TEDMED 2009
Aimee Mullins: The opportunity of adversity
Aimee Mullins: L'oportunitat de l'adversitat
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El diccionari de sinònims pot fer equivaler "minusvàlid" amb sinònims com "inútil" i "mutilat", però la pionera Aimee Mullins arriba per a redefinir la paraula. Desafiant aquestes associacions, ella sap com l'adversitat ―en el seu cas, naixent sense tíbies― de fet obre la porta per al potencial humà.
Aimee Mullins - Athlete and actor
A record-breaker at the Paralympic Games in 1996, Aimee Mullins has built a career as a model, actor and advocate for women, sports and the next generation of prosthetics. Full bio
A record-breaker at the Paralympic Games in 1996, Aimee Mullins has built a career as a model, actor and advocate for women, sports and the next generation of prosthetics. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:17
I'd like to share with you a discovery that I made a few months ago
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M'agradaria compartir amb vosaltres una descoberta que he fet fa uns quants mesos
00:22
while writing an article for Italian Wired.
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mentre escrivia un article per al Wired italià.
00:25
I always keep my thesaurus handy whenever I'm writing anything,
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Sempre tinc el meu diccionari de sinònims a l'abast quan escric quelcom,
00:28
but I'd already finished editing the piece,
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però jo ja havia acabat de revisar l'article,
00:31
and I realized that I had never once in my life
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i em vaig adonar que mai no havia, en ma vida,
00:34
looked up the word "disabled" to see what I'd find.
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mirant a la paraula "discapacitat" per a veure el que trobaria.
00:38
Let me read you the entry.
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Deixeu-me llegir-vos l'entrada.
00:41
"Disabled, adjective: crippled, helpless, useless, wrecked,
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"Discapacitat" adjectiu "ranc, desvalgut, inútil, naufragat,
00:49
stalled, maimed, wounded, mangled, lame, mutilated,
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ofegat, mutilat, ferit, danyat, rancallós, alesiat
00:56
run-down, worn-out, weakened, impotent, castrated, paralyzed, handicapped,
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gastat, esgotat, afeblit, impotent, castrat, paralitzat, discapacitat
01:06
senile, decrepit, laid-up, done-up, done-for, done-in
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senil, decrèpit, arraconat, lligat, acabat, rebentat
01:12
cracked-up, counted-out;
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espatllat, eliminat;
01:16
see also hurt, useless and weak.
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vegeu també ferit, inútil i feble
01:20
Antonyms, healthy, strong, capable."
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Antònims: sà, fort i capaç.
01:26
I was reading this list out loud to a friend and at first was laughing,
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Llegia en veu alta aquesta llista a un amic i tot primer vaig riure,
01:30
it was so ludicrous,
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era tan grotesc,
01:32
but I'd just gotten past "mangled," and my voice broke,
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però tot just acabava de passar "mutilat", i vaig restar sense veu,
01:37
and I had to stop and collect myself
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i em vaig haver d'aturar per a revenir/refer-me
01:40
from the emotional shock and impact that the assault from these words unleashed.
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del xoc emocional i l'impacte que l'agressió d'aquestes paraules va desfermar.
01:50
You know, of course, this is my raggedy old thesaurus
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Sabeu, per descomptat, que és el meu vell diccionari esparracat.
01:53
so I'm thinking this must be an ancient print date, right?
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Aleshores m'imagino que deu ser una vella data d'impressió, bé.
01:56
But, in fact, the print date was the early 1980s,
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Però, de fet, la data d'impressió era de la primeria dels anys 80,
02:01
when I would have been starting primary school
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quan devia començar l'escola primària
02:03
and forming an understanding of myself outside the family unit
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i formar una comprensió de jo mateixa fora de l'entorn familiar
02:07
and as related to the other kids and the world around me.
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i relacionada amb els altres nens i el món al meu voltant.
02:10
And, needless to say, thank God I wasn't using a thesaurus back then.
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I, no cal dir-ho, gràcies a Déu que jo no feia servir el diccionari llavors.
02:15
I mean, from this entry, it would seem that I was born into a world
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Vull dir, segons aquesta entrada, semblaria que he nascut en un món
02:21
that perceived someone like me
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que percebria la gent com jo
02:23
to have nothing positive whatsoever going for them,
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com gent que no té absolutament res per a ells,
02:28
when in fact, today I'm celebrated for the opportunities and adventures
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quan, en realitat, avui se'm celebra per les oportunitats i aventures
02:34
my life has procured.
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que la meva vida m'ha portat.
02:36
So, I immediately went to look up the 2009 online edition,
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Doncs, tot seguit vaig anar a mirar a l'edició 2009 en línia,
02:42
expecting to find a revision worth noting.
