TEDWomen 2018
Ashweetha Shetty: How education helped me rewrite my life
爱诗维莎·舍提: 教育怎样帮我重写人生
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唯有发现自己的目标，才能使你获得最大的自由，教育倡导者爱诗维莎·舍提如是说。出生于印度偏远地区的一个贫穷的家庭，当地的社会规范没有扼杀她的梦想，泯灭她的呼声。在这个的演讲中，她分享了她是怎样在接受教育中发现了自我价值——并怎样致力于鼓励其他的偏远地区的年轻人去开发他们的潜能。“我们都生来盲目接受了一些事实——直到被某些东西警醒，然后一个新世界便向我们敞开大门，”她说。
Ashweetha Shetty - Rural social worker
Through her nonprofit, Bodhi Tree Foundation, Ashweetha Shetty supports first-generation college students in rural India to explore their potential through education, life skills and opportunities. Full bio
Through her nonprofit, Bodhi Tree Foundation, Ashweetha Shetty supports first-generation college students in rural India to explore their potential through education, life skills and opportunities. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I was eight years old.
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那时我才8岁。
对当天所发生的事，记忆犹新。
00:15
I remember that day clearly
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00:17
like it happened just yesterday.
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00:20
My mother is a bidi roller.
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母亲的养家本事
00:23
She hand-rolls country cigarettes
to sustain our family.
to sustain our family.
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是用手卷一种叫比迪的乡下雪茄。
00:27
She is a hard worker
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她工作很卖力，
00:29
and spent 10 to 12 hours
every day rolling bidis.
every day rolling bidis.
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每天用上10至12小时卷烟。
00:34
That particular day she came home
and showed me her bidi-rolling wage book.
and showed me her bidi-rolling wage book.
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有一天，她回到家里，
就让我看她的收入账本。
就让我看她的收入账本。
00:39
She asked me how much money
she has earned that week.
she has earned that week.
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她问我那周她挣了多少钱。
00:44
I went through that book,
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我看了看那个账本，
00:45
and what caught my eyes
were her thumbprints on each page.
were her thumbprints on each page.
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注意到每一页都有她的指纹。
00:51
My mother has never been to school.
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母亲从未上过学。
00:54
She uses her thumbprints
instead of a signature
instead of a signature
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她用指纹代替签名
00:58
to keep a record of her earnings.
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去记录她的收入。
01:01
On that day, for some reason,
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那一天，我有个想法，
01:03
I wanted to teach her
how to hold a pen and write her name.
how to hold a pen and write her name.
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要教她拿起笔来，写自己的名字。
01:08
She was reluctant at first.
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开始时，她不太情愿。
01:10
She smiled innocently and said no.
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只微微一笑就说不。
01:13
But deep down, I was sure
she wanted to give it a try.
she wanted to give it a try.
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但我相信她是想要试试的，
01:18
With a little bit of perseverance
and a lot of effort,
and a lot of effort,
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我们坚持练习了一会，
要费老大的劲儿，
要费老大的劲儿，
01:21
we managed to write her name.
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才能让她写出自己的名字。
01:23
Her hands were trembling,
and her face was beaming with pride.
and her face was beaming with pride.
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当时虽然她的手在颤抖，
但脸上却闪耀着自豪。
但脸上却闪耀着自豪。
01:29
As I watched her do this,
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那一刹，
01:30
for the first time in my life,
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是我有生以来第一次，
01:33
I had a priceless feeling:
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萌生一个有意义的想法：
01:36
that I could be of some use to this world.
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要对这个世界有所作为。
01:42
That feeling was very special,
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那种感觉非常奇特，
01:44
because I am not meant to be useful.
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我并不注定会是有所作为的。
01:48
In rural India, girls are generally
considered worthless.
considered worthless.
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因为女孩子身处于印度偏远地区，
被认为是没有用的。
被认为是没有用的。
01:52
They're a liability or a burden.
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只是一种负担和包袱。
01:54
If they are considered useful,
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如果她们还算有用的话，
01:56
it is only to cook dishes,
keep the house clean
keep the house clean
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就只是煮饭和打扫，
01:59
or raise children.
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或者生儿育女。
02:02
As a second daughter
of my conservative Indian family,
of my conservative Indian family,
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作为印度保守家庭里的第二个女儿，
02:05
I was fairly clear from a very early age
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从小就清楚知道，
02:09
that no one expected anything from me.
