ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Saki Mafundikwa - Graphic designer
Saki Mafundikwa wrote the book on Africa’s graphic design heritage -- then opened a school of graphic arts in his native Zimbabwe.

Why you should listen

In his book Afrikan Alphabets, Saki Mafundiwaka includes a Ghanaian pictograph meaning “return to the past” This is exactly what he did in 1997 when he cashed in his publishing job 401(k) and left New York to open the Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts (ZIVA) in Harare. (“Vigital” denotes visual arts taught using digital tools.)

As a kid growing up in Zimbabwe, Mafundiwaka loved to sketch letterforms he saw in books and magazines, but he didn’t know graphic design was a career option until he arrived in America. "Sometimes you have to leave home,” he says, “to discover yourself.” He opened ZIVA to pay it forward. “The dream,” he says, “is for something to come out of Africa that is of Africa."

In 2010, he made the film Shungu: The Resilience of a People, a compelling narrative of the strategies ordinary people use to survive in Zimbabwe today.

More profile about the speaker
Saki Mafundikwa | Speaker | TED.com
TED2013

Saki Mafundikwa: Ingenuity and elegance in ancient African alphabets

古非洲文字的智慧与优雅

Filmed:
775,241 views

从一个单一字母到神秘的符号语言,平面设计者Saki Mafundikwa 展示了跨越非洲大陆的多种书写文字,他特別强调了这些书写文字和符号所隐含的历史与文化遗产意义,并力劝非洲的设计者们从这些图形文字上获得新的灵感。全讲可以总结为他最爱的加纳文字, Sankofa,意思是“返回并获得”,也就是“以古为鉴”。
- Graphic designer
Saki Mafundikwa wrote the book on Africa’s graphic design heritage -- then opened a school of graphic arts in his native Zimbabwe. Full bio