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esperant trobar-hi una revisió substantiva.
02:46
Here's the updated version of this entry.
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Vet aquí la versió actualitzada d'aquesta entrada.
02:49
Unfortunately, it's not much better.
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Malauradament, no és gaire millor.
02:52
I find the last two words under "Near Antonyms," particularly unsettling:
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Trobo els dos darrers mots sota "Antònims propers" particularment pertorbadors,
02:58
"whole" and "wholesome."
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"sencer" i "sà/saludable."
03:02
So, it's not just about the words.
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Així, no es tracta pas solament de mots.
03:05
It's what we believe about people when we name them with these words.
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Això és el que pensem d'aquesta gent quan els anomenem amb aquests mots.
03:09
It's about the values behind the words, and how we construct those values.
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Aquests són els valors darrere dels mots, i com construïm aquests valors.
03:14
Our language affects our thinking and how we view the world
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La nostra llengua influeix en el nostre pensament i la nostra manera de veure el món
03:18
and how we view other people.
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i de veure els altres.
03:21
In fact, many ancient societies, including the Greeks and the Romans,
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De fet, moltes societats antigues, entre les quals els grecs i els romans,
03:24
believed that to utter a curse verbally was so powerful,
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creien que pronunciar oralment una maledicció era molt poderós,
03:29
because to say the thing out loud brought it into existence.
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perquè dir la cosa en veu alta la feia existir.
03:35
So, what reality do we want to call into existence:
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Llavors, quina realitat volem fer existir,
03:40
a person who is limited, or a person who's empowered?
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una persona que és limitada, o algú que té capacitats?
03:46
By casually doing something as simple as naming a person, a child,
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Fent indolentment una cosa tan simple com anomenar una persona, un nen,
03:52
we might be putting lids and casting shadows on their power.
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podríem començar a ofegar i enfosquir llur poder.
03:59
Wouldn't we want to open doors for them instead?
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Que no volem més aviat obrir-los les portes?
04:03
One such person who opened doors for me was my childhood doctor
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Una d'aquestes persones que em va obrir les portes a mi, era el meu pediatre
04:06
at the A.I. duPont Institute in Wilmington, Delaware.
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a l'Institut A. I. Dupont a Wilmington al Delaware.
04:11
His name was Dr. Pizzutillo,
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Es diu Dr Pizzutillo.
04:14
an Italian American, whose name, apparently,
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Un italoamericà, el nom del qual, segons sembla,
04:16
was too difficult for most Americans to pronounce,
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era massa difícil de pronunciar per a la majoria dels nord-americans,
04:18
so he went by Dr. P.
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aleshores esdevingué el Dr P.
04:20
And Dr. P always wore really colorful bow ties
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I el Dr P sempre portava corbates de llacet molt colorats
04:24
and had the very perfect disposition to work with children.
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i tenia el temperament més perfecte per a treballar amb xiquets.
04:30
I loved almost everything about my time spent at this hospital,
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Em va encantar gairebé tot durant el temps que vaig passar a l'hospital,
04:35
with the exception of my physical therapy sessions.
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amb l'excepció de les meves sessions de cinesiteràpia.
04:39
I had to do what seemed like innumerable repetitions of exercises
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Havia de fer el que semblava una interminable repetició d'exercicis
04:43
with these thick, elastic bands -- different colors,
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amb aquests elàstics grossos ―de diversos colors―
04:47
you know -- to help build up my leg muscles,
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Ja sabeu, per a ajudar a construir els músculs de les meves cames.
04:51
and I hated these bands more than anything --
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I odiava aquests elàstics més que res altre.
04:53
I hated them, had names for them. I hated them.
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Els detestava, els insultava. Els odiava.
04:56
And, you know, I was already bargaining, as a five year-old child,
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I, sabeu, jo ja negociava, a cinc anys,
05:00
with Dr. P to try to get out of doing these exercises,
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amb el Dr P per a mirar de no fer aquests exercicis,
05:03
unsuccessfully, of course.
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evidentment, sense succés.
05:05
And, one day, he came in to my session --
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I un dia va arribar a la meva sessió
05:10
exhaustive and unforgiving, these sessions --
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―sessions esgotadores i implacables―
05:14
and he said to me, "Wow. Aimee, you are such a strong and powerful little girl,
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i va dir "Vàtua, Aimee, ets una nena realment forta i potent,
05:20
I think you're going to break one of those bands.
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Crec que aviat trencaràs un d'aquests elàstics.
05:23
When you do break it, I'm going to give you a hundred bucks."
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Quan el trencaràs, et donaré cent dòlars."
