TEDGlobal 2017
Nnedi Okorafor: Sci-fi stories that imagine a future Africa
Nnedi Okorafor: 想象未来非洲的科幻小说
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“我的科幻小说的来源不同 － 它出自非洲” 作家 Nnedi Okorafor 说。从她的 “ Binti" 和 "Lagoon" 系列小说之间，Okorafor 讨论她作品的灵感和根源 - 她如何在非洲未来主义里打开未知世界的大门。
Nnedi Okorafor - Science fiction writer
Nnedi Okorafor weaves African cultures into the evocative settings and memorable characters of her science fiction work for kids and adults. Full bio
Nnedi Okorafor weaves African cultures into the evocative settings and memorable characters of her science fiction work for kids and adults. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
What if an African girl
from a traditional family
from a traditional family
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如果一个来自传统家庭的非洲女孩，
00:16
in a part of future Africa
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作为非洲的未来的一部分
00:18
is accepted into the finest
university in the galaxy,
university in the galaxy,
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被一所公认为银河系最好的大学录取了？
00:21
planets away?
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在几个星球之外？
00:24
What if she decides to go?
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如果她决定去怎么办？
00:27
This is an excerpt
from my "Binti" novella trilogy:
from my "Binti" novella trilogy:
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这是我从“Binti”中篇小说三部曲的摘录：
00:32
I powered up the transporter
and said a silent prayer.
and said a silent prayer.
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我打开运输机，默默地祈祷。
00:35
I had no idea what I was going
to do if it didn't work.
to do if it didn't work.
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如果它不好使了，
我不知道该怎么办
我不知道该怎么办
00:38
My transporter was cheap,
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我的运输机很便宜，
00:40
so even a droplet of moisture
or, more likely, a grain of sand,
or, more likely, a grain of sand,
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因此，即使是一小滴的水分，
或更可能，一粒沙子，
或更可能，一粒沙子，
00:43
would cause it to short.
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会使它出毛病。
00:45
It was faulty, and most of the time
I had to restart it over and over
I had to restart it over and over
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它是故障的，而且大部分时间
我不得不一遍又一遍地重启
我不得不一遍又一遍地重启
00:49
before it worked.
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才能启动。
00:50
"Please not now,
please not now," I thought.
please not now," I thought.
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“请不要是现在，请不要是现在，”我想。
00:53
The transporter shivered in the sand
and I held my breath.
and I held my breath.
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运输机颤抖着扎进了沙子，
我不由得屏住呼吸
我不由得屏住呼吸
00:57
Tiny, flat and black as a prayer stone,
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黑色的飞船又小又平像是块幸运石
00:59
it buzzed softly and then
slowly rose from the sand.
slowly rose from the sand.
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它轻轻地嗡嗡作声，
又缓缓从沙堆中升空
又缓缓从沙堆中升空
01:03
Finally, it produced
the baggage-lifting force.
the baggage-lifting force.
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最后，它产生了提升行李的力。
01:06
I grinned.
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我如释重负地咧嘴一笑。
01:07
Now I could make it
to the shuttle on time.
to the shuttle on time.
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现在我可以让飞船按时到达了
01:11
I swiped otjize from my forehead
with my index finger and knelt down,
with my index finger and knelt down,
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我用食指把 otjize 从我的额头拂下，跪下，
01:15
then I touched the finger to the sand,
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然后我把手指碰在沙子上，
01:17
grounding the sweet-smelling
red clay into it.
red clay into it.
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把香的红色泥土接进去。
01:20
"Thank you," I whispered.
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“谢谢你，”我低声说。
01:23
It was a half-mile walk
along the dark desert road.
along the dark desert road.
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沿着漆黑的沙漠路走了半英里。
01:26
With the transporter working
I would make it there on time.
I would make it there on time.
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既然运输机能使了，
我会准时赶到那里的。
我会准时赶到那里的。
01:30
Straightening up,
I paused and shut my eyes.
I paused and shut my eyes.
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直起身来，我停顿了一下，
闭上了眼睛。
闭上了眼睛。
01:32
Now, the weight of my entire life
was pressing on my shoulders.
was pressing on my shoulders.
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现在，我的整个生命的重量
压在我的肩膀上。
压在我的肩膀上。
01:36
I was defying the most traditional
part of myself for the first time
part of myself for the first time
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我第一次挑战自己最传统的部分，
01:40
in my entire life.
