TEDSummit
Pico Iyer: The beauty of what we'll never know
Pico Iyer: Uzuri wa ambavyo hatutovijua
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Takribani miaka 30 iliyopita,Pico Iyer alisafiri kwenda Japan, akaipenda nchi na akahamia huko. Mfwatiliaji wa karibu wa roho ya binadamu, Iyer anasema kwamba sasa anaona anajua machache kuhusiana na Japan -- au, hakika, kuhusu chochote kile -- kama ambavyo alidhani anajua miongo mitatu iliyopita. Kwenye hii tafakari ya kishairi kuhusu hekima, Iyer anaelezea kuhusu uelewa unavyokuja na umri: kadri tunavyodhani tunajua, ndivyo tunagundua tunajua kidogo.
Pico Iyer - Global author
Pico Iyer has spent more than 30 years tracking movement and stillness -- and the way criss-crossing cultures have changed the world, our imagination and all our relationships. Full bio
Pico Iyer has spent more than 30 years tracking movement and stillness -- and the way criss-crossing cultures have changed the world, our imagination and all our relationships. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
One hot October morning,
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Asubuhi moja ya mwezi Oktoba yenye joto,
00:16
I got off the all-night train
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nilishuka kutoka kwenye treni ya usiku
00:19
in Mandalay,
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Mandalay,
00:20
the old royal capital of Burma,
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mji mkuu wa kifalme wa zamani wa Burma,
00:23
now Myanmar.
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sasa Myanmar.
00:25
And out on the street, I ran into
a group of rough men
a group of rough men
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Kwenye mtaa, nikakutana na kundi la
wanaume ambao ni wakorofi
wanaume ambao ni wakorofi
00:29
standing beside their bicycle rickshaws.
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wakiwa wamesimama pembeni ya baiskeli zao.
00:33
And one of them came up
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Mmoja kati yao akanifuata
00:35
and offered to show me around.
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na kujitolea kunionesha maeneo.
00:38
The price he quoted was outrageous.
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Bei aliyoitaja ilikuwa ni ya kushangaza.
00:41
It was less than I would pay
for a bar of chocolate at home.
for a bar of chocolate at home.
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Ilikuwa ni kidogo kuliko ambayo ningetumia
kununua chokoleti nyumbani.
kununua chokoleti nyumbani.
00:45
So I clambered into his trishaw,
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Nikapanda kwenye baiskeli yake,
00:49
and he began pedaling us slowly
between palaces and pagodas.
between palaces and pagodas.
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na akaanza kutuendesha polepole
kwenye makasri na mahekalu.
kwenye makasri na mahekalu.
00:55
And as he did, he told me how
he had come to the city from his village.
he had come to the city from his village.
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Wakati anaendesha, akaniambia jinsi
alivyokuja mjini kutoka kijijini kwake.
alivyokuja mjini kutoka kijijini kwake.
01:01
He'd earned a degree in mathematics.
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Alikuwa na digrii ya hisabati.
01:03
His dream was to be a teacher.
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Ndoto yake ilikuwa awe mwalimu.
01:06
But of course, life is hard
under a military dictatorship,
under a military dictatorship,
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Hakika maisha ni magumu kwenye
udikteta wa kijeshi,
udikteta wa kijeshi,
01:11
and so for now, this was the only way
he could make a living.
he could make a living.
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kwa sasa, hii ilikuwa ni namna
pekee ya kujipatia kipato.
pekee ya kujipatia kipato.
01:16
Many nights, he told me,
he actually slept in his trishaw
he actually slept in his trishaw
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Mara nyingi usiku, aliniambia,
alilala kwenye guta yake
alilala kwenye guta yake
01:20
so he could catch the first visitors
off the all-night train.
off the all-night train.
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ili kusudi apate wateja wa kwanza
wa treni ya usiku.
wa treni ya usiku.
01:27
And very soon, we found
that in certain ways,
that in certain ways,
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Punde si punde, tukagundua kwamba
kwa namna fulani
kwa namna fulani
01:31
we had so much in common --
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tuna mengi ya kufanana --
01:33
we were both in our 20s,
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wote tulikuwa kwenye miaka ya 20,