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没有人会指望我将来能做一点儿事。
02:13
I was conditioned to believe that
the three identities that defined me --
the three identities that defined me --
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我要注定背负三个包袱——
02:18
poor village girl --
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农村里来、贫穷的、女孩——
02:20
meant that I was to live a life
of no voice and no choice.
of no voice and no choice.
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既定成规我是要过一种
没有话语权和选择权的生活。
没有话语权和选择权的生活。
02:27
These three identities forced me to think
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这三个包袱迫使我这样想
02:30
that I should never have been born.
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我原本不该出生。
02:35
Yet, I was.
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我就是那样想的。
02:39
All throughout my childhood,
as I rolled bidis alongside my mother,
as I rolled bidis alongside my mother,
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整个童年，每次我在妈妈身边卷烟的时候
02:43
I would wonder:
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我都很迷茫地问：
02:45
What did my future hold?
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“我将来会怎么样？”
02:48
I often asked my mother,
with a lot of anxiety,
with a lot of anxiety,
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又会焦虑的再问母亲，
02:51
"Amma, will my life
be different from yours?
be different from yours?
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“妈妈，我将来是否可以跟你不一样？
02:55
Will I have a chance to choose my life?
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我有机会选择自己的生活吗？
02:59
Will I go to college?"
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我可以上大学吗？”
03:01
And she would reply back,
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她就会回答，
03:05
"Try to finish high school first."
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“你还是先上完高中才说吧。”
03:08
I am sure my mother
did not mean to discourage me.
did not mean to discourage me.
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我了解母亲不是成心打击我。
03:12
She only wanted me to understand
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她只想让我明白
03:14
that my dreams might be too big
for a girl in my village.
for a girl in my village.
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那些梦想对这个乡村的女孩来说，
也许太大了。
也许太大了。
03:20
When I was 13, I found
the autobiography of Helen Keller.
the autobiography of Helen Keller.
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我在13岁的时候，
发现了一本海伦·凯勒的自传。
发现了一本海伦·凯勒的自传。
03:25
Helen became my inspiration.
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我很佩服书中的海伦。
03:27
I admired her indomitable spirit.
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她那不屈不挠的精神。
03:30
I wanted to have
a college degree like her,
a college degree like her,
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我要学她一样能取得大学文凭，
03:33
so I fought with my father
and my relatives to be sent to college,
and my relatives to be sent to college,
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于是我与父亲及亲戚们争吵，
争取上大学的权利，
争取上大学的权利，
03:37
and it worked.
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最后我成功了。
03:40
During my final year
of my undergraduate degree,
of my undergraduate degree,
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在大学的最后一年，
03:43
I desperately wanted to escape
from being forced into marriage,
from being forced into marriage,
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我要拼命摆脱强迫的婚姻，
03:47
so I applied to
a fellowship program in Delhi,
a fellowship program in Delhi,
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于是我申请了一个在德尔里的奖学金，
03:50
which is about 1,600 miles
away from my village.
away from my village.
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那地方离我们的村1600英里。
03:53
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
03:57
In fact, I recall that the only way
I could fill out the application
I could fill out the application
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我记得是在去大学的路上
04:02
was during my commute to college.
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填写那份申请表。
04:05
I did not have access to computers,
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我找不到电脑，
04:07
so I had to borrow
a college junior's cell phone.
a college junior's cell phone.
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只能去借大学高年级同学的手机。
04:11
As a woman, I could not
be seen with a cell phone,
be seen with a cell phone,
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但女性是不能被看见用手机的，
04:14
so I used to huddle
his phone under my shawl
his phone under my shawl
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那时我总是用披肩遮住手机，
04:17
and type as slowly as possible
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尽量慢慢地打字，
04:20
to ensure that I would not be heard.
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以防被别人听到。
04:25
After many rounds of interviews,
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数轮面试之后，
04:27
I got into the fellowship program
with a full scholarship.
with a full scholarship.
