TEDxSonomaCounty
Mac Barnett: Why a good book is a secret door
麥克‧巴內特: 為什麼一本好書是一扇神秘之門
Filmed:
Readability: 3.1
1,882,886 views
童年是超現實的。童書不也應當如此？在這場詼諧的演講中，得獎作者麥克‧巴內特談到帶你超越現實的寫作，藝術則為通往奇蹟之門，及真實的孩童對虛構的鯨魚說什麼。
Mac Barnett - Children's book author
Mac Barnett is a bestselling author of books for children. Full bio
Mac Barnett is a bestselling author of books for children. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
大家好。我是麥克。
00:12
Hi everybody. So my name is Mac.
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00:14
My job is that I lie to children,
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我的工作是「哄」小孩，
但那都是善意的謊言。
00:18
but they're honest lies.
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00:20
I write children's books,
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我是童書作家，
00:22
and there's a quote from Pablo Picasso,
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巴勃羅‧畢卡索曾說過：
00:25
"We all know that Art is not truth.
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「我們都知道藝術是虛虛實實的。
00:28
Art is a lie that makes us realize truth
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藝術是讓我們感悟真實的謊言
00:32
or at least the truth that is
given us to understand.
given us to understand.
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或至少是讓我們領悟真實的事實。
00:35
The artist must know the manner whereby
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藝術家必須瞭解這種方式
00:37
to convince others of the
truthfulness of his lies."
truthfulness of his lies."
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讓人們明白其謊言的真意。」
00:42
I first heard this when I was a kid,
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第一次聽說這句話時還很小，
00:44
and I loved it,
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覺得超愛這句話，
00:46
but I had no idea what it meant.
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儘管我一點都不了解其藴意。
00:49
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
00:50
So I thought, you know what, it's what I'm here
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所以，我想，大家肯定猜到了，
今天在這裡
今天在這裡
00:52
to talk to you today about, though,
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要與諸位分享的話題，
00:54
truth and lies, fiction and reality.
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也就是真實與謊言，虛幻與現實。
00:56
So how could I untangle
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那麼，我該從何入手
00:58
this knotted bunch of sentences?
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來解析這句盤根錯節的句子呢？
01:01
And I said, I've got PowerPoint.
Let's do a Venn diagram.
Let's do a Venn diagram.
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我準備了簡報，
和大家一起做個文氏圖。
和大家一起做個文氏圖。
01:04
["Truth. Lies."]
(Laughter)
(Laughter)
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[真實、謊言。]
（笑聲）
（笑聲）
01:07
So there it is, right there, boom.
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瞧這裡，變。
01:08
We've got truth and lies
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這裡有真實與謊言
01:10
and then there's this little space,
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和一小片空間，
01:11
the edge, in the middle.
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邊緣，靠中間的位置。
01:13
That liminal space, that's art.
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這片非常有限的空間，就是藝術。
01:19
All right. Venn diagram. (Laughter) (Applause)
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好了。這就是文氏圖。
（笑聲）（掌聲）
（笑聲）（掌聲）
01:24
But that's actually not very helpful either.
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但其實也不太有用喔。
01:27
The thing that made me understand
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讓我真正明白這句話
01:32
that quote and really kind of what art,
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而且理解什麼是藝術，
01:34
at least the art of fiction, was,
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至少理解虛幻藝術的事情，
01:37
was working with kids.
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是和孩子們互動的時候。
01:38
I used to be a summer camp counselor.
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我以前當過夏令營的輔導大哥哥。
01:40
I would do it on my summers off from college,
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在大學暑期會做一些這樣的工作，
01:43
and I loved it.
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而且非常熱愛。
01:46
It was a sports summer camp
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記得有一次運動主題的夏令營
01:48
for four- to six-year-olds.
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孩子們的年齡在 4-6 歲之間。
01:49
I was in charge of the four-year-olds,
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當時我是 4 歲孩子的領隊，
01:51
which is good, because
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很不錯，因為
01:53
four-year-olds can't play
sports, and neither can I.
sports, and neither can I.
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4 歲的小孩還不會運動，
正好我也不擅長。
正好我也不擅長。
01:56
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
01:58
I play sports at a four-year-old level,
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我就是玩玩 4 歲小孩的活動，
02:01
so what would happen is the kids would
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他們的活動大不了就是
02:04
dribble around some cones, and then got hot,
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繞著一些交通錐跑跑，
要是覺得熱了，
要是覺得熱了，
02:06
and then they would go sit underneath the tree
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就去大樹下面乘乘涼，
02:08
where I was already sitting — (Laughter) —
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而我老早就坐那等他們了。
（笑聲）
（笑聲）
02:11
and I would just make up stories and tell them to them
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我會編一些故事講給他們聽，
02:14
and I would tell them stories about my life.
