TED2015
Suki Kim: This is what it's like to go undercover in North Korea
Suki Kin: Així és ensenyar a Corea del Nord.
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Durant sis mesos, Suki Kim va treballar com a professora d'anglès en una escola d'elit que formava futurs líders de Corea del Nord. Mentrestant escrivia un llibre sobre aquest règim que és un dels més reperssius del món. Mentre ensenyava als seus alumnes conceptes com "veritat" o "pensament crític", es preguntava si ensenyar-los això els posaria en perill. (Aquesta presentació forma part de la sessió de TED2015 de la qual Pop-Up Magazine era comissaria: popupmagazine.com o @popupmag a Twitter.)
Suki Kim - Writer
Suki Kim's investigation, "Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea's Elite," chronicles her six months undercover in Pyongyang during Kim Jong-Il's final six months. She worked as a teacher and a missionary in a university for future leaders -- all while writing her book. Full bio
Suki Kim's investigation, "Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea's Elite," chronicles her six months undercover in Pyongyang during Kim Jong-Il's final six months. She worked as a teacher and a missionary in a university for future leaders -- all while writing her book. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
In 2011, during the final six months
of Kim Jong-Il's life,
of Kim Jong-Il's life,
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El 2011, durant els sis últims mesos
de vida de Kim Jong-II,
00:19
I lived undercover in North Korea.
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vaig viure clandestinament a Corea del Nord.
00:23
I was born and raised
in South Korea, their enemy.
in South Korea, their enemy.
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Vaig néixer i créixer a Corea del Sud,
el seu enemic.
00:28
I live in America, their other enemy.
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Visc a Amèrica, el seu altre enemic.
00:32
Since 2002, I had visited
North Korea a few times.
North Korea a few times.
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Des del 2002 havia visitat Corea del Nord
algunes vegades.
00:36
And I had come to realize
that to write about it with any meaning,
that to write about it with any meaning,
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I m'havia adonat que,
per poder escriure sobre Corea del Nord lliurement,
00:42
or to understand the place
beyond the regime's propaganda,
beyond the regime's propaganda,
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o per poder entendre el país més enllà
de la propaganda del règim,
00:47
the only option was total immersion.
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l'única opció era la immersió total.
00:54
So I posed as a teacher and a missionary
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Em vaig fer passar per professora i missionera
a una universitat de nois de Pyongyang.
00:58
at an all-male university in Pyongyang.
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01:06
The Pyongyang University
of Science and Technology
of Science and Technology
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La Universitat de Ciències i Tecnologia de Pyongyang
va ser fundada per cristians evangèlics
01:10
was founded by Evangelical Christians
who cooperate with the regime
who cooperate with the regime
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que van cooperar amb el règim
per educar els fills de l'elit nord-coreana,
01:15
to educate the sons
of the North Korean elite,
of the North Korean elite,
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sense proselitisme, que allà és un crim capital.
01:21
without proselytizing,
which is a capital crime there.
which is a capital crime there.
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Els estudiants eren 270 nois,
01:27
The students were 270 young men,
expected to be the future leaders
expected to be the future leaders
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que se suposava que serien els futurs líders
de la dictadura més aïllada i brutal que existeix.
01:33
of the most isolated and brutal
dictatorship in existence.
dictatorship in existence.
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01:40
When I arrived, they became my students.
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Quan vaig arribar, van esdevenir
els meus estudiants.
01:47
2011 was a special year,
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El 2011 era un any especial
01:49
marking the 100th anniversary of the birth
of North Korea's original Great Leader,
of North Korea's original Great Leader,
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se celebrava el 100è aniversari del naixement del Gran Líder de Corea del Nord,
Kim-II Sung
01:55
Kim Il-Sung.
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01:57
To celebrate the occasion, the regime
shut down all universities,
shut down all universities,
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Per celebrar l'esdeveniment,
el règim va tancar totes les universitats
i va enviar els estudiants al camp
02:03
and sent students off to the fields
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02:06
to build the DPRK's much-heralded ideal
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per elaborar la proclamació del Partit Democràtic de Corea del Nord
com la nació més pròspera i poderosa.
02:10
as the world's most powerful
and prosperous nation.
and prosperous nation.
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Els meus estudiants van ser els únics
02:16
My students were the only ones
spared from that fate.
spared from that fate.
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que es van salvar d'aquella sort.
02:21
North Korea is a gulag posing as a nation.
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Corea del Nord és un gulag que es fa passar per nació.
02:26
Everything there
is about the Great Leader.
is about the Great Leader.
