TEDGlobal 2009
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Chimamanda Adichie: Die gevaar van ’n enkele storie.
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Readability: 4.1
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Ons lewens, ons kulture, word uit baie oorvleulende stories opgemaak. Romanskrywer Chimamanda Adichie vertel die storie van hoe sy haar outentieke kulturele stem gevind het -- en waarsku ons dat as ons ’n enkele storie oor ’n ander persoon of land hoor, ons ’n kritiese misverstand waag.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Novelist
Inspired by Nigerian history and tragedies all but forgotten by recent generations of westerners, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novels and stories are jewels in the crown of diasporan literature. Full bio
Inspired by Nigerian history and tragedies all but forgotten by recent generations of westerners, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novels and stories are jewels in the crown of diasporan literature. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I'm a storyteller.
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Ek is ’n storieverteller.
00:14
And I would like to tell you a few personal stories
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Ek wil julle ’n paar
persoonlike stories vertel
persoonlike stories vertel
00:17
about what I like to call "the danger of the single story."
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oor "die gevaar van die enkele storie".
00:22
I grew up on a university campus in eastern Nigeria.
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Ek't op ’n universiteitskampus
in oos-Nigerië grootgeword.
in oos-Nigerië grootgeword.
00:26
My mother says that I started reading at the age of two,
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My ma sê ek't op twee begin lees,
00:29
although I think four is probably close to the truth.
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alhoewel ek dink vier
nader aan die waarheid is.
nader aan die waarheid is.
00:34
So I was an early reader, and what I read
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So ek was ’n vroeë leser
00:36
were British and American children's books.
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en ek't Britse en
Amerikaanse kinderboeke gelees.
Amerikaanse kinderboeke gelees.
00:39
I was also an early writer,
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Ek was ook ’n vroeë skrywer.
00:42
and when I began to write, at about the age of seven,
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Toe ek begin skryf,
op omtrent sewe,
op omtrent sewe,
00:46
stories in pencil with crayon illustrations
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stories in potlood met krytillustrasies,
00:48
that my poor mother was obligated to read,
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wat my arme ma móés lees,
00:51
I wrote exactly the kinds of stories I was reading:
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skryf ek presies die tipe stories
wat ek gelees het:
wat ek gelees het:
00:55
All my characters were white and blue-eyed,
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Al my karakters was wit met blou oë,
hulle't in die sneeu gespeel,
01:00
they played in the snow,
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01:02
they ate apples,
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hulle't appels geëet
01:04
and they talked a lot about the weather,
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(Gelag)
01:06
how lovely it was
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en hulle't baie oor die weer gepraat,
01:08
that the sun had come out.
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hoe lieflik dit was,
dat die son uitgekom het.
dat die son uitgekom het.
01:10
(Laughter)
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(Gelag)
01:12
Now, this despite the fact that I lived in Nigeria.
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Ondanks die feit
dat ek in Nigerië gewoon het.
dat ek in Nigerië gewoon het.
01:15
I had never been outside Nigeria.
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Ek was toe nog nooit buite Nigerië nie.
01:19
We didn't have snow, we ate mangoes,
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Ons't niks sneeu gehad nie,
ons het mangoes geëet,
01:22
and we never talked about the weather,
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en ons't nooit oor die weer gepraat nie,
01:24
because there was no need to.
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want dit was onnodig.
01:26
My characters also drank a lot of ginger beer
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My karakters het ook
baie gemmerbier gedrink,
baie gemmerbier gedrink,
01:29
because the characters in the British books I read
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want die karakters in die Britse boeke
het gemmerbier gedrink.
het gemmerbier gedrink.
01:31
drank ginger beer.
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01:33
Never mind that I had no idea what ginger beer was.
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Ongeag dat ek g'n benul
van gemmerbier gehad het nie.
van gemmerbier gehad het nie.
01:36
(Laughter)
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(Gelag)
01:37
And for many years afterwards, I would have a desperate desire
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En vir baie jare daarna
sou ek ’n brandende begeerte hê
om gemmerbier te proe.
om gemmerbier te proe.
01:40
to taste ginger beer.
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01:42
But that is another story.
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Maar dis ’n ander storie.
01:44
What this demonstrates, I think,
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Wat hierdie wys, dink ek,
01:46
is how impressionable and vulnerable we are
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is hoe ontvanklik en vatbaar ons is
01:49
in the face of a story,
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met ’n storie voor oë,
01:51
particularly as children.
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veral as kinders.
01:53
Because all I had read were books
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Omdat ek nét boeke gelees het
waarin karakters anders was,
waarin karakters anders was,
01:55
in which characters were foreign,
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01:57
I had become convinced that books
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was ek oortuig
dat boeke vanselfsprekend
vreemdelinge moes in hê
vreemdelinge moes in hê
01:59
by their very nature had to have foreigners in them
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02:02
and had to be about things with which
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en oor dinge moes gaan
waarmee ek nie kon identifiseer nie.
waarmee ek nie kon identifiseer nie.
02:04
I could not personally identify.
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02:07
Things changed when I discovered African books.
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Dinge het verander
toe ek Afrikaboeke ontdek het.
toe ek Afrikaboeke ontdek het.
02:11
There weren't many of them available, and they weren't
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Daar was nie veel beskikbaar nie
en hulle was nie so verkrygbaar
soos die buitelandse boeke nie.
soos die buitelandse boeke nie.
02:13
quite as easy to find as the foreign books.
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02:15
But because of writers like Chinua Achebe and Camara Laye
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Maar dank skrywers
soos Chinua Achebe en Camara Laye,
soos Chinua Achebe en Camara Laye,
het ek ’n sielsverskuiwing
in my begrip van letterkunde beleef.
in my begrip van letterkunde beleef.