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給他們講一些我生活的故事。
02:16
I would tell them about how, on the weekends,
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比如，我會告訴他們，週末時
02:17
I would go home and I would
spy for the Queen of England.
spy for the Queen of England.
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我會回家，然後去做英國女王的特工。
02:21
And soon, other kids
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不一會兒
02:24
who weren't even in my group of kids,
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其它組的孩子們，
02:26
they would come up to me, and they would say,
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也會不約而來，他們會問：
02:27
"You're Mac Barnett, right?
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「你就是麥克‧巴內特吧？
02:29
You're the guy who spies for the Queen of England."
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你就是那個替英國女王做特工的。」
02:32
And I had been waiting my whole life for strangers
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我早就盼望有陌生人
02:35
to come up and ask me that question.
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向我問這樣的問題了。
02:38
In my fantasy, they were svelte Russian women,
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想像中，應該是些
身材苗條的俄羅斯姑娘，
身材苗條的俄羅斯姑娘，
02:40
but, you know, four-year-olds —
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但 4 歲小孩也行啦，
02:41
you take what you can get in Berkeley, California.
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在加州柏克萊這地方就將就一點。
02:46
And I realized that the stories that I was telling
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我意識到我所講的故事
02:50
were real in this way that was familiar to me
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從我所熟悉的角度來看是真實的
02:54
and really exciting.
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而且是令人興奮的。
02:55
I think the pinnacle of this for
me — I'll never forget this —
me — I'll never forget this —
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我想這整件事最經典的，
我一輩子忘不了，
我一輩子忘不了，
02:57
there was this little girl
named Riley. She was tiny,
named Riley. She was tiny,
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有位名叫萊莉的小女孩，
個子很小，
個子很小，
03:00
and she used to always take
out her lunch every day
out her lunch every day
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她每天總喜歡將午餐取出來
03:03
and she would throw out her fruit.
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然後把水果扔掉。
03:05
She would just take her fruit,
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她每次都把水果，
03:06
her mom packed her a melon every day,
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她媽媽每天給她備一個甜瓜，
03:08
and she would just throw it in the ivy
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她都把瓜扔到常春藤裡，
03:09
and then she would eat fruit snacks
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然後開始吃水果糖
03:12
and pudding cups, and I was like, "Riley,
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和布丁果凍，我告訴她：
「萊莉，這樣做不對啊，你得吃水果。」
03:14
you can't do that, you
have to eat the fruit."
have to eat the fruit."
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03:17
And she was like, "Why?"
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她好奇地問道：「為什麼？」
03:19
And I was like, "Well, when
you throw the fruit in the ivy,
you throw the fruit in the ivy,
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我回答：「你把水果扔進長春藤裡，
03:21
pretty soon, it's going to be overgrown with melons,"
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不久，就會到處長滿甜瓜。」
03:25
which is why I think I ended up
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這也正是我後來寫童書
03:27
telling stories to children and not
being a nutritionist for children.
being a nutritionist for children.
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而不去做兒童營養學家的原因。
03:32
And so Riley was like, "That will never happen.
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萊莉回答道：「這不可能。
03:34
That's not going to happen."
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哪有這樣的事情。」
03:35
And so, on the last day of camp,
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夏令營的最後一天，
03:38
I got up early and I got a big cantaloupe
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我起得很早，在商店
03:41
from the grocery store
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買了個大哈密瓜
03:43
and I hid it in the ivy,
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悄悄放在常春藤中。
03:45
and then at lunchtime, I was like,
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到了午餐時間，我說：
03:46
"Riley, why don't you go over
there and see what you've done."
there and see what you've done."
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「萊莉，去那邊瞧瞧，
看你做了什麼。」
看你做了什麼。」
03:49
And — (Laughter) —
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然後...（笑聲）
03:52
she went trudging through
the ivy, and then her eyes
the ivy, and then her eyes
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她蹣跚地穿過常春藤，
眼睛瞪得大大的，
03:55
just got so wide, and she pointed out this melon
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指著那個比她腦袋還大的哈密瓜，
03:57
that was bigger than her head,
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03:59
and then all the kids ran over
there and rushed around her,
there and rushed around her,
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這時，所有的小孩都蜂擁過去，
擁簇在萊莉周圍，
擁簇在萊莉周圍，
04:02
and one of the kids was like, "Hey,
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其中一位小孩說：「咦，
04:04
why is there a sticker on this?"