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Tot el que passa allà té a veure amb el Gran Líder.
02:28
Every book, every newspaper article,
every song, every TV program --
every song, every TV program --
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Cada llibre, cada article, cada cançó, cada programa televisiu
té un únic tema.
02:33
there is just one subject.
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Les flors duen el seu nom,
02:35
The flowers are named after him,
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02:37
the mountains are carved with his slogans.
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els seus eslògans s'excaven a les muntanyes,
02:40
Every citizen wears the badge
of the Great Leader at all times.
of the Great Leader at all times.
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tots els ciutadans porten sempre la insígnia del Gran Líder.
Fins i tot el calendari comença amb el naixement de Kim II-Sung.
02:45
Even their calendar system begins
with the birth of Kim Il-Sung.
with the birth of Kim Il-Sung.
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La unversitat era una presó totalment vigilada,
02:51
The school was a heavily guarded
prison, posing as a campus.
prison, posing as a campus.
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que es feia passar per campus.
02:56
Teachers could only leave on group outings
accompanied by an official minder.
accompanied by an official minder.
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Els professors només podien sortir en grup,
acompanyats per un escolta oficial.
Tanmateix, les nostres excursions es limitaven a
03:03
Even then, our trips were limited
to sanctioned national monuments
to sanctioned national monuments
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monuments nacionals autoritzats que homenatjaven el Gran Líder.
03:09
celebrating the Great Leader.
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03:12
The students were not allowed
to leave the campus,
to leave the campus,
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Els estudiants no tenien permís ni per sortir del campus
ni per comunicar-se amb els seus pares.
03:16
or communicate with their parents.
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Els seus dies es planificaven meticulosament
03:20
Their days were meticulously mapped out,
and any free time they had
and any free time they had
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i tot el temps lliure que tenien
03:24
was devoted to honoring
their Great Leader.
their Great Leader.
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el dedicaven a homenatjar el Gran Líder.
03:29
Lesson plans had to meet the approval
of North Korean staff,
of North Korean staff,
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Les lliçons havien d'estar aprovades per personal de Corea del Nord,
03:34
every class was recorded and reported on,
every room was bugged,
every room was bugged,
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es gravava i declarava cada classe
i hi havia micròfons ocults a cada aula.
03:38
and every conversation, overheard.
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Cada conversa s'escoltava.
03:42
Every blank space was covered with the
portraits of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il,
portraits of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il,
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Cada espai buit s'emplenava amb retrats de Kim Il-Sung i Kim Jong-Il,
03:48
like everywhere else in North Korea.
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com a tot arreu a Corea del Nord.
03:53
We were never allowed
to discuss the outside world.
to discuss the outside world.
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Mai no teníem permís per parlar sobre el món de fora.
03:55
As students of science and technology,
many of them were computer majors
many of them were computer majors
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Molts dels estudiants de ciències i tecnologia s'especialitzaven en informàtica,
04:01
but they did not know
the existence of the Internet.
the existence of the Internet.
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però desconeixien l'existència d'Internet.
04:04
They had never heard
of Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs.
of Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs.
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Mai no havien sentit a parlar de Mark Zuckerberg o Steve Jobs.
04:09
Facebook, Twitter -- none of those things
would have meant a thing.
would have meant a thing.
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i no sabien què era Facebook o Twitter.
04:14
And I could not tell them.
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I jo no els ho podia explicar.
04:18
I went there looking for truth.
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Me'n vaig anar allà a buscar la veritat,
04:22
But where do you even start
when an entire nation's ideology,
when an entire nation's ideology,
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¿però com pots començar quan tota la ideologia d'una nació,
04:25
my students' day-to-day realities,
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la realitat diària dels meus estudiants,
04:27
and even my own position
at the universities,
at the universities,
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i fins i tot la meva pròpia posició a la universitat,
04:31
were all built on lies?
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estava basada en mentides?
04:37
I started with a game.
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Vaig començar amb un joc:
04:39
We played "Truth and Lie."
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jugàvem a "Veritat i mentida".
04:42
A volunteer would write a sentence
on the chalkboard,
on the chalkboard,
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Un voluntari escrivia una frase a la pissarra
i els altres estudiants havien d'endevinar
04:45
and the other students had to guess
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si es tractava d'una veritat o d'una mentida.
04:48
whether it was a truth or a lie.
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04:51
Once a student wrote, "I visited
China last year on vacation,"
China last year on vacation,"
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Un dels estudiants va escriure:
"L'any passat me'n vaig anar a la Xina de vacances",
i tothom va cridar: "Mentida!"
