TEDxRainier
Lesley Hazleton: On reading the Koran
Lesley Hazleton: Čitati Kuran
Filmed:
Readability: 4.9
2,252,412 views
Lesley Hazelton sjela je jednog dana pročitati Kuran. I ono što je našla -- kao nemuslim, samoidentificirani "turist" u islamskoj svetoj knjizi -- nije bilo ono što je očekivala. S ozbiljnom školarinom i toplim humorom, Hazelton dijeli milost, fleksibilnost i misterij koji je pronašla, u ovom govoru za TEDxRainier koji razbija mit.
Lesley Hazleton - Writer, psychologist
Writer, psychologist and former Middle East reporter Lesley Hazleton explores the vast and often terrifying arena in which politics and religion intersect. Full bio
Writer, psychologist and former Middle East reporter Lesley Hazleton explores the vast and often terrifying arena in which politics and religion intersect. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
You may have heard
0
0
2000
Možda ste čuli
00:17
about the Koran's idea of paradise
1
2000
2000
o Kuranovoj ideji raja
00:19
being 72 virgins,
2
4000
2000
sa 72 djevice.
00:21
and I promise I will come back to those virgins.
3
6000
3000
Obećavam vam da ću se vratiti na te djevice.
00:24
But in fact, here in the northwest,
4
9000
2000
Ustvari, ovdje na sjeverozapadu,
00:26
we're living very close
5
11000
2000
živimo vrlo blizu
00:28
to the real Koranic idea of paradise,
6
13000
2000
pravoj Kuranovoj ideji raja,
00:30
defined 36 times
7
15000
2000
definiranoj 36 puta
00:32
as "gardens watered by running streams."
8
17000
4000
kao "vrtovi zaliveni vodopadima".
00:37
Since I live on a houseboat on the running stream of Lake Union,
9
22000
3000
Budući da živim na kuća-brodu na izvorištu jezera Union,
00:40
this makes perfect sense to me.
10
25000
3000
ovo mi ima potpunog smisla.
00:43
But the thing is, how come it's news to most people?
11
28000
3000
No stvar je u tome, kako to da su to novosti većini ljudi?
00:47
I know many well-intentioned non-Muslims
12
32000
3000
Poznajem mnoge dobromisleće ne-muslimane
00:50
who've begun reading the Koran, but given up,
13
35000
2000
koji su započeli čitati Kuran da bi odustali,
00:52
disconcerted by its "otherness."
14
37000
3000
uzdrmani njegovom posebnošću.
00:55
The historian Thomas Carlyle
15
40000
2000
Povjesničar Thomas Carlyle
00:57
considered Muhammad one of the world's greatest heroes,
16
42000
3000
je smatrao Muhameda jednim od najvećih svjetskih heroja,
01:00
yet even he called the Koran
17
45000
2000
no i on je nazvao Kuran,
01:02
"as toilsome reading as I ever undertook,
18
47000
3000
"Zamornije štivo koje sam ikada uzeo,
01:05
a wearisome, confused jumble."
19
50000
3000
dosadna, zbunjujuća hrpa".
01:08
(Laughter)
20
53000
2000
(Smijeh)
01:10
Part of the problem, I think,
21
55000
2000
Dio problema, mislim,
01:12
is that we imagine that the Koran can be read
22
57000
3000
je da smo zamislili da Kuran može biti čitan
01:15
as we usually read a book --
23
60000
2000
poput uobičajenog štiva --
01:17
as though we can curl up with it on a rainy afternoon
24
62000
3000
kao da se možemo s njime zavuči u krevet na kišno poslijepodne
01:20
with a bowl of popcorn within reach,
25
65000
2000
sa zdjelom kokica pri ruci,
01:22
as though God --
26
67000
2000
kao da Bog --
01:24
and the Koran is entirely in the voice of God speaking to Muhammad --
27
69000
3000
i Kuran je u potpunosti u glasu Boga koji govori Muhamedu --
01:27
were just another author on the bestseller list.
28
72000
3000
je samo još jedan autor na listi najprodavanijih knjiga.
01:32
Yet the fact that so few people
29
77000
2000
No činjenica da tako malo ljudi
01:34
do actually read the Koran
30
79000
2000
stvarno čita Kuran
01:36
is precisely why it's so easy to quote --
31
81000
3000
je precizan razlog zašto ga je tako lako citirati --
01:39
that is, to misquote.
32
84000
3000
to jest, pogrešno citirati.