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為什麼甜瓜上會有張標籤貼紙呢？」
04:06
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
04:09
And I was like, "That is also why I say
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這時我說：「不是告訴你們
04:11
do not throw your stickers in the ivy.
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不要往常春藤裡扔貼紙嗎？
04:14
Put them in the trash can. It
ruins nature when you do this."
ruins nature when you do this."
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應將它們扔進垃圾筒。
到處亂扔有害環境。」
到處亂扔有害環境。」
04:20
And Riley carried that melon around with her all day,
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那天，萊莉將她的甜瓜抱了一整天，
04:25
and she was so proud.
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她覺得非常自豪。
04:27
And Riley knew she didn't
grow a melon in seven days,
grow a melon in seven days,
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萊莉知道她並沒有
在 7 天內種出甜瓜，
在 7 天內種出甜瓜，
04:32
but she also knew that she did,
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但同時她知道自己確實又做到了，
04:35
and it's a weird place,
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這就是奇怪的地方，
04:37
but it's not just a place that kids can get to.
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不是只有孩子們可以到達，
04:40
It's anything. Art can get us to that place.
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任何事情都可以。
藝術能夠讓我們到達此處。
藝術能夠讓我們到達此處。
04:43
She was right in that place in the middle,
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那就是中間的那個位置，
04:45
that place which you could call art or fiction.
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可以稱之為藝術或小說。
04:49
I'm going to call it wonder.
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我將其稱之為奇蹟。
04:51
It's what Coleridge called the
willing suspension of disbelief
willing suspension of disbelief
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英國湖畔詩人柯勒律治
將其稱之為「自願終止懷疑」
將其稱之為「自願終止懷疑」
04:54
or poetic faith,
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或詩意的信仰，
04:55
for those moments where a
story, no matter how strange,
story, no matter how strange,
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在傾聽故事的瞬間，
無論故事多麼奇怪，
無論故事多麼奇怪，
04:58
has some semblance of the truth,
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它們都與真實的意境有神似之處，
05:00
and then you're able to believe it.
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能夠讓你相信故事中發生的事情。
05:02
It's not just kids who can get there.
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不僅僅孩子們能夠做到。
05:03
Adults can too, and we get there when we read.
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成人也可以，
我們在閱讀時就能做到。
我們在閱讀時就能做到。
05:06
It's why in two days, people will be
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這正是為何在兩天內
05:08
descending on Dublin to take the walking tour
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人們飛往都柏林
參加布魯姆日徒步導覽
參加布魯姆日徒步導覽
05:12
of Bloomsday and see everything
that happened in "Ulysses,"
that happened in "Ulysses,"
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並感受《尤利西斯》中
所發生的每個故事。
所發生的每個故事。
05:17
even though none of that happened.
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儘管這些故事都未曾發生過。
05:20
Or people go to London and they visit Baker Street
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或者就像人們去倫敦，
他們會到訪貝克街
他們會到訪貝克街
05:22
to see Sherlock Holmes' apartment,
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要去看看福爾摩斯的寓所一樣，
05:23
even though 221B is just a number that was painted
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儘管 221B 僅僅是
漆塗在建築物上的編號，
漆塗在建築物上的編號，
05:25
on a building that never
actually had that address.
actually had that address.
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並非是該建築物的實際地址。
05:29
We know these characters aren't real,
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我們知道這些人物都是虛擬的，
05:30
but we have real feelings about them,
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但我們卻能真實感受到
這些人物的存在，
這些人物的存在，
05:33
and we're able to do that.
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我們能夠做到這一點。
05:34
We know these characters aren't real,
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我們知道這些人物並非真實存在，
05:36
and yet we also know that they are.
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但我們能感受到他們的存在。
05:39
Kids can get there a lot more easily than adults can,
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兒童比成年人更容易
感受到虛擬人物的存在，
感受到虛擬人物的存在，
05:43
and that's why I love writing for kids.
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這正是我喜歡寫童書的原因。
05:44
I think kids are the best audience
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我認為兒童是
嚴肅文學小說的忠實讀者。
嚴肅文學小說的忠實讀者。
05:46
for serious literary fiction.
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05:51
When I was a kid,
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孩童時，
我沉迷於神秘之門這類小說，
05:54
I was obsessed with secret door novels,
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05:56
things like "Narnia,"
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比如《納尼亞傳奇》，
05:57
where you would open a wardrobe
and go through to a magical land.
and go through to a magical land.
