TEDWomen 2018
Ashweetha Shetty: How education helped me rewrite my life
艾許薇塔雪提: 教育如何協助我重寫我的人生
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教育倡導人艾許薇塔雪提說，最大的自由莫過於找到自己的目的。她生在印度鄉村的一個貧窮家庭，但沒有讓她社區的社會標準扼殺她的夢想、禁止她的聲音。在這場個人化的演說中，她分享了她如何透過教育找到自我價值——以及她如何努力幫助其他鄉村年輕人找到自己的力量，讓他們也能探索自己的潛能。她說：「我們所有人都出生在一個大家盲目接受的現實中，直到有某件事物喚醒我們，新的世界就此打開。」
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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當時我八歲。
00:15
I remember that day clearly
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我還可以清楚地記得那一天，
00:17
like it happened just yesterday.
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彷彿就是昨天一樣。
00:20
My mother is a bidi roller.
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我媽媽的工作是捲香菸。
00:23
She hand-rolls country cigarettes
to sustain our family.
to sustain our family.
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她以人工捲印度的國民香菸
來維持家計。
來維持家計。
00:27
She is a hard worker
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她是很辛勤工作的勞工，
00:29
and spent 10 to 12 hours
every day rolling bidis.
every day rolling bidis.
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每天要花十到十二小時捲香菸。
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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就在那天，她回到家，
讓我看她捲香菸的薪水薄。
讓我看她捲香菸的薪水薄。
00:39
She asked me how much money
she has earned that week.
she has earned that week.
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她問我她那一週賺了多少錢。
00:44
I went through that book,
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我看了那本簿子的內容，
00:45
and what caught my eyes
were her thumbprints on each page.
were her thumbprints on each page.
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吸引我注意的是每頁上
都有她的拇指指紋。
都有她的拇指指紋。
00:51
My mother has never been to school.
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我媽媽從來沒有上過學。
00:54
She uses her thumbprints
instead of a signature
instead of a signature
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她用她的拇指指紋來代替簽名，
00:58
to keep a record of her earnings.
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來記錄她的收入。
01:01
On that day, for some reason,
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那天，基於某種理由，
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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我想要教她如何握筆
以及如何寫她的名字。
以及如何寫她的名字。
01:08
She was reluctant at first.
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她一開始很不情願。
01:10
She smiled innocently and said no.
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她露出天真的微笑並說「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，內心深處，
我很確定她想要一試。
我很確定她想要一試。
01:18
With a little bit of perseverance
and a lot of effort,
and a lot of effort,
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花了一點點的堅持和很多的努力，
01:21
we managed to write her name.
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我們成功讓她學會寫她的名字。
01:23
Her hands were trembling,
and her face was beaming with pride.
and her face was beaming with pride.
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她的手在發抖，臉上盡是驕傲。
01:29
As I watched her do this,
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當我看著她寫名字時，
01:30
for the first time in my life,
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這是我人生中第一次，
01:33
I had a priceless feeling:
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我感到一種無價的感覺：
01:36
that I could be of some use to this world.
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我在這個世界上能有點用途。
01:42
That feeling was very special,
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那種感覺好特別，
01:44
because I am not meant to be useful.
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因為照理來說我不該是有用的。
01:48
In rural India, girls are generally
considered worthless.
considered worthless.
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在印度鄉村，
女孩都是沒有價值的。
女孩都是沒有價值的。
01:52
They're a liability or a burden.
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她們是負擔，是累贅。
01:54
If they are considered useful,
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如果她們被認為是有用的，
01:56
it is only to cook dishes,
keep the house clean
keep the house clean
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那最多也只是有用在
煮飯、打掃房子，
煮飯、打掃房子，
01:59
or raise children.
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或養育孩子。
02:02
As a second daughter
of my conservative Indian family,
of my conservative Indian family,
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我是一個保守印度家庭中的次女，
02:05
I was fairly clear from a very early age
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我非常小的時候就已經知道，
02:09
that no one expected anything from me.