02:19
I went through a mental shift in my perception
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02:21
of literature.
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02:23
I realized that people like me,
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Ek het besef dat mense soos ek,
02:25
girls with skin the color of chocolate,
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meisies met vel die kleur van sjokolade,
02:27
whose kinky hair could not form ponytails,
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wie se kroes hare
nie kon poniesterte maak nie,
nie kon poniesterte maak nie,
02:30
could also exist in literature.
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ook in literatuur kon bestaan.
02:32
I started to write about things I recognized.
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Ek't oor vertroude dinge begin skryf.
02:36
Now, I loved those American and British books I read.
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Ek was wel versot op
die Amerikaanse en Britse boeke.
die Amerikaanse en Britse boeke.
02:40
They stirred my imagination. They opened up new worlds for me.
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Hulle't my verbeelding aangegryp,
vir my nuwe wêrelde oopgemaak.
vir my nuwe wêrelde oopgemaak.
02:44
But the unintended consequence
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Maar die gevolg was per abuis
02:46
was that I did not know that people like me
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dat ek nie geweet het mense soos ek
02:48
could exist in literature.
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kon in literatuur bestaan nie.
02:50
So what the discovery of African writers did for me was this:
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So die ontdekking van Afrikaskrywers
het my gered van 'n enkele storie hê
oor wat boeke in wese is.
oor wat boeke in wese is.
02:54
It saved me from having a single story
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02:57
of what books are.
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02:59
I come from a conventional, middle-class Nigerian family.
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Ek was uit ’n gewone,
middelklas Nigeriese gesin.
middelklas Nigeriese gesin.
03:02
My father was a professor.
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My pa was ’n professor.
03:04
My mother was an administrator.
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My ma was ’n administratiewe beampte.
03:07
And so we had, as was the norm,
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En, soos die norm was,
03:10
live-in domestic help, who would often come from nearby rural villages.
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het ons inwoon-huishulpe gehad,
wat van nabye dorpies af gekom het.
wat van nabye dorpies af gekom het.
03:15
So the year I turned eight we got a new house boy.
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Die jaar wat ek agt geword het,
het ons ’n nuwe huisknaap gekry.
het ons ’n nuwe huisknaap gekry.
03:19
His name was Fide.
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Sy naam was Fide.
03:21
The only thing my mother told us about him
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My ma het ons net een ding oor hom vertel:
sy familie was baie arm.
sy familie was baie arm.
03:24
was that his family was very poor.
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03:27
My mother sent yams and rice,
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My ma het jamswortels en rys
en ons ou klere na sy familie toe gestuur.
en ons ou klere na sy familie toe gestuur.
03:29
and our old clothes, to his family.
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03:32
And when I didn't finish my dinner my mother would say,
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As ek nie my aandete opgeëet het nie,
sou sy sê:
sou sy sê:
03:34
"Finish your food! Don't you know? People like Fide's family have nothing."
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"Eet jou kos! Weet jy dan nie?
Mense soos Fide se familie het niks nie."
Mense soos Fide se familie het niks nie."
03:39
So I felt enormous pity for Fide's family.
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So ek was baie jammer vir Fide se familie.
03:43
Then one Saturday we went to his village to visit,
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Toe een Saterdag
gaan ons na sy dorpie op besoek,
gaan ons na sy dorpie op besoek,
03:46
and his mother showed us a beautifully patterned basket
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en sy ma wys vir ons
’n pragtige gepatroonde mandjie
’n pragtige gepatroonde mandjie
03:50
made of dyed raffia that his brother had made.
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gemaak van gekleurde raffia,
wat sy broer gemaak het.
wat sy broer gemaak het.
03:53
I was startled.
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Ek was verbaas.
03:55
It had not occurred to me that anybody in his family
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Ek't nie besef dat iemand in sy familie
03:58
could actually make something.
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sowaar iets kon máák nie.
04:01
All I had heard about them was how poor they were,
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Al wat ek van hulle gehoor het,
was hoe arm hulle was,
was hoe arm hulle was,
04:04
so that it had become impossible for me to see them
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sodat dit vir my onmoontlik geword het
om hulle as enigiets buiten arm te sien.
om hulle as enigiets buiten arm te sien.
04:06
as anything else but poor.
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04:09
Their poverty was my single story of them.
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Hulle armoede
was my enkele storie oor hulle.
was my enkele storie oor hulle.
04:13
Years later, I thought about this when I left Nigeria
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Ek't later hieroor gedink
toe ek weg is uit Nigerië
toe ek weg is uit Nigerië
04:15
to go to university in the United States.
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om universiteit toe te gaan in die VSA.
04:18
I was 19.
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Ek was 19.
04:20
My American roommate was shocked by me.
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My Amerikaanse kamermaat is deur my geskok.
04:24
She asked where I had learned to speak English so well,
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Sy't my gevra waar ek so goed
Engels leer praat het
Engels leer praat het
04:27
and was confused when I said that Nigeria
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en was verward toe ek sê
04:29
happened to have English as its official language.
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dat Engels toevallig genoeg
die amptelike taal van Nigerië is.
die amptelike taal van Nigerië is.
Sy't gevra om na
my "tribal music" te luister
my "tribal music" te luister
04:34
She asked if she could listen to what she called my "tribal music,"
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04:38
and was consequently very disappointed
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en was gevolglik baie teleurgesteld
04:40
when I produced my tape of Mariah Carey.
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toe ek my Mariah Carey-kasset uithaal.
04:42
(Laughter)
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(Gelag)
04:45
She assumed that I did not know how
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Sy't aangeneem dat ek nie weet
hoe om ’n stoof te gebruik nie.
hoe om ’n stoof te gebruik nie.
04:47
to use a stove.