01:42
Phrases and snippets taken out of context
33
87000
3000
Fraze i odlomci uzeti iz konteksta
01:45
in what I call the "highlighter version,"
34
90000
2000
u onome što zovem visoko-laganoj verziji,
01:47
which is the one favored by both Muslim fundamentalists
35
92000
3000
koja je favorizirana od strane muslimanskih fundamentalista
01:50
and anti-Muslim Islamophobes.
36
95000
3000
i anti-muslimanskih islamofoba.
01:53
So this past spring,
37
98000
2000
Stoga, prošlog proljeća,
01:55
as I was gearing up
38
100000
2000
dok sam se pripremala
01:57
to begin writing a biography of Muhammad,
39
102000
3000
započeti pisati biografiju o Muhamedu,
02:00
I realized I needed to read the Koran properly --
40
105000
3000
shvatila sam da mi je potrebno pročitati Kuran propisno --
02:03
as properly as I could, that is.
41
108000
3000
što propisnije u mojoj mogućnosti.
02:06
My Arabic's reduced by now
42
111000
2000
Moj arapski je bio reduciran dotad
02:08
to wielding a dictionary,
43
113000
2000
na korištenje rječnika,
02:10
so I took four well-known translations
44
115000
2000
stoga sam uzela četiri poznata prijevoda
02:12
and decided to read them side-by-side,
45
117000
2000
i odlučila čitati ih usporedno,
02:14
verse-by-verse
46
119000
2000
stih po stih
02:16
along with a transliteration
47
121000
3000
uz transliteraciju
02:19
and the original seventh-century Arabic.
48
124000
3000
i originalan arapski iz sedmoga stoljeća.
02:23
Now I did have an advantage.
49
128000
3000
Imala sam prednost.
02:27
My last book
50
132000
2000
Moja zadnja knjiga
02:29
was about the story behind the Shi'a-Sunni split,
51
134000
3000
je bila o priči iza Shia-Sunni razdora,
02:32
and for that I'd worked closely with the earliest Islamic histories,
52
137000
3000
i za nju sam radila blizu najranijih islamskh povijesti,
02:35
so I knew the events
53
140000
2000
tako da sam znala događaje
02:37
to which the Koran constantly refers,
54
142000
2000
koje Kuran stalno navodi,
02:39
its frame of reference.
55
144000
2000
svoj okvir navoda.
02:41
I knew enough, that is, to know
56
146000
2000
Znala sam dosta, to jest, znati
02:43
that I'd be a tourist in the Koran --
57
148000
3000
da ću biti turist u Kuranu --
02:46
an informed one,
58
151000
2000
informiran,
02:48
an experienced one even,
59
153000
2000
iskusan štoviše,
02:50
but still an outsider,
60
155000
2000
ali još uvijek outsajder,
02:52
an agnostic Jew
61
157000
2000
agnostički Židov
02:54
reading some else's holy book.
62
159000
2000
čitajući tuđu svetu knjigu.
02:56
(Laughter)
63
161000
2000
(Smijeh)
02:58
So I read slowly.
64
163000
2000
Stoga sporo čitam.
03:00
(Laughter)
65
165000
4000
(Smijeh)
03:04
I'd set aside three weeks for this project,
66
169000
3000
Ostavila sam si sa strane tri tjedna za ovaj projekt,
03:07
and that, I think, is what is meant by "hubris" --
67
172000
2000
i to je ono, što mislim da se podrazumijeva pod oholost.
03:09
(Laughter)
68
174000
4000
(Smijeh)
03:13
-- because it turned out to be three months.
69
178000
3000
Jer je na kraju ispalo tri mjeseca.
03:18
I did resist the temptation to skip to the back
70
183000
2000
Otrgla sam se iskušenju da preskočim na kraj
03:20
where the shorter and more clearly mystical chapters are.
71
185000
3000
gdje se nalaze kraća i jasnije mistična poglavlja.
03:23
But every time I thought I was beginning
72
188000
2000
Ali svaki put kad sam pomislila da sam započela
03:25
to get a handle on the Koran --
73
190000
2000
uhvatiti Kuran za rep --
03:27
that feeling of "I get it now" --
74
192000
2000
onaj osjećaj "Sad shvaćam" --
03:29
it would slip away overnight,
75
194000
2000
bi otišao preko noći.
03:31
and I'd come back in the morning
76
196000
2000
I onda bih se vratila ujutro
03:33
wondering if I wasn't lost in a strange land,
77
198000
3000
razmišljajući da li sam se izgubila u nepoznatoj zemlji.
03:36
and yet the terrain was very familiar.