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沒有人會對我有任何期望。
02:13
I was conditioned to believe that
the three identities that defined me --
the three identities that defined me --
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我受到制約，相信我
被三種身分給定義——
被三種身分給定義——
02:18
poor village girl --
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貧窮、村莊、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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意思就是說，我注定要過著
沒有發言權、選擇權的人生。
沒有發言權、選擇權的人生。
02:27
These three identities forced me to think
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這三種身分迫使我去想，
02:30
that I should never have been born.
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我根本不該被生下來。
02:35
Yet, I was.
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但，我被生下來了。
02:39
All throughout my childhood,
as I rolled bidis alongside my mother,
as I rolled bidis alongside my mother,
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我的整個童年都在
我媽媽身邊幫忙捲香菸，
我媽媽身邊幫忙捲香菸，
02:43
I would wonder:
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我會納悶：
02:45
What did my future hold?
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我的未來有什麼？
02:48
I often asked my mother,
with a lot of anxiety,
with a lot of anxiety,
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我通常會充滿焦慮地問我媽媽：
02:51
"Amma, will my life
be different from yours?
be different from yours?
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「媽，我的人生會和你的不同嗎？
02:55
Will I have a chance to choose my life?
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我會有機會選擇我的人生嗎？
02:59
Will I go to college?"
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我會上大學嗎？」
03:01
And she would reply back,
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她會這樣回我：
03:05
"Try to finish high school first."
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「先試著讀完高中。」
03:08
I am sure my mother
did not mean to discourage me.
did not mean to discourage me.
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我相信我媽媽並沒有要洩我的氣。
03:12
She only wanted me to understand
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她只希望我能了解，
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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就一個生在這個村莊的女孩
而言，我的夢想太大了。
而言，我的夢想太大了。
03:20
When I was 13, I found
the autobiography of Helen Keller.
the autobiography of Helen Keller.
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我十三歲時，發現了
海倫·凱勒的自傳。
海倫·凱勒的自傳。
03:25
Helen became my inspiration.
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海倫成了鼓舞我的人。
03:27
I admired her indomitable spirit.
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我欣賞她不屈不撓的精神。
03:30
I wanted to have
a college degree like her,
a college degree like her,
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我想跟她一樣取得大學學位，
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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所以我為了要上大學的事
和我爸爸及親戚爭執，
和我爸爸及親戚爭執，
03:37
and it worked.
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結果我成功了。
03:40
During my final year
of my undergraduate degree,
of my undergraduate degree,
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在我讀大學的最後一年，
03:43
I desperately wanted to escape
from being forced into marriage,
from being forced into marriage,
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我非常想要逃離被迫結婚的命運，
03:47
so I applied to
a fellowship program in Delhi,
a fellowship program in Delhi,
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所以我申請了德里的獎學金，
03:50
which is about 1,600 miles
away from my village.
away from my village.
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德里離我的村莊
大約有一千六百英里。
大約有一千六百英里。
03:53
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
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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事實上，我記得，
我唯一能夠填申請表的方式，
我唯一能夠填申請表的方式，
04:02
was during my commute to college.
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就是在通勤去大學的路上填寫。
04:05
I did not have access to computers,
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我沒有電腦可以用，
04:07
so I had to borrow
a college junior's cell phone.
a college junior's cell phone.
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我得要向一位大一學生借手機。
04:11
As a woman, I could not
be seen with a cell phone,
be seen with a cell phone,
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我是女人，所以不能
讓別人看到我持有手機，
讓別人看到我持有手機，
04:14
so I used to huddle
his phone under my shawl
his phone under my shawl
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我通常會把他的手機
藏在我的披巾下，
藏在我的披巾下，
04:17
and type as slowly as possible
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盡可能緩慢地打字，
04:20
to ensure that I would not be heard.
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以確保不會被別人聽見。
04:25
After many rounds of interviews,
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經過好幾回的訪談，
04:27
I got into the fellowship program
with a full scholarship.
with a full scholarship.