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Dít het my getref:
04:50
What struck me was this: She had felt sorry for me
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Sy't my al bejammer
nog voor sy my gesien het.
nog voor sy my gesien het.
04:52
even before she saw me.
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04:54
Her default position toward me, as an African,
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Haar verstekposisie teenoor my,
as ’n Afrikaan,
as ’n Afrikaan,
04:58
was a kind of patronizing, well-meaning pity.
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was ’n soort neerbuigende,
goed-bedoelde jammerhartigheid.
goed-bedoelde jammerhartigheid.
05:02
My roommate had a single story of Africa:
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My kamermaat het
’n enkele Afrikastorie gehad:
’n enkele Afrikastorie gehad:
05:05
a single story of catastrophe.
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’n enkele storie oor katastrofe.
05:08
In this single story there was no possibility
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In dié enkele storie
05:10
of Africans being similar to her in any way,
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kon Afrikane geensins soos sy wees nie,
05:14
no possibility of feelings more complex than pity,
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was daar geen gevoelens
meer kompleks as bejammering nie
meer kompleks as bejammering nie
05:17
no possibility of a connection as human equals.
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en geen moontlikheid van ’n verbinding
as gelyke mense nie.
as gelyke mense nie.
05:21
I must say that before I went to the U.S. I didn't
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Voor ek VSA toe is,
05:23
consciously identify as African.
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het ek nie bewustelik geïdentifiseer
as ’n Afrikaan nie.
as ’n Afrikaan nie.
05:26
But in the U.S. whenever Africa came up people turned to me.
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Maar as Afrika ter sprake was,
het almal na my gekyk.
het almal na my gekyk.
05:29
Never mind that I knew nothing about places like Namibia.
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Ondanks dat ek niks geweet het
oor plekke soos Namibië nie.
oor plekke soos Namibië nie.
05:33
But I did come to embrace this new identity,
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Ek't op die ou end
dié nuwe identiteit aangeneem,
dié nuwe identiteit aangeneem,
05:35
and in many ways I think of myself now as African.
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en op baie maniere
dink ek nou aan myself as Afrikaan.
dink ek nou aan myself as Afrikaan.
05:38
Although I still get quite irritable when
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Dit ontstem my wel steeds
wanneer Afrika as ’n land beskou word,
wanneer Afrika as ’n land beskou word,
05:40
Africa is referred to as a country,
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05:42
the most recent example being my otherwise wonderful flight
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die mees onlangse voorbeeld
was op my andersins wonderlike vlug,
was op my andersins wonderlike vlug,
05:46
from Lagos two days ago, in which
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vanaf Lagos twee dae gelede,
05:48
there was an announcement on the Virgin flight
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met die Virgin-aankondiging
oor hulle liefdadigheidswerk
oor hulle liefdadigheidswerk
05:50
about the charity work in "India, Africa and other countries."
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in "Indië, Afrika en ander lande".
05:55
(Laughter)
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(Gelag)
05:56
So after I had spent some years in the U.S. as an African,
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So na ek ’n paar jaar in die VSA
as ’n Afrikaan spandeer het,
as ’n Afrikaan spandeer het,
06:00
I began to understand my roommate's response to me.
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het ek my kamermaat se reaksie
teenoor my begin verstaan.
teenoor my begin verstaan.
06:04
If I had not grown up in Nigeria, and if all I knew about Africa
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As ek nie in Nigerië grootgeword het nie,
en as my Afrikakennis
uit alledaagse beelde gekom het,
uit alledaagse beelde gekom het,
06:07
were from popular images,
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06:09
I too would think that Africa was a place of
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sou ek ook dink
dat Afrika ’n plek
van pragtige landskappe, mooi diere,
van pragtige landskappe, mooi diere,
06:12
beautiful landscapes, beautiful animals,
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06:16
and incomprehensible people,
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en onverstaanbare mense is,
06:18
fighting senseless wars, dying of poverty and AIDS,
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aan't oorlogvoer,
sterwend van armoede of VIGS,
sterwend van armoede of VIGS,
06:21
unable to speak for themselves
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nie in staat daartoe
om vir hulleself te praat nie
om vir hulleself te praat nie
06:24
and waiting to be saved
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en wagtend om verlossing
deur ’n gawe, wit vreemdeling.
deur ’n gawe, wit vreemdeling.
06:26
by a kind, white foreigner.
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Ek sou Afrikane sien
net soos ek, as kind,
net soos ek, as kind,
06:29
I would see Africans in the same way that I,
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06:31
as a child, had seen Fide's family.
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Fide se familie gesien het.
06:35
This single story of Africa ultimately comes, I think, from Western literature.
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Dié enkele storie oor Afrika
kom uit Westerse literatuur.
kom uit Westerse literatuur.
06:39
Now, here is a quote from
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Hier's ’n aanhaling uit die skrywe
van ’n Londonse handelaar, John Locke,
van ’n Londonse handelaar, John Locke,
06:41
the writing of a London merchant called John Locke,
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06:44
who sailed to west Africa in 1561
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wat in 1561 na Wes-Afrika geseil het
06:47
and kept a fascinating account of his voyage.
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en ’n boeiende reisverslag gehou het.
06:52
After referring to the black Africans
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Nadat hy na die swart Afrikane
as "gediertes sonder huise," verwys,
as "gediertes sonder huise," verwys,
06:54
as "beasts who have no houses,"
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06:56
he writes, "They are also people without heads,
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skryf hy: "Hulle is mense sonder koppe,
07:00
having their mouth and eyes in their breasts."
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met hul monde en oë in hulle borste."
07:05
Now, I've laughed every time I've read this.
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Ek lag elke keer wat ek dit lees.
07:07
And one must admire the imagination of John Locke.
