TED2010
Omar Ahmad: Political change with pen and paper
Omar Ahmad：用紙筆改變政治
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政客都是古怪的生物，政客Omar Ahmad如是說。把他們變成你的寵物的最好方式就是每月來封手寫的信。Ahmad展示了爲什麽老式的書信比電子郵件，電話甚至寫張支票更有效——他還分享寫一封起作用的書信的四個簡單步驟。
Omar Ahmad - Technologist, city councilman
An internet infrastructure maven and activist, Omar Ahmad was the mayor of San Carlos, California. Full bio
An internet infrastructure maven and activist, Omar Ahmad was the mayor of San Carlos, California. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
One of the things that
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其中一個
00:17
defines a TEDster
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定義TED成員的特點
00:19
is you've taken your passion,
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就是你有熱情，
00:21
and you've turned it into stewardship.
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而且將其轉化為責任感。
00:23
You actually put action to the issues you care about.
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你確實為了你所關注的問題採取行動，
00:26
But what you're going to find eventually is
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但是你終究會發現，
00:28
you may need to actually get elected officials
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你可能需要找被選舉出來的官員
00:30
to help you out.
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來幫助你。
00:32
So, how do you do that?
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那麼，你該怎麼做？
00:34
One of the things I should probably tell you is,
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有件事我可能應該向你們交代一下，
00:36
I worked for the Discovery Channel early in my career,
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就是早期我曾經在Discovery頻道工作，
00:39
and that sort of warped my framework.
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在那兒我的思維方式有點被帶壞了。
00:41
So, when you start to think about politicians,
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因此，當你開始琢磨政客，
00:44
you've got to realize these are strange creatures.
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你必須要體認到他們是一種古怪的動物。
00:47
Other than the fact that they can't tell directions,
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除了沒有方向感，
00:49
and they have very strange breeding habits,
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他們的繁殖方式也很奇特，
00:52
how do you actually work with these things? (Laughter)
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你怎麼和這類動物共事呢？
00:56
What we need to understand is:
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我們需要知道的是：
00:58
What drives the political creature?
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什麽東西可以驅使這些政治動物？
01:00
And there are two things that are primary in a politician's heart:
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在一個政客心裡，最重要的有兩件事。
01:03
One is reputation and influence.
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第一，是名聲和影響力。
01:05
These are the primary tools by which
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這是最基本的工具，
01:07
a politician can do his job.
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政客得靠這些才能工作。
01:09
The second one -- unlike most animals,
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第二，和大多數動物不同的是，
01:11
which is survival of the species --
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別的動物重視的是族群的生存，
01:13
this is preservation of self.
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政客重視的則是保護自己。
01:15
Now you may think it's money,
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你可能以為他們需要的是錢，
01:17
but that's actually sort of a proxy
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但錢只不過是種媒介，
01:19
to what I can do to preserve myself.
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有了錢我就可以保護自己。
01:22
Now, the challenge with you moving your issue forward
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現在，要使你的提議有進展，你所面對的挑戰是
01:25
is these animals are getting broadcast to all the time.
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每天都有人在報導這些動物。
01:29
So, what doesn't work, in terms of getting your issue to be important?
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究竟是什麽讓你的提案顯得不重要呢？
01:32
You can send them an email.
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你可以給他們發電子郵件。
01:34
Well, unfortunately, I've got so many
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呃，不幸地是，我收到了太多
01:36
Viagra ads coming at me,
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威而剛廣告，
01:38
your email is lost.
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您的郵件被淹沒了。
01:40
It doesn't matter, it's spam.
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那不重要，那是垃圾郵件。
01:42
How about you get on the phone?
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那您打個電話如何？
01:44
Well, chances are I've got a droid who's picking up the phone,
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呃，其實我找了個呆瓜接聽電話，
01:46
"Yes, they called, and they said they didn't like it."
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“是的，他們來電話了，他們說他們不滿意。”
01:48
That doesn't move.
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這樣也沒用。
01:50
Face to face would work,
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面對面談也許有用，
01:52
but it's hard to set it up.
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但是很難安排。
01:54
It's hard to get the context and actually get the communication to work.
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尤其很難找到合適的場合，讓溝通起作用。
01:57
Yes, contributions actually do make a difference
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是的，捐款確實有不同效果，
02:00
and they set a context for having a conversation,
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而且他們也創造了談話的背景，
02:02
but it takes some time to build up.
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但是需要花時間去落實。
02:04
So what actually works?
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那麼什麽才是真正有效的？
02:06
And the answer is rather strange.
