美国国家公共电台 NPR Esra'a: Would You Speak Up ... Even If It's Dangerous?

 

GUY RAZ, HOST:

It's the TED¹ Radio Hour from NPR. I'm Guy Raz. And on the show today ideas about Speaking Up. Can you introduce yourself please?

ESRA'A: Yeah. So my name is Esra'a, and I am from Bahrain.

RAZ: Esra'a asked us not to use her last name because she's a human rights activist² who still lives there. And Bahrain - it's the kind of place where people generally do not speak up.

ESRA'A: I mean, the culture definitely advocated that, you know, you finish school, you go to university, you get married, you have a job, you build something, you know, people will support you as long as what you build is not controversial.

RAZ: And in a place like Bahrain, speaking up can be dangerous.

ESRA'A: You know, I hear about my friend who was arrested or someone who was tortured in prison, and I realize this is really not a game. It's a life-and-death situation. A lot of people get persecuted³ for their tweets alone, so it is very scary.

RAZ: And exactly what Esra'a does? She explained that on the TED stage. But before we get into this, I should mention that to protect her identity as far as - TED talk was not filmed. It's actually not available anywhere online except for here right now. So here she is.

(SOUNDBITE OF TED TALK)

ESRA'A: I was always outspoken⁴ throughout my youth particularly in school, but this was an environment in which you couldn't really be heard. You were encouraged to be invisible and silent so as not to interrupt your daily routine. But being silent wasn't for me. I became increasingly involved in the human rights advocacy, not just because it's the obvious thing to do as someone who seeks social justice, but also because I'm queer. This is the part where you clap.

(APPLAUSE)

ESRA'A: But you understand why I mentioned this. But being queer made me understand and experience the trauma⁶ of being truly perilous⁷ and invisible in our society. I was in denial for a very long time about my sexuality. I was overcome with fear and shame for being queer. And I had to secretly hold onto this burden for the majority of my life because I still live in a society that violently discriminates⁸ against us and shames us for who we are.

In Bahrain, homosexuality is a punishable offense⁹. Verbal and physical abuse against the LGBT community is normalized by the government and encouraged by religious leaders. But in my early teens, I came across a powerful weapon, the internet. In a place where all media was state-sponsored, where censorship and surveillance was the norm, the internet offered a unique space for dialogue and self-discovery. Even as the government was deploying¹¹ technology to censor¹⁰ our voices, at least we had a (unintelligible) to fight back and make our voices heard. And I felt it was imperative¹² for me to be outspoken despite these personal challenges. So I dedicated¹³ the last decade of my life using the internet as a crucial tool to advocate for human rights.

RAZ: Who in Bahrain knows this about you? I mean, who among, you know, your family knows that you're queer?

ESRA'A: I mean, I have no idea, you know. I mean, they could find out through this podcast. It's not something I ever talk about at all. And it could be that they know, and they decide not to share it with me that they're aware. And I'm still not very open with it. And, in fact, my TED Talk - it was the very first time I'm public with my identity. I am still concerned about the consequences involved.

It's bad enough that I'm a human rights activist. It's bad enough that I'm doing this, you know, as a woman. Now you add queer to that equation, and it's a cause for concern for my safety.

RAZ: And I guess we should mention here, Esra'a, that you're recording¹⁴ yourself in, like, the privacy of your own apartment.

ESRA'A: Yes.

RAZ: So, I mean, is it important enough for you to be speaking out that you're willing to take that risk?

ESRA'A: I mean, I do think it's important, you know? And if I'm going to preach it, I have to live it. It's not often that I speak out in such a public way again, but I realize that it was also my responsibility to normalize it. I really didn't want to be a part of the generation that doesn't pave the way to be speaking about something like this comfortably.

A lot of the time, the Middle East is seen as just a backwards¹⁵ place where gay people get killed and where we have no aspirations¹⁶, there is no hope and there's no optimism. But that's why I'm still here. I mean, I could be just going to Canada and get asylum¹⁷ and just be done with it - right? - and live a really open life.