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En ’n mens moet sy verbeelding bewonder.
07:11
But what is important about his writing is that
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Maar belangrik
is dat sy skryfwerk
07:13
it represents the beginning
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die begin van ’n verteltradisie van Afrikastories
in die Weste verteenwoordig:
in die Weste verteenwoordig:
07:15
of a tradition of telling African stories in the West:
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07:18
A tradition of Sub-Saharan Africa as a place of negatives,
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’n Tradisie van sub-Sahara-Afrika
as ’n plek van negatiewes,
as ’n plek van negatiewes,
07:21
of difference, of darkness,
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van andersheid, van donkerte,
07:23
of people who, in the words of the wonderful poet
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van mense wat, in die woorde van
die wonderlike digter, Rudyard Kipling,
die wonderlike digter, Rudyard Kipling,
07:27
Rudyard Kipling,
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07:29
are "half devil, half child."
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"halfduiwel, halfkind" is.
07:32
And so I began to realize that my American roommate
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En so't ek begin besef
dat my Amerikaanse kamermaat
dat my Amerikaanse kamermaat
07:35
must have throughout her life
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haar hele lewe lank
07:37
seen and heard different versions
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verskillende weergawes van hierdie
enkele storie moes gesien en gehoor het.
enkele storie moes gesien en gehoor het.
07:39
of this single story,
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07:41
as had a professor,
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So ook ’n professor,
wat op ’n keer vir my gesê het
wat op ’n keer vir my gesê het
07:43
who once told me that my novel was not "authentically African."
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dat my roman nie "eg aan Afrika" is nie.
07:48
Now, I was quite willing to contend that there were a number of things
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Ek was bereid om aan te voer
07:50
wrong with the novel,
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dat daar heelwat dinge
met die roman verkeerd was,
met die roman verkeerd was,
07:52
that it had failed in a number of places,
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dat dit op vele punte misluk het,
07:56
but I had not quite imagined that it had failed
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maar ek het nie kon droom
dat dit die kastige "eg aan Afrika" paal
nie gehaal het nie.
nie gehaal het nie.
07:58
at achieving something called African authenticity.
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08:01
In fact I did not know what
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Ek het inderwaarheid nie geweet
wat Afrika-egtheid was nie.
wat Afrika-egtheid was nie.
08:03
African authenticity was.
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08:06
The professor told me that my characters
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Die professor het my meegedeel
dat my karakters te veel soos hy was,
dat my karakters te veel soos hy was,
08:08
were too much like him,
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08:10
an educated and middle-class man.
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’n opgevoede, middelklas man.
08:12
My characters drove cars.
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My karakters het motors bestuur.
08:14
They were not starving.
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Hulle't nie van honger vergaan nie.
08:17
Therefore they were not authentically African.
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Gevolglik was hulle nie eg aan Afrika nie.
08:21
But I must quickly add that I too am just as guilty
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Maar ek moet byvoeg
dat ek net so skuldig is
aan die enkele storie kwessie.
aan die enkele storie kwessie.
08:24
in the question of the single story.
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08:27
A few years ago, I visited Mexico from the U.S.
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Ek't ’n paar jaar gelede Meksiko besoek
uit die VSA.
uit die VSA.
08:31
The political climate in the U.S. at the time was tense,
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Die politieke klimaat in die VSA
was gespanne,
was gespanne,
08:33
and there were debates going on about immigration.
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en debatte oor immigrasie het geheers.
08:37
And, as often happens in America,
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En, soos dit baie in Amerika gebeur,
08:39
immigration became synonymous with Mexicans.
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het immigrasie
sinoniem met Meksikane geword.
sinoniem met Meksikane geword.
08:42
There were endless stories of Mexicans
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Daar was eindelose stories oor Meksikane
08:44
as people who were
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wat die gesondheidstelsel kaal uittrek,
08:46
fleecing the healthcare system,
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08:48
sneaking across the border,
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oor die grens sluip,
08:50
being arrested at the border, that sort of thing.
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by die grens gearresteer word,
daai soort ding.
daai soort ding.
08:54
I remember walking around on my first day in Guadalajara,
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Ek't op my eerste dag
in Guadalajara rondgeloop,
in Guadalajara rondgeloop,
08:58
watching the people going to work,
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gekyk hoe die mense werk toe gaan,
09:00
rolling up tortillas in the marketplace,
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by die markplein hulle tortillas oprol,
09:02
smoking, laughing.
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aan't rook en lag.
09:05
I remember first feeling slight surprise.
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Ek onthou dat ek eers effens verras was.
En toe was ek van skaamte oorkom.
09:08
And then I was overwhelmed with shame.
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09:11
I realized that I had been so immersed
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Ek't besef dat ek so verdiep was
in die mediadekking oor Meksikane
in die mediadekking oor Meksikane
09:14
in the media coverage of Mexicans
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09:16
that they had become one thing in my mind,
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dat hulle een ding in my kop geword het:
09:18
the abject immigrant.
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die ellendige immigrant.
Ek't geval vir die enkele storie oor Meksikane
09:21
I had bought into the single story of Mexicans
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09:23
and I could not have been more ashamed of myself.
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en ek kon nie méér skaam kry nie.
09:26
So that is how to create a single story,
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So dis hoe om ’n enkele storie te skep,
09:28
show a people as one thing,
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’n volk te wys as een ding,
09:31
as only one thing,
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slegs een ding,
09:33
over and over again,
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oor en oor,
09:35
and that is what they become.
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en dis wat hulle dan word.
09:38
It is impossible to talk about the single story
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Dis onmoontlik
om die enkele storie te bespreek,
om die enkele storie te bespreek,
09:40
without talking about power.
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sonder om mag aan te raak.