05:26
Now, of course, this was a simple ploy on Dr. P's part
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Per descomptat, era només una estratagema pel Dr P
05:30
to get me to do the exercises I didn't want to do
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per a fer-me fer aquests exercicis que jo no volia fer
05:33
before the prospect of being the richest five-year-old in the second floor ward,
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amb la perspectiva d'esdevenir la nena de 5 anys més rica de l'estatge,
05:38
but what he effectively did for me was reshape an awful daily occurrence
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però el que realment va fer per a mi, va ser de transformar un terrible esdeveniment quotidià
05:46
into a new and promising experience for me.
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en una nova i prometedora experiència.
05:50
And I have to wonder today to what extent his vision
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I jo em demano ara, fins a quin punt la seva visió,
05:54
and his declaration of me as a strong and powerful little girl
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i el fet que m'hagi dit que era una noia forta i potent,
06:00
shaped my own view of myself
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em va dibuixar la meva pròpia visió de mi mateix
06:02
as an inherently strong, powerful and athletic person well into the future.
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lluny en el futur, com a una persona de naturalesa forta, potent i atlètica.
06:08
This is an example of how adults in positions of power
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Aquest és un exemple de com els adults en posicions de poder,
06:11
can ignite the power of a child.
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poden despertar el poder d'un infant.
06:15
But, in the previous instances of those thesaurus entries,
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Però en els precedetns exemples de les entrades als diccionaris de sinònims,
06:19
our language isn't allowing us to evolve into the reality that we would all want,
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la nostra llengua no ens permet d'evolucionar fins a la realitat que tots desitgem,
06:26
the possibility of an individual to see themselves as capable.
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la possibilitat per a un individu de considerar-se capaç.
06:32
Our language hasn't caught up with the changes in our society,
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La nostra llengua no ha seguit el ritme dels canvis en la nostra societat,
06:37
many of which have been brought about by technology.
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molts dels quals els han portat la tecnologia.
06:40
Certainly, from a medical standpoint,
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Sens dubte, d'un punt de vista médic,
06:42
my legs, laser surgery for vision impairment,
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les meves cames, la cirurgia làser per a la deficiència visual,
06:48
titanium knees and hip replacements for aging bodies
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el genoll de titani i la pròtesi de maluc per als cossos envellits
06:51
that are allowing people to more fully engage with their abilities,
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que permeten a les persones desenvolupar tot el seu potencial,
06:54
and move beyond the limits that nature has imposed on them --
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i d'anar més enllà dels límits que la natura els ha imposat…
07:00
not to mention social networking platforms
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per no parlar de les plataformes de xarxes socials,
07:03
allow people to self-identify, to claim their own descriptions of themselves,
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que permeten a la gent d'identificar-se, de reivindicar la seua pròpia descripció de si mateixos,
07:08
so they can go align with global groups of their own choosing.
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per tal d'entrar al grup mundial de la seua tria.
07:13
So, perhaps technology is revealing more clearly to us now
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Així, potser la tecnologia revela amb més claredat ara
07:17
what has always been a truth:
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el que sempre ha sigut una veritat:
07:20
that everyone has something rare and powerful to offer our society,
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que tothom té alguna cosa rara i de gran abast a oferir a la nostra societat,
07:28
and that the human ability to adapt is our greatest asset.
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i que la capacitat d'adaptació humana és el nostre més gran tresor.
07:33
The human ability to adapt, it's an interesting thing,
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La capacitat humana per adaptar-se, és interessant,
07:36
because people have continually wanted to talk to me about overcoming adversity,
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perquè la gent sempre m'ha volgut parlar sobre vèncer l'adversitat
07:42
and I'm going to make an admission:
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i ara us faig una confessió.
07:45
This phrase never sat right with me,
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Aquesta frase mai no m'ha agradat
07:47
and I always felt uneasy trying to answer people's questions about it,
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i sempre em sento avergonyida quan haig de respondre a qüestions sobre aquest tema
07:51
and I think I'm starting to figure out why.
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i crec que començo a entendre per què.
07:55
Implicit in this phrase of "overcoming adversity"
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El que sobreentén aquesta frase sobre vèncer l'adversitat,
07:59
is the idea that success, or happiness,
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és la idea que el succés o la felicitat,
08:03
is about emerging on the other side of a challenging experience
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és d'eixir de l'altre costat d'una experiència estimulant
08:06
unscathed or unmarked by the experience,
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sans i bons, sense rastre de l'experiència
08:11
as if my successes in life have come about from an ability
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com si el meus successos en la vida havien vingut d'una capacitat
08:15
to sidestep or circumnavigate the presumed pitfalls of a life with prosthetics,
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a evitar i esquivar pels esculls suposats d'una vida amb pròtesis,
08:20
or what other people perceive as my disability.