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我被錄取了，且拿到全額獎學金。
04:30
My father was confused,
my mother was worried --
my mother was worried --
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我爸爸感到很困惑，
我媽媽感到很擔心——
我媽媽感到很擔心——
04:34
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
04:39
My father was confused,
my mother was worried,
my mother was worried,
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我爸爸感到很困惑，
我媽媽感到很擔心，
我媽媽感到很擔心，
04:42
but I felt butterflies in my stomach
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而我則是忐忑不安，
04:44
because I was going
to step out of my village
to step out of my village
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因為我將要步出我的村莊，
04:48
for the first time
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這是頭一回，
04:49
to study in the national capital.
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且是要去國家首都讀書。
04:53
Of the 97 fellows selected that year,
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當年選出的九十七位研究員中，
04:55
I was the only rural college graduate.
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我是唯一一位從鄉村大學畢業的。
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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那裡沒有人看起來跟我一樣，
或說話跟我一樣。
或說話跟我一樣。
05:03
I felt alienated, intimidated
and judged by many.
and judged by many.
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我覺得很孤獨、害怕，
且被很多人評斷。
且被很多人評斷。
05:08
One fellow called me "Coconut Girl."
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有一位研究員叫我「椰子女孩」。
05:11
Can you guess why?
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你們猜得到為什麼嗎？
05:13
Anyone?
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有人要猜嗎？
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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那是因為我在頭髮上
抹了很多椰子油。
抹了很多椰子油。
05:20
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
05:22
Another asked me where
I had learned to speak English,
I had learned to speak English,
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另一位研究員問我
是在哪裡學會說英文的，
是在哪裡學會說英文的，
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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我有一些同儕不歡迎我
加入他們的小組寫報告，
加入他們的小組寫報告，
05:30
because they thought I would not be able
to contribute to their discussion.
to contribute to their discussion.
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因為他們認為我不會
對他們的討論有所貢獻。
對他們的討論有所貢獻。
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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我覺得，我有很多同儕都認為，
來自印度鄉村的人
來自印度鄉村的人
05:40
could not supply anything of value,
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不可能提供任何有價值的東西，
05:43
yet the majority of Indian
population today is rural.
population today is rural.
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盡管印度大部分的人口
都是鄉村人口。
都是鄉村人口。
05:48
I realized that stories like mine
were considered to be an exception
were considered to be an exception
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我了解到，像我這樣的故事
其實是被視為特例，
其實是被視為特例，
05:53
and never the expectation.
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而不是視為期望。
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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我認為，我們所有人都出生在
一個大家盲目接受的現實中，
一個大家盲目接受的現實中，
06:02
until something awakens us
and a new world opens up.
and a new world opens up.
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直到有某件事物喚醒我們，
新的世界就此打開。
新的世界就此打開。
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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當我在我媽媽的捲香菸薪水薄上
看到她的第一個簽名時，
看到她的第一個簽名時，
06:12
when I felt the hot
Delhi air against my face
Delhi air against my face
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當我搭了五十個小時的火車，
感到德里的熱空氣
拂過我的臉頰時，
拂過我的臉頰時，
06:15
after a 50-hour train journey,
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06:18
when I finally felt free
and let myself be,
and let myself be,
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當我終於感到自由、
能夠做自己時，
能夠做自己時，
06:22
I saw a glimpse
of that new world I longed for,
of that new world I longed for,
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我瞥見了我渴望的新世界，
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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在這個世界，像我這樣的女孩
不再是個負擔或累贅，
不再是個負擔或累贅，
06:29
but a person of use, a person of value
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而是有用的人、有價值的人，
06:32
and a person of worthiness.
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可敬的人。
06:35
By the time my fellowship ended,
my life had changed.
my life had changed.
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在我的研究員學程結束時，
我的人生已經改變了。
我的人生已經改變了。
06:39
Not only had I traced my lost voice,
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我不只找到了我失去的聲音，
06:41
but also had a choice
to make myself useful.
to make myself useful.