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

00:12
I moved移动 back home 15 years年份 ago
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15年前,我回到家乡
00:16
after a 20-year-年 stay in the United联合的 States状态,
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那时已经在美国呆了20年
00:19
and Africa非洲 called me back.
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是非洲召唤我回去
00:21
And I founded成立 my country's first
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我建立了祖国的第一个
00:25
graphic图像 design设计 and new media媒体 college学院.
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平面设计新媒体学院
00:27
And I called it the Zimbabwe津巴布韦 Institute研究所 of VigitalVigital Arts艺术.
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被我命名为数位视觉艺术津巴布韦研究院
00:32
The idea理念, the dream梦想, was really for a sort分类 of Bauhaus包豪斯
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创校理念是建成包豪斯风格的设计学院
00:36
sort分类 of school学校 where new ideas思路 were interrogated审问
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在这里,我们审视
00:41
and investigated调查,
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调研新的创意
00:44
the creation创建 of a new visual视觉 language语言
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创造基于非洲善于创造的传统
00:47
based基于 on the African非洲人 creative创作的 heritage遗产.
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的新视觉语言
00:52
We offer提供 a two-year两年 diploma文凭
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我们为有天赋的
00:55
to talented天才 students学生们 who have successfully顺利 completed完成
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高中毕业生提供一个
00:59
their high school学校 education教育.
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两年的资格教育
01:01
And typography's印刷术的 a very important重要 part部分 of the curriculum课程
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字体排印学是我们课程中很重要的一部分
01:04
and we encourage鼓励 our students学生们 to look inward向内的 for influence影响.
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我们鼓励学生深入其中获得灵感
01:09
Here's这里的 a poster海报 designed设计 by one of the students学生们
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这是其中一个学生设计的海报
01:11
under the theme主题 "Education教育 is a right."
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主题为“教育是一项权利”
01:16
Some logos徽标 designed设计 by my students学生们.
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这些是我的学生设计的商标
01:20
Africa非洲 has had a long tradition传统 of writing写作,
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非洲有历史悠久的书写传统
01:24
but this is not such这样 a well-known知名 fact事实,
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但鲜为人知
01:26
and I wrote the book "AfrikanAfrikan Alphabets字母" to address地址 that.
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为此,我写了“非洲字母表”来阐述这点
01:30
The different不同 types类型 of writing写作 in Africa非洲,
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非洲有多种文字系统
01:34
first was proto-writing原书写,
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第一种是原始文
01:36
as illustrated插图 by NsibidiNsibidi,
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比如Nsibidi文
01:38
which哪一个 is the writing写作 system系统 of a secret秘密 society社会
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是尼日利亚南部的Ejagham人的一个
01:41
of the EjaghamEjagham people in southern南部的 Nigeria尼日利亚.
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隐秘部落使用的文字
01:45
So it's a special-interest特殊利益 writing写作 system系统.
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所以是一个特殊群体的专用文字
01:49
The Akan阿寒湖 of people of Ghana加纳 and [Cote科特 d'Ivoire科特迪瓦]
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约400年前,加纳和科特迪瓦(象牙海岸)的
01:52
developed发达 AdinkraAdinkra symbols符号 some 400 years年份 ago,
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阿肯人发明了Adinkra符号
01:56
and these are proverbs谚语, historical历史的 sayings语录,
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这些(Adinkra符号)代表谚语,古格言,
02:00
objects对象, animals动物, plants植物,
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实物,动物,植物,
02:03
and my favorite喜爱 AdinkraAdinkra system系统
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其中我最喜欢的
02:05
is the first one at the top最佳 on the left.
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是左上方的第一个
02:07
It's called SankofaSankofa.
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叫做Sankofa
02:08
It means手段, "Return返回 and get it." Learn学习 from the past过去.
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意思是,“返回并获得”,以古为鉴。
02:14
This pictograph象形文字 by the JokweJokwe people of Angola安哥拉
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这个安哥拉Jokwe人用的象形文字
02:17
tells告诉 the story故事 of the creation创建 of the world世界.
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讲了创世界的故事
02:21
At the top最佳 is God, at the bottom底部 is man, mankind人类,
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最上面是上帝,最下面是人类
02:26
and on the left is the sun太阳, on the right is the moon月亮.
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左边是太阳,右边是月亮
02:31
All the paths路径 lead to and from God.
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所以的路径都连通上帝
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These secret秘密 societies社会 of the Yoruba约鲁巴, Kongo金刚
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分布在尼日利亚、刚果和
02:40
and Palo帕洛阿尔托 religions宗教
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安哥拉的
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in Nigeria尼日利亚, Congo刚果 and Angola安哥拉 respectively分别,
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的约鲁巴人、刚果人及Palo教徒的神秘部落
02:46
developed发达 this intricate错综复杂 writing写作 system系统
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分别创建了这复杂的文字
02:49
which哪一个 is alive and well today今天 in the New World世界
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这种文字现在依然在古巴、
02:53
in Cuba古巴, Brazil巴西 and Trinidad特立尼达 and Haiti海地.
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巴西、特立尼达岛和海地的新世界中使用
02:59
In the rainforests热带雨林 of the Democratic民主的 Republic共和国 of Congo刚果,
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在刚果民主共和国的雨林
03:03
in the Ituri伊图里 society社会,
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在伊图利部落
03:06