09:43
There is a word, an Igbo word,
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Daar's ’n Igbo woord,
09:45
that I think about whenever I think about
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waaroor ek dink as ek
oor die wêreld se magstrukture dink,
oor die wêreld se magstrukture dink,
09:47
the power structures of the world, and it is "nkali."
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en dis: "nkali."
09:50
It's a noun that loosely translates
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Dis ’n selfstandige naamword, losweg vertaal:
"om groter as ’n ander te wees".
"om groter as ’n ander te wees".
09:52
to "to be greater than another."
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09:55
Like our economic and political worlds,
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Soos ons ekonomiese en politieke wêrelde,
09:58
stories too are defined
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word stories ook bepaal
deur die beginsel van nkali:
deur die beginsel van nkali:
10:00
by the principle of nkali:
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Hoe hulle vertel word, wie hulle vertel,
10:03
How they are told, who tells them,
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10:05
when they're told, how many stories are told,
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wanneer hulle vertel word,
hoeveel vertel word,
hoeveel vertel word,
10:08
are really dependent on power.
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is alles regtig afhanklik van mag.
10:12
Power is the ability not just to tell the story of another person,
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Mag is die vermoë
om ’n ander se storie te vertel
om ’n ander se storie te vertel
10:15
but to make it the definitive story of that person.
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én om dit die beslissende storie
van dié persoon te maak.
van dié persoon te maak.
10:19
The Palestinian poet Mourid Barghouti writes
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Die Palestynse digter
Mourid Barghouti skryf
Mourid Barghouti skryf
10:21
that if you want to dispossess a people,
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dat as jy ’n volk wil ontvreem,
10:24
the simplest way to do it is to tell their story
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is die eenvoudigste manier
om hulle storie te begin vertel
met "tweedens."
met "tweedens."
10:27
and to start with, "secondly."
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10:30
Start the story with the arrows of the Native Americans,
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Begin die storie met
die Amerikaanse inboorlinge se pyle,
die Amerikaanse inboorlinge se pyle,
10:34
and not with the arrival of the British,
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en nié met die Britte se aankoms nie,
10:37
and you have an entirely different story.
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en dan het jy ’n heeltemal ander storie.
10:40
Start the story with
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Begin met
die mislukking van die Afrikastaat,
die mislukking van die Afrikastaat,
10:42
the failure of the African state,
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10:44
and not with the colonial creation of the African state,
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en nié met die koloniale skepping
van die Afrikastaat nie,
van die Afrikastaat nie,
10:48
and you have an entirely different story.
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en dan het jy ’n heeltemal ander storie.
10:52
I recently spoke at a university where
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Ek't onlangs by ’n universiteit gepraat
10:54
a student told me that it was
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waar ’n student vir my gesê het
dat dit só jammer is
dat dit só jammer is
10:56
such a shame
230
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10:58
that Nigerian men were physical abusers
231
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dat Nigeriese mans mishandelaars is,
11:01
like the father character in my novel.
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soos die vaderfiguur in my roman.
11:04
I told him that I had just read a novel
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Ek't vir hom gesê dat ek pas die roman
"American Psycho" gelees het --
"American Psycho" gelees het --
11:06
called American Psycho --
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11:08
(Laughter)
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2000
(Gelag)
11:10
-- and that it was such a shame
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-- en dat dit só jammer is
11:12
that young Americans were serial murderers.
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dat jong Amerikaners reeksmoordenaars is.
11:15
(Laughter)
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(Gelag)
11:19
(Applause)
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(Applous)
11:25
Now, obviously I said this in a fit of mild irritation.
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Natuurlik het ek dit effens geïrriteerd gesê.
11:28
(Laughter)
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(Gelag)
11:30
But it would never have occurred to me to think
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Maar ek sou nooit kon dink
11:32
that just because I had read a novel
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dat 'n reeksmoordenaar-karakter
in 'n roman
in 'n roman
11:34
in which a character was a serial killer
244
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2000
11:36
that he was somehow representative
245
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álle Amerikaners verteenwoordig nie.
11:38
of all Americans.
246
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2000
11:40
This is not because I am a better person than that student,
247
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3000
Dis nie omdat ek ’n beter mens
as daai student is nie,
as daai student is nie,
11:43
but because of America's cultural and economic power,
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maar eerder as gevolg van
Amerika se kulturele en ekonomiese mag,
Amerika se kulturele en ekonomiese mag,
11:46
I had many stories of America.
249
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2000
dat ek baie stories oor Amerika het.
11:48
I had read Tyler and Updike and Steinbeck and Gaitskill.
250
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4000
Ek het al Tyler en Updike
en Steinbeck en Gaitskill gelees.
en Steinbeck en Gaitskill gelees.
11:52
I did not have a single story of America.
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3000
Ek't nie ’n enkele storie
oor Amerika gehad nie.
oor Amerika gehad nie.
11:55
When I learned, some years ago, that writers were expected
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Toe ek gehoor het
dat daar van skrywers verwag word
om ongelukkige kinderjare te gehad het
om ongelukkige kinderjare te gehad het
11:58
to have had really unhappy childhoods
253
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4000
om suksesvol te wees,
12:02
to be successful,
254
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2000
het ek begin dink hoe ek aaklige goed
wat my ouers my aangedoen het, kon opmaak.
wat my ouers my aangedoen het, kon opmaak.
12:04
I began to think about how I could invent
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2000
12:06
horrible things my parents had done to me.
256
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2000
12:08
(Laughter)
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2000
(Gelag)
12:10
But the truth is that I had a very happy childhood,
258
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4000
Maar om die waarheid te sê,
het ek gelukkige kinderjare gehad,
het ek gelukkige kinderjare gehad,
vol lag en liefde, in ’n baie hegte gesin.