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在我的一生中。
01:41
I was leaving in the dead of night,
and they had no clue.
and they had no clue.
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我在深夜离开，他们毫不知情。
01:45
My nine siblings, all older than me
except for my younger sister and brother,
except for my younger sister and brother,
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我的九个兄弟姐妹都比我大，
除了我的妹妹和弟弟，
除了我的妹妹和弟弟，
01:49
would never see this coming.
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从来没想到这会发生。
01:51
My parents would never imagine
I'd do such a thing in a million years.
I'd do such a thing in a million years.
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我父母永远都不会想到我会干这种事。
01:55
By the time they all realized
what I'd done and where I was going,
what I'd done and where I was going,
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当他们都意识到我做了什么
和我要去哪里的时候，
和我要去哪里的时候，
01:59
I'd have left the planet.
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我已经离开这个星球了。
02:02
In my absence, my parents
would growl to each other
would growl to each other
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在我不在的时候，
我的父母会互相咆哮。
我的父母会互相咆哮。
02:05
that I was never
to set foot in their home again.
to set foot in their home again.
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我再也不会踏进他们的家了。
02:08
My four aunties and two uncles
who lived down the road
who lived down the road
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我的四个阿姨和两位叔叔住在同一条路上
02:11
would shout and gossip amongst themselves
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总是相互大喊大叫着
02:13
about how I had scandalized
the entire bloodline.
the entire bloodline.
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我如何使整个家族蒙羞。
02:16
I was going to be a pariah.
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我将会成为一个贱民。
02:19
"Go," I softly whispered
to the transporter,
to the transporter,
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“走吧，”我轻声对运输机说，
02:21
stamping my foot.
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跺着我的脚。
02:23
The thin metal rings I wore
around each ankle jingled noisily,
around each ankle jingled noisily,
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我穿的薄金属环围绕每个踝叮当响，
02:26
but I stamped my foot again.
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但我又跺脚了。
02:29
Once on, the transporter worked best
when I didn't touch it.
when I didn't touch it.
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一旦启动，运输机在我不碰它时工作得最好。
02:32
"Go," I said again,
sweat forming on my brow.
sweat forming on my brow.
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“走，”我又说，汗水在我的额头上形成。
02:36
When nothing moved,
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什么都没有动，
02:37
I chanced giving the two large suitcases
sitting atop the force field a shove.
sitting atop the force field a shove.
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我碰巧把两个大箱子放在原力场顶上。
02:42
They moved smoothly,
and I breathed another sigh of relief.
and I breathed another sigh of relief.
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它们走得很顺利，我又松了一口气。
02:45
At least some luck was on my side.
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至少我还有点运气。
02:50
So, in a distant future part of Africa,
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所以，在遥远的未来非洲的一部分，
02:53
Binti is a mathematical genius
of the Himba ethnic group.
of the Himba ethnic group.
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宾蒂是辛巴族的数学天才。
02:57
She's been accepted
into a university on another planet,
into a university on another planet,
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她被另一个行星的一所大学录取了，
03:00
and she's decided to go.
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而且她决定去。
03:02
Carrying the blood
of her people in her veins,
of her people in her veins,
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携带着她的族人的血脉，
03:04
adorned with the teachings,
ways, even the land on her very skin,
ways, even the land on her very skin,
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她的皮肤装饰着教导，道路，甚至大地，
03:09
Binti leaves the earth.
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Binti 离开地球。
03:12
As the story progresses,
she becomes not other, but more.
she becomes not other, but more.
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随着故事的进行，她不再是另一个人，
而是更多。
而是更多。
03:16
This idea of leaving but bringing
and then becoming more
and then becoming more
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离开但带来并变得更多的想法
03:19
is at one of the hearts of Afrofuturism,
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在一个未来派主义的心里，
03:22
or you can simply call it
a different type of science fiction.
a different type of science fiction.
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或者你可以简单地称之为
另一种科幻小说。
另一种科幻小说。
03:26
I can best explain the difference between
classic science fiction and Afrofuturism
classic science fiction and Afrofuturism
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我可以很好地解释经典的科幻小说
和未来派主义之间的差异
和未来派主义之间的差异
03:31
if I used the octopus analogy.