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打開一扇衣櫥，就能進入魔幻世界。
06:01
And I was convinced that secret doors really did exist
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當時我確信真的存在神秘之門，
06:04
and I would look for them and try to go through them.
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我四處尋找並企圖穿越神秘之門。
06:06
I wanted to live and cross over into
that fictional world, which is —
that fictional world, which is —
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我想要穿越到科幻世界，
並在那裡生活，
並在那裡生活，
06:10
I would always just open people's closet doors.
(Laughter)
(Laughter)
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所以我總是去開別人的衣櫥門。
（笑聲）
（笑聲）
06:15
I would just go through my mom's boyfriend's closet,
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我恰巧打開了我母親男朋友的衣櫥，
06:18
and there was not a secret magical land there.
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衣櫥裡並沒有發現神秘的魔幻世界，
06:20
There was some other weird stuff that
I think my mom should know about.
I think my mom should know about.
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卻發現了些怪異的東西，
我想我母親應該要知道。
我想我母親應該要知道。
06:23
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
06:25
And I was happy to tell her all about it.
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我高興地告訴她所有這些事。
06:31
After college, my first job was working
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大學畢業後，我的第一份工作
是在一扇神秘之門後面工作。
06:35
behind one of these secret doors.
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06:38
This is a place called 826 Valencia.
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這個地方叫做「瓦倫西亞 826 號」。
06:40
It's at 826 Valencia Street
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位於瓦倫西亞大街 826 號，
06:42
in the Mission in San Francisco,
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就在舊金山米遜區。
06:44
and when I worked there, there
was a publishing company
was a publishing company
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我在那裡工作時，
有一家總部設在此處
有一家總部設在此處
06:46
headquartered there called McSweeney's,
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名為麥斯威尼的出版公司，
06:49
a nonprofit writing center called 826 Valencia,
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一個非盈利性的寫作中心，
名為瓦倫西亞 826 號，
名為瓦倫西亞 826 號，
06:52
but then the front of it
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但寫作中心的前面
06:54
was a strange shop.
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卻有一家奇怪的商店。
06:56
You see, this place was zoned retail,
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這地方是零售店區，
06:57
and in San Francisco, they were
not going to give us a variance,
not going to give us a variance,
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在舊金山，這類零售店大同小異，
07:00
and so the writer who founded
it, a writer named Dave Eggers,
it, a writer named Dave Eggers,
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因此該店創始人兼作家大維‧艾格斯
07:03
to come into compliance
with code, he said, "Fine,
with code, he said, "Fine,
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賦予了這家店特色，他說，
「好吧，我正好把這家店
改建成一家海盜用品店。」
改建成一家海盜用品店。」
07:06
I'm just going to build a pirate supply store."
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07:10
And that's what he did. (Laughter)
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他真的改建成了海盜用品店。（笑聲）
07:13
And it's beautiful. It's all wood.
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商店很漂亮，全實木。
07:15
There's drawers you can pull out and get citrus
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有些抽屜，你可以打開，
並在抽屜裡找到柑橘，
並在抽屜裡找到柑橘，
07:17
so you don't get scurvy.
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這樣你就不會得壞血病。
07:20
They have eyepatches in lots of colors,
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店裡出售各種顏色的眼罩，
07:22
because when it's springtime, pirates want to go wild.
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因為春天的時候，海盜都會想瘋一下。
07:25
You don't know. Black is boring. Pastel.
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誰知道。黑色很無趣。要柔和色系的。
07:29
Or eyes, also in lots of colors,
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或者出售各種顏色的眼睛，
07:31
just glass eyes, depending on how you want
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都是玻璃而已啦，
或如果你想入戲一點也可以。
或如果你想入戲一點也可以。
07:33
to deal with that situation.
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07:37
And the store, strangely,
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奇怪的是，
07:40
people came to them and bought things,
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居然有人光顧這家商店，並購買物品，
07:44
and they ended up paying the rent
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到後來，盈餘居然可以為
07:46
for our tutoring center, which was behind it,
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商店後面的寫作中心支付租金。
07:48
but to me, more important was the fact
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但對我來說，更重要的是
07:51
that I think the quality of work you do,
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所從事工作的性質，
07:53
kids would come and get instruction in writing,
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孩子們能夠從這裡獲得寫作指導，
07:56
and when you have to walk this weird, liminal,
fictional space like this to go do your writing,
fictional space like this to go do your writing,
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當你寫作前得先經過
這怪異中介的虛構空間時，
這怪異中介的虛構空間時，
08:00
it's going to affect the kind of work that you make.