12:14
full of laughter and love, in a very close-knit family.
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3000
12:17
But I also had grandfathers who died in refugee camps.
260
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4000
Maar ek't ook oupas gehad
wat in vlugtelingkampe dood is.
wat in vlugtelingkampe dood is.
My nefie Polle is dood
omdat hy nie voldoende gesondheidsorg kon kry nie.
omdat hy nie voldoende gesondheidsorg kon kry nie.
12:21
My cousin Polle died because he could not get adequate healthcare.
261
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4000
12:25
One of my closest friends, Okoloma, died in a plane crash
262
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3000
Een van my beste maats, Okoloma,
is dood in ’n vliegtuigongeluk
is dood in ’n vliegtuigongeluk
12:28
because our fire trucks did not have water.
263
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3000
omdat ons brandweerwaens
nie water gehad het nie.
nie water gehad het nie.
12:31
I grew up under repressive military governments
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3000
Ek't onder verdrukkende
militêre regerings grootgeword
militêre regerings grootgeword
12:34
that devalued education,
265
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2000
wat opvoeding van waarde beroof het,
sodat my ouers soms
nie hulle salarisse betaal is nie.
nie hulle salarisse betaal is nie.
12:36
so that sometimes my parents were not paid their salaries.
266
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12:39
And so, as a child, I saw jam disappear from the breakfast table,
267
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4000
En so, as ’n kind, het ek gesien
hoe konfyt van die ontbyttafel af verdwyn,
hoe konfyt van die ontbyttafel af verdwyn,
12:43
then margarine disappeared,
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2000
toe margarien,
12:45
then bread became too expensive,
269
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toe het brood te duur geword,
12:48
then milk became rationed.
270
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toe is melk op rantsoen gesit.
12:51
And most of all, a kind of normalized political fear
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En meeste van alles,
het ’n soort genormaliseerde politieke vrees
het ’n soort genormaliseerde politieke vrees
12:54
invaded our lives.
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ons lewens binnegedring.
Al hierdie stories maak my wie ek is.
12:58
All of these stories make me who I am.
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2000
13:00
But to insist on only these negative stories
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4000
Maar om slegs op
die negatiewe stories aan te dring,
die negatiewe stories aan te dring,
13:04
is to flatten my experience
275
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3000
is om my ervaring af te plat
13:07
and to overlook the many other stories
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2000
en baie van die stories wat my gevorm het,
oor die hoof te sien.
oor die hoof te sien.
13:09
that formed me.
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2000
13:11
The single story creates stereotypes,
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3000
Die enkele storie skep stereotipes,
13:14
and the problem with stereotypes
279
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en die probleem met stereotipes,
is nie dat hulle onwaar is nie,
is nie dat hulle onwaar is nie,
13:17
is not that they are untrue,
280
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2000
13:19
but that they are incomplete.
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2000
maar dat hulle onvolledig is.
13:21
They make one story become the only story.
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4000
Hulle maak een storie die enigste storie.
Ja, Afrika ís ’n vasteland vol katastrofes:
13:25
Of course, Africa is a continent full of catastrophes:
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13:27
There are immense ones, such as the horrific rapes in Congo
284
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4000
Grotes, soos
die skokkende verkragtings in Kongo
die skokkende verkragtings in Kongo
13:31
and depressing ones, such as the fact that
285
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2000
en ontmoedigendes,
soos dat 5000 mense vir een vakante pos
in Nigerië aansoek doen.
in Nigerië aansoek doen.
13:33
5,000 people apply for one job vacancy in Nigeria.
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5000
13:38
But there are other stories that are not about catastrophe,
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3000
Maar daar is onrampspoedige stories
13:41
and it is very important, it is just as important, to talk about them.
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en dis nét so belangrik om hulle te noem.
13:45
I've always felt that it is impossible
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Ek't nog altyd gedink dis onmoontlik
13:47
to engage properly with a place or a person
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3000
om ordentlik aan ’n plek of persoon
mee te doen
mee te doen
13:50
without engaging with all of the stories of that place and that person.
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4000
sonder om in ál die stories
van daardie plek of persoon te deel.
van daardie plek of persoon te deel.
13:54
The consequence of the single story
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3000
Die gevolg van die enkele storie
13:57
is this: It robs people of dignity.
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is dat dit mense van waardigheid beroof.
14:00
It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult.
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4000
Dit maak erkenning
van ons gelyke menslikheid moeilik.
van ons gelyke menslikheid moeilik.
14:04
It emphasizes how we are different
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3000
Dit beklemtoon ons verskille
eerder as ons ooreenkomste.
eerder as ons ooreenkomste.
14:07
rather than how we are similar.
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2000
14:09
So what if before my Mexican trip
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2000
So wat as ek voor my Meksikaanse toer
14:11
I had followed the immigration debate from both sides,
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4000
albei kante van die
immigrasiedebat gevolg het,
immigrasiedebat gevolg het,
14:15
the U.S. and the Mexican?
299
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2000
die Amerikaanse en die Meksikaanse?
14:17
What if my mother had told us that Fide's family was poor
300
845000
4000
Wat as my ma vir ons gesê het
dat Fide se familie arm
én hardwerkend is?
én hardwerkend is?
14:21
and hardworking?
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2000
14:23
What if we had an African television network
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2000
Wat as ons
’n Afrika-televisienetwerk gehad het
’n Afrika-televisienetwerk gehad het
14:25
that broadcast diverse African stories all over the world?
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4000
wat uiteenlopende Afrikastories
regoor die wêreld uitsaai?
regoor die wêreld uitsaai?
14:29
What the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe calls
304
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2000
Wat die Nigeriese skrywer Chinua Achebe
"’n balans van stories" noem.
