ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sunni Patterson - Poet
Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Sunni Patterson combines the heritage, culture, and traditions of her native town with a spiritual worldview to create powerful music and poetry.

Why you should listen

Emerging from the musical womb that is New Orleans, Sunni Patterson combines the heritage of her native town with an enlightened modern style to create music and poetry that is timeless in its groove. She began her career as a full-time high school teacher, and much of her life since has been devoted to serving as a cultural worker and grassroots activist, using art and poetry to encourage dialogue and healing.

She has been a featured performer at many of the nation's premier spoken-word venues, including HBO's Def Poetry and BET’s Lyric Cafe. She also had the privilege of speaking at the Panafest in Ghana, West Africa and has collaborated with artists and performers, including Hannibal Lokumbe (singing lead vocals for his score, ”King and the Crescent City Moon"), Kalamu Ya Salaam, Sonia Sanchez, Wanda Coleman, Amiri Baraka, Mos Def, Eve Ensler, The Last Poets and many more.

More profile about the speaker
Sunni Patterson | Speaker | TED.com
TEDWomen 2017

Sunni Patterson: "Wild Women"

蘇尼 · 派特森: 未馴化之女

Filmed:
371,890 views

蘇尼 · 派特森以舌上的閃電,唱誦她的詩《未馴化之女》,施妮姿 · 荷馬伴舞。
- Poet
Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Sunni Patterson combines the heritage, culture, and traditions of her native town with a spiritual worldview to create powerful music and poetry. Full bio

