando por este.
01:40
"I found these stamps as a child,
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"Atopei estes selos cando era neno,
01:43
and I have been waiting all my life
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e agardei toda a vida
01:45
to have someone to send them to.
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a ter alguén a quen mandarllos.
01:48
I never did have someone."
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Nunca tiven a ninguén."
01:50
Secrets can take many forms.
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Os segredos poden adoptar moitas formas.
01:52
They can be shocking
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Poden ser impactantes,
01:54
or silly or soulful.
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parvos ou conmovedores.
01:57
They can connect us to our deepest humanity
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Poden conectarnos
coa nosa humanidade máis profunda
02:00
or with people we'll never meet.
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ou con xente que nunca coñeceremos.
02:06
(Laughter)
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Poño descafeinado ós clientes
que son groseiros comigo! (Risos)
02:14
Maybe one of you sent this one in.
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Pode que un de vós enviara este.
02:16
I don't know.
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Non o sei.
02:18
This one does a great job of demonstrating
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Este amosa moi ben
02:20
the creativity that people have
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a creatividade da xente
02:22
when they make and mail me a postcard.
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cando fan e me envían unha postal.
02:24
This one obviously was made out of half a Starbucks cup
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Esta obviamente está feita
coa metade dun vaso do Starbucks
02:27
with a stamp and my home address written on the other side.
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cun selo e a miña dirección
escrita no outro lado.
02:33
"Dear Birthmother, I have great parents.
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"Querida nai biolóxica,
teño uns pais xeniais.
02:36
I've found love. I'm happy."
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Atopei amor. Son feliz".
02:41
Secrets can remind us of the countless human dramas,
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Os segredos poden lembrarnos
os incontables dramas humanos,
02:44
of frailty and heroism,
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debilidades e heroísmo,
02:47
playing out silently
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actuando silandeiramente
02:49
in the lives of people all around us
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nas vidas da xente do noso arredor
02:51
even now.
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mesmo agora.
02:55
"Everyone who knew me before 9/11
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"Todo o mundo que me coñecía antes do 11S
02:59
believes I'm dead."
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cre que estou morto".
03:08
"I used to work with a bunch of uptight religious people,
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"Adoitaba traballar cunha manda
de persoas relixiosas pechadas,
03:11
so sometimes I didn't wear panties,
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así que de cando en vez non levaba bragas
03:13
and just had a big smile and chuckled to myself."
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e simplemente amosaba
un gran sorriso e ría por dentro".
03:16
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
03:24
This next one takes a little explanation before I share it with you.
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O seguinte precisa unha pequena explicación
antes de que volo ensine.
03:27
I love to speak on college campuses
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Encántame falar nos campus universitarios
03:30
and share secrets and the stories with students.
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e compartir segredos e historias
cos estudantes.
03:32
And sometimes afterwards I'll stick around
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E ás veces quedo despois
03:35
and sign books and take photos with students.
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e asino libros e fágome fotos
cos estudantes.
03:38
And this next postcard was made
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E a seguinte postal está feita
03:40
out of one of those photos.
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cunha desas fotos.
03:42
And I should also mention that, just like today,
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E tamén debo mencionar que,
igual que hoxe,
03:44
at that PostSecret event,
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no evento de PostSecret,
03:46
I was using a wireless microphone.
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estaba a usar un micrófono sen cables.
03:51
"Your mic wasn't off during sound check.
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"O teu micrófono non estaba apagado
durante a proba de son.
03:53
We all heard you pee."
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Todos te escoitamos mexar".
03:55
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
04:04
This was really embarrassing when it happened,
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Isto foi moi avergoñante cando sucedeu,
04:06
until I realized it could have been worse.
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ata que me decatei
de que podería ser peor.
04:11
Right. You know what I'm saying.
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Sabedes o que quero dicir.
04:14
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
04:17
"Inside this envelope
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"Dentro deste sobre
04:19
is the ripped up remains
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están os anacos rotos
04:21
of a suicide note I didn't use.
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dunha carta de suicidio que non usei.
04:23
I feel like the happiest person on Earth (now.)"
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Síntome como a persoa
máis feliz do mundo (agora)".