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答案很奇怪。
02:08
It's a letter.
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是寫信。
02:10
We live in a digital world,
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我們活在一個數位世界，
02:12
but we're fairly analog creatures.
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但我們卻是非常重感情的生物。
02:14
Letters actually work.
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書信確實有效果。
02:16
Even the top dog himself
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即便是領頭狗(總統)自己，
02:18
takes time every day to read 10 letters
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每天也要看10封信。
02:20
that are picked out by staff.
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當然是經過手下挑選的。
02:22
I can tell you that every official that I've ever worked with
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我可以告訴你，每一個與我工作過的官員
02:25
will tell you about the letters they get
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都會跟你說起他們收到過的信件，
02:27
and what they mean.
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以及這些信的意義。
02:29
So, how are you going to write your letter?
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那麼，你該如何寫好這封信？
02:31
First of all, you're going to pick up an analog device: a pen.
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首先，你要拿起一個可以產生感情的設備，一隻筆。
02:36
I know these are tough, and you may have a hard time
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我知道這事不容易，而且你也可能很難
02:38
getting your hand bent around it, (Laughter)
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讓你的手打彎握住一隻筆，
02:40
but this is actually critical.
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但是這是非常關鍵的。
02:42
And it is critical that
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之所以關鍵是因為
02:44
you actually handwrite your letter.
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你是用手在寫信。
02:46
It is so novel to see this,
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多新奇啊，
02:48
that somebody actually picked up an analog device
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有人真的拿起一個可以產生感情的設備，
02:50
and has written to me.
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而且還給我寫信。
02:52
Second of all, I'm going to recommend that
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其次，我建議，
02:54
you get into a proactive stance
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你要採取主動，
02:56
and write to your elected officials at least once a month.
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至少每月一次給你選出的官員寫封信。
02:58
Here's my promise to you:
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我向你保證，
03:00
If you are consistent and do this,
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如果你持之以恆，
03:02
within three months the elected official will start calling you
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在三個月內，這個官員就會打電話找你，
03:04
when that issue comes up and say, "What do you think?"
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當他碰到相關的問題時，他就會問你“你怎麼看？”
03:07
Now, I'm going to give you
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現在，我要給你們
03:09
a four paragraph format to work with.
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一個四段落的格式。
03:12
Now, when you approach these animals,
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當你接觸這些動物時，
03:15
you need to understand there's a dangerous end to them,
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你要瞭解，他們也有危險的地方，
03:18
and you also need to approach them
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你在靠近他們的時候要保持
03:20
with some level of respect and a little bit of wariness.
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某種程度的尊重和一些警覺。
03:23
So in paragraph number one,
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因此，在第一段，
03:25
what I'm going to tell you to do is very simply this:
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我要告訴你們的非常簡單，就是
03:28
You appreciate them.
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讚賞他們。
03:30
You may not appreciate the person, you may not appreciate anything else,
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你可以不讚賞這個人，或者別的什麽，
03:32
but maybe you appreciate the fact that they've got a tough gig.
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但也許你該讚賞一個事實，就是他們重任在身。
03:34
When animals are going to make a point, they make the point.
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當這些動物特別重視某事時，他們直奔主題。
03:36
They don't spend a lot of time dicking around.
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他們不會花時間繞圈子。
03:38
So, here you go. (Laughter)
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所以，就是這樣。
03:40
Paragraph number two:
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第二段，
03:42
You may actually have to just get very blunt
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你可以真正地直言不諱，
03:44
and say what's really on your mind.
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說說你真正在意的事。
03:47
When you do this,
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當你說的時候，
03:49
don't attack people;
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不要對人，
03:51
you attack tactics.
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只是對事。
03:53
Ad hominem attacks will get you nowhere.
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人身攻擊不會有任何效果。
03:55
Paragraph number three:
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第三段：
03:57
When animals are attacked or cornered,
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當這些動物受到攻擊或被逼到絕路，
03:59
they will fight to the death,
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他們會抵死反抗，
04:01
so you have to give them an exit.
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所以你必須給他們一個退路。
04:03
Most of the time, if they have an exit strategy, they should take it.
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大多數時候，如果給他們一個退路，他們一般都會接受。
04:06
"Obviously, you're intelligent.
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（假裝寫信的內容：）“顯然，以您的聰明才智，
04:08
If you had the right information,
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如果您得到正確情報，
04:10
you would have done the right thing." (Laughter)
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您肯定會把事辦好。”
04:12
Lastly, you want to be the nurturing agent.