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將對你的作品產生影響。
08:04
It's a secret door that you can walk through.
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這是一扇能夠穿越的神秘之門。
08:06
So I ran the 826 in Los Angeles,
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後來我到洛杉磯成立 826 號分店，
08:09
and it was my job to build the store down there.
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我需要在那裡創立一家門店。
08:12
So we have The Echo Park Time Travel Mart.
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所以就有了
「回聲公園時光旅行商店」。
「回聲公園時光旅行商店」。
08:16
That's our motto: "Whenever
you are, we're already then."
you are, we're already then."
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我們的座右銘是：
「不管什麼時代我們都去過了。」
「不管什麼時代我們都去過了。」
08:19
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
08:23
And it's on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.
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這家店位於洛杉磯日落大道。
08:27
Our friendly staff is ready to help you.
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我們和藹可親的店員已經在等您了。
08:29
They're from all eras,
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店員們來自各個時代，
08:32
including just the 1980s, that guy on the end,
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比如，來自 1980 年代的店員，
圖中最左側的那位，
圖中最左側的那位，
08:35
he's from the very recent past.
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這位員工所處時代距離現在最近。
08:37
There's our Employees of the Month,
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我們的每月最佳員工
08:39
including Genghis Khan, Charles Dickens.
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有成吉思汗、查爾斯‧狄更斯等。
08:42
Some great people have come up through our ranks.
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一些偉人出現在我們的店員中。
08:45
This is our kind of pharmacy section.
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這是我們的藥品區域。
08:47
We have some patent medicines,
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我們有些專利藥品，
08:49
Canopic jars for your organs,
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用於存儲你器官的卡諾卜罈罐，
08:51
communist soap that says,
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還有共產主義肥皂，上面寫：
08:53
"This is your soap for the year."
(Laughter)
(Laughter)
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「今年你只配發到這一塊肥皂。」
（笑聲）
（笑聲）
08:57
Our slushy machine broke
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開張之夜，
08:59
on the opening night and
we didn't know what to do.
we didn't know what to do.
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我們的冰沙機出現故障，
我們當時不知所措。
我們當時不知所措。
09:02
Our architect was covered in red syrup.
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我們的建築師渾身沾滿
冰沙的紅糖水。
冰沙的紅糖水。
09:04
It looked like he had just murdered somebody,
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看起來就像剛殺了人，
09:07
which it was not out of the question
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對這位特別的建築師來說，
09:08
for this particular architect,
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這不是不可能，
09:11
and we didn't know what to do.
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當時我們真不知道如何是好。
09:12
It was going to be the highlight of our store.
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這都快成為我們店的頭等大事了。
09:13
So we just put that sign on it that said,
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於是我們在機器上貼上標示：
09:14
"Out of order. Come back yesterday."
(Laughter)
(Laughter)
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「功能紊亂，請昨天再光顧。」
（笑聲）
（笑聲）
09:19
And that ended up being a better joke than slushies,
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這笑話後來比冰沙機本身還好笑，
09:21
so we just left it there forever.
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所以我們就把標示一直貼著。
09:25
Mammoth Chunks. These things
weigh, like, seven pounds each.
weigh, like, seven pounds each.
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我們出售猛獁象厚片。
每罐 7 磅重。
每罐 7 磅重。
09:29
Barbarian repellent. It's full of salad
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還有野人驅蟲劑，
瓶內裝滿了沙拉和百花香，
瓶內裝滿了沙拉和百花香，
09:32
and potpourri — things that barbarians hate.
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野人最討厭這類東西。
09:36
Dead languages.
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還賣死掉的語言。
09:38
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
09:41
Leeches, nature's tiny doctors.
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3080
店內還售有水蛭，
大自然的微小醫生。
大自然的微小醫生。
09:44
And Viking Odorant, which
comes in lots of great scents:
comes in lots of great scents:
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572450
3140
還有海盜香氛，有很多種刺鼻味道：
09:47
toenails, sweat and rotten vegetables, pyre ash.
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4005
腳趾甲、汗水、
腐爛的蔬菜，以及柴堆灰。
腐爛的蔬菜，以及柴堆灰。
09:51
Because we believe that Axe Body Spray
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因為我們認為
你應該在戰場上去找斧牌香體噴霧，
09:53
is something that you should
only find on the battlefield,
only find on the battlefield,
218
581703
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09:55
not under your arms.
(Laughter)
(Laughter)
219
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而不是在你的腋下去找。
（笑聲）
（笑聲）
09:59
And these are robot emotion chips,
220
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1984
我們還出售機器人情感晶片，
10:01
so robots can feel love or fear.