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我获得全额的奖学金。
04:30
My father was confused,
my mother was worried --
my mother was worried --
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我父亲很困惑，母亲也很担心——
04:34
(Applause)
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（掌声）
04:39
My father was confused,
my mother was worried,
my mother was worried,
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我父亲很困惑，母亲也很担心——
04:42
but I felt butterflies in my stomach
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而我却无比兴奋，
04:44
because I was going
to step out of my village
to step out of my village
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因为这是我头一次
04:48
for the first time
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可以离开村庄
04:49
to study in the national capital.
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去首都那里学习。
04:53
Of the 97 fellows selected that year,
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那一年共有97名奖学金的获得者，
04:55
I was the only rural college graduate.
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只有我是来自偏远乡村的学生。
04:59
There was no one there
who looked like me or spoke like me.
who looked like me or spoke like me.
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我和别人的外表和口音都不一样。
05:03
I felt alienated, intimidated
and judged by many.
and judged by many.
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我感觉得很孤立，胆怯，
时常被人指指点点。
时常被人指指点点。
05:08
One fellow called me "Coconut Girl."
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一个同学叫我“椰子姑娘”。
05:11
Can you guess why?
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知道为什么吗？
05:13
Anyone?
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有没有人知道？
05:16
That's because I applied
a lot of coconut oil to my hair.
a lot of coconut oil to my hair.
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因为我在头发上擦了很多椰子油。
05:20
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
05:22
Another asked me where
I had learned to speak English,
I had learned to speak English,
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另一个人问我，我从哪里学的英语，
05:26
and some of my peers did not prefer
to have me on their assignment teams
to have me on their assignment teams
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还有一些同学，
不欢迎我加入他们的功课小组，
不欢迎我加入他们的功课小组，
05:30
because they thought I would not be able
to contribute to their discussion.
to contribute to their discussion.
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因为他们认为，
我不能在讨论的时候有所贡献。
我不能在讨论的时候有所贡献。
05:35
I felt that many of my peers
believed that a person from rural India
believed that a person from rural India
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我想那些同学认为，
一个从印度偏远乡村来的人，
一个从印度偏远乡村来的人，
05:40
could not supply anything of value,
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不会提出任何有价值的观点，
05:43
yet the majority of Indian
population today is rural.
population today is rural.
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而当今大多数的印度人都来自乡村。
05:48
I realized that stories like mine
were considered to be an exception
were considered to be an exception
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我发现，像我这样的经历
只会被当作一个特例，
只会被当作一个特例，
05:53
and never the expectation.
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绝不是一个期望。
05:57
I believe that all of us are born
into a reality that we blindly accept
into a reality that we blindly accept
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我相信，我们都是生下来就要
盲目地接受现实，
盲目地接受现实，
06:02
until something awakens us
and a new world opens up.
and a new world opens up.
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直到我们被警醒，
新世界才向我们敞开大门。
新世界才向我们敞开大门。
06:07
When I saw my mother's first signature
on her bidi-rolling wage book,
on her bidi-rolling wage book,
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当我看到母亲卷烟
收入账本上的第一个签名时，
收入账本上的第一个签名时，
06:12
when I felt the hot
Delhi air against my face
Delhi air against my face
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是乘坐了50个小时火车之后，
06:15
after a 50-hour train journey,
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当我感觉到德里那燥热的空气吹拂在脸上时，
06:18
when I finally felt free
and let myself be,
and let myself be,
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当我最终感觉到被赋予生命的自由时，
06:22
I saw a glimpse
of that new world I longed for,
of that new world I longed for,
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我就看见了那个我所期盼的世界，
06:25
a world where a girl like me
is no longer a liability or a burden
is no longer a liability or a burden
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在那里，像我一样的女孩，
不再是负担或包袱
不再是负担或包袱
06:29
but a person of use, a person of value
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而是个有用和有价值的人
06:32
and a person of worthiness.
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一个有生存价值的人。
06:35
By the time my fellowship ended,
my life had changed.
my life had changed.
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当我完成那个奖学金项目的时候，
我的人生已经改变了。
我的人生已经改变了。
06:39
Not only had I traced my lost voice,
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不仅我已经找回失去的话语权，
06:41
but also had a choice
to make myself useful.
to make myself useful.
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也选择作为一个有用的人。
06:46
I was 22.