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如果我用章鱼做比喻。
03:34
Like humans,
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像人类，
03:35
octopuses are some of the most
intelligent creatures on earth.
intelligent creatures on earth.
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章鱼是地球上最聪明的动物之一。
03:39
However, octopus intelligence evolved
from a different evolutionary line,
from a different evolutionary line,
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然而，章鱼的智能是从不同的进化路线
进化而来的，
进化而来的，
03:44
separate from that of human beings,
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与人类没有关系，
03:46
so the foundation is different.
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所以从基础上就不同。
03:49
The same can be said about the foundations
of various forms of science fiction.
of various forms of science fiction.
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各种科幻小说的基础也可以这么说。
03:54
So much of science fiction speculates
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科幻小说中有那么多推测
03:57
about technologies,
societies, social issues,
societies, social issues,
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关于技术、社会和社会问题，
04:00
what's beyond our planet,
what's within our planet.
what's within our planet.
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在我们的星球之外有什么，
我们的星球里有什么。
我们的星球里有什么。
04:03
Science fiction is one of the greatest
and most effective forms
and most effective forms
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科幻小说是政治写作中
04:06
of political writing.
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最伟大和最有效的形式之一
04:08
It's all about the question, "What if?"
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全是关于这个问题的：“如果呢？”
04:11
Still, not all science fiction
has the same ancestral bloodline,
has the same ancestral bloodline,
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不过，并不是所有的科幻小说都有相同的来路，
04:16
that line being Western-rooted
science fiction,
science fiction,
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这条线是西方科幻小说，
04:19
which is mostly white and male.
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大部分是白人和男性。
04:22
We're talking Isaac Asimov, Jules Verne,
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我们在谈论艾萨克·阿西莫夫，
儒勒·凡尔纳，
儒勒·凡尔纳，
04:25
H.G. Wells, George Orwell,
Robert Heinlein, etc.
Robert Heinlein, etc.
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H.G. 威尔斯，乔治·奥威尔，
罗伯特·海因莱因等。
罗伯特·海因莱因等。
04:30
So what if a Nigerian-American
wrote science fiction?
wrote science fiction?
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如果一个尼日利亚美国人写科幻小说怎么办？
04:35
Growing up, I didn't
read much science fiction.
read much science fiction.
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在成长过程中，我没有读过很多科幻小说。
04:38
I couldn't relate to these stories
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我无法理解这些故事，
04:40
preoccupied with xenophobia,
colonization and seeing aliens as others.
colonization and seeing aliens as others.
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全神贯注它们充斥着排外主义、殖民主义
和外星人。
和外星人。
04:46
And I saw no reflection of anyone
who looked like me in those narratives.
who looked like me in those narratives.
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在那些叙述中，没有任何像我的人。
04:50
In the "Binti" novella trilogy,
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在“宾蒂”中篇小说三部曲，
04:52
Binti leaves the planet
to seek education from extraterrestrials.
to seek education from extraterrestrials.
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Binti 离开地球去寻求外星人的教育。
04:56
She goes out as she is,
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她就这样出去了，
04:58
looking the way she looks,
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她的外貌就是那样，
05:00
carrying her cultures,
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承载她的文化，
05:01
being who she is.
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做她自己。
05:04
I was inspired to write this story
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我被启发写这个故事。
05:05
not because I was following
a line of classic space opera narratives,
a line of classic space opera narratives,
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并不是因为
我遵循了一系列经典的太空歌剧叙事，
我遵循了一系列经典的太空歌剧叙事，
05:10
but because of blood that runs deep,
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而是因为血脉的牵绊那样深，
05:12
family, cultural conflict
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家庭、文化冲突
05:15
and the need to see an African girl
leave the planet on her own terms.
leave the planet on her own terms.
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我需要看到一个非洲女孩
按照自己的方式离开这个星球。
按照自己的方式离开这个星球。
05:20
My science fiction
had different ancestors,
had different ancestors,
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我的科幻小说有不同的祖先，
05:23
African ones.
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非洲的。
05:26
So I'm Nigerian-American.
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所以我是尼日利亚裔美国人。
05:28
I was born to two
Nigerian immigrant parents
Nigerian immigrant parents
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我出生于两个尼日利亚移民父母。
05:31
and raised in the United States,
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并在美国长大，
05:33
one of the birthplaces
of classic science fiction.
of classic science fiction.
