ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Lisa Bu - Passionate reader
Lisa Bu has built a career helping people find great stories to listen to. Now she tells her own story.

Why you should listen

At TED's annual staff retreat, everyone has to get up and talk about something -- either about work, or about something interesting from their own lives. In fall 2012, our own Lisa Bu prepared a talk about her love of reading. And our quiet, funny and efficient Content Distribution Manager simply brought down the house, with a story that's too good not to share. We are thrilled and proud that Lisa is the first TED staffer ever to be invited to speak on the mainstage at the TED Conference.

Born and raised in Hunan, China, Lisa Bu has been with TED since 2011. Before that, she spent seven years as a talk show producer and a digital media content director at Wisconsin Public Radio. She's also a computer programmer, with a PhD in journalism and an MBA in information systems from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as a BA in Chinese from Nanjing University in China.

More profile about the speaker
Lisa Bu | Speaker | TED.com
TED2013

Lisa Bu: How books can open your mind

Lisa Bu: Kako knjige širijo obzorja

Filmed:
4,963,279 views

Kaj se zgodi, ko se otroške sanje ... ne uresničijo? Ko se je Lisa Bu navadila na novo življenje v ZDA, se je zatekla h knjigam, si ob njih širila obzorja in našla novo pot zase. V tem lepem in osebnem govoru o magiji knjig z nami deli svoj edinstveni pristop k branju.
- Passionate reader
Lisa Bu has built a career helping people find great stories to listen to. Now she tells her own story. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
So I was trainedusposobljeni to becomepostane a gymnasttelovadka
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Dve leti sem trenirala, da bi postala telovadka.
00:15
for two yearslet in HunanHunan, ChinaKitajska in the 1970s.
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To je bilo v 1970. letih v Hunanu na Kitajskem.
00:18
When I was in the first graderazred, the governmentvlada
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Ko sem bila v prvem razredu, me je vlada
00:21
wanted to transferprenos me to a schoolšola for athletesšportniki,
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želela premestiti v šolo za atlete
00:24
all expensesstroški paidplačani.
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z vsemi plačanimi stroški.
00:26
But my tigerTiger mothermama said, "No."
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Moja odločna mati pa je rekla ne.
00:28
My parentsstarši wanted me to becomepostane
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Starša sta želela, da bi postala
00:30
an engineerinženir like them.
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inženirka, tako kot onadva.
00:33
After survivingpreživeli the CulturalKulturne RevolutionRevolucija,
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Preživela sta kulturno revolucijo
00:35
they firmlytrdno believedverjel there's only one sure way to happinesssreča:
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in trdno sta bila prepričana, da obstaja samo ena pot do sreče:
00:38
a safevarno and well-paiddobro plačano jobdelo.
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varna in dobro plačana služba.
00:41
It is not importantpomembno if I like the jobdelo or not.
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Ni pomembno, ali ti je služba všeč ali ne.
00:44
But my dreamsanje was to becomepostane a Chinesekitajščina operaopera singerpevka.
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Jaz pa sem sanjala, da bi postala pevka v kitajski operi.
00:49
That is me playingigranje my imaginaryimaginarni pianoklavir.
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Tule igram svoj namišljeni klavir.
00:53
An operaopera singerpevka mustmoraš startZačni trainingusposabljanje youngmladi
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Operni pevci morajo vaditi od malih nog,
00:55
to learnučiti se acrobaticsakrobacije,
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se naučiti akrobatike,
00:57
so I triedposkušal everything I could to go to operaopera schoolšola.
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zato sem naredila vse, da bi se lahko vpisala v operno šolo.
01:00
I even wrotenapisal to the schoolšola principalglavni
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Celo ravnatelju sem pisala
01:02
and the hostgostitelj of a radioradio showshow.
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in voditelju radijske oddaje tudi.
01:05
But no adultsodrasli likedVšeč mi je the ideaideja.
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A nobenemu od odraslih moja ideja ni bila všeč.
01:09
No adultsodrasli believedverjel I was seriousresno.
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Nihče ni verjel, da mislim resno.
01:11
Only my friendsprijatelji supportedpodprto me, but they were kidsotroci,
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Samo prijatelji so me podpirali, a bili so otroci,
01:15
just as powerlessnemočen as I was.
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prav tako nemočni kot jaz sama.
01:17
So at agestarost 15, I knewvedel I was too oldstar to be trainedusposobljeni.