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也有機會可以選擇
讓我自己變成有用的人。
讓我自己變成有用的人。
06:46
I was 22.
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我當時二十二歲。
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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我回到我的村莊，
設立了菩提樹基金會，
設立了菩提樹基金會，
06:51
an institution that supports rural youth
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這個機構的目的是
支持鄉村年輕人，
支持鄉村年輕人，
06:54
by providing them with education,
life skills and opportunities.
life skills and opportunities.
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提供他們教育、
生活技能，以及機會。
生活技能，以及機會。
06:59
We work closely with our rural youth
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我們和我們鄉村的年輕人密切合作，
07:01
to change their life
and to benefit our communities.
and to benefit our communities.
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以此改變他們的人生，
讓我們的社區受惠。
讓我們的社區受惠。
07:06
How do I know my institution is working?
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我怎麼知道我的機構是有用的？
07:09
Well, six months ago, we had a new joinee.
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嗯，六個月前，
有一個新人加入我們。
有一個新人加入我們。
07:12
Her name is Kaviarasi.
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她叫做卡薇亞拉西。
07:14
I first spotted her
in a local college in Tirunelveli
in a local college in Tirunelveli
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我最初注意到她，
是在蒂魯內爾維利的當地大學，
是在蒂魯內爾維利的當地大學，
07:18
during one of my training sessions.
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在我的其中一堂訓練課程上。
07:20
As you can see, she has a smile
which you can never forget.
which you can never forget.
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你們可以看見，
她的微笑讓人難忘。
她的微笑讓人難忘。
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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我們引導她取得機會，
到德里的阿育王大學讀書。
到德里的阿育王大學讀書。
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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她的故事最棒的部分就是，
她現在已經回到菩提樹當培訓師，
她現在已經回到菩提樹當培訓師，
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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想盡一份心力，幫助
像她這樣的人改變人生。
像她這樣的人改變人生。
07:41
Kaviarasi doesn't want
to feel like an exception.
to feel like an exception.
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卡薇亞拉西並不希望
覺得自己是個特例。
覺得自己是個特例。
07:44
She wants to be of use
to others in this world.
to others in this world.
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她想要讓自己有用，
幫助世界上的其他人。
幫助世界上的其他人。
07:49
Recently, Kaviarasi mentored Anitha,
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最近，卡薇亞拉西
在擔任阿妮塔的導師，
在擔任阿妮塔的導師，
07:52
who also comes
from a remote, rural village,
from a remote, rural village,
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阿妮塔也是來自偏遠的鄉村村落，
07:54
lives in a 10-foot-by-10-foot home,
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住家面積只有十英尺乘十英尺，
07:56
her parents are also farm laborers.
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她的父母也是農場工人。
07:59
Kaviarasi helped Anitha secure admission
in a prestigious undergraduate program
in a prestigious undergraduate program
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卡薇亞拉西協助阿妮塔取得一個
有名望的大學學程的入學資格，
有名望的大學學程的入學資格，
08:04
in a top university in India
with a full scholarship.
with a full scholarship.
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那是印度的頂尖大學，
且她還拿到全額獎學金。
且她還拿到全額獎學金。
08:08
When Anitha's parents
were reluctant to send her that far,
were reluctant to send her that far,
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阿妮塔的父母不願意
把她送到那麼遠的地方，
把她送到那麼遠的地方，
08:11
we asked the district
administration officials
administration officials
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於是我們請當地的行政官員
08:13
to speak to Anitha's parents,
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去跟她的父母談談，
08:15
and it worked.
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結果成功了。
08:16
And then there is Padma.
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另外還有帕瑪。
08:19
Padma and I went to college together.
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帕瑪和我一起上大學。
08:22
She's the first in her entire village
to attend graduation.
to attend graduation.
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她是她的村落裡
第一個去讀研究所的人。
第一個去讀研究所的人。
08:26
She had been working with me at Bodhi Tree
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她之前一直和我在菩提樹工作，
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，
她決定要去讀研究所。
她決定要去讀研究所。
08:32
I asked her why.