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一个经典的科幻小说的发源地。
05:36
However, it was my Nigerian heritage
that led me to write science fiction.
that led me to write science fiction.
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然而，正是我的尼日利亚传统
让我写了科幻小说。
让我写了科幻小说。
05:41
Specifically I cite those family trips
to Nigeria in the late '90s.
to Nigeria in the late '90s.
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具体来说，我引用了90年代末
去尼日利亚的家庭旅行。
去尼日利亚的家庭旅行。
05:47
I'd been taking trips back to Nigeria
with my family since I was very young.
with my family since I was very young.
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从很小的时候起，
我就和家人一起回尼日利亚旅行了。
我就和家人一起回尼日利亚旅行了。
05:51
These early trips inspired me.
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这些早期的旅行启发了我。
05:54
Hence the first story that I ever
even wrote took place in Nigeria.
even wrote took place in Nigeria.
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因此，我曾经写过的第一个故事
发生在尼日利亚。
发生在尼日利亚。
05:58
I wrote mainly magical realism and fantasy
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我写的主要是魔幻现实主义和幻想。
06:01
inspired by my love of Igbo
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灵感来自我对依博族的热爱
06:03
and other West African traditional
cosmologies and spiritualities.
cosmologies and spiritualities.
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和其他西非传统的宇宙论和灵性。
06:08
However, in the late '90s,
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然而，在90年代后期，
06:11
I started noticing
the role of technology in Nigeria:
the role of technology in Nigeria:
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我开始注意到技术在尼日利亚的作用：
06:15
cable TV and cell phones in the village,
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村里的有线电视和手机，
06:18
419 scammers occupying the cybercafes,
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419 骗子占领网吧，
06:21
the small generator connected
to my cousin's desktop computer
to my cousin's desktop computer
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小发电机连接到我表弟的台式电脑
06:25
because the power
was always going on and off.
was always going on and off.
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因为电力总是时好时坏。
06:28
And my Americanness othered me enough
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我的美国差异使我对这些大多数尼日利亚人
06:31
to be intrigued by these things
that most Nigerians saw as normal.
that most Nigerians saw as normal.
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看起来很正常的事感到好奇，这让我烦恼。
06:36
My intrigue eventually
gave birth to stories.
gave birth to stories.
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我的兴趣最终产生了故事。
06:40
I started opening strange doors.
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我开始打开陌生的门。
06:44
What if aliens came to Lagos, Nigeria?
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如果外星人来到尼日利亚的拉各斯
会发生什么呢？
会发生什么呢？
06:50
This is an excerpt
from my novel, "Lagoon."
from my novel, "Lagoon."
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这是我的小说《Lagoon》的节选：
06:56
Everybody saw it,
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每个人都看到了，
06:58
all over the world.
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全世界。
07:00
That was a real introduction
to the great mess happening in Lagos,
to the great mess happening in Lagos,
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这是对拉各斯发生的大混乱的一个真正的介绍，
07:04
Nigeria, West Africa, Africa, here.
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尼日利亚，西非，非洲，这里。
07:10
Because so many people in Lagos
had portable, chargeable,
had portable, chargeable,
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因为在拉各斯
有这么多人有手提式的，收费的，
有这么多人有手提式的，收费的，
07:13
glowing, vibrating, chirping, tweeting,
communicating, connected devices,
communicating, connected devices,
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发光的，振动，啁啾，嗡嗡，
沟通的连接设备，
沟通的连接设备，
07:17
practically everything was recorded
and posted online in some way,
and posted online in some way,
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几乎所有的东西都以某种方式
记录和发布在网上，
记录和发布在网上，
07:21
somehow,
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迅速地，
07:23
quickly.
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用各种方式.
07:25
The modern human world
is connected like a spider's web.
is connected like a spider's web.
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现代人的世界就像蜘蛛网一样相连。
07:30
The world was watching.
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全世界都在观望。
07:32
It watched in fascinated horror
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它惊恐地注视着。
07:34
for information,
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为了信息，
07:36
but mostly for entertainment.
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但主要是为了娱乐。
07:39
Footage of what was happening
dominated every international news source,
dominated every international news source,
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所发生的一切都是国际新闻来源的素材，
07:42
video-sharing website, social network,
circle, pyramid and trapezoid.
circle, pyramid and trapezoid.
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视频共享网站，社交网络，
圆形，金字塔和梯形。
圆形，金字塔和梯形。
07:47
But the story goes deeper.