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o el que altres perceben com la meva discapacitat.
08:23
But, in fact, we are changed. We are marked, of course, by a challenge,
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Però, en realitat, som canviats. Som marcats, per descomptat, per un desafiament,
08:29
whether physically, emotionally or both.
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ja sigui físicament, emocionalment, o ambdós.
08:32
And I'm going to suggest that this is a good thing.
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I vull dir que és una bona cosa.
08:35
Adversity isn't an obstacle that we need to get around
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L'adversitat no és un obstacle que hem de salvar
08:39
in order to resume living our life.
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per a tirar endavant les nostres vides.
08:42
It's part of our life.
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Fa part de les nostres vides.
08:45
And I tend to think of it like my shadow.
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I tendeixo a veure-la com la meva ombra.
08:48
Sometimes I see a lot of it, sometimes there's very little,
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De vegades en veig molta, de vegades n'hi ha molt poca,
08:51
but it's always with me.
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però és sempre amb mi.
08:53
And, certainly, I'm not trying to diminish the impact, the weight, of a person's struggle.
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I certament, no miro pas de disminuir l'impacte, el pes, de la prova d'una persona.
09:00
There is adversity and challenge in life,
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Hi ha adversitat i desafiament a la vida,
09:03
and it's all very real and relative to every single person,
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i això és molt real i lligat a cada persona,
09:06
but the question isn't whether or not you're going to meet adversity,
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però la qüestió no és si us trobareu amb l'adversitat o no,
09:10
but how you're going to meet it.
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sinó com la trobareu.
09:13
So, our responsibility is not simply shielding those we care for from adversity,
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Així, la nostra responsabilitat no és simplement de protegir els que estimem de l'adversitat,
09:20
but preparing them to meet it well.
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sinó de preparar-los perquè siguin a l'alçada.
09:23
And we do a disservice to our kids
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I fem un favor molt petit als nostres fills
09:27
when we make them feel that they're not equipped to adapt.
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quan els fem sentir que no són preparats per a adaptar-se.
09:34
There's an important difference and distinction
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Hi ha una diferència i una distinció importants
09:37
between the objective medical fact of my being an amputee
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entre el fet mèdic objectiu que jo sigui amputada
09:42
and the subjective societal opinion of whether or not I'm disabled.
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i l'opinió social subjectiva per dir si sóc o no discapacitada.
09:48
And, truthfully, the only real and consistent disability I've had to confront
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I realment, la sola discapacitat real i reiterada a la qual he hagut de fer front
09:53
is the world ever thinking that I could be described by those definitions.
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és que el món encara pensa que puc correspondre a aquestes definicions.
09:59
In our desire to protect those we care about
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En el nostre desig de protegir els nostres éssers estimats
10:02
by giving them the cold, hard truth about their medical prognosis,
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donant-los la veritat freda i nua sobre llur pronòstic mèdic,
10:06
or, indeed, a prognosis on the expected quality of their life,
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o, de fet, un pronòstic sobre la qualitat de vida que poden esperar,
10:10
we have to make sure that we don't put the first brick in a wall
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ens hem d'assegurar que no posem la primera pedra
10:14
that will actually disable someone.
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d'una paret que de bo incapacitarà una persona.
10:19
Perhaps the existing model of only looking at what is broken in you
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Potser el model existent, que només mira el que és trencat en tu
10:24
and how do we fix it, serves to be more disabling to the individual
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i com ho arreglarem, s'avera més discapacitant per a l'individu
10:28
than the pathology itself.
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que la malaltia mateixa.
10:31
By not treating the wholeness of a person,
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En no considerar la persona en la seva integralitat,
10:36
by not acknowledging their potency,
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en no reconèixer el seu potencial,
10:38
we are creating another ill on top of whatever natural struggle they might have.
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creem una altra malaltia més per sobre de qualsevol prova natural que ja pugui patir.
10:45
We are effectively grading someone's worth to our community.
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Efectivament qualifiquem la gent pel seu valor real per a la nostra comunitat.
10:51
So we need to see through the pathology
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Per tant, hem de mirar més enllà de la malaltia
10:54
and into the range of human capability.
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i en el ventall de les capacitats humanes.
11:00
And, most importantly, there's a partnership
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I, més important encara, hi ha una associació
11:04
between those perceived deficiencies
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entre aquestes deficiències percebudes
11:06
and our greatest creative ability.
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i el millor de la nostra capacitat creativa.