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我問她為什麼。
08:34
She told me that she wanted to make sure
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她告訴我，她想要確保
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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她永遠不會在一生中的任何時候
成為任何人的負擔或累贅。
08:40
at any point in her life.
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08:43
Padma, Anitha and Kaviarasi
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帕瑪、阿妮塔，和卡薇亞拉西
08:45
grew up in the most tough
families and communities
families and communities
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生長在最艱困的家庭和社區中，
08:48
one could only imagine.
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是我們難以想像的。
08:50
Yet the journey of finding
my usefulness in this world
my usefulness in this world
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但，我在這個世界上
尋找我自己用途的旅程，
尋找我自己用途的旅程，
08:54
served them in finding
their usefulness to this world.
their usefulness to this world.
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卻協助她們在這個世界上
找到了她們自己的用途。
找到了她們自己的用途。
08:59
Of course there are challenges.
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當然，路上會有挑戰。
09:01
I'm aware change
does not happen overnight.
does not happen overnight.
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我很清楚改變不是一朝一夕的事。
09:04
A lot of my work involves working
with families and communities
with families and communities
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我的工作有很大一部分
是和家庭及社區合作，
是和家庭及社區合作，
09:08
to help them understand
why getting an education
why getting an education
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協助他們了解為什麼取得教育
09:11
is useful for everyone.
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對人人都有用處。
09:13
The quickest way
to convince them is by doing.
to convince them is by doing.
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說服他們最快的方式
就是做給他們看。
就是做給他們看。
09:16
When they see their kids
getting a real education,
getting a real education,
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當他們看見他們的孩子
取得真正的教育，
取得真正的教育，
09:18
getting a real job, they begin to change.
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找到真正的工作時，
他們便開始改變。
他們便開始改變。
09:21
The best example
is what happened at my home.
is what happened at my home.
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最好的例子就是我家的狀況。
09:26
I was recently given an award
in recognition of my social work
in recognition of my social work
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近期，我的社會福利工作
讓我得到了一個獎項的肯定，
讓我得到了一個獎項的肯定，
09:30
by the chief minister of my state.
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由我這個邦的首席部長所頒發。
09:33
That meant I was going
to be on television.
to be on television.
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意思就是，我要上電視了。
09:35
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
09:38
Everyone was hooked on to the television
that morning, including my parents.
that morning, including my parents.
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那天早上大家都等在電視機前面，
包括我父母。
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，我媽媽看到
自己的女兒上電視，
自己的女兒上電視，
09:47
made my mother feel useful too.
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也讓她覺得自己是有用的。
09:50
Hopefully, she will stop
pressuring me to get married now.
pressuring me to get married now.
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希望她現在不會再逼我結婚了。
09:54
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
09:58
Finding my use has helped me
to break free from the identities
to break free from the identities
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尋找自己的用途，讓我脫離了
社會加在我身上的
三種身分束縛——
三種身分束縛——
10:02
society thrusts on me --
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10:04
poor village girl.
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貧窮、村莊、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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尋找我自己的用途，
讓我擺脫了限制、
讓我擺脫了限制、
10:12
caged and bottled.
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困境和束縛。
10:15
Finding my use has helped me
to find my voice,
to find my voice,
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尋找我自己的用途，
讓我找到了我的發言權、
讓我找到了我的發言權、
10:18
my self-worth and my freedom.
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我的自我價值，和我的自由。
10:21
I leave you with this thought:
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留給大家一個想法：
10:22
Where do you feel useful to this world?
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在這個世界上的何處，
你會覺得自己有用？
你會覺得自己有用？
10:25
Because the answer to that question
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因為這個問題的答案，
10:27
is where you will find
your voice and your freedom.
your voice and your freedom.
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就是你能夠找到你的聲音
和你的自由的地方。
和你的自由的地方。
10:31
Thank you.
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謝謝。
10:32
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
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