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但故事更深入。
07:50
It is in the mud,
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它在泥里，
07:51
the dirt,
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污垢里，
07:53
the earth,
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土壤里，
07:55
in the fond memory of the soily cosmos.
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在沾泥的宇宙的美好的记忆。
07:58
It is in the always mingling
past, present and future.
past, present and future.
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它总是将过去、现在和将来交织在一起。
08:02
It is in the water.
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它在水里。
08:04
It is in the powerful spirits
and ancestors who dwelled in Lagos.
and ancestors who dwelled in Lagos.
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它是在强大的灵魂和祖先居住在拉各斯。
08:08
It is in the hearts and minds
of the people of Lagos.
of the people of Lagos.
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它在拉各斯人民的心中。
08:12
Change begets change.
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变化引起的变化。
08:15
The alien Ayodele knew it.
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外星人 ayodele 知道。
08:17
All her people know it.
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她身边所有人都知道。
08:21
So, this is a voice of Udide,
the supreme spider artist,
the supreme spider artist,
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这是Udide的声音，
它是最棒的蜘蛛艺术家，
它是最棒的蜘蛛艺术家，
08:25
who is older than dirt
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比泥土还老
08:26
and lives in the dirt
beneath the city of Lagos,
beneath the city of Lagos,
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住在拉各斯城下面的泥土里，
08:29
listening and commenting
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倾听和评论
08:31
and weaving the story
of extraterrestrials coming to Lagos.
of extraterrestrials coming to Lagos.
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织来拉各斯的外星人的故事。
08:35
In the end, the great spider
who was the size of a house
who was the size of a house
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最后，一只大得像一个大房子的蜘蛛
08:38
and responsible for weaving
the past, present and future
the past, present and future
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负责编织过去、现在和未来
08:41
decides to come forth
and be a part of the story.
and be a part of the story.
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决定出来，成为故事的一部分。
08:45
Like Udide, the spider artist,
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像 Udide 一样，蜘蛛艺术家，
08:47
African science fiction's blood runs deep
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非洲科幻小说的血脉很深远羁绊着
08:51
and it's old,
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它是古老的，
08:52
and it's ready to come forth,
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它已经准备好了，
08:55
and when it does,
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而当它出来的时候，
08:56
imagine the new technologies, ideas
and sociopolitical changes it'll inspire.
and sociopolitical changes it'll inspire.
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想象它会激发怎么样的新的技术、
理念和社会政治的变化。
理念和社会政治的变化。
09:03
For Africans, homegrown
science fiction can be a will to power.
science fiction can be a will to power.
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对非洲人来说，
国产科幻小说是一种权力意志。
国产科幻小说是一种权力意志。
09:08
What if?
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如果？
09:10
It's a powerful question.
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这是个强有力的问题。
09:12
Thank you.
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谢谢您。
09:13
(Applause)
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（掌声）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nnedi Okorafor - Science fiction writerNnedi Okorafor weaves African cultures into the evocative settings and memorable characters of her science fiction work for kids and adults.
Why you should listen
Nnedi Okorafor is an award-winning novelist of African-based science fiction, fantasy and magical realism. Born in the US to Nigerian immigrant parents, Okorafor is known for weaving African cultures into creative settings and memorable characters. Her books include Lagoon (a British Science Fiction Association Award finalist for best novel), Who Fears Death (a World Fantasy Award winner for best novel), Kabu Kabu (a Publisher's Weekly best book for Fall 2013), Akata Witch (an Amazon.com best book of the year), Zahrah the Windseeker (winner of the Wole Soyinka Prize for African Literature) and The Shadow Speaker (a CBS Parallax Award winner).
Her 2016 novel The Book of Phoenix is an Arthur C. Clarke Award finalist, while the first book in the Binti Trilogy won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novella. Her children’s book Chicken in the Kitchen won an Africana Book Award. The final installment of the Binti Trilogy, titled The Night Masquerade, will be released in September 2017, and the sequel to Akata Witch (titled Akata Warrior) is was published in October 2017. Meanwhile, her book Who Fears Death has been optioned by HBO, with Game of Thrones' George R.R. Martin as executive producer.
Okorafor is a full professor at the University at Buffalo, New York (SUNY).
Nnedi Okorafor | Speaker | TED.com