04:31
"One of these men is the father of my son.
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"Un destes homes é o pai do meu fillo.
04:34
He pays me a lot to keep it a secret."
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Pagoume unha morea
para que mantivera o segredo".
04:37
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
04:47
"That Saturday when you wondered where I was,
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"Aquel sábado
que te preguntabas onde estaba,
04:50
well, I was getting your ring.
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ben, estaba mercando o teu anel.
04:52
It's in my pocket right now."
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Está no meu peto nestes momentos".
04:54
I had this postcard posted on the PostSecret blog
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Publiquei esta postal
no blog de PostSecret
04:57
two years ago on Valentine's Day.
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hai dous anos no día de San Valentín.
04:59
It was the very bottom, the last secret in the long column.
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Estaba abaixo de todo,
o último segredo da longa columna.
05:02
And it hadn't been up for more than a couple hours
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E non pasaran máis de un par de horas
05:05
before I received this exuberant email
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cando recibín este exuberante e-mail
05:07
from the guy who mailed me this postcard.
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do rapaz que me enviara esta postal.
05:09
And he said, "Frank, I've got to share with you
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Dicía: "Frank, teño que compartir contigo
05:12
this story that just played out in my life."
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a historia que acaba de pasar
na miña vida".
05:14
He said, "My knees are still shaking."
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Dicía: "Os meus xeonllos
aínda están a tremer".
05:17
He said, "For three years, my girlfriend and I,
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Dicía: "Hai tres anos
que a miña moza e máis eu
05:20
we've made it this Sunday morning ritual
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temos o ritual matinal dos domingos
05:22
to visit the PostSecret blog together
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de visitar o blog de PostSecret xuntos
05:24
and read the secrets out loud.
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e ler os segredos en voz alta.
05:26
I read some to her, she reads some to me."
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Eu léolle uns a ela,
ela leme outros a min".
05:29
He says, "It's really brought us closer together
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Dicía: "iso realmente nos uniu
05:31
through the years.
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durante estes anos.
05:33
And so when I discovered
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E entón cando descubrín
05:35
that you had posted
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que colgaras
05:37
my surprise proposal to my girlfriend at the very bottom,
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a miña proposición sorpresa
para a miña moza ó final de todo,
05:39
I was beside myself.
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estaba fóra de min.
05:41
And I tried to act calm, not to give anything away.
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Intentei actuar con calma,
non amosar nada.
05:43
And just like every Sunday,
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E coma cada domingo
05:45
we started reading the secrets out loud to each other."
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comezamos a ler os segredos
en voz alto un ó outro".
05:49
He said, "But this time it seemed like it was taking her forever
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Dicía: "pero esta vez
parecía que tardaba anos
05:52
to get through each one."
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en pasar dun ó outro".
05:54
But she finally did.
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Pero finalmente o fixo.
05:56
She got to that bottom secret, his proposal to her.
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Chegou o segredo do final,
a súa proposición para ela.
05:59
And he said, "She read it once and then she read it again."
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E dicía: "leuno unha vez,
e despois o volveu ler."
06:04
And she turned to him and said,
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Virouse cara el e lle dixo.
06:06
"Is that our cat?"
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"Non é ese o noso gato?"
06:08
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
06:16
And when she saw him,
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E cando o mirou
06:18
he was down on one knee, he had the ring out.
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estaba cun xeonllo no chan,
ensinándolle o anel.
06:20
He popped the question, she said yes. It was a very happy ending.
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Fíxolle a pregunta, dixo que si.
Foi un final moi feliz.
06:23
So I emailed him back
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Así que lle respondín
06:25
and I said, "Please share with me an image, something,
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e lle dixen, "Por favor,
mándame unha imaxe ou algo
06:27
that I can share with the whole PostSecret community
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que poida compartir
con toda a comunidade de PostSecret
06:30
and let everyone know your fairy tale ending."
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para que todo o mundo saiba
o final da túa historia de conto".
06:33
And he emailed me this picture.
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E mandoume esta fotografía.
06:35
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
06:40
"I found your camera at Lollapalooza this summer.
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"Atopei a túa cámara
en Lollapalooza este verán.