"’n balans van stories" noem.
14:31
"a balance of stories."
305
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3000
Wat as my kamermaat kon weet
van my Nigeriese uitgewer,
van my Nigeriese uitgewer,
14:34
What if my roommate knew about my Nigerian publisher,
306
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3000
14:37
Mukta Bakaray,
307
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2000
Muhtar Bakare,
’n merkwaardige man
wat sy werk by ’n bank gelos het
wat sy werk by ’n bank gelos het
14:39
a remarkable man who left his job in a bank
308
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2000
14:41
to follow his dream and start a publishing house?
309
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3000
om sy droom te volg
en ’n uitgewery te begin?
en ’n uitgewery te begin?
14:44
Now, the conventional wisdom was that Nigerians don't read literature.
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Die staande opvatting was
dat Nigeriërs nie literatuur lees nie.
dat Nigeriërs nie literatuur lees nie.
Hy't verskil.
14:48
He disagreed. He felt
311
876000
2000
Hy't gedink
mense wat kon lees, sou lees,
mense wat kon lees, sou lees,
14:50
that people who could read, would read,
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2000
14:52
if you made literature affordable and available to them.
313
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4000
mits literatuur bekostigbaar
en beskikbaar was.
en beskikbaar was.
14:56
Shortly after he published my first novel
314
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3000
Kort na hy my eerste roman uitgegee het,
14:59
I went to a TV station in Lagos to do an interview,
315
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3000
was ek by ’n TV-ateljee
in Lagos vir ’n onderhoud,
in Lagos vir ’n onderhoud,
15:02
and a woman who worked there as a messenger came up to me and said,
316
890000
3000
en ’n vrou wat as ’n bode daar gewerk het,
het vir my kom sê:
het vir my kom sê:
15:05
"I really liked your novel. I didn't like the ending.
317
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3000
"Ek't baie van jou roman gehou,
behalwe die einde.
behalwe die einde.
15:08
Now you must write a sequel, and this is what will happen ..."
318
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3000
"Jy moet nou ’n vervolgstuk skryf,
en wat moet gebeur is ..."
en wat moet gebeur is ..."
15:11
(Laughter)
319
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3000
(Gelag)
15:14
And she went on to tell me what to write in the sequel.
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3000
En sy't toe vir my vertel
wat om in die vervolgstuk te skryf.
wat om in die vervolgstuk te skryf.
15:17
I was not only charmed, I was very moved.
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Ek was nie net bekoor nie,
ek was ook diep geroer.
ek was ook diep geroer.
15:20
Here was a woman, part of the ordinary masses of Nigerians,
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Hier was ’n vrou,
soos baie gewone Nigeriërs,
soos baie gewone Nigeriërs,
15:23
who were not supposed to be readers.
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wat nie veronderstel was
om 'n leser te wees nie.
om 'n leser te wees nie.
Sy't nie net die boek gelees nie,
15:26
She had not only read the book, but she had taken ownership of it
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sy't dit ook aangeneem
15:28
and felt justified in telling me
325
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3000
en geregverdig gevoel
in haar instruksies vir die vervolgstuk.
in haar instruksies vir die vervolgstuk.
15:31
what to write in the sequel.
326
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2000
15:33
Now, what if my roommate knew about my friend Fumi Onda,
327
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4000
So wat as my kamermaat kon weet
van my vriendin Funmi Iyanda,
van my vriendin Funmi Iyanda,
15:37
a fearless woman who hosts a TV show in Lagos,
328
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3000
’n vreeslose Lagos TV-aanbieder,
15:40
and is determined to tell the stories that we prefer to forget?
329
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3000
vasberade om die stories
wat ons verkies om te vergeet, te vertel?
wat ons verkies om te vergeet, te vertel?
15:43
What if my roommate knew about the heart procedure
330
931000
4000
Wat as my kamermaat kon weet
van die hartoperasie wat verlede week
in ’n Lagos-hospitaal uitgevoer is?
in ’n Lagos-hospitaal uitgevoer is?
15:47
that was performed in the Lagos hospital last week?
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15:50
What if my roommate knew about contemporary Nigerian music,
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Wat as sy kon weet
van hedendaagse Nigeriese musiek,
15:54
talented people singing in English and Pidgin,
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talentvolle mense wat sing
in Engels en Pidgin
en Igbo en Joroeba en Ijo,
en Igbo en Joroeba en Ijo,
15:57
and Igbo and Yoruba and Ijo,
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15:59
mixing influences from Jay-Z to Fela
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terwyl hulle invloede van Jay-Z en Fela
tot Bob Marley en hulle oupas meng.
16:03
to Bob Marley to their grandfathers.
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16:06
What if my roommate knew about the female lawyer
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Wat as sy kon weet
van die vroulike prokureur
16:08
who recently went to court in Nigeria
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wat onlangs in Nigerië hof toe is
om ’n belaglike wet te betwis
om ’n belaglike wet te betwis
16:10
to challenge a ridiculous law
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16:12
that required women to get their husband's consent
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wat vereis dat vroue
hulle mans se toestemming kry
hulle mans se toestemming kry
16:15
before renewing their passports?
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voor hulle hul paspoorte hernu?
16:18
What if my roommate knew about Nollywood,
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Was as sy kon weet van Nollywood,
16:21
full of innovative people making films despite great technical odds,
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vol innoverende mense wat films maak
ten spyte van groot tegniese uitdagings,
ten spyte van groot tegniese uitdagings,
16:25
films so popular
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sulke gewilde films,
16:27
that they really are the best example
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perfekte voorbeelde van Nigeriërs
wat verbruik wat hulle self skep?
wat verbruik wat hulle self skep?
16:29
of Nigerians consuming what they produce?
