ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Malcolm London - Poet, performer, activist
Young spoken-word poet Malcolm London has been called the "Gil Scott-Heron of this generation" (by Cornel West). His feisty, passionate performances take on the issues of the day, including the Chicago education system in which he grew up.

Why you should listen

This poet wields a dynamic spirit for speaking engagements utilizing his feisty and passionate performances as words of encourage for next generations to tell their stories. In 2011, Malcolm London won the Louder than a Bomb youth poetry slam in his native Chicago, scooping the top award as both individual performer and with a team. The poet, performer and activist has performed on stages throughout his home city as well as across the United States. A member of the Young Adult Council of the prestigious Steppenwolf Theater, London brings vim and vigor to his energetic performances tackling tough contemporary issues head-on. He wrote & directed a spoken word0infused play responding to the Zimmerman verdict called Two Years Later, and 

London attends University of Illinois at Chicago & is a member & co-chair of BYP100 Chicago Chapter, a national organization of black activists & organizers. Deeply interested in working on ways to improve the national education system, London regularly visits high schools, youth jails, colleges and communities to work with students on writing workshops and performances. London is currently devoted to being a youth advocate & coordinator of The Know Your Rights Project out of Northwestern Law School, a project dedicated to educating young people on their rights within the juvenile justice system, & continuing his work as teaching artist on staff at Young Chicago Authors, a program working to transform the lives of young people by cultivating their voices through writing, publication and performance education. His work has been featured on national outlets including CBS, NPR, The Huffington Post, The Root, and the Chicago Tribune.

More profile about the speaker
Malcolm London | Speaker | TED.com
TED Talks Education

Malcolm London: "High School Training Ground"

Malcolm London: 「高中訓練場」

Filmed:
1,409,864 views

Malcom London 是一位年青詩人、教育家、行動主義者。他演繹了一篇激動人心的詩,講述高中第一線的生活。他說:「青少年像海洋一樣的遼闊」浩浩蕩蕩到來上課,「卻從未學習過游泳」,「成長過程中男孩沒有了父親,卻模仿著成年人的男子氣概」。漂亮、饒富詩意、扣人心弦。
- Poet, performer, activist
Young spoken-word poet Malcolm London has been called the "Gil Scott-Heron of this generation" (by Cornel West). His feisty, passionate performances take on the issues of the day, including the Chicago education system in which he grew up. Full bio