78
201000
3000
Usprkos, teren je bio vrlo familijaran.
03:40
The Koran declares that it comes
79
205000
2000
Kuran izjavljuje da dolazi
03:42
to renew the message of the Torah and the Gospels.
80
207000
2000
obnoviti poruku Tore i evanđelja.
03:44
So one-third of it
81
209000
2000
Dakle trećina toga
03:46
reprises the stories of Biblical figures
82
211000
2000
ponavlja priče biblijskih figura
03:48
like Abraham, Moses,
83
213000
2000
poput Abrahama, Mojsija,
03:50
Joseph, Mary, Jesus.
84
215000
3000
Josipa, Marije, Isusa.
03:53
God himself was utterly familiar
85
218000
3000
Sam Bog je bio u potpunosti poznat
03:56
from his earlier manifestation as Yahweh --
86
221000
3000
po svojoj ranijoj manifestaciji kao Jahve --
03:59
jealously insisting on no other gods.
87
224000
3000
ljubomorno inzistirajući na monoteizmu.
04:03
The presence of camels, mountains,
88
228000
3000
Prisustvo deva, planina,
04:06
desert wells and springs
89
231000
2000
pustinjskih bunara i izvora
04:08
took me back to the year I spent
90
233000
2000
me odvelo unatrag godinama koje sam provela
04:10
wandering the Sinai Desert.
91
235000
2000
lutajući pustinjom Sinaj.
04:12
And then there was the language,
92
237000
2000
Zatim, tu je bio i jezik,
04:14
the rhythmic cadence of it,
93
239000
2000
njegova ritmička kadenca,
04:16
reminding me of evenings spent listening to Bedouin elders
94
241000
3000
podsječajući me na večeri provedene slušajući beduinske starješine
04:19
recite hours-long narrative poems
95
244000
3000
kako recitiraju satima duge epove
04:22
entirely from memory.
96
247000
3000
u potpunosti napamet.
04:25
And I began to grasp
97
250000
2000
Započela sam hvatati
04:27
why it's said
98
252000
3000
što je rečeno
04:30
that the Koran is really the Koran
99
255000
3000
time da je Kuran pravi Kuran
04:33
only in Arabic.
100
258000
2000
jedino na arapskom.
04:35
Take the Fatihah,
101
260000
2000
Uzmite Faatihah,
04:37
the seven-verse opening chapter
102
262000
2000
prvo poglavlje od sedam stihova
04:39
that is the Lord's Prayer and the Shema Yisrael of Islam combined.
103
264000
4000
je Božja molitva i Shema Izrael od Islama zajedno.
04:44
It's just 29 words in Arabic,
104
269000
2000
To je samo 29 arapskih riječi,
04:46
but anywhere from 65 to 72 in translation.
105
271000
4000
ali sa 65 do 72 prijevoda.
04:50
And yet the more you add,
106
275000
2000
Što više dodajete,
04:52
the more seems to go missing.
107
277000
3000
više se i čini da nedostaje.
04:55
The Arabic has an incantatory,
108
280000
3000
Arapski ima ritualno recitiranje,
04:58
almost hypnotic, quality
109
283000
2000
gotovo hipnotizirajuće, kvaliteta
05:00
that begs to be heard rather than read,
110
285000
3000
koja moli da bude saslušana umjesto pročitana,
05:03
felt more than analyzed.
111
288000
3000
osjećana više nego analizirana.
05:06
It wants to be chanted out loud,
112
291000
2000
Želi biti ispjevana naglas,
05:08
to sound its music in the ear and on the tongue.
113
293000
3000
da odzvanja svoju glazbu u uhu i na jeziku.
05:11
So the Koran in English
114
296000
2000
Dakle Kuran na engleskom
05:13
is a kind of shadow of itself,
115
298000
3000
je jedna vrsta vlastite sjene,
05:16
or as Arthur Arberry called his version,
116
301000
3000
ili kao što je Arthur Arberry nazvao svoju verziju,
05:19
"an interpretation."
117
304000
2000
"interpretacijom".
05:22
But all is not lost in translation.
118
307000
3000
Ali nije sve izgubljeno u prijevodu.
05:25
As the Koran promises, patience is rewarded,
119
310000
3000
Kao što Kuran obećava, strpljenje je nagrađeno,
05:28
and there are many surprises --
120
313000
2000
i postoje mnoga iznenađenja --
05:30
a degree of environmental awareness, for instance,
121
315000
3000
stupanj svijesnosti okoliša na primjer
05:33
and of humans as mere stewards of God's creation,
122
318000
3000
i ljudi kao podvornici Božje kreacije,
05:36
unmatched in the Bible.