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Pri petnajstih sem vedela, da sem prestara.
01:23
My dreamsanje would never come trueresnično.
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Moje sanje se ne bodo nikoli uresničile.
01:26
I was afraidstrah that for the restpočitek of my life
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Bala sem se, da bom do konca življenja
01:29
some second-classpavšalen happinesssreča
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lahko upala kvečjemu na
01:31
would be the bestnajboljši I could hopeupanje for.
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neko drugorazredno srečo.
01:34
But that's so unfairnepoštene.
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Ampak to je tako nepravično.
01:36
So I was determineddoločena to find anotherdrugo callingklicanje.
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Odločila sem se najti drug poklic.
01:40
NobodyNihče ne around to teachučiti me? Fine.
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Nikogar ni bilo, ki bi me učil? Prav.
01:43
I turnedobrnjen to booksknjige.
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Obrnila sem se h knjigam.
01:45
I satisfiedzadovoljni my hungerlakota for parentalstarševski advicenasvet
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Svojo lakoto po starševskih nasvetih sem potešila
01:49
from this bookknjigo by a familydružina of writerspisatelji and musiciansglasbeniki.["CorrespondenceKorespondenca in the FamilyDružina of FouFou LeiLei"]
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s tole knjigo, ki jo je napisala družina pisateljev in glasbenikov.
01:54
I foundnajdemo my rolevloga modelmodel of an independentneodvisno womanženska
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Našla sem svojo vzornico v obliki samostojne ženske,
01:57
when ConfucianKonfučijski traditiontradicija requireszahteva obedienceposlušnosti.["JaneJane EyreEyre"]
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medtem ko konfucijanska tradicija zahteva ubogljivost.
02:01
And I learnednaučili to be efficientučinkovito from this bookknjigo.["CheaperCenejši by the DozenDeset"]
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In tale knjiga me je naučila učinkovitosti.
02:04
And I was inspirednavdihnjen to studyštudija abroadv tujini after readingbranje these.
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Po tehle sem dobila navdih za študij v tujini.
02:08
["CompleteDokončanje WorksDela of SanmaoSanmao" (akaaka EchoECHO ChanChan)] ["LessonsLekcije From HistoryZgodovina" by NanNan HuaijinHuaijin]
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("Zbrana dela Sanmaa" (Echo Chan))
("Lekcije iz zgodovine", Nan Huaijin)
02:10
I cameprišel to the U.S. in 1995,
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V ZDA sem prišla leta 1995.
02:14
so whichki booksknjige did I readpreberite here first?
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In kaj sem najprej prebrala?
02:16
BooksKnjige bannedprepovedano in ChinaKitajska, of courseseveda.
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Knjige, ki so na Kitajskem prepovedane, seveda.
02:20
"The Good EarthZemlja" is about Chinesekitajščina peasantkmečki life.
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"Dobra Zemlja" govori o kitajskem kmečkem življenju.
02:24
That's just not convenientpriročno for propagandapropaganda. Got it.
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Pač ni primerna za propagando. Razumem.
02:28
The BibleSveto pismo is interestingzanimivo, but strangečudno.
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Biblija je zanimiva, ampak čudna.
02:31
(LaughterSmeh)
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(smeh)
02:34
That's a topictemo for a differentdrugačen day.
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To je tema za kak drug dan.
02:37
But the fifthpeti commandmentzapoved gavedala me an epiphanyRazodetje:
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A peta zapoved je prinesla razsvetljenje:
02:41
"You shallse honorčast your fatherOče and mothermama."
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"Spoštuj očeta in mater."
02:44
"HonorČast," I said. "That's so differentdrugačen,
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"Spoštuj", pravi. To je tako drugače
02:47
and better, than obeyubogati."
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in boljše od "ubogaj".
02:48
So it becomespostane my toolorodje to climbplezati out
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Postala je moje orodje za izhod
02:51
of this ConfucianKonfučijski guiltkrivde trappast
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iz konfucijanske pasti krivde
02:53
and to restartponovni zagon my relationshiprazmerje with my parentsstarši.
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in mi omogočila na novo začeti odnos s starši.
02:57
EncounteringSrečujejo a newnovo culturekulturo alsotudi startedzačel my habitnavada
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V novi kulturi sem razvila tudi navado
03:00
of comparativeprimerjalno readingbranje.
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primerjalnega branja.
03:02
It offersponudbe manyveliko insightsvpogledi.