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最後，你要扮演教養者的角色。
04:15
You're the safe place to come in to.
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你是一個可以投奔的安全所在。
04:18
So, in paragraph number four,
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因此，在第四段，
04:20
you're going to tell people,
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你要告訴他們，
04:22
"If no one is providing you with this information, let me help." (Laughter)
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“如果沒人向您提供這個訊息，讓我來幫助您。”
04:26
Animals do displays. They do two things:
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動物會主動表現自己，這表示兩件事，
04:28
They warn you or they try to attract you
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要麼是警告你，要麼是試圖吸引你，
04:30
and say, "We need to mate."
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告訴你“來約會吧。”
04:34
You're going to do that by the way you sign your letter.
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你表現的方式就是在信上署名。
04:36
You do a number of things: you're a vice president,
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你做過很多事，你是一個副總裁，
04:38
you volunteer, you do something else.
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你做過義工，你還做過別的什麽。
04:40
Why is is this important?
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爲什麽署名這麼重要？
04:42
Because this establishes the two
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因為這樣就符合
04:44
primary criteria for the political creature:
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對政治動物而言的兩個重要準則，
04:46
that you have influence in a large sphere,
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即你有廣泛的影響力，
04:49
and that my preservation depends on you.
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以及我的生存仰賴於你。
04:52
Here is one very quick hack,
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還有一個小竅門，
04:54
especially for the feds in the audience.
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尤其針對在座的聯邦政府官員。
04:56
Here's how you mail your letter.
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你應該這樣郵寄你的書信。
04:58
First of all, you send the original to the district office.
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首先，你把正本郵寄到地區辦公室，
05:01
So, you send the copy to the main office.
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然後把副本寄到他的上級單位。
05:04
If they follow protocol, they'll pick up the phone and say, "Hey, do you have the original?"
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如果他們照章辦事，他們會拿起電話問，“你那兒有正本嗎？”
05:07
Then some droid in the back puts the name on a tickler
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然後裡頭某個呆瓜就會在貼紙上寫上名字，
05:09
and says, "Oh, this is an important letter."
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說，“哦，這是一封很重要的信。”
05:12
And you actually get into the folder
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這樣你的信就真的被放到
05:14
that the elected official actually has to read.
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官員會看到的公文匣裡了。
05:17
So, what your letter means:
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那麼，你的信有啥意義呢？
05:19
I've got to tell you, we are all in a party,
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我必須告訴你，我們都是在一個大派對裡，
05:22
and political officials are the pinatas.
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而政治動物就是PINATAS
05:24
(Laughter)
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（PINATAS:陶土或紙做成的彩罐，裝有糖果或禮物，高吊起來，讓蒙著眼睛的人用棒子打碎）（觀眾笑聲）
05:29
We are harangued, lectured to,
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我們老是聽到長篇大論，滔滔不絕，
05:31
sold, marketed,
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老王賣瓜，自賣自誇。
05:33
but a letter is actually one of the few times
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但是一封信是真正少有的機會，
05:35
that we have honest communication.
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讓我們可以坦誠的溝通。
05:37
I got this letter when I was first elected,
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在我第一次當選時收到了這樣一封信，
05:39
and I still carry it to
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而且我至今仍帶著它，
05:41
every council meeting I go to.
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出席每次議會。
05:43
This is an opportunity at real dialogue,
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這才是真正對話的機會。
05:46
and if you have stewardship
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而如果你有責任感，
05:48
and want to communicate,
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想要溝通，
05:50
that dialogue is incredibly powerful.
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這種對話的力量之大令人難以相信。
05:52
So when you do that, here's what I can promise:
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因此，當你這樣做時，我可以保證；
05:55
You're going to be the 800 pound gorilla in the forest.
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你將成為雨林裡800磅重的大猩猩。
05:57
Get writing.
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動手寫信吧。
05:59
(Applause)
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（觀眾掌聲）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Omar Ahmad - Technologist, city councilmanAn internet infrastructure maven and activist, Omar Ahmad was the mayor of San Carlos, California.
Why you should listen
Omar Ahmad was the co-founder and CEO of SynCH Energy Corporation, a renewable energy startup. Prior to founding SynCH Energy, Ahmad founded TrustedID and Logictier and served in key leadership positions for such companies as Grand Central Communications, Napster, Netscape, @Home Network and Discovery Channel Online.
Ahmad was the mayor of the City of San Carlos, after serving for many years on the City Council of this Silicon Valley town. His policy focus centered on budget reform and fiscal sustainability.
Omar Ahmad | Speaker | TED.com