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那时我22岁。
06:48
I came back to my village
to set up the Bodhi Tree Foundation,
to set up the Bodhi Tree Foundation,
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回到自己的村，建立一个
叫宝迪树（Bodhi Tree）的基金，
叫宝迪树（Bodhi Tree）的基金，
06:51
an institution that supports rural youth
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这个是个帮助偏远地区年轻人的机构，
06:54
by providing them with education,
life skills and opportunities.
life skills and opportunities.
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为他们提供教育、生存技能和机会。
06:59
We work closely with our rural youth
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我们和那些年轻人紧密合作，
07:01
to change their life
and to benefit our communities.
and to benefit our communities.
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致力于改变他们的生命，为社区创造价值。
07:06
How do I know my institution is working?
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我是如何知道我的机构是否取得成效呢？
07:09
Well, six months ago, we had a new joinee.
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六个月前，我们有个新成员。
07:12
Her name is Kaviarasi.
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她叫卡瓦拉斯。
07:14
I first spotted her
in a local college in Tirunelveli
in a local college in Tirunelveli
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我在蒂鲁内尔维利的
一个当地学院里第一次看到她，
一个当地学院里第一次看到她，
07:18
during one of my training sessions.
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当时我正在做培训。
07:20
As you can see, she has a smile
which you can never forget.
which you can never forget.
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你们可以看到，她的微笑令人难忘。
07:25
We guided her to get an opportunity
to study at Ashoka University, Delhi.
to study at Ashoka University, Delhi.
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在我们的引导下，她获得了在德里的
爱舍卡大学的学习机会。
爱舍卡大学的学习机会。
07:30
The best part of her story is that
she is now back at Bodhi Tree as a trainer
she is now back at Bodhi Tree as a trainer
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最有意义的是，
她现在回到了宝迪树做教员，
她现在回到了宝迪树做教员，
07:36
working with dedication to make a change
in the lives of others like her.
in the lives of others like her.
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兢兢业业地工作，帮助其他
像她一样的人，改变命运。
像她一样的人，改变命运。
07:41
Kaviarasi doesn't want
to feel like an exception.
to feel like an exception.
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卡瓦拉斯不想让人觉得
她的情况是个特例。
她的情况是个特例。
07:44
She wants to be of use
to others in this world.
to others in this world.
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她想在这个世界，
成为一个能帮助别人的人。
成为一个能帮助别人的人。
07:49
Recently, Kaviarasi mentored Anitha,
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最近，卡瓦拉斯辅导了安妮塔,
07:52
who also comes
from a remote, rural village,
from a remote, rural village,
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一个也是来自偏远山村的女孩，
07:54
lives in a 10-foot-by-10-foot home,
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住在一个100平方尺的家里，
07:56
her parents are also farm laborers.
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她的父母也是辛勤耕种的农夫。
07:59
Kaviarasi helped Anitha secure admission
in a prestigious undergraduate program
in a prestigious undergraduate program
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卡瓦拉斯帮她拿到了
一个享有盛誉的大学项目入学的录取，
一个享有盛誉的大学项目入学的录取，
08:04
in a top university in India
with a full scholarship.
with a full scholarship.
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而且拿到了这所印度顶尖大学的全额奖学金。
08:08
When Anitha's parents
were reluctant to send her that far,
were reluctant to send her that far,
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当安妮塔的父母不想送她
去那么遥远的地方读书时，
去那么遥远的地方读书时，
08:11
we asked the district
administration officials
administration officials
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我们请求这个地区的领导
08:13
to speak to Anitha's parents,
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去说服她的父母，
08:15
and it worked.
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结果成功了。
08:16
And then there is Padma.
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接下来，有一个叫帕德玛的。
08:19
Padma and I went to college together.
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帕德玛和我上同一所大学。
08:22
She's the first in her entire village
to attend graduation.
to attend graduation.
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她是她们村里第一个大学毕业生。
08:26
She had been working with me at Bodhi Tree
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她一直在宝迪树工作，
08:29
until one day she decides
to go to graduate school.
to go to graduate school.
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直到有一天，她决定要去读研究生。
08:32
I asked her why.
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我问她为什么。
08:34
She told me that she wanted to make sure
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她说她想确保
08:36
that she would never be
a liability or a burden to anyone
a liability or a burden to anyone
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在她人生中的任何时刻，
08:40
at any point in her life.