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To prinese veliko spoznanj.
03:04
For exampleprimer, I foundnajdemo this mapzemljevid out of placemesto at first
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Na primer, sprva sem mislila, da je ta zemljevid nenavaden,
03:09
because this is what Chinesekitajščina studentsštudenti grewnaraščal up with.
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saj kitajski študentje odrastejo s takim.
03:14
It had never occurredprišlo to me,
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Nikoli nisem pomislila,
03:15
ChinaKitajska doesn't have to be at the centercenter of the worldsvet.
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da Kitajska ni nujno v središču sveta.
03:18
A mapzemljevid actuallydejansko carriesnosi somebody'snekdo je viewpogled.
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Zemljevid pravzaprav kaže nekogaršnji pogled.
03:22
ComparativePrimerjalno readingbranje actuallydejansko is nothing newnovo.
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Primerjalno branje v bistvu ni nič novega.
03:25
It's a standardstandard practicepraksa in the academicakademski worldsvet.
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V akademskem svetu je uveljavljena praksa.
03:28
There are even researchraziskave fieldspolja
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Cela raziskovalna področja obstajajo,
03:30
suchtako as comparativeprimerjalno religionreligija and comparativeprimerjalno literatureliteratura.
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recimo primerjalna religiologija in primerjalna književnost.
03:34
ComparePrimerjati and contrastkontrast givesdaje scholarsŠtipendisti
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Primerjava znanstvenikom nudi
03:36
a more completepopolna understandingrazumevanje of a topictemo.
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bolj celovito razumevanje teme.
03:39
So I thought, well, if comparativeprimerjalno readingbranje
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Zato sem si mislila, no, če primerjalno branje
03:41
worksdela for researchraziskave, why not do it in dailydnevno life too?
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deluje v raziskovanju, zakaj ne bi v vsakodnevnem življenju?
03:44
So I startedzačel readingbranje booksknjige in pairspari.
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Tako sem začela knjige brati v parih.
03:48
So they can be about people --
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Lahko so o ljudeh
03:49
["BenjaminBenjamin FranklinFranklin" by WalterWalter IsaacsonIsaacson]["JohnJohn AdamsAdams" by DavidDavid McCulloughMcCullough] --
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("Benjamin Franklin", Walter Isaacson) ("John Adams", David McCollough)
03:50
who are involvedvključeni in the sameenako eventdogodek,
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ki so vpleteni v isti dogodek,
03:52
or friendsprijatelji with shareddeljeno experiencesizkušnje.
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o prijateljih, ki delijo doživetja.
03:55
["PersonalOsebni HistoryZgodovina" by KatharineKatharine GrahamGraham]["The SnowballPlaz: WarrenWarren BuffettBuffett and the BusinessPoslovni of Life," by AliceAlice SchroederSchroeder]
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("Osebna zgodovina", Katherine Graham) ("Snežna kepa: Warren Buffett in posel življenja", Alice Schroeder)
03:56
I alsotudi compareprimerjati the sameenako storieszgodbe in differentdrugačen genreszvrsti -- (LaughterSmeh)
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Primerjam tudi iste zgodbe skozi različne žanre (smeh)
04:01
[HolySveti BibleSveto pismo: KingKralj JamesJames VersionRazličica]["LambJagnje" by ChrisopherChrisopher MooreMoore] --
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("Sveto pismo: Verzija kralja Jakoba") ("Jagnje", Christopher Moore)
04:03
or similarpodobno storieszgodbe from differentdrugačen cultureskulture,
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ali podobne zgodbe iz različnih kultur,
04:06
as JosephJoseph CampbellCampbell did in his wonderfulČudovito bookknjigo.["The PowerMoč of MythMIT" by JosephJoseph CampbellCampbell]
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kot je to storil Joseph Campbell v svoji čudoviti knjigi.
04:09
For exampleprimer, bothoboje the ChristKristus and the BuddhaBuda
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Tako Kristus kot Buda, na primer,
04:12
wentšla throughskozi threetri temptationsskušnjave.
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sta se soočala s tremi skušnjavami.
04:15
For the ChristKristus, the temptationsskušnjave
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Kristusove so bile
04:17
are economicgospodarsko, politicalpolitično and spiritualduhovno.
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ekonomska, politična in duhovna.
04:21
For the BuddhaBuda, they are all psychologicalpsihološko:
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Budine so bile vse psihološke:
04:25
lustpoželenje, fearstrah and socialsocialno dutydolžnost -- interestingzanimivo.
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poželenje, strah in družbena odgovornost - zanimivo.
04:32
So if you know a foreigntuji languagejezik, it's alsotudi funzabavno