the men男人 pound out a cloth out of a special特别 tree,
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男人猛击一种特殊树木制成这布料
03:09
and the women妇女, who are also the praise赞美 singers歌手,
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然后由女人,一边唱赞美诗,
03:12
paint涂料 interweaving交织 patterns模式
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一边画出这些交织的图形
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that are the same相同 in structure结构体
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这图形的结构就像她们
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as the polyphonic和弦 structures结构 that they use in their singing唱歌 --
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歌中用的复调结构
03:23
a sort分类 of a musical音乐 score得分了, if you may可能.
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你可以称它为一种乐谱
03:27
In South Africa非洲, Ndebele恩德贝勒 women妇女
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在南非,恩德贝勒族的女人
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use these symbols符号 and other geometric几何 patterns模式
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把这些符号和几何图形
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to paint涂料 their homes家园 in bright colors颜色,
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亮丽地涂在她们的家里
03:36
and the Zulu祖鲁 women妇女 use the symbols符号
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祖鲁女人把这些符号
03:39
in the beads that they weave编织
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用在她们串
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into bracelets手镯 and necklaces项链.
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手镯和项链的珠子里
03:44
Ethiopia埃塞俄比亚 has had the longest最长 tradition传统 of writing写作,
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埃塞俄比亚曾拥有最悠久的文字传统
03:48
with the Ethiopic衣索比亚 script脚本 that was developed发达
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埃塞俄比亚语的文字体系
03:50
in the fourth第四 century世纪 A.D.
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在公元四世纪就形成
03:52
and is used to write Amharic阿姆哈拉语,
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现在还在用来写
03:55
which哪一个 is spoken by over 24 million百万 people.
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逾2400万人使用的阿姆哈拉语
03:58
King国王 Ibrahim易卜拉欣 NjoyaNjoya of the Bamum巴姆文 Kingdom王国 of Cameroon喀麦隆
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喀麦隆前巴姆穆(Bamum)王国的国王Ibrahim Njoya
04:03
developed发达 Shü-mom-妈妈 at the age年龄 of 25.
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在25岁的时候发明Shü-mom
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Shü-mom-妈妈 is a writing写作 system系统.
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Shü-mom是一种文字
04:08
It's a syllabary音节表. It's not exactly究竟 an alphabet字母.
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它是一种音节文字,不完全是符号系统
04:11
And here we see three stages阶段 of development发展
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这是它30年中经过的
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that it went through通过 in 30 years年份.
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三个发展阶段
04:19
The Vai奥钢联 people of Liberia利比里亚 had a long tradition传统 of literacy读写能力
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在19世纪利比里亚的Vai人与欧洲人接触前
04:25
before their first contact联系 with Europeans欧洲人 in the 1800s.
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他们就已经有很长的文字史
04:29
It's a syllabary音节表 and reads from left to right.
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它是一种从左读的音节文字
04:33
Next下一个 door, in Sierra内华达 Leone塞拉利昂, the Mende闷得
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在邻近的塞拉利昂共和国,曼地人
04:37
also developed发达 a syllabary音节表,
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也发明了一种音节文字
04:39
but theirs他们的 reads from right to left.
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但他们的是从右读
04:43
Africa非洲 has had a long tradition传统 of design设计,
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非洲曾有很长的设计文化
04:46
a well-defined明确 design设计 sensibility感性,
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具有非常清晰的设计感
04:50
but the problem问题 in Africa非洲 has been that,
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但是,尤其是在当今,非洲的问题是
04:52
especially特别 today今天, designers设计师 in Africa非洲
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非洲的设计者
04:55
struggle斗争 with all forms形式 of design设计
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在各种设计形式中挣扎
04:57
because they are more apt易于 to look outward向外
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因为他们更倾向于追求外界(非洲以外)
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for influence影响 and inspiration灵感.
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的影响潮流和灵感
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The creative创作的 spirit精神 in Africa非洲, the creative创作的 tradition传统,
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如果设计者可以认真审视
05:08
is as potent有力的 as it has always been,
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他们会发现非洲一直都拥有自己的创新精神,
05:11
if only designers设计师 could look within.
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并且这种创新的力量和精神可以像过去一样有影响力
05:15
This Ethiopic衣索比亚 cross交叉 illustrates说明
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这个埃塞俄比亚图腾便阐释了
05:18
what Dr博士. Ron罗恩 EglashEglash has established既定:
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Ron Eglash 博士曾经提出的观点:
05:21
that Africa非洲 has a lot to contribute有助于 to computing计算
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非洲对于分形的直观理解
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and mathematics数学 through通过 their intuitive直观的 grasp把握 of fractals分形.
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对计算数学有很大贡献
05:30
Africans非洲人 of antiquity古代 created创建 civilization文明,
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古代非洲人创造了人类文明
05:34
and their monuments纪念碑, which哪一个 still stand today今天,
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他们现存的遗迹
05:38
are a true真正 testimony见证 of their greatness伟大.
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就是他们伟大贡献的见证
05:41
Most probably大概, one of humanity's人类的 greatest最大 achievements成就