But that's not what I want to do. You know? I want to stay here, and I want to fight for my people. I want to build the society where it's OK for someone like me to speak up and not have to worry about dying.

RAZ: On the show today, Speaking Up, ideas about when and why we do it and stories about different people in different situations who decided¹⁸ that despite the risks, they had no choice. They had to say something. And in Esra'a's case, how she decided to speak up - it wasn't by shouting out in public or confronting hostile officials in person. Instead, she built a website where LGBT youth across the Middle East could connect online and discuss very personal things like identity and sexuality without the threat of violence or harassment¹⁹.

ESRA'A: We've had so many different people that have come across the platform. And because these people are also, you know, sharing these questions anonymously²⁰, they don't care that other people are going to say, oh, look, so-and-so approached this gay person on Twitter and asked - you know, we don't have that problem. They sign up, and they come to us.

And they say I'm curious. Tell me what is this LGBT thing? What does the T stand for? Is this a Western plot so that we all stop having babies and eventually we are, you know, completely taken over? You know, that's a conversation that we have all the time. And the other thing is we have so many siblings²¹ of gay people that come and say I suspect my brother is gay. How do I tell him I'm OK with it? Or my sister is a lesbian, and she has a girlfriend. And I'm disgusted by it, and I want to know should I tell my parents because I think they might harm her? Or how do I, you know, commit to conversion²² therapy and get her fixed²³? And so other people start speaking to that person without attacking them and letting them know, look, it's not a question about that. And they start having really deep and meaningful and friendly conversations. And I think that's really important to have. It's not just about advocacy. Advocacy is important.

But, I mean, gay pride is not going to change anybody's mind. It's not going to create a discussion. It's really sometimes even considered provocative²⁴ where people say you're pushing it, you know, onto our faces. And we - it's not - we don't want to see that. And so that kind of provocation²⁵ - and I have absolutely nothing against gay parades, but I just want to have a different conversation that actually involves the people who are likely to harm us, you know? And I want them to know what we're going through.

RAZ: It seems like for you speaking out isn't about confrontation²⁶, but about persuasion²⁷.

ESRA'A: Yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF TED TALK)

ESRA'A: And it started out being confrontation and then I saw that it was making very little impact. It works for some societies. Don't get me wrong. I've seen it work in India. I've seen it work in Mexico. It's not necessarily working in the Middle East. There are so many people that are sitting on the fence, and these people are not going to be persuaded necessarily with a deadly protest, for example. It's not just about regime change and let's overthrow²⁸ the regime and let's - it's not about that. It's something a lot deeper. And there are certain governments that, you know, there's just no reasoning with them at all.

But there's still a lot of structural²⁹ challenges that you can tackle, you know, by taking that second approach. At this point in my life, I'm tired of living in the shadows of what my society and even the world expects of me. Cree women in the Arab and Muslim world are not a charity case. We're not just sitting around accepting this abuse against our community.

We're taking a stance and highlighting the impact we have in our societies. And we're not just building tools for ourselves. We're building them for all marginalized members of our communities and our countries, so that we can all live a life of justice and dignity. And is there a risk? Absolutely. Just by me standing³⁰ here expressing this, I risk a whole lot of [expletive], so you better be worth it.

(LAUGHTER)

ESRA'A: And I used to be so apologetic for being queer, but I'm done with that. I don't owe anyone an apology for who I am, for who I love and what I believe. Cree women of the Middle East are building groundbreaking tools against incredible odds³¹ and a world where so many people want us to fail while we insist on winning. Being a Cree woman in a society that violently rejects it is empowering, not weakening. It makes us fight harder and louder to make a mark in our world to show everyone else that we're present and we matter.

(APPLAUSE)

RAZ: Do you think of yourself as a courageous³² person?

ESRA'A: No.

RAZ: Wow. Because I'm sure everybody listening to this conversation right now would totally disagree with you.

ESRA'A: Maybe if they listen to my heartbeat, they will understand. It's - I'm - I get so scared talking about this. I get scared. Every email I send, I get scared. I mean, I cannot tell you how many times I write a tweet, and I delete it within five minutes because I run back to my room, and I think to myself, I can't do that.