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

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At 7:45 a.m., I open打開 the doors to a building建造
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早上七時四十五分,
我推開了大樓的數扇門,
00:19
dedicated專用 to building建造, yet然而 only breaks休息 me down.
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那數扇門奉獻給大樓,
卻只打倒了我,
00:24
I march遊行 down hallways走廊 cleaned清洗 up after me every一切 day
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我沿著走廊散步,
00:28
by regular定期 janitors校工,
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每日老校工也會打掃走廊,
00:31
but I never have the decency風化 to honor榮譽 their names.
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我從不懂禮貌去銘記他們的名字。
00:36
Lockers儲物櫃 left open打開 like teenage青少年 boys'男孩 mouths嘴巴
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敞開的儲物櫃,猶如少男的嘴巴,
00:39
when teenage青少年 girls女孩 wear穿 clothes衣服 that covers蓋子
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當少女穿著短衫熱褲時,
00:41
their insecurities不安全感 but exposes自曝 everything else其他.
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掩住了不安,卻暴露其他一切,
00:46
Masculinity陽剛之氣 mimicked模仿 by men男人 who grew成長 up with no fathers父親,
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成長過程中男孩沒有了父親,
卻模仿著成年人的男子氣概,
00:50
camouflage偽裝 worn磨損的 by bullies惡霸 who are dangerously危險 armed武裝
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穿迷彩服的持械小霸王,
非常危險,
00:54
but need hugs擁抱.
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卻渴望擁抱。
00:55
Teachers教師 paid支付 less than what it costs成本 them to be here.
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教師們不計薪資微薄,到這裡來,
00:58
Oceans海洋 of adolescents青少年 come here to receive接收 lessons教訓
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青少年浩浩蕩蕩到來上課,
像一望無際的海洋,
01:02
but never learn學習 to swim游泳,
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卻從未學習游泳,
01:04
part部分 like the Red Sea when the bell rings戒指.
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下課鐘聲響起來,儼如紅海分開。
01:07
This is a training訓練 ground地面.
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這就是訓練場,
01:09
My high school學校 is Chicago芝加哥,
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我的高中就是芝加哥,
01:12
diverse多種 and segregated隔離 on purpose目的.
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有著各式各樣的不同、
故意地實施隔離政策,
01:15
Social社會 lines are barbed帶刺 wire.
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社會分階如鐵絲網,
01:18
Labels標籤 like "Regulars常客" and "Honors榮譽" resonate諧振.
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迴盪著「普通」和「精英」的標籤,
01:24
I am an Honors榮譽 but go home with Regular定期 students學生們
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我是名「精英」,
歸家路上卻伴隨著「普通」學生,
01:28
who are soldiers士兵 in territory領土 that owns擁有 them.
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他們是這塊疆土的士兵,
擁有這塊疆土,
01:31
This is a training訓練 ground地面 to sort分類 out the Regulars常客
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這是一個訓練場,區分「普通」
01:35
from the Honors榮譽, a reoccurring再次發生 cycle週期
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和「精英」,建立了循環週期,
01:37
built內置 to recycle回收 the trash垃圾 of this system系統.
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去回收這系統裡的廢物,
01:41
Trained熟練 at a young年輕 age年齡 to capitalize利用,
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自小受教於師長,要知書識禮,
01:44
letters taught now that capitalism資本主義 raises加薪 you
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踏入資本主義社會後卻發現,
01:47
but you have to step on someone有人 else其他 to get there.
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要到達那裡,只好把別人踩在腳下,
01:50
This is a training訓練 ground地面 where one group
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這是一個訓練場,教導了
01:53
is taught to lead and the other is made製作 to follow跟隨.
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一群領袖人物,一群隨從者,
01:56
No wonder奇蹟 so many許多 of my people spit bars酒吧,
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無疑我們那麼多人當上饒舌歌手,
01:59
because the truth真相 is hard to swallow.
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因為真相難以接受,
02:02
The need for degrees has left so many許多 people frozen凍結的.
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為求一張學位證書,
多少人冷凍兩眼發直,
02:06
Homework家庭作業 is stressful壓力,
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功課很大壓力,
02:08
but when you go home every一切 day and your home is work,
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當你每天歸家後,還要做功課,
02:11
you don't want to pick up any assignments任務.
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就不再想做任何習作,
02:13
Reading textbooks教科書 is stressful壓力,
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讀書壓力很大,
02:14
but reading does not matter when you feel
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你的人生已成定局,
02:17
your story故事 is already已經 written書面,
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讀書已不再重要,
02:19
either dead or getting得到 booked預訂.
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當你覺得反正死路一條,
或遲早登記入冊,
02:21
Taking tests測試 is stressful壓力,
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考試壓力很大,
02:24
but bubbling冒泡 in a ScantronScantron公司 does not stop
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但在選答題上再多塗鴉圈圈,
02:26
bullets子彈 from bursting爆破.
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也阻不了子彈爆裂。
02:28
I hear education教育 systems系統 are failing失敗,
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我聽到教育制度正在崩壞,
02:33
but I believe they're succeeding下一 at what they're built內置 to do --
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但大抵達到當初設立的目標—
02:36
to train培養 you, to keep you on track跟踪,
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訓練你,助你步上正軌,
02:38
to track跟踪 down an American美國 dream夢想 that has failed失敗
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追逐一個美國夢,
02:41
so many許多 of us all.
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儘管它曾讓我們眾人失望。
02:45
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Malcolm London - Poet, performer, activist
Young spoken-word poet Malcolm London has been called the "Gil Scott-Heron of this generation" (by Cornel West). His feisty, passionate performances take on the issues of the day, including the Chicago education system in which he grew up.

Why you should listen

This poet wields a dynamic spirit for speaking engagements utilizing his feisty and passionate performances as words of encourage for next generations to tell their stories. In 2011, Malcolm London won the Louder than a Bomb youth poetry slam in his native Chicago, scooping the top award as both individual performer and with a team. The poet, performer and activist has performed on stages throughout his home city as well as across the United States. A member of the Young Adult Council of the prestigious Steppenwolf Theater, London brings vim and vigor to his energetic performances tackling tough contemporary issues head-on. He wrote & directed a spoken word0infused play responding to the Zimmerman verdict called Two Years Later, and 

London attends University of Illinois at Chicago & is a member & co-chair of BYP100 Chicago Chapter, a national organization of black activists & organizers. Deeply interested in working on ways to improve the national education system, London regularly visits high schools, youth jails, colleges and communities to work with students on writing workshops and performances. London is currently devoted to being a youth advocate & coordinator of The Know Your Rights Project out of Northwestern Law School, a project dedicated to educating young people on their rights within the juvenile justice system, & continuing his work as teaching artist on staff at Young Chicago Authors, a program working to transform the lives of young people by cultivating their voices through writing, publication and performance education. His work has been featured on national outlets including CBS, NPR, The Huffington Post, The Root, and the Chicago Tribune.

More profile about the speaker
Malcolm London | Speaker | TED.com