06:43
I finally got the pictures developed
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Por fin as levei a revelar
06:46
and I'd love to give them to you."
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e gustaríame darchas".
06:50
This picture never got returned back
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Esta fotografía nunca foi devolta
06:52
to the people who lost it,
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á xente que a perdera,
06:55
but this secret has impacted many lives,
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pero este segredo
impactou en moitas vidas,
06:58
starting with a student up in Canada
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empezando cun estudante de Canadá
07:00
named Matty.
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chamado Matty.
07:02
Matty was inspired by that secret
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Matty inspirouse neste segredo
07:04
to start his own website,
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para empezar o seu propio sitio web,
07:06
a website called IFoundYourCamera.
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unha web chamada IFoundYourCamera.
07:09
Matty invites people
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Matty invita a xente
07:11
to mail him digital cameras that they've found,
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a enviarlle cámaras dixitais que atoparan,
07:14
memory sticks that have been lost
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memorias que se perderan
07:16
with orphan photos.
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con fotos orfas.
07:18
And Matty takes the pictures off these cameras
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E Matty colle as fotografías desas cámaras
07:20
and posts them on his website every week.
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e as colga na súa web cada semana.
07:23
And people come to visit
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E a xente as visita
07:25
to see if they can identify a picture they've lost
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para ver se poden identificar
una fotografía que perderan
07:28
or help somebody else get the photos back to them
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ou axudar a alguén
a recuperar as fotografías
07:31
that they might be desperately searching for.
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que pode que estiveran
buscando desesperadamente.
07:35
This one's my favorite.
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Esta é a miña favorita.
07:37
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
07:40
Matty has found this ingenious way
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Matty atopou esta enxeñosa maneira
07:44
to leverage the kindness of strangers.
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de aumentar
a amabilidade dos descoñecidos.
07:47
And it might seem like a simple idea, and it is,
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E pode parecer unha idea simple, e o é,
07:50
but the impact it can have on people's lives can be huge.
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pero o impacto que pode ter
na vida das persoas pode ser enorme.
07:53
Matty shared with me
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Matty compartiu comigo
07:55
an emotional email he received
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un emotivo e-mail que recibiu
07:57
from the mother in that picture.
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da nai desta fotografía.
08:01
"That's me, my husband and son.
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"Esta son eu co meu marido e o meu fillo.
08:04
The other pictures are of my very ill grandmother.
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As outras fotografías son da miña avoa,
que está moi enferma.
08:08
Thank you for making your site.
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Grazas por crear este sitio.
08:10
These pictures mean more to me than you know.
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Estas fotografías significan para min
máis do que poidas imaxinar.
08:13
My son's birth is on this camera.
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O nacemento do meu fillo
está nesta cámara.
08:15
He turns four tomorrow."
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Mañá cumpre catro anos".
08:19
Every picture that you see there
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Cada fotografía que podedes ver aí
08:21
and thousands of others
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e outros centos
08:23
have been returned back to the person who lost it --
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foron devoltas á persoa que as perdera,
08:25
sometimes crossing oceans,
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as veces cruzando océanos,
08:27
sometimes going through language barriers.
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outras superando a barreira da linguaxe.
08:32
This is the last postcard I have to share with you today.
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Esta é a última postal que teño
para compartir con vós hoxe.
08:35
"When people I love
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"Cando a xente que quero
08:38
leave voicemails on my phone
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deixa mensaxes de voz no meu teléfono
08:40
I always save them in case they die tomorrow
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sempre os gardo por se acaso morren mañá
08:43
and I have no other way
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e non teño outra maneira
08:45
of hearing their voice ever again."
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de escoitar a súa voz outra vez".
08:49
When I posted this secret,
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Cando colguei este segredo,
08:51
dozens of people
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ducias de persoas
08:53
sent voicemail messages from their phones,
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enviaron mensaxes de voz
dos seus teléfonos
08:55
sometimes ones they'd been keeping for years,
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ás veces algúns que os tiveran
gardados durante anos
08:58
messages from family or friends
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mensaxes da familia ou amigos
09:01
who had died.
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que morreran.