221
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有了晶片，機器人就能
感受到愛或恐懼。
感受到愛或恐懼。
10:03
Our biggest seller is Schadenfreude,
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店內最暢銷產品是「幸災樂禍」，
10:05
which we did not expect.
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這是我們沒有想到的。
10:06
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
10:07
We did not think that was going to happen.
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我們從未想過會如此暢銷。
10:10
But there's a nonprofit behind it,
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但這家店後面的寫作中心
是非盈利性質的，
是非盈利性質的，
10:12
and kids go through a door
that says "Employees Only"
that says "Employees Only"
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600501
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孩子們進入門上貼有
「非員工勿進」標示的寫作中心，
「非員工勿進」標示的寫作中心，
10:14
and they end up in this space
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然後就在這裡
10:15
where they do homework and write stories
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做功課、編故事、製作電影，
10:17
and make films and this is a book release party
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照片上的是新書發佈會，
10:20
where kids will read.
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孩子們會在這裡朗讀。
10:21
There's a quarterly that's published
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這裡每季度都要發行
10:23
with just writing that's done by the kids
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孩子們利用每天放學後的時間
10:25
who come every day after school,
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在這裡完成的寫作作品，
10:26
and we have release parties
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我們還舉行發佈會，
10:27
and they eat cake and read for their parents
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孩子們一邊吃著蛋糕，
一邊把作品讀給父母聽，
一邊把作品讀給父母聽，
10:30
and drink milk out of champagne glasses.
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還用香檳酒杯喝牛奶。
10:33
And it's a very special space,
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這裡真的是一個很特別的地方，
10:36
because it's this weird space in the front.
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完全是因為前面的那家怪異商店。
10:39
The joke isn't a joke.
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笑話不再是笑話。
10:43
You can't find the seams on the fiction,
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小說裡看不出拼接的痕跡，
10:45
and I love that. It's this little bit of fiction
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我超愛這點。正是這種小小說
10:48
that's colonized the real world.
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俘獲了現實世界。
10:51
I see it as kind of a book in three dimensions.
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我覺得它有點像三維立體書。
10:55
There's a term called metafiction,
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有個詞叫「元小說」，
10:58
and that's just stories about stories,
246
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4083
即講述小說的小說，
11:02
and meta's having a moment now.
247
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現在「元」的概念非常熱門。
11:03
Its last big moment was probably in the 1960s
248
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2025
上次流行的時候可能是 1960 年代，
11:05
with novelists like John Barth and William Gaddis,
249
653845
2677
以小說家約翰‧巴思
和威廉‧加迪斯為代表，
和威廉‧加迪斯為代表，
11:08
but it's been around.
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1248
這個技法現在還有人在用。
11:09
It's almost as old as storytelling itself.
251
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它的歷史幾乎和講故事一樣久遠。
11:13
And one metafictive technique
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其中有一個元小說技巧
11:15
is breaking the fourth wall. Right?
253
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1794
是打破第 4 堵牆。對吧？
11:17
It's when an actor will turn to the audience
254
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舉個例子，演員面向觀眾，
11:20
and say, "I am an actor,
255
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說道：「我是個演員，
11:21
these are just rafters."
256
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2591
他們只是些椽木。」
11:24
And even that supposedly honest moment,
257
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2025
即使是這種看似誠實的介紹，
11:26
I would argue, is in service of the lie,
258
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2226
在我看來，也是為了揭露謊言，
11:28
but it's supposed to foreground the artificiality
259
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使小說人為的虛構性
11:31
of the fiction.
260
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1687
更加突出。
11:33
For me, I kind of prefer the opposite.
261
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對我而言，我喜歡反其道而行之。
11:35
If I'm going to break down the fourth wall,
262
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如果我要拆除第 4 堵牆，
11:37
I want fiction to escape
263
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我希望小說逃離
11:39
and come into the real world.
264
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進入現實世界。
11:41
I want a book to be a secret door that opens
265
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我希望書籍能成為一扇秘密之門，
開啟故事王國，再進入現實世界。
11:46
and lets the stories out into reality.
266
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11:49
And so I try to do this in my books.
267
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寫自己的書時我一直努力這樣做。
11:52
And here's just one example.
268
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舉個簡單的例子。
11:53
This is the first book that I ever made.
269
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這是我寫的第一本書。
11:55
It's called "Billy Twitters
and his Blue Whale Problem."
and his Blue Whale Problem."