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16:32
What if my roommate knew about my wonderfully ambitious hair braider,
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Wat as sy kon weet
van my vooruitstrewende haarvlegter,
van my vooruitstrewende haarvlegter,
16:35
who has just started her own business selling hair extensions?
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met haar eie nuwe besigheid
vir die verkoop van haarverlengings?
vir die verkoop van haarverlengings?
16:39
Or about the millions of other Nigerians
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Of van die miljoene Nigeriërs
wat besighede begin wat soms misluk,
wat besighede begin wat soms misluk,
16:41
who start businesses and sometimes fail,
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16:43
but continue to nurse ambition?
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maar wat aanhou om hulle ambisie te kweek?
16:47
Every time I am home I am confronted with
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Elke keer wat ek tuis is,
sien ek ook meeste Nigeriërs
se bronne van irritasie:
se bronne van irritasie:
16:49
the usual sources of irritation for most Nigerians:
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16:52
our failed infrastructure, our failed government,
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ons mislukte infrastruktuur,
ons mislukte regering,
ons mislukte regering,
16:55
but also by the incredible resilience of people who
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maar ek sien ook
die ongelooflike taaiheid
die ongelooflike taaiheid
van mense wat floreer
ten spyte van die regering,
ten spyte van die regering,
16:58
thrive despite the government,
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eerder as gevolg daarvan.
17:01
rather than because of it.
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17:03
I teach writing workshops in Lagos every summer,
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Ek bied elke somer
skryfwerkswinkels in Lagos aan,
skryfwerkswinkels in Lagos aan,
17:06
and it is amazing to me how many people apply,
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en dis indrukwekkend
hoeveel mense aansoek doen,
hoeveel mense aansoek doen,
17:09
how many people are eager to write,
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hoeveel gretig is om te skryf,
17:12
to tell stories.
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om stories te vertel.
17:14
My Nigerian publisher and I have just started a non-profit
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Ek en my Nigeriese uitgewer
het onlangs die Farafina Trust --
het onlangs die Farafina Trust --
17:17
called Farafina Trust,
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sonder winsbejag -- begin,
17:19
and we have big dreams of building libraries
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en ons het groot drome van biblioteke bou
17:22
and refurbishing libraries that already exist
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en bestaande biblioteke opknap
17:24
and providing books for state schools
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en boeke verskaf aan staatskole
17:27
that don't have anything in their libraries,
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wat niks in hulle biblioteke het nie,
17:29
and also of organizing lots and lots of workshops,
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en ook van tonne werkswinkels organiseer,
17:31
in reading and writing,
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in lees en skryf,
17:33
for all the people who are eager to tell our many stories.
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vir al die mense wat gretig is
om ons baie stories te vertel.
om ons baie stories te vertel.
17:36
Stories matter.
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Stories maak saak.
17:38
Many stories matter.
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Baie stories maak saak.
17:40
Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign,
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Stories is al gebruik
om te ontvreem en te belaster,
om te ontvreem en te belaster,
17:44
but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize.
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maar stories kan ook gebruik word
om te bemagtig en te vermenslik.
om te bemagtig en te vermenslik.
17:48
Stories can break the dignity of a people,
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Stories kan ’n volk se waardigheid breek,
17:51
but stories can also repair that broken dignity.
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maar stories kan ook
hulle gebreekte waardigheid heelmaak.
hulle gebreekte waardigheid heelmaak.
17:56
The American writer Alice Walker wrote this
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Die Amerikaanse skrywer
Alice Walker het geskryf
Alice Walker het geskryf
17:58
about her Southern relatives
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oor haar suiderlingfamilielede
wat na die Noorde getrek het.
wat na die Noorde getrek het.
18:00
who had moved to the North.
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Oor hoe sy hulle aan ’n boek
18:02
She introduced them to a book about
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18:04
the Southern life that they had left behind:
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oor die suiderlinglewe
wat hulle agtergelaat het, voorgestel het:
wat hulle agtergelaat het, voorgestel het:
18:07
"They sat around, reading the book themselves,
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"Hulle't rondgesit, die boek self gelees,
"geluister na hoe ek die boek lees,
18:11
listening to me read the book, and a kind of paradise was regained."
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"en ’n paradys van soorte is herwin."
18:17
I would like to end with this thought:
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Ek wil graag met hierdie gedagte afsluit:
18:20
That when we reject the single story,
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Dat wanneer ons die enkele storie verwerp,
18:23
when we realize that there is never a single story
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wanneer ons besef
dat daar nooit ’n enkele storie
dat daar nooit ’n enkele storie
18:26
about any place,
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oor enige plek is nie,
18:28
we regain a kind of paradise.
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herwin ons ’n soort paradys.
18:30
Thank you.
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Dankie.
18:32
(Applause)
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(Applous)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - NovelistInspired by Nigerian history and tragedies all but forgotten by recent generations of westerners, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novels and stories are jewels in the crown of diasporan literature.
Why you should listen
In Nigeria, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novel Half of a Yellow Sun has helped inspire new, cross-generational communication about the Biafran war. In this and in her other works, she seeks to instill dignity into the finest details of each character, whether poor, middle class or rich, exposing along the way the deep scars of colonialism in the African landscape.
Adichie's newest book, The Thing Around Your Neck, is a brilliant collection of stories about Nigerians struggling to cope with a corrupted context in their home country, and about the Nigerian immigrant experience.
Adichie builds on the literary tradition of Igbo literary giant Chinua Achebe—and when she found out that Achebe liked Half of a Yellow Sun, she says she cried for a whole day. What he said about her rings true: “We do not usually associate wisdom with beginners, but here is a new writer endowed with the gift of ancient storytellers.”
(Photo: Wani Olatunde)
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Speaker | TED.com