09:04
They said that by preserving those voices
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Dixeron que preservando esas voces
09:06
and sharing them,
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e compartíndoas
09:08
it helped them keep the spirit of their loved ones alive.
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axudábanlles a manter
o espírito dos seres queridos vivo.
09:13
One young girl
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Unha rapariga xove
09:15
posted the last message
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colgou a última mensaxe
09:17
she ever heard from her grandmother.
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que escoitara da súa avoa.
09:21
Secrets can take many forms.
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Os segredos poden adoptar moitas formas.
09:24
They can be shocking or silly
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Poden ser impactantes ou parvos
09:27
or soulful.
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ou conmovedores.
09:29
They can connect us with our deepest humanity
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Poden conectarnos
coa nosa humanidade máis profunda
09:31
or with people we'll never meet again.
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ou con xente que nunca volveremos ver.
09:36
Voicemail recording: First saved voice message.
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Mensaxe de voz:
primeira mensaxe de voz gardada
09:40
Grandma: ♫ It's somebody's birthday today ♫
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Avoa: ♫ É o aniversario de alguén hoxe ♫
09:45
♫ Somebody's birthday today ♫
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♫ O aniversario de alguén hoxe ♫
09:49
♫ The candles are lighted ♫
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♫ As candeas están acesas ♫
09:52
♫ on somebody's cake ♫
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♫ na torta de alguén ♫
09:55
♫ And we're all invited ♫
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♫ E todos estamos convidados ♫
09:58
♫ for somebody's sake ♫
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♫ á torta de alguén ♫
10:00
You're 21 years old today.
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Hoxe cumpres 21 anos.
10:03
Have a real happy birthday, and I love you.
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Que teñas un moi feliz aniversario,
quérote.
10:06
I'll say bye for now.
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Adeus de momento.
10:08
FW: Thank you.
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FW: Grazas.
10:10
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
10:16
Thank you.
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Grazas.
10:18
(Applause)
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10:29
June Cohen: Frank, that was beautiful,
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June Cohen: Frank, iso foi precioso,
10:31
so touching.
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tan emotivo.
10:33
Have you ever sent yourself a postcard?
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Algunha vez enviácheste
a ti mesmo unha postal?
10:35
Have you ever sent in a secret to PostSecret?
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Algunha vez enviaches
un segredo a PostSecret?
10:37
FW: I have one of my own secrets in every book.
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FW: Teño un segredo propio en cada libro.
10:40
I think in some ways, the reason I started the project,
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Creo que, dalgunha maneira,
a razón pola que comecei o proxecto,
10:43
even though I didn't know it at the time,
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aínda que non o soubera nese momento
10:45
was because I was struggling with my own secrets.
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foi porque estaba pelexando
cos meus propios segredos.
10:48
And it was through crowd-sourcing,
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E foi grazas á externalización,
10:50
it was through the kindness that strangers were showing me,
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a través da amabilidade
que os descoñecidos me amosaban,
10:53
that I could uncover
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que puiden destapar
10:55
parts of my past that were haunting me.
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partes do meu pasado
que me estaban a perseguir.
10:58
JC: And has anyone ever discovered
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JC: E algunha vez alguén descubriu
11:00
which secret was yours in the book?
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cal era o teu segredo no libro?
11:02
Has anyone in your life been able to tell?
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Alguén da túa vida o conseguiu descubrir?
11:04
FW: Sometimes I share that information, yeah.
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FW: Algunhas veces
comparto esa información, si.
11:06
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
11:09
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
Translated by Raquel Caamaño
Reviewed by Patricia Álvarez

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Frank Warren - Secret keeper
Frank Warren is the creator of the PostSecret Project, a blog full of secrets anonymously shared via postcard.

Why you should listen

Frank Warren is the creator of The PostSecret Project, a collection of highly personal and artfully decorated postcards mailed anonymously from around the world, displaying the soulful secrets we never voice. Since November 2004, Warren has received more than 500,000 postcards, with secrets that run from sexual taboos and criminal activity to confessions of secret beliefs, hidden acts of kindness, shocking habits and fears. PostSecret is a safe and anonymous "place" where people can hear unheard voices and share untold stories.

More profile about the speaker
Frank Warren | Speaker | TED.com