04:55
and everyone shouted, "Lie!"
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Tots sabien que era impossible.
04:59
They all knew this wasn't possible.
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05:01
Virtually no North Korean is allowed
to leave the country.
to leave the country.
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Pràcticament cap nord-coreà te permís per sortir del país.
05:05
Even traveling within their own country
requires a travel pass.
requires a travel pass.
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Fins i tot, per viatjar pel país cal un passaport.
Tenia l'esperança que aquell joc revelés alguna veritat sobre els meus estudiants,
05:12
I had hoped that this game would reveal
some truth about my students,
some truth about my students,
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05:17
because they lie so often and so easily,
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perquè menteixen molt sovint i molt fàcilment,
05:20
whether about the mythical
accomplishments of their Great Leader,
accomplishments of their Great Leader,
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ja sigui sobre les mítiques proeses del Gran Líder
05:25
or the strange claim that they cloned
a rabbit as fifth graders.
a rabbit as fifth graders.
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o afirmant que van clonar un conill a Cinquè de Primària.
Per ells, la diferència entre veritat i mentida és borrosa.
05:31
The difference between truth and lies
seemed at times hazy to them.
seemed at times hazy to them.
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Vaig necessitar temps per entendre els seus tipus de mentides.
05:36
It took me a while to understand
the different types of lies;
the different types of lies;
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05:40
they lie to shield their system
from the world,
from the world,
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Mentien per protegir el seu sistema del món,
o repetien com a lloros mentides que els havien ensenyat.
05:43
or they were taught lies,
and were just regurgitating them.
and were just regurgitating them.
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A vegades, mentien per inèrcia.
05:47
Or, at moments, they lied out of habit.
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Però si tot el que saben són mentides,
05:52
But if all they have ever known were lies,
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¿com podem pretendre que siguin?
05:56
how could we expect them to be otherwise?
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Després, els vaig intentar ensenyar a escriure redaccions,
06:01
Next, I tried to teach them essay writing.
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però va resultar ser gairebé impossible.
06:04
But that turned out to be
nearly impossible.
nearly impossible.
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06:07
Essays are about coming up with
one's own thesis,
one's own thesis,
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Amb les redaccions cadascú ha d'escriure la seva pròpia tesi,
06:11
and making an evidence-based
argument to prove it.
argument to prove it.
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argumentant-la amb evidència per validar-la.
06:16
These students, however, were
simply told what to think,
simply told what to think,
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Però a aquests estudiants els diuen el què han de pensar
06:19
and they obeyed.
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i ells obeeixen.
06:21
In their world, critical thinking
was not allowed.
was not allowed.
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Al seu món, el pensament crític no estava permès.
06:26
I also gave them the weekly assignment
of writing a personal letter,
of writing a personal letter,
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També els vaig donar els deures setmanals
d'escriure una carta a algú.
06:31
to anybody.
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Va caldre molt de temps, però finalment
06:33
It took a long time, but eventually
some of them began to write
some of them began to write
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alguns d'ells van començar a escriure a la seves mares,
06:37
to their mothers, their friends,
their girlfriends.
their girlfriends.
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als seus amics, a les seves xicotes.
Encara que només eren deures, i mai no arribarien als seus destinataris,
06:42
Although those were just homework,
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06:45
and would never reach
their intended recipients,
their intended recipients,
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els meus alumnes van començar a revelar
06:49
my students slowly began to reveal
their true feelings in them.
their true feelings in them.
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els seus sentiments a les cartes.
06:54
They wrote that they were fed
up with the sameness of everything.
up with the sameness of everything.
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Escrivien que estaven farts de la monotonia de tot.
Estaven preocupats pel seu futur.
06:59
They were worried about their future.
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07:01
In those letters, they rarely ever
mentioned their Great Leader.
mentioned their Great Leader.
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En aquelles cartes, mencionaven el Gran Líder en molt poques ocasions.
Passava tot el meu temps amb aquells nois:
07:10
I was spending all of my time
with these young men.
with these young men.
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menjàvem junts, jugàvem a bàsquet junts...
07:14
We all ate meals together,
played basketball together.
played basketball together.
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07:19
I often called them gentlemen,
which made them giggle.
which made them giggle.
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Sovint, els anomenava "gentleman",
cosa que els feia riure nerviosament.
07:24
They blushed at the mention of girls.
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Es ruboritzaven si es mencionaven noies.
Vaig acabar per adorar-los.
07:28
And I came to adore them.
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07:30
And watching them open up
even in the tiniest of ways,
even in the tiniest of ways,
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I veure'ls obrir-se, encara que molt a poc a poc,
07:34
was deeply moving.