123
321000
3000
nepodudarnost s Biblijom.
05:39
And where the Bible is addressed exclusively to men,
124
324000
3000
I dok se Biblija ekskluzivno obraća muškarcima,
05:42
using the second and third person masculine,
125
327000
2000
koristeći drugo i treće lice muškog roda,
05:44
the Koran includes women --
126
329000
3000
Kuran uključuje žene --
05:47
talking, for instance,
127
332000
2000
govoreći, primjerice,
05:49
of believing men and believing women,
128
334000
2000
o vjernicima i vjernicama --
05:51
honorable men and honorable women.
129
336000
3000
časnim muškarcima i časnim ženama.
05:56
Or take the infamous verse
130
341000
2000
Ili uzmite ozloglašen stih
05:58
about killing the unbelievers.
131
343000
2000
o ubijanju nevjernika.
06:00
Yes, it does say that,
132
345000
2000
Da, to govori,
06:02
but in a very specific context:
133
347000
3000
ali u vrlo specifičnom kontekstu:
06:05
the anticipated conquest
134
350000
2000
očekivan poraz
06:07
of the sanctuary city of Mecca
135
352000
2000
grada utočišta Meke
06:09
where fighting was usually forbidden,
136
354000
3000
gdje je borba bila uobičajeno zabranjena.
06:12
and the permission comes hedged about with qualifiers.
137
357000
3000
Dozvola dolazi pokrivena s kvalificiranima.
06:15
Not "You must kill unbelievers in Mecca,"
138
360000
3000
Nije, morate ubiti nevjernike u Meki,
06:18
but you can, you are allowed to,
139
363000
3000
ali možete, dopušteno vam je,
06:21
but only after a grace period is over
140
366000
3000
ali tek nakon perioda milosti
06:25
and only if there's no other pact in place
141
370000
3000
i samo ako nema drugog dogovora
06:28
and only if they try to stop you getting to the Kaaba,
142
373000
3000
i samo ako vas zaustave na putu do Kaabe,
06:31
and only if they attack you first.
143
376000
3000
i samo ako vas oni prvi napadnu.
06:34
And even then -- God is merciful;
144
379000
3000
I čak tada -- Bog je milostiv,
06:37
forgiveness is supreme --
145
382000
3000
oproštenje je vrhovno --
06:40
and so, essentially,
146
385000
2000
i stoga, zapravo,
06:42
better if you don't.
147
387000
2000
bolje ako ne ubijete.
06:44
(Laughter)
148
389000
3000
(Smijeh)
06:47
This was perhaps the biggest surprise --
149
392000
3000
Ovo je najvjerovatnije najveće iznenađenje --
06:50
how flexible the Koran is,
150
395000
2000
koliko je Kuran fleksibilan,
06:52
at least in minds that are not
151
397000
2000
barem u umovima koji nisu
06:54
fundamentally inflexible.
152
399000
3000
fundamentalno nefleskibilni.
06:57
"Some of these verses are definite in meaning," it says,
153
402000
3000
"Neki od ovih stihova su konačni u značenju", Kuran govori,
07:00
"and others are ambiguous."
154
405000
3000
"a drugi su dvosmisleni.
07:03
The perverse at heart
155
408000
2000
Izopačeni u srcu
07:05
will seek out the ambiguities,
156
410000
2000
će tražiti dvosmislenosti
07:07
trying to create discord
157
412000
2000
pokušavajući stvoriti neslogu
07:09
by pinning down meanings of their own.
158
414000
3000
pripisivajući značenja na vlastitu ruku.
07:12
Only God knows the true meaning.
159
417000
3000
Samo Bog zna pravo značenje".
07:16
The phrase "God is subtle"
160
421000
2000
Fraza "Bog je suptilan"
07:18
appears again and again,
161
423000
2000
se ponavlja.
07:20
and indeed, the whole of the Koran is far more subtle
162
425000
2000
Uistinu, cijeli Kuran je daleko više suptilan
07:22
than most of us have been led to believe.
163
427000
2000
nego što su mnogi spremni vjerovati.
07:24
As in, for instance,
164
429000
2000
Poput u, na primjer,
07:26
that little matter
165
431000
2000
toj maloj stvari
07:28
of virgins and paradise.
166
433000
3000
o djevicama i raju.
07:31
Old-fashioned Orientalism comes into play here.