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字母表的发明可以说是
05:45
is the invention发明 of the alphabet字母,
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人类最伟大的发明之一
05:48
and that has been attributed由于 to Mesopotamia美索不达米亚
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这要归功于美索不达米亚
05:51
with their invention发明 of cuneiform楔形的 in 1600 BC公元前,
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他们在公元前1600年发明了楔形文字
05:57
followed其次 by hieroglyphics象形文字 in Egypt埃及,
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然后是埃及的象形文字
06:01
and that story故事 has been cast in stone as historical历史的 fact事实.
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这个故事作为历史真相被刻在石头上
06:06
That is, until直到 1998,
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直到1998年,
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when one Yale耶鲁 professor教授 John约翰 Coleman科尔曼 Darnell达内尔
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耶鲁教授John Coleman Darnell
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discovered发现 these inscriptions铭文 in the Thebes底比斯 desert沙漠
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在埃及西部底比斯沙漠
06:17
on the limestone石灰石 cliffs悬崖 in western西 Egypt埃及,
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石灰岩悬崖上发现了这些碑文
06:21
and these have been dated过时的 at between之间 1800 and 1900 B.C.,
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它们被确认为是公元前18到19世纪
06:27
centuries百年 before Mesopotamia美索不达米亚.
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在美索不达米亚文明之前的古迹
06:30
Called Wadi河道 el-HolEL-Hol的
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被叫做恐怖峡谷字母
06:33
because of the place地点 that they were discovered发现,
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由他们被发现的地方命名
06:36
these inscriptions铭文 -- research研究 is still going on,
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关于这些碑文的研究还在进行
06:39
a few少数 of them have been deciphered破译,
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一小部分已经被解码
06:42
but there is consensus共识 among其中 scholars学者
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但研究者已达到共识
06:45
that this is really humanity's人类的 first alphabet字母.
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这确实是人类第一个字母表
06:50
Over here, you see a paleographic古地理 chart图表
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这是一个古体文字表
06:53
that shows节目 what has been deciphered破译 so far,
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显示了至今已经被解码的文字
06:56
starting开始 with the letter A, "ālepLEP," at the top最佳,
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从字母A,最上面的“ālep”,开始
06:59
and "bêt," in the middle中间, and so forth向前.
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B,中间的 “bêt”,依此类推。
07:03
It is time that students学生们 of design设计 in Africa非洲
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现在非洲的设计学学生应该要
07:07
read the works作品 of titans巨头 like Cheikh谢赫 Anta安踏 Diop迪奥普,
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读这些伟人的作品,像Cheikh Anta Diop(人名),
07:11
Senegal's塞内加尔 Cheikh谢赫 Anta安踏 Diop迪奥普,
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塞内加尔的Cheikh Anta Diop,
07:13
whose谁的 seminal work on Egypt埃及 is vindicated平反
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他关于埃及的开创性的研究就是
07:16
by this discovery发现.
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被这一发现证实。
07:19
The last word goes to the great Jamaican牙买加 leader领导
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最后来说一下伟大的牙买加领导人
07:22
Marcus马库斯 Mosiah摩赛亚书 Garvey加维
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马科斯·加维(Marcus Mosiah Garvey)
07:24
and the Akan阿寒湖 people of Ghana加纳
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和加纳的阿肯人
07:28
with their AdinkraAdinkra symbol符号 SankofaSankofa,
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他们的Adinkra文字Sankofa
07:30
which哪一个 encourages鼓励 us to go to the past过去
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鼓励我们以古为鉴
07:32
so as to inform通知 our present当下
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用之于今
07:34
and build建立 on a future未来 for us and our children孩子.
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来为我们和我们的孩子建立未来
07:39
It is also time that designers设计师 in Africa非洲
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非洲的设计者也
07:43
stop looking outside.
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不该再只向其他文化借鉴
07:46
They've他们已经 been looking outward向外 for a long time,
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他们已经向外学习很长时间了
07:48
yet然而 what they were looking for
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然而他们要从找寻的
07:51
has been right there within grasp把握, right within them.
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其实就在触手可及的地方,就在他们自己身上
07:55
Thank you very much.
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非常感谢
07:57
(Applause掌声)
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(掌声)
Translated by Fen Guan
Reviewed by Linda Zhou

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Saki Mafundikwa - Graphic designer
Saki Mafundikwa wrote the book on Africa’s graphic design heritage -- then opened a school of graphic arts in his native Zimbabwe.

Why you should listen

In his book Afrikan Alphabets, Saki Mafundiwaka includes a Ghanaian pictograph meaning “return to the past” This is exactly what he did in 1997 when he cashed in his publishing job 401(k) and left New York to open the Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts (ZIVA) in Harare. (“Vigital” denotes visual arts taught using digital tools.)

As a kid growing up in Zimbabwe, Mafundiwaka loved to sketch letterforms he saw in books and magazines, but he didn’t know graphic design was a career option until he arrived in America. "Sometimes you have to leave home,” he says, “to discover yourself.” He opened ZIVA to pay it forward. “The dream,” he says, “is for something to come out of Africa that is of Africa."

In 2010, he made the film Shungu: The Resilience of a People, a compelling narrative of the strategies ordinary people use to survive in Zimbabwe today.

More profile about the speaker
Saki Mafundikwa | Speaker | TED.com