I'm not filmed. You know, a courageous person would be all over ted.com. My photos are nowhere to be found online if you Google me, even though I've spoken at many different places. If I'm going to speak up, I have to do it on my terms. And my terms was I don't want to be seen. I don't want to be that public figure.

RAZ: You know, doing this and taking a stand and speaking out is hard. It's really hard, especially where you are. Are there ever moments where you wish you could just curl up in bed and give it all up?

ESRA'A: Oh, every day, every single day.

RAZ: So what keeps you doing it? What - why do you keep doing it?

ESRA'A: Because of that grave sense of responsibility that I have that it keeps coming back to me, you know? Living in Bahrain, there is no distraction³³. The injustices³⁴ surround you, and you can choose to ignore it. But it's going to haunt you. I think every decade I get older, I really do believe that you start caring less and less about the consequences because you really want to have a meaningful life where you've left an imprint³⁵ on society where you made it OK.

And for me growing up, I looked up to the people who spoke⁵ before me, and there were many of them who died, who were tortured, who were burned alive for speaking up. And these are the people who have touched me and gave me the strength to continue. And they - it came at a price to them. Of course, it's going to come at a price to me. But I think somehow even if, you know, a couple of people in the next generation, they're going to think it's OK because there was someone who did it. And so I think if you become that person that somebody else can look up to, you've made the right choice in speaking up Regardless of the consequences.

RAZ: Esra'a lives in Bahrain. She also speaks up for the rights of migrant workers in the Middle East. You can find her website at majal.org. That's M-A-J-A-L - .org. On the show today, ideas about Speaking Up. And in a moment, what happens when the fate of the world - the entire planet - depends on your voice? Stay with us. I'm Guy Raz, and you're listening to the TED Radio Hour from NPR.

1 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

3 persecuted   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

• Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。

4 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

7 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

8 discriminates   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的第三人称单数 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• The new law discriminates against lower-paid workers. 这条新法律歧视低工资的工人。
• One test governs state legislation that discriminates against interstate commerce. 一个检验约束歧视州际商业的州立法。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

9 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

10 censor   

n./vt.审查，审查员；删改

参考例句：

• The film has not been viewed by the censor.这部影片还未经审查人员审查。
• The play was banned by the censor.该剧本被查禁了。

11 deploying   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的现在分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Provides support for developing and deploying distributed, component-based applications. 为开发和部署基于组件的分布式应用程序提供支持。
• Advertisement, publishing, repair, and install-on-demand are all available when deploying your application. 在部署应用程序时提供公布、发布、修复和即需即装功能。

12 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

13 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

14 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

15 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

16 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

17 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

18 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

19 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

20 anonymously   

ad.用匿名的方式

参考例句：

• The manuscripts were submitted anonymously. 原稿是匿名送交的。
• Methods A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 536 teachers anonymously. 方法采用自编“中小学教师职业压力问卷”对536名中小学教师进行无记名调查。

21 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

22 conversion   

n.转化，转换，转变

参考例句：

• He underwent quite a conversion.他彻底变了。
• Waste conversion is a part of the production process.废物处理是生产过程的一个组成部分。

23 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

24 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。

25 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。

26 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

27 persuasion   

n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派

参考例句：

• He decided to leave only after much persuasion.经过多方劝说，他才决定离开。
• After a lot of persuasion,she agreed to go.经过多次劝说后，她同意去了。

28 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

29 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

30 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

31 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

32 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

33 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

34 injustices   

不公平( injustice的名词复数 )； 非正义； 待…不公正； 冤枉

参考例句：

• One who committed many injustices is doomed to failure. 多行不义必自毙。
• He felt confident that his injustices would be righted. 他相信他的冤屈会受到昭雪的。

35 imprint   

n.印痕，痕迹；深刻的印象；vt.压印，牢记

参考例句：

• That dictionary is published under the Longman imprint.那本词典以朗曼公司的名义出版。
• Her speech left its imprint on me.她的演讲给我留下了深刻印象。