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2621
書名叫《比利推特和他的藍鯨問題》。
11:58
And it's about a kid who gets a blue whale as a pet
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故事講述一個小孩，
養了一條藍鯨當寵物，
養了一條藍鯨當寵物，
12:00
but it's a punishment
272
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1586
後果可想而知，
12:02
and it ruins his life.
273
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毀了他整個人生。
12:04
So it's delivered overnight by FedUp.
274
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所以這隻藍鯨以肥死快遞送到。
12:07
(Laughter)
275
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2590
（笑聲）
12:10
And he has to take it to school with him.
276
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他還得帶藍鯨去學校。
12:12
He lives in San Francisco —
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1354
他住在舊金山，
12:13
very tough city to own a blue whale in.
278
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2531
這個城市能養條藍鯨很不容易。
12:15
A lot of hills, real estate is at a premium.
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那裡山多，房價高。
12:20
This market's crazy, everybody.
280
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2508
市場簡直不可理喻，各位。
12:22
But underneath the jacket is this case,
281
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3791
書的封套下面是這個盒子，
12:26
and that's the cover underneath the book, the jacket,
282
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4186
那是書下面的封面，封套，
12:30
and there's an ad
283
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1380
上面是一則廣告，
12:32
that offers a free 30-day risk-free trial
284
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3243
30 天免費試養藍鯨，
12:35
for a blue whale.
285
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1899
當然沒有任何危險。
12:37
And you can just send in a
self-addressed stamped envelope
self-addressed stamped envelope
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2994
讀者只需寄來一個含郵資信封，
寫上自己的姓名和地址，
寫上自己的姓名和地址，
12:40
and we'll send you a whale.
287
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我們將給您寄去一條藍鯨。
12:44
And kids do write in.
288
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4340
還真有孩子寫信過來。
12:48
So here's a letter. It says, "Dear people,
289
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這是其中的一封。
上面說道：「敬啟者，
上面說道：「敬啟者，
12:52
I bet you 10 bucks you won't send me a blue whale.
290
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3181
我賭 10 美元，
你們肯定不會給我寄藍鯨。
你們肯定不會給我寄藍鯨。
12:55
Eliot Gannon (age 6)."
291
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2477
艾略特‧甘農（6 歲）。」
12:57
(Laughter) (Applause)
292
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（笑聲）（掌聲）
13:02
So what Eliot and the other kids
293
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艾略特和其他寫信給我們的孩子
13:04
who send these in get back
294
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收到的是
13:07
is a letter in very small print
from a Norwegian law firm —
from a Norwegian law firm —
295
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2925
一封小號字體打印的信，
由挪威一家法律事務所寄出。
由挪威一家法律事務所寄出。
13:10
(Laughter) —
296
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3961
（笑聲）
13:14
that says that due to a change in customs laws,
297
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3361
信上說，由於海關法修訂後，
13:17
their whale has been held up in Sognefjord,
298
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2207
他們的藍鯨滯留在松恩峽灣，
13:19
which is a very lovely fjord,
299
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挪威最美麗的峽灣之一。
13:21
and then it just kind of talks about Sognefjord
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信中接著聊了一會松恩峽灣
13:22
and Norwegian food for
a little while. It digresses.
a little while. It digresses.
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和挪威的美食。律師也離題了。
13:25
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
13:28
But it finishes off by saying that
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信最後說道：
13:30
your whale would love to hear from you.
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「藍鯨期待收到你的回信。
13:33
He's got a phone number,
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他有電話號碼，
13:35
and you can call and leave him a message.
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歡迎你來電留言。」
13:39
And when you call and leave him a message,
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當孩子們真的來電留言時，
13:42
you just, on the outgoing message,
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電話這頭的錄音
13:44
it's just whale sounds and then a beep,
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是鯨的聲音，然後是「嗶」的一聲，
13:49
which actually sounds a lot like a whale sound.
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確實很像鯨的聲音。
13:52
And they get a picture of their whale too.
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他們還收到一張藍鯨的照片。
13:54
So this is Randolph,
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照片裡是倫道夫，
13:57
and Randolph belongs to a kid named Nico
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倫道夫屬於一位叫尼科的小朋友，
14:00
who was one of the first kids to ever call in,
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他也是第一位打進電話的小讀者，
14:05
and I'll play you some of Nico's message.
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現在我給大家放一些尼科的留言。
14:07
This is the first message I ever got from Nico.
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這是我收到尼科的第一條留言。
14:11
(Audio) Nico: Hello, this is Nico.
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（錄音）尼科：你好！我是尼科。
14:13
I am your owner, Randolph. Hello.