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Če razumete tuj jezik, je zabavno tudi
04:35
to readpreberite your favoritenajljubši booksknjige in two languagesjezikov.
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brati najljubše knjige v dveh jezikih.
04:37
["The Way of ChuangChuang TzuCu" ThomasThomas MertonMerton]["TaoTao: The WatercourseVodotoku Way" AlanAlan WattsWatts]
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("Pot Čuang Tzuja", Thomas Merton) ("Tao: pot vode", Alan Watts)
04:38
InsteadNamesto of lostizgubljen in translationprevod, I foundnajdemo there is much to gaindobiček.
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Ne gre za izgubljeno s prevodom, ampak za veliko korist.
04:42
For exampleprimer, it's throughskozi translationprevod that I realizedrealiziran
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Na primer, skozi prevod sem spoznala,
04:46
"happinesssreča" in Chinesekitajščina literallydobesedno meanssredstva "fasthitro joyveselje." Huh!
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da "sreča" v kitajščini dobesedno pomeni "hitro veselje". Ha!
04:52
"BrideNevesta" in Chinesekitajščina literallydobesedno meanssredstva "newnovo mothermama." Uh-ohUh-ne tvezi mi.
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"Nevesta" je v kitajščini dobesedno "nova mati." Ojoj.
04:57
(LaughterSmeh)
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(smeh)
05:01
BooksKnjige have givendan me a magicmagija portalportal to connectpovezati with people
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Knjige so mi odprle magična vrata, ki vodijo v stik z ljudmi
05:06
of the pastpreteklost and the presentprisotni.
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iz preteklosti in sedanjosti.
05:09
I know I shallse never feel lonelyosamljen or powerlessnemočen again.
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Nikoli več ne bom osamljena ali nemočna.
05:13
HavingOb a dreamsanje shatteredrazbili really is nothing
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To, da so mi uničili sanje, ni nič
05:16
comparedprimerjali to what manyveliko othersdrugi have sufferedtrpel.
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v primerjavi s trpljenjem mnogih drugih ljudi.
05:19
I have come to believe that comingprihajajo trueresnično
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Verjamem, da uresničitev sanj
05:21
is not the only purposenamen of a dreamsanje.
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ni njihov edini namen.
05:25
Its mostnajbolj importantpomembno purposenamen is to get us in touchdotaknite se
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Najpomembnejši namen je najti stik
05:29
with where dreamssanje come from,
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s prostorom, od koder prihajajo sanje,
05:31
where passionstrast comesprihaja from, where happinesssreča comesprihaja from.
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od koder prihajajo strasti in kjer je sreča.
05:34
Even a shatteredrazbili dreamsanje can do that for you.
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Celo uničene sanje vam to lahko prinesejo.
05:38
So because of booksknjige, I'm here todaydanes,
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Danes sem tu zaradi knjig,
05:40
happyvesel, livingživeti again with a purposenamen and a clarityjasnost,
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srečna, živim z namenom in jasnim pogledom,
05:44
mostnajbolj of the time.
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vsaj večino časa.
05:45
So maylahko booksknjige be always with you.
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Naj bodo knjige vedno z vami.
05:49
Thank you.
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Hvala.
05:50
(ApplauseAplavz)
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(aplavz)¸
05:52
Thank you. (ApplauseAplavz)
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Hvala. (aplavz)
05:56
Thank you. (ApplauseAplavz)
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Hvala. (aplavz)
Translated by Klavdija Cernilogar
Reviewed by Jonathan Rebec

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Lisa Bu - Passionate reader
Lisa Bu has built a career helping people find great stories to listen to. Now she tells her own story.

Why you should listen

At TED's annual staff retreat, everyone has to get up and talk about something -- either about work, or about something interesting from their own lives. In fall 2012, our own Lisa Bu prepared a talk about her love of reading. And our quiet, funny and efficient Content Distribution Manager simply brought down the house, with a story that's too good not to share. We are thrilled and proud that Lisa is the first TED staffer ever to be invited to speak on the mainstage at the TED Conference.

Born and raised in Hunan, China, Lisa Bu has been with TED since 2011. Before that, she spent seven years as a talk show producer and a digital media content director at Wisconsin Public Radio. She's also a computer programmer, with a PhD in journalism and an MBA in information systems from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as a BA in Chinese from Nanjing University in China.

More profile about the speaker
Lisa Bu | Speaker | TED.com