11:09
So it's not about devaluing, or negating, these more trying times
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Això no vol dir minimitzar o negar aquests moments difícils
11:14
as something we want to avoid or sweep under the rug,
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com quelcom a evitar o eliminar,
11:18
but instead to find those opportunities wrapped in the adversity.
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sinó més aviat trobar l'oportunitat amagada en l'adversitat.
11:24
So maybe the idea I want to put out there is
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Llavors potser la idea que vull difondre,
11:26
not so much overcoming adversity
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no és tant de vèncer l'adversitat,
11:31
as it is opening ourselves up to it,
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sinó que ens hi obrim,
11:35
embracing it,
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l'abracem,
11:38
grappling with it,
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la fem presa,
11:40
to use a wrestling term,
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per utilitzar un terme de la lluita lliure
11:42
maybe even dancing with it.
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potser fins i tot ballem amb aquesta.
11:46
And, perhaps, if we see adversity as natural, consistent and useful,
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I potser, si veiem l'adversitat com una cosa natural, regular i útil
11:54
we're less burdened by the presence of it.
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la seva presència és una càrrega menys aclaparadora.
11:57
This year we celebrate the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin,
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Enguany celebràvem el 200è aniversari de Charles Darwin,
12:00
and it was 150 years ago, when writing about evolution,
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i va ser fa 150 anys, quan escrivia sobre l'evolució,
12:04
that Darwin illustrated, I think, a truth about the human character.
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que Darwin il·lustrava, crec, una veritat sobre el caràcter humà.
12:09
To paraphrase: It's not the strongest of the species that survives,
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Parafrasant, no és pas el més fort de l'espècie que sobreviu,
12:13
nor is it the most intelligent that survives;
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ni el més intel·ligent,
12:16
it is the one that is most adaptable to change.
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és el qui sap més bé adaptar-se al canvi.
12:21
Conflict is the genesis of creation.
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El conflicte és la gènesi de la creació.
12:26
From Darwin's work, amongst others, we can recognize that
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A partir del treball de Darwin, entre altres, podem reconèixer que
12:29
the human ability to survive and flourish
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la capacitat humana per sobreviure i prosperar
12:34
is driven by the struggle of the human spirit through conflict
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l'acciona la lluita de la ment humana, a través del conflicte,
12:39
into transformation.
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cap a la transformació.
12:41
So, again, transformation, adaptation, is our greatest human skill.
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Doncs, encara un cop, la transformació, l'adaptació, són el do més gran de l'home.
12:48
And, perhaps, until we're tested, we don't know what we're made of.
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I, potser, tan com som sotmesos a proves, no sabem de què som fets.
12:54
Maybe that's what adversity gives us:
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Per ventura això és el que ens dóna l'adversitat,
12:56
a sense of self, a sense of our own power.
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un sentit de nosaltres mateixos, un sentit de la nostra pròpia potència.
13:00
So, we can give ourselves a gift.
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Aleshores, ens podem fer un present.
13:03
We can re-imagine adversity as something more than just tough times.
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Podem tornar a imaginar l'adversitat com alguna cosa més que temps difícils.
13:10
Maybe we can see it as change.
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Potser la podem veure com a canvi.
13:13
Adversity is just change that we haven't adapted ourselves to yet.
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L'adversitat és només un canvi al qual encara no som adaptats.
13:19
I think the greatest adversity that we've created for ourselves
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Penso que la més gran adversitat que hem creat per a nosaltres mateixos
13:22
is this idea of normalcy.
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és la idea de normalitat.
13:24
Now, who's normal?
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Llavors, qui és normal?
13:27
There's no normal.
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No hi ha normal.
13:29
There's common, there's typical. There's no normal,
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Hi ha el comú. Hi ha el típic. No hi ha normal.
13:32
and would you want to meet that poor, beige person if they existed?
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I voldríeu conèixer aquesta pobra persona gris si existira?
13:35
(Laughter)
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(Rialles)
13:37
I don't think so.
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No ho crec.
13:39
If we can change this paradigm from one of achieving normalcy
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Si podem canviar aquest paradigma, de la idea de aconseguir la normalitat,
13:44
to one of possibility -- or potency, to be even a little bit more dangerous --
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a un de possibilitats ―de potència, per a ser encara una mica més perillós―
13:49
we can release the power of so many more children,
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podem alliberar el poder de tants altres nens,
13:52
and invite them to engage their rare and valuable abilities with the community.
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i convidar-los a aplicar els seus talents rars i preciosos amb la comunitat.
14:00
Anthropologists tell us that the one thing
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Els antropòlegs diuen que l'única cosa
14:03
we as humans have always required of our community members
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que nosaltres, com a éssers humans, sempre hem demanat als membres de les nostres comunitats,
14:06
is to be of use, to be able to contribute.