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我是你的主人，倫道夫。你好啊。
14:17
So this is the first time I can ever talk to you,
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嗯，這是我第一次和你聊天，
14:21
and I might talk to you soon another day. Bye.
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呃，改天我再找你聊了。拜。
14:27
Mac Barnett: So Nico called back, like, an hour later.
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馬克‧巴內特：然後呢，
大概過了一個小時尼科又打過來。
大概過了一個小時尼科又打過來。
14:30
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
14:32
And here's another one of Nico's messages.
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這是尼科的另一條留言。
14:36
(Audio) Nico: Hello, Randolph, this is Nico.
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（錄音）尼科：你好，
倫道夫，我是尼科。
倫道夫，我是尼科。
14:39
I haven't talked to you for a long time,
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好久沒和你聊天了，
14:44
but I talked to you on Saturday or Sunday,
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我週六還是週日找你聊過吧，
14:49
yeah, Saturday or Sunday,
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沒錯，週六或週日，
14:51
so now I'm calling you again
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所以我才又給你打電話了，
14:54
to say hello and I wonder what you're doing right now,
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你好嗎，我想知道你現在幹嘛呀。
14:59
and I'm going to probably call you again
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我大概會在明天或者今天
15:02
tomorrow or today,
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再給你打電話。
15:04
so I'll talk to you later. Bye.
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到時我再跟你聊咯。拜。
15:09
MB: So he did, he called back that day again.
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麥克：果然，他當天又打過來了。
15:13
He's left over 25 messages for Randolph
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他一共給倫道夫錄了25 條留言，
15:17
over four years.
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持續四年的時間。
15:20
You find out all about him
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你會非常了解他
15:22
and the grandma that he loves
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和他喜愛的奶奶，
15:23
and the grandma that
he likes a little bit less —
he likes a little bit less —
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他外婆呢，他比較不喜歡。
15:26
(Laughter) —
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（笑聲）
15:28
and the crossword puzzles that he does,
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還有，知道他做的填字遊戲。
15:30
and this is — I'll play you one
more message from Nico.
more message from Nico.
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讓我們聽聽另一則尼科的留言。
15:34
This is the Christmas message from Nico.
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這是尼科的聖誕留言。
15:37
[Beep] (Audio) Nico: Hello, Randolph,
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[嗶]（錄音）尼科：你好，倫道夫，
15:40
sorry I haven't talked to you in a long time.
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對不起，我好久沒有和你聊天了。
15:43
It's just that I've been so busy
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主要是我一直很忙，
15:46
because school started,
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因為開學了，
15:48
as you might not know, probably,
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你可能不明白，也許吧，
15:51
since you're a whale, you don't know,
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畢竟你是鯨魚，自然不知道了。
15:55
and I'm calling you to just say,
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我打電話給你，是想說，
16:00
to wish you a merry Christmas.
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想祝你聖誕快樂。
16:04
So have a nice Christmas,
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聖誕快樂啊，
16:08
and bye-bye, Randolph. Goodbye.
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拜拜，倫道夫。拜拜。
16:15
MB: I actually got Nico,
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麥克：我實際上發現尼科
16:17
I hadn't heard from in 18 months,
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已經 18 個月沒有捎來消息。
16:20
and he just left a message two days ago.
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不過就在兩天前，他留言了。
16:24
His voice is completely different,
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他的聲音變化很大，
16:26
but he put his babysitter on the phone,
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他也讓保姆講電話，
16:30
and she was very nice to Randolph as well.
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她對倫道夫也很好。
16:34
But Nico's the best reader I could hope for.
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實際上，我覺得尼科是最好的讀者。
16:38
I would want anyone I was writing for
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我希望我的每位讀者
16:42
to be in that place emotionally
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都能用心感受
16:44
with the things that I create.
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我創造的東西。
16:46
I feel lucky. Kids like Nico are the best readers,
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我覺得很幸運。
像尼科這樣的小朋友是最好的讀者，
像尼科這樣的小朋友是最好的讀者，
16:50
and they deserve the best stories we can give them.
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他們值得我們給他們創作最好的故事。
16:53
Thank you very much.
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謝謝各位。
16:56
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mac Barnett - Children's book authorMac Barnett is a bestselling author of books for children.
Why you should listen
Mac Barnett is the author of fifteen books for children. He was the executive director of 826LA, a nonprofit writing center, and founded the Echo Park Time Travel Mart, a convenience store for time travelers. In this talk about creativity and wonder, he explains why kids are the ideal readers of literary fiction -- and what adults can learn from them about imagination and the willing suspension of disbelief.
Mac Barnett | Speaker | TED.com