167
436000
3000
Staromodan orijentalizam dolazi do izražaja ovdje.
07:35
The word used four times
168
440000
2000
Riječ upotrebljena četiri puta
07:37
is Houris,
169
442000
2000
je Houris,
07:39
rendered as
170
444000
2000
predočena kao
07:41
dark-eyed maidens with swelling breasts,
171
446000
3000
tamnooke djeve s nabreklim grudima,
07:44
or as fair, high-bosomed virgins.
172
449000
3000
ili kao svijetlopute djevice podignutih grudi.
07:48
Yet all there is in the original Arabic
173
453000
2000
Ipak, sve što se nalazi na originalnom arapskom
07:50
is that one word: Houris.
174
455000
3000
je ta jedna riječ: Houris.
07:54
Not a swelling breast nor a high bosom in sight.
175
459000
3000
Nema nabrekle grudi niti podignutih grudi na vidiku.
07:57
(Laughter)
176
462000
2000
(Smijeh)
07:59
Now this may be a way of saying
177
464000
2000
Ovo bi mogao biti jedan način prijevoda
08:01
"pure beings" -- like in angels --
178
466000
2000
čista bića -- poput u anđela --
08:03
or it may be like the Greek Kouros or Kórē,
179
468000
3000
ili bi moglo biti poput grčkog Kourosa ili Kore,
08:06
an eternal youth.
180
471000
2000
vječna mladost.
08:08
But the truth is nobody really knows,
181
473000
3000
Ali istina je da nitko ne zna,
08:11
and that's the point.
182
476000
2000
i to je taj smisao.
08:13
Because the Koran is quite clear
183
478000
2000
Jer Kuran je dosta jasan
08:15
when it says that you'll be
184
480000
2000
kad kaže da ćete biti
08:17
"a new creation in paradise"
185
482000
3000
"nova kreacija u raju"
08:20
and that you will be "recreated
186
485000
2000
i da ćete biti "ponovno stvoreni
08:22
in a form unknown to you,"
187
487000
3000
u vama nepoznat oblik",
08:25
which seems to me a far more appealing prospect
188
490000
3000
što mi se čini kao daleko primamljivo očekivanje
08:28
than a virgin.
189
493000
2000
od djevice.
08:30
(Laughter)
190
495000
8000
(Smijeh)
08:38
And that number 72 never appears.
191
503000
3000
Taj broj 72 se nikada ne pojavljuje.
08:41
There are no 72 virgins
192
506000
2000
Nema 72 djevice
08:43
in the Koran.
193
508000
2000
u Kuranu.
08:45
That idea only came into being 300 years later,
194
510000
3000
Ta je ideja rođena 300 godina poslije,
08:48
and most Islamic scholars see it as the equivalent
195
513000
3000
i većina islamskih akademika je vide istoznačnu
08:51
of people with wings sitting on clouds
196
516000
2000
ljudima s krilima koji sjede na oblacima
08:53
and strumming harps.
197
518000
2000
svirajući harfe.
08:56
Paradise is quite the opposite.
198
521000
3000
Raj je nešto sasvim drugo.
08:59
It's not virginity;
199
524000
2000
Nije djevičanstvo,
09:01
it's fecundity.
200
526000
2000
ono je plodnost,
09:03
It's plenty.
201
528000
2000
ono je izobilje,
09:05
It's gardens watered
202
530000
2000
ono je zaliven vrt
09:07
by running streams.
203
532000
3000
vodopadima.
09:10
Thank you.
204
535000
2000
Hvala vam.
09:12
(Applause)
205
537000
15000
(Pljesak)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Lesley Hazleton - Writer, psychologistWriter, psychologist and former Middle East reporter Lesley Hazleton explores the vast and often terrifying arena in which politics and religion intersect.
Why you should listen
Lesley Hazleton has traced the roots of conflict in several books, including compelling 'flesh-and-blood' biographies of Muhammad and Mary, and casts "an agnostic eye on politics, religion, and existence" on her blog, AccidentalTheologist.com.
Her newest book, Agnostic: A Spirited Manifesto, celebrates the agnostic stance as "rising above the flat two-dimensional line of belief/unbelief, creating new possibilities for how we think about being in the world." In it, she explores what we mean by the search for meaning, invokes the humbling perspective of infinity and reconsiders what we talk about when we talk about soul.
Hazleton's approach has been praised as "vital and mischievous" by the New York Times, and as "a positive orientation to life, one that embraces both science and mystery ... while remaining intimately grounded and engaged."
Lesley Hazleton | Speaker | TED.com