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és de ser útil, de poder contribuir.
14:10
There's evidence that Neanderthals, 60,000 years ago,
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Tenim la prova que l'home de Neandertal, fa 60 000 anys,
14:14
carried their elderly and those with serious physical injury,
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portava la gent gran i aquells que eren ferits de gravetat,
14:20
and perhaps it's because the life experience of survival of these people
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i, potser, perquè l'experiència d'una vida de supervivència en aquests individus,
14:26
proved of value to the community.
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provava ser de valor per a la comunitat.
14:28
They didn't view these people as broken and useless;
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No veien aquesta gent com a trencats i inútils;
14:33
they were seen as rare and valuable.
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els veien com a rars i preciosos.
14:36
A few years ago, I was in a food market in the town where I grew up
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Fa alguns anys jo era en un mercat al poble on vaig créixer
14:39
in that red zone in northeastern Pennsylvania,
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en aquesta zona vermella a la part nord-est de Pennsilvània,
14:43
and I was standing over a bushel of tomatoes.
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i estava dreta al costat d'una faneca de tomates.
14:45
It was summertime: I had shorts on.
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Era estiu. Jo portava calces curtes.
14:47
I hear this guy, his voice behind me say, "Well, if it isn't Aimee Mullins."
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Sento aquest paio, amb la veu darrere meu que diu: "Té, si no és l'Aimee Mullins."
14:52
And I turn around, and it's this older man. I have no idea who he is.
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I em giro, i hi ha aquest senyor d'edat avançada. No tinc cap idea de qui és.
14:56
And I said, "I'm sorry, sir, have we met? I don't remember meeting you."
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I li dic: "Em sap greu senyor, que ens coneixem? No recordo haver-vos conegut."
15:02
He said, "Well, you wouldn't remember meeting me.
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Ell diu : "I bé, no us podeu recordar de mi.
15:04
I mean, when we met I was delivering you from your mother's womb."
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Vull dir, que quan ens vam conèixer jo us estava sortint del ventre de ta mare".
15:07
(Laughter)
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(Riures)
15:09
Oh, that guy.
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Oh, aquell tipus.
15:12
And, but of course, actually, it did click.
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I, ben entès, vaig lligar caps.
15:14
This man was Dr. Kean,
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Aquest home era el Dr Kean
15:17
a man that I had only known about through my mother's stories of that day,
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un home que només havia conegut per les històries que contava la meva mare d'aquell dia
15:21
because, of course, typical fashion, I arrived late for my birthday by two weeks.
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perquè, per descomptat, típic, jo tenia dues setmanes de retard el dia del meu naixement.
15:27
And so my mother's prenatal physician had gone on vacation,
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I doncs, el metge prenatal de la mare se n'havia anat en vacances,
15:31
so the man who delivered me was a complete stranger to my parents.
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i l'home que em va posar en el món era un complet estrany pels meus pares.
15:36
And, because I was born without the fibula bones,
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I, com que vaig néixer sense tíbia,
15:39
and had feet turned in, and a few toes in this foot and a few toes in that,
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i que tenia els peus cap a dins, i qualques dits del peu en aquest peu, i alguns dits dels peus en aquell peu,
15:42
he had to be the bearer -- this stranger had to be the bearer of bad news.
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va haver de ser el portador, aquest estranger havia de ser el portador de males notícies.
15:47
He said to me, "I had to give this prognosis to your parents
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Em va dir: "He hagut de donat aquest pronòstic als teus pares
15:51
that you would never walk,
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que no caminaria pas mai,
15:53
and you would never have the kind of mobility that other kids have
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i que no tindria aquesta mena de de mobilitat que tenen els altres nens
15:57
or any kind of life of independence,
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ni cap tipus d'independència en la vida,
15:59
and you've been making liar out of me ever since."
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i m'heu estat fent mentider des d'aleshores."
16:01
(Laughter)
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(Rialles)
16:03
(Applause)
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(Aplaudiments)
16:09
The extraordinary thing is that he said he had saved
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La cosa extraordinària és que em va dir que havia guardat
16:13
newspaper clippings throughout my whole childhood,
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retalls de diaris durant tota la meva infància,
16:16
whether winning a second grade spelling bee,
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com quan vaig guanyar el concurs d'ortografia de primari,
16:18
marching with the Girl Scouts, you know, the Halloween parade,
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desfilar amb les escoltes, ja sabeu, a la desfilada de Halloween
16:21
winning my college scholarship, or any of my sports victories,
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obtenir la beca a la facultat, o qualsevol victòria esportiva,
16:26
and he was using it, and integrating it into teaching resident students,
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i ell les utilitzava, i les incorporva al seu ensenyament als estudiants interns,
16:32
med students from Hahnemann Medical School and Hershey Medical School.