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era, senzillament, emotiu.
Però alguna cosa em feia sentir malament.
07:37
But something also felt wrong.
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07:40
During those months
of living in their world,
of living in their world,
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Durant aquells mesos en els que vivia al seu món,
07:43
I often wondered if the truth would,
in fact, improve their lives.
in fact, improve their lives.
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em vaig preguntar, sovint,
si la veritat milloraria les seves vides.
Desitjava dir-los la veritat,
07:51
I wanted so much to tell them the truth,
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07:54
of their country and of the outside world,
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la del seu país i la del món exterior,
07:58
where Arab youth were turning
their rotten regime inside out,
their rotten regime inside out,
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on el jovent àrab estava capgirant el seu règim podrit
amb el poder de les noves tecnologies;
08:02
using the power of social media,
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08:04
where everyone except them was
connected through the world wide web,
connected through the world wide web,
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on tothom, excepte ells, estava connectat a la xarxa.
08:08
which wasn't worldwide after all.
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08:13
But for them, the truth was dangerous.
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Però, per a ells, la veritat era perillosa.
08:18
By encouraging them to run after it,
I was putting them at risk --
I was putting them at risk --
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Encoratjar-los a buscar la veritat era posar-los
en perill de persecució, d'angoixa.
08:23
of persecution,
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08:26
of heartbreak.
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Quan no tens permís per expressar res obertament,
08:30
When you're not allowed to express
anything in the open,
anything in the open,
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08:33
you become good at reading
what is unspoken.
what is unspoken.
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aprens a llegir el silenci.
En una de les cartes personals, un estudiant
08:37
In one of their personal letters to me,
a student wrote that he understood
a student wrote that he understood
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va escriure que entenia perquè jo els anomenava "gentlemen".
08:42
why I always called them gentlemen.
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08:46
It was because I was wishing them
to be gentle in life, he said.
to be gentle in life, he said.
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Va dir que era perquè jo els desitjava que fossin tranquils, amables, a la vida.
Al meu últim dia, el desembre de 2011, quan es va anunciar la mort de Kim Jong-II,
08:54
On my last day in December of 2011,
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08:57
the day Kim Jong-Il's death was announced,
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09:00
their world shattered.
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el seu món es va trencar en mil bocins.
Vaig haver de marxar sense acomiadar-me com Déu mana,
09:04
I had to leave without a proper goodbye.
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però crec que sabien com de trista estava per ells.
09:08
But I think they knew
how sad I was for them.
how sad I was for them.
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Un cop, cap al final de la meva estada, un alumne em digué:
09:12
Once, toward the end of my stay,
a student said to me,
a student said to me,
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09:16
"Professor, we never think of you
as being different from us.
as being different from us.
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"Professora, no et considerem diferent de nosaltres.
09:21
Our circumstances are different,
but you're the same as us.
but you're the same as us.
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Les nostres circumstàncies són diferents, però ets la mateixa que nosaltres"
Volem que sàpigues que realment et veiem com una de nosaltres.
09:27
We want you to know that we truly
think of you as being the same."
think of you as being the same."
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Avui, si pogués respondre als meus alumnes
09:37
Today, if I could respond
to my students with a letter of my own,
to my students with a letter of my own,
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amb una carta escrita per mi, -cosa impossible, és clar-,
09:41
which is of course impossible,
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els respondria:
09:44
I would tell them this:
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"Estimats "gentlemen" meus,
09:49
"My dear gentlemen,
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han passat moltes coses des que us vaig veure
09:52
It's been a bit over three years
since I last saw you.
since I last saw you.
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per últim cop ara fa tres anys.
09:55
And now, you must be 22 --
maybe even as old as 23.
maybe even as old as 23.
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I ara, deveu tenir 22 anys, o fins i tot 23.
10:00
At our final class, I asked you
if there was anything you wanted.
if there was anything you wanted.
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A la nostra última classe, us vaig preguntar
si volíeu alguna cosa.
10:05
The only wish you expressed,
the only thing you ever asked of me
the only thing you ever asked of me
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L'únic desig que vau expressar,
l'única cosa que mai em vau demanar
en tots els mesos que vam passar junts,
10:09
in all those months we spent together,
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va ser que us parlés en coreà.
10:12
was for me to speak to you in Korean.
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Només un cop.
10:15
Just once.
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Jo estava allà per ensenyar-vos anglès,
10:17
I was there to teach you English;
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10:19
you knew it wasn't allowed.
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i sabíeu que no es podia fer.