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

00:12
They wanted her piecemealed計件,
papier-m帕皮耶姆âchCHéd,
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他們要她一步步地、
如混凝紙漿般地支離破碎,
00:16
practically幾乎 broken破碎,
limp-like一瘸一拐的 and loveless無愛,
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軟弱無力、心中無愛,
00:20
a litany一連串 of exaggeration誇張.
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一連串的誇張。
00:22
They wanted her low.
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他們想要她既低又高,
00:24
And high.
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00:25
Flat平面 and wide.
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平坦而寬闊。
00:28
Filled已填充 with all of their empty.
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被他們的空虛所挹注。
00:31
They wanted her to be more like them.
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他們希望她變得更像他們,
00:34
Not knowing會心 her conception概念 was immaculate完美 無暇.
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殊不知她生而完美無暇。
00:37
That she was birthed生產經歷
in sandalwood-scented檀香檀香的檀香沙木 river water,
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她誕生於檀香四溢的河水中,
00:40
sweet sapphire藍寶石 honey-touched蜂蜜感動 tongue,
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有著藍寶石甜蜜般的舌頭,
00:42
she was too much
of a mouthful一口 for the greedy貪婪.
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貪得無厭的人無福消受她的美好。
00:45
Just a small amount of her
was more than they could stand.
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僅是些許她的吉光片羽,
也讓他們招架不住。
00:48
Oh, they wanted her bland平淡.
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哦,他們想讓她平淡無奇、
00:49
And barren荒蕪.
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貧瘠匱乏。
00:51
Unspirited無氣不清, un-African聯合國-非洲, uncultured未培養,
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沒熱情、不像非洲人、沒文化,
00:54
under siege圍城 in the streets街道.
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受困街頭。
00:56
They wanted her face面對 down, ass屁股 up,
hands cuffed and ankles腳踝 strapped.
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他們想讓她面朝下、臀朝上,
雙手被銬、腳踝被綁。
01:00
They wanted her knowing會心
she could never want them back.
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他們想要讓她知道
她失去的永不復返。
01:03
Oh, they wanted her holy,
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哦,他們妄想她的聖潔,
01:05
baptized受洗 in her divine神聖,
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想在她的神聖中受洗。
01:07
they wanted her secrets秘密,
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他們想得到她的秘訣,
01:08
pearls珍珠 to swine.
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這無異是暴殄天物。
01:10
They wanted to unravel
the mystery神秘 of her design設計.
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他們想揭開她設計的神秘面紗。
01:14
Fascinated入迷 by glory榮耀,
hypnotized催眠 by her kind.
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卻被她的璀璨所吸引,
著迷於她的天賦本質。
01:17
Oh, they wanted her complete完成.
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哦,他們希望她完整。
01:19
They wanted her whole整個,
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他們想要全部的她,
01:20
though雖然 they came來了 fractioned分餾,
half-hearted三心二意, half-soul半靈魂,
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雖然他們自己分崩離析,
半心半意,只有半個靈魂,
01:24
with no regards問候 and no knowledge知識
as to who she really was.
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不了解她到底是誰。
01:27
Oh, but if they knew知道.
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哦,如果他們了解的話,
01:29
If they knew知道 her,
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如果他們認識她,
01:31
praise讚美 songs歌曲 would rain
from the clouds of their eyes眼睛,
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讚美之歌會從他們的眼裡傾流而下,
01:35
clearing空地 the vision視力, bathing洗澡 the heart.
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澄淨視野,滌淨心靈。
01:37
They would bow every一切 time they saw her.
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每見她都會鞠躬致敬。
01:40
Be their best最好 selves自我 when she was around.
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在她身邊呈現出最好的自己。
01:43
If they knew知道 her,
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如果他們認識她,
01:45
knew知道 she was the glue to their revolution革命,
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就會知道她是他們革命的膠水,
01:47
the life flow of blood血液
through通過 their veins.
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是他們血脈中流動的生命之血。
01:50
If they knew知道 her,
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如果他們認識她,
01:52
she would know,
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她會知道,
01:54
she would feel
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她會感受到
01:56
that her body身體 is more than battlefield戰場.
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自己的身體不僅僅是戰場,
01:59
More than bone break打破 and bleeding流血的 bigotry偏執.
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不僅僅只是斷骨殘肢
和血淋淋的偏執歧見,
02:03
More than bridge
over your troubled苦惱 conscience良心.
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不僅僅是彌補你良心的橋樑,
02:06
More than used up, walked on,
driven驅動 through通過, shot射擊 up.
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不止是被耗盡、踐踏、輾過、射殺。
02:09
More than your "Selma塞爾瑪, Lord, Selma塞爾瑪"
Edmund埃德蒙 Pettus佩特斯.
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不止是影片《人權小鬥士》的民權運動
和埃德蒙 · 佩特斯橋,
02:13
More than your killer兇手 Katrina卡特里娜 Danziger丹齊格.
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不止是卡崔娜風災後
丹濟格橋的警察濫殺災民事件,
02:16
More than your bust胸圍 them out of Baltimore巴爾的摩
"Highway高速公路 to Nowhere無處."
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不止是打掉巴爾的摩那段
分割社區「通往無處的公路」。
02:19
If they knew知道 her,
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如果他們認識她,
02:21
she would know.
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她會知道的。
02:23
(Singing唱歌)
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(唱歌)
02:51
Wild野生 women婦女,
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未馴化之女,
02:53
wild野生 women婦女, they walk步行 with buffalo水牛.
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未馴化之女,與野牛同行。
02:55
Have lightning閃電 on their tongues舌頭,
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舌上有閃電,
02:57
fly whisks斯派克斯 as weapons武器.
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撢子當武器。
02:59
Wild野生 women婦女, they walk步行 with machetes砍刀.
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未馴化之女,攜砍刀而行。
03:01
With wisdom智慧, with grace恩典, with ease緩解.
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憑藉智慧、優雅、從容不迫。
03:05
Wild野生 women婦女 have hurricanes颶風
in their bellies肚子,
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未馴化之女的肚裡有颶風,
03:07
releasing釋放 a flood洪水 of a lesson.
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釋放出大量的教訓。
03:09
Oh, wild野生 women婦女, they fly free自由.
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哦,未馴化之女,她們自由飛翔。
03:12
Just watch their ways方法,
how they rip安息 and shred撕碎.
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只看她們如何撕裂和撕碎的方式。
03:15
Oh, who can understand理解 her,
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哦,誰能理解她,
03:17
this winding曲折 Niger尼日爾 river of a woman女人
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這條蜿蜒尼日爾河的女人,
03:20
one who is unafraid不害怕 to tear眼淚 away
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不怕撕裂,
03:23
only to roam漫遊 and then become成為 the wind.
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只是為了漫遊而成為風。
03:26
She who speaks說話 in gusts陣風 and cyclones旋風
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她在狂風和颶風中說話,
03:30
blasting爆破 us back to high ground地面,
high consciousness意識,
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她們將我們帶回高地,高度意識,
03:34
she turns and so does the world世界.
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她轉身,世界也隨之翻轉。
03:37
Feel her spinning紡織,
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感覺她旋轉,
03:38
spanning跨越 several一些 lifetimes壽命.
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跨越幾個生命週期。
03:40
Hear her speaking請講, sparking火花 alarm報警.
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聽她說話,聽她示警。
03:43
See her dancing跳舞, summoning召喚 the dead,
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看她跳舞,召喚死者,
03:46
resurrecting復活 new life.
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復活新生命。
03:48
Heaven天堂 hears就听 her knocking敲門 on the door,
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天堂聽見她的敲門聲,
03:51
safely安然 transporting傳輸 the ones那些
who call for her assistance幫助.
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安全地移送那些籲求她幫助的人們。
03:55
Wild野生 women婦女, they open打開
portals門戶 to new worlds世界,
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未馴化之女開啟迎向新世界、
03:59
new speech言語, new dreams.
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新的演講、新的夢想的大門。
04:02
Oh, dearly深深地 beloveds親愛的,
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哦,親愛的,
04:05
so dearly深深地 departed死者
from the ways方法 of the guardian監護人,
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那些遠離守護者的人們啊,
04:08
beware謹防.
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謹防。
04:10
For wild野生 women婦女 are not to be tamed馴服.
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未馴化之女並非你能馴服,
04:15
Only admired尊敬的.
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只能讓人佩服。
04:17
Just let her in and witness見證 her
set your days ablaze熾盛.
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讓她進來,見證她,
讓你的日子熠熠生輝。
04:25
(Cheers乾杯) (Applause掌聲)
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(歡呼)(掌聲)
04:27
Thank you.
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謝謝。
04:28
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
Translated by Helen Chang
Reviewed by SF Huang

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sunni Patterson - Poet
Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Sunni Patterson combines the heritage, culture, and traditions of her native town with a spiritual worldview to create powerful music and poetry.

Why you should listen

Emerging from the musical womb that is New Orleans, Sunni Patterson combines the heritage of her native town with an enlightened modern style to create music and poetry that is timeless in its groove. She began her career as a full-time high school teacher, and much of her life since has been devoted to serving as a cultural worker and grassroots activist, using art and poetry to encourage dialogue and healing.

She has been a featured performer at many of the nation's premier spoken-word venues, including HBO's Def Poetry and BET’s Lyric Cafe. She also had the privilege of speaking at the Panafest in Ghana, West Africa and has collaborated with artists and performers, including Hannibal Lokumbe (singing lead vocals for his score, ”King and the Crescent City Moon"), Kalamu Ya Salaam, Sonia Sanchez, Wanda Coleman, Amiri Baraka, Mos Def, Eve Ensler, The Last Poets and many more.

More profile about the speaker
Sunni Patterson | Speaker | TED.com