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Estudiants de medicina de les facultats de medicina de Hahnemann i Hershey.
16:37
And he called this part of the course the X Factor,
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I n'ha dit d'aquesta part del curs, el factor X
16:40
the potential of the human will.
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el potencial de la voluntat humana.
16:43
No prognosis can account for how powerful this could be
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Cap pronòstic pot donar compte de com de poderos això pot ser
16:47
as a determinant in the quality of someone's life.
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com a determinant en la qualitat de vida d'algú.
16:51
And Dr. Kean went on to tell me,
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I el Dr Kean va continuar d'explicar-me,
16:54
he said, "In my experience, unless repeatedly told otherwise,
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va dir: "En la meva experiència, llevat que li repeteixin el contrari,
17:02
and even if given a modicum of support,
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i amb un mínim suport,
17:06
if left to their own devices, a child will achieve."
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si el deixen espavilar-se, un nen se'n sortirà."
17:12
See, Dr. Kean made that shift in thinking.
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Ves, que el Dr Kean ha canviat el seu pensament.
17:16
He understood that there's a difference between the medical condition
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Ha comprès que hi ha una diferència entre la condició mèdica
17:19
and what someone might do with it.
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i el que una persona pot fer.
17:22
And there's been a shift in my thinking over time,
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I la meva manera de pensar ha canviat amb el temps,
17:25
in that, if you had asked me at 15 years old,
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en el sentit que si m'ho haguéssiu demanat fa 15 anys,
17:29
if I would have traded prosthetics for flesh-and-bone legs,
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si hauria canviat les meves cames prostètiques per cames de carn i ossos,
17:33
I wouldn't have hesitated for a second.
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No hauria dubtat ni un segon.
17:36
I aspired to that kind of normalcy back then.
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En aquella època jo aspirava a aquest tipus de normalitat.
17:42
But if you ask me today, I'm not so sure.
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Si m'ho demaneu avui, jo no sóc tan segura.
17:45
And it's because of the experiences I've had with them,
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I a causa de les experiències que he tingut amb aquestes,
17:50
not in spite of the experiences I've had with them.
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no pas a despit de les experiències que he tingut amb aquestes.
17:56
And perhaps this shift in me has happened
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I potser, aquest canvi es va produir en mi
17:59
because I've been exposed to more people who have opened doors for me
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perquè he estat exposada a més persones que m'han obert les portes
18:04
than those who have put lids and cast shadows on me.
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que gent que m'hagi posat una tapadora i enfosquit.
18:11
See, all you really need is one person
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Mireu, tot el que ens cal és una persona
18:13
to show you the epiphany of your own power, and you're off.
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que us mostri l'epifania de la vostra pròpia potència, i ja està.
18:18
If you can hand somebody the key to their own power --
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Si podeu donar a algú la clau de la seva pròpia potència
18:23
the human spirit is so receptive -- if you can do that
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―la ment humana és així de receptiva― si podeu fer això
18:25
and open a door for someone at a crucial moment,
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i obrir la porta a algú en un moment crucial,
18:28
you are educating them in the best sense.
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els estareu educant en el millor sentit.
18:31
You're teaching them to open doors for themselves.
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Els ensenyeu a obrir-se ells mateixos les portes.
18:36
In fact, the exact meaning of the word "educate"
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De fet, el sentit exacte de la paraula educar
18:42
comes from the root word "educe."
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prové de l'arrel "educe".
18:44
It means "to bring forth what is within,
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Vol dir donar a llum el que hi ha dins,
18:48
to bring out potential."
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revelar el potencial.
18:50
So again, which potential do we want to bring out?
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Llavors, quines possibilitats volem revelar?
18:55
There was a case study done in 1960s Britain,
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Es va realitzar un estudi en els anys 60 a la Gran Bretanya,
18:58
when they were moving from grammar schools to comprehensive schools.
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quan passaven de la primària fins l'escola polivalent.
19:03
It's called the streaming trials. We call it "tracking" here in the States.
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El diuen flux d'assaig. El diguem "seguiment" aquí als Estats Units.
19:06
It's separating students from A, B, C, D and so on.
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Consisteix en separar als alumnes per nota A, B, C, D, etc.
19:11
And the "A students" get the tougher curriculum, the best teachers, etc.
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I els estudiants A tenen del programa més difícil, els millors professors, etc.