Però vaig entendre que volíeu compartir
10:22
But I understood then, you wanted
to share that bond of our mother tongue.
to share that bond of our mother tongue.
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el lligam de la nostra llengua materna.
Us anomenava "gentlemen" meus,
10:30
I called you my gentlemen,
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però no sé si ser un "gentlemen" a la despietada Corea del Nord de Kim Jong-II
10:33
but I don't know if being gentle
in Kim Jong-Un's merciless North Korea
in Kim Jong-Un's merciless North Korea
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10:37
is a good thing.
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és quelcom bo.
10:39
I don't want you to lead a revolution --
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No vull que lidereu una revolució.
10:42
let some other young person do it.
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Deixeu que altres joves ho facin.
10:45
The rest of the world might casually
encourage or even expect
encourage or even expect
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La resta del món encoratjarà o esperarà, potser,
10:48
some sort of North Korean Spring,
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algun tipus de "primavera coreana".
10:50
but I don't want you to do anything risky,
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Però no vull que feu res arriscat,
10:53
because I know in your world,
someone is always watching.
someone is always watching.
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perquè sé que al vostre món sempre hi ha algú observant.
No em vull ni imaginar què us podria passar.
10:59
I don't want to imagine
what might happen to you.
what might happen to you.
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Si els meus intents d'arribar a vosaltres
11:02
If my attempts to reach you have
inspired something new in you,
inspired something new in you,
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us han inspirat quelcom nou en vosaltres,
preferiria que m'oblidéssiu.
11:07
I would rather you forget me.
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Esdeveniu soldats del vostre Gran líder
11:09
Become soldiers of your Great Leader,
and live long, safe lives.
and live long, safe lives.
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i tingueu una vida llarga i segura.
Una vegada, em vau preguntar si creia que la vostra ciutat, Pyongyang,
11:16
You once asked me if I thought
your city of Pyongyang was beautiful,
your city of Pyongyang was beautiful,
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era bonica.
11:21
and I could not answer truthfully then.
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Aquell cop, no vaig poder respondre honradament.
Però sé perquè ho vau preguntar.
11:25
But I know why you asked.
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11:27
I know that it was important for you
to hear that I, your teacher,
to hear that I, your teacher,
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Sé que per vosaltres era important que jo,
la vostra professora,
11:32
the one who has seen the world
that you are forbidden from,
that you are forbidden from,
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la que ha vist el món prohibit per vosaltres,
proclamés la vostra ciutat la més bonica.
11:35
declare your city as the most beautiful.
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Sé que escoltar això us faria més tolerables,
11:41
I know hearing that would make
your lives there a bit more bearable,
your lives there a bit more bearable,
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però no, no considero la vostra capital bonica.
11:46
but no, I don't find
your capital beautiful.
your capital beautiful.
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11:50
Not because it's monotone and concrete,
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No perquè sigui monòtona i de formigó,
sinó pel que simbolitza:
11:53
but because of what it symbolizes:
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11:55
a monster that feeds off
the rest of the country,
the rest of the country,
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un monstre que alimenta la resta del país,
12:00
where citizens are soldiers and slaves.
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on els ciutadans són soldats i esclaus.
Tot el que hi veig és foscor.
12:05
All I see there is darkness.
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Però és casa vostra, i no la puc odiar.
12:09
But it's your home, so I cannot hate it.
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En lloc d'això, espero, estimats "gentlemen" meus,
12:13
And I hope instead that you,
my lovely young gentlemen,
my lovely young gentlemen,
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12:18
will one day help make it beautiful.
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que algun dia ajudeu a fer-la bonica.
12:22
Thank you.
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Gràcies.
(Aplaudiments)
12:24
(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Suki Kim - WriterSuki Kim's investigation, "Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea's Elite," chronicles her six months undercover in Pyongyang during Kim Jong-Il's final six months. She worked as a teacher and a missionary in a university for future leaders -- all while writing her book.
Why you should listen
Suki Kim is the only writer to ever go undercover into North Korea to write a book from the inside. Since 2002, South Korean-born Kim travelled to North Korea, witnessing both Kim Jong-Il's 60th birthday celebration and his death at age 69 in 2011.
Her work sheds a new light on the understanding of the North Korean society by delving into its day-to-day life and provides unprecedented insights into the psychology of its ruling class, about whom the world knows very little.
Kim's novel, The Interpreter, was a finalist for a PEN Hemingway Prize, and her nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, Harper's and The New York Review of Books. She is the author of the investigation Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea's Elite.
Suki Kim | Speaker | TED.com