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都不会成为别人的负担或包袱。
08:43
Padma, Anitha and Kaviarasi
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帕德玛、安妮塔和卡瓦拉斯，
08:45
grew up in the most tough
families and communities
families and communities
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你可以想像到
08:48
one could only imagine.
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她们都是在最困难家庭和社区中长大的。
08:50
Yet the journey of finding
my usefulness in this world
my usefulness in this world
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然而，在我寻找自己价值的旅途中，
08:54
served them in finding
their usefulness to this world.
their usefulness to this world.
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我帮助了她们发现
自己在这个世上的价值。
自己在这个世上的价值。
08:59
Of course there are challenges.
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当然，这个并不容易。
09:01
I'm aware change
does not happen overnight.
does not happen overnight.
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我知道这不是可以
在一夜之间就能改变的。
在一夜之间就能改变的。
09:04
A lot of my work involves working
with families and communities
with families and communities
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很多的工作会牵扯到家庭和社区，
09:08
to help them understand
why getting an education
why getting an education
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帮助他们理解为什么子女要接受教育
09:11
is useful for everyone.
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是对每一个人都有用。
09:13
The quickest way
to convince them is by doing.
to convince them is by doing.
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最实用的方法去说服他们
就是付诸行动。
就是付诸行动。
09:16
When they see their kids
getting a real education,
getting a real education,
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当他们看到自己的孩子接受教育之后，
09:18
getting a real job, they begin to change.
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得到了工作，他们就开始改变。
09:21
The best example
is what happened at my home.
is what happened at my home.
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最好的例子就是在我家里发生的故事。
09:26
I was recently given an award
in recognition of my social work
in recognition of my social work
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最近，我们州的州长颁发给我一个奖项，
09:30
by the chief minister of my state.
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以认可我的社会活动。
09:33
That meant I was going
to be on television.
to be on television.
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这意味我接着要上电视了。
09:35
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
09:38
Everyone was hooked on to the television
that morning, including my parents.
that morning, including my parents.
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那天早上，所有我村里的人
都被吸引到电视机前，包括我的父母。
都被吸引到电视机前，包括我的父母。
09:43
I would like to believe
that seeing her daughter on television
that seeing her daughter on television
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我相信，母亲看到自己的女儿上电视，
也感觉到她自己
也感觉到她自己
09:47
made my mother feel useful too.
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也是个有用的人。
09:50
Hopefully, she will stop
pressuring me to get married now.
pressuring me to get married now.
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希望现在她不要再逼我结婚了。
09:54
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
09:58
Finding my use has helped me
to break free from the identities
to break free from the identities
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发现自己的价值帮助了我摆脱
10:02
society thrusts on me --
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那个社会强加给我的定义——
10:04
poor village girl.
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农村里来、贫穷的、女孩。
10:08
Finding my use has helped me
to break free from being boxed,
to break free from being boxed,
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我发现了自己的价值帮助我冲破
10:12
caged and bottled.
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那框架，牢笼和控制。
10:15
Finding my use has helped me
to find my voice,
to find my voice,
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我也取得了自己的话语权，
10:18
my self-worth and my freedom.
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自我价值和自由。
10:21
I leave you with this thought:
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我想留给你们一个想法：
10:22
Where do you feel useful to this world?
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在这个世上，哪里才能
让你感觉到自己的价值？
让你感觉到自己的价值？
10:25
Because the answer to that question
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因为这个问题的答案
10:27
is where you will find
your voice and your freedom.
your voice and your freedom.
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就是那个让你发现
自己话语权和自由的地方。
自己话语权和自由的地方。
10:31
Thank you.
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谢谢。
10:32
(Applause)
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（掌声）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ashweetha Shetty - Rural social workerThrough her nonprofit, Bodhi Tree Foundation, Ashweetha Shetty supports first-generation college students in rural India to explore their potential through education, life skills and opportunities.
Why you should listen
As a girl in a poor orthodox community in a south Indian village, Ashweetha Shetty was constantly told that her birth was not celebrated and that she would be a liability to her family. The social norms prescribed for her identity silenced her dreams, thoughts and aspirations. But through the power of education, she became a first-generation college graduate and had a chance to rewrite the possibilities for her life. As she says: "I always wanted to add my bit to their inspiring journey."
Ashweetha Shetty | Speaker | TED.com