19:16
Well, they took, over a three-month period,
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I doncs van prendre, en un període de tres mesos,
19:18
D-level students, gave them A's,
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estudiants de nivell D, els van donar A,
19:21
told them they were "A's," told them they were bright,
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els van dir que eren de A, que eren intel·ligents.
19:24
and at the end of this three-month period,
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I a la fi del període de tres mesos,
19:26
they were performing at A-level.
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tenien resultats d'un nivell A.
19:29
And, of course, the heartbreaking, flip side of this study,
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I, per descomptat, la cara desoladora, el revers d'aquest estudi,
19:32
is that they took the "A students" and told them they were "D's."
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és que havien adoptat estudiants A i els va dir que eren de categoria D
19:37
And that's what happened at the end of that three-month period.
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I això va passar al cap de tres mesos.
19:40
Those who were still around in school, besides the people who had dropped out.
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Els qui estaven a la cantonada, a l'escola, a més dels qui havien abandonat.
19:46
A crucial part of this case study was that the teachers were duped too.
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Un punt clau d'aquest estudi de cas és que els professors també van ser enganyats.
19:55
The teachers didn't know a switch had been made.
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Els professors no sabien que s'havia fet un canvi.
19:57
They were simply told, "These are the 'A-students,' these are the 'D-students.'"
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Només els van dir que els estudiants d'aquí eren A, els estudiants allà D.
20:01
And that's how they went about teaching them and treating them.
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I així és com van començar a ensenyar-los i tractar-los.
20:07
So, I think that the only true disability is a crushed spirit,
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Doncs, penso que la sola vertadera infermetat és un esperit aixafat,
20:16
a spirit that's been crushed doesn't have hope,
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una ment aixafada no té esperança,
20:21
it doesn't see beauty,
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no veu la bellesa,
20:23
it no longer has our natural, childlike curiosity
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ja no té la nostra curiositat natural, infantil
20:29
and our innate ability to imagine.
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i la nostra capacitat innata per imaginar.
20:32
If instead, we can bolster a human spirit to keep hope,
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Si, en canvi, es pot enfortir un esperit humà perquè mantingui l'esperança
20:37
to see beauty in themselves and others,
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perquè vegi la bellesa en si mateix i en altres,
20:41
to be curious and imaginative,
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perquè sigui curiós i imaginatiu,
20:44
then we are truly using our power well.
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llavors fem servir el nostre poder adequadament.
20:48
When a spirit has those qualities, we are able to create new realities
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Quan un esperit té aquestes qualitats, som capaços de crear noves realitats
20:54
and new ways of being.
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i noves formes de ser.
20:57
I'd like to leave you with a poem
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Em vull acomiadar amb un poema
20:59
by a fourteenth-century Persian poet named Hafiz
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d'un poeta persa del segle XIV, anomenat Hafiz
21:03
that my friend, Jacques Dembois told me about,
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del qual m'ha parlat el meu amic Jacques Dembois.
21:06
and the poem is called "The God Who Only Knows Four Words":
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I el poema es diu "El Déu que només coneix quatre mots."
21:11
"Every child has known God,
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"Cada nen ha conegut Déu,
21:15
not the God of names,
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no pas el Déu dels noms,
21:17
not the God of don'ts,
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no pas el déu dels "no ho facis",
21:20
but the God who only knows four words and keeps repeating them,
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sinó el Déu que només coneix quatre mots i no para de repetir-los,
21:25
saying, 'Come dance with me.
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que diu: "Vine a ballar amb mi"
21:32
Come, dance with me. Come, dance with me.'"
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Vine a ballar amb mi.
21:35
Thank you.
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Gràcies.
21:37
(Applause)
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(Aplaudiment)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Aimee Mullins - Athlete and actorA record-breaker at the Paralympic Games in 1996, Aimee Mullins has built a career as a model, actor and advocate for women, sports and the next generation of prosthetics.
Why you should listen
Aimee Mullins was born without fibular bones, and had both of her legs amputated below the knee when she was an infant. She learned to walk on prosthetics, then to run -- competing at the national and international level as a champion sprinter, and setting world records at the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta. At Georgetown, where she double-majored in history and diplomacy, she became the first double amputee to compete in NCAA Division 1 track and field.
After school, Mullins did some modeling -- including a legendary runway show for Alexander McQueen -- and then turned to acting, appearing as the Leopard Queen in Matthew Barney's Cremaster Cycle. In 2008 she was the official Ambassador for the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.
She's a passionate advocate for a new kind of thinking about prosthetics, and recently mentioned to an interviewer that she's been looking closely at MIT's in-development powered robotic ankle, "which I fully plan on having."
Aimee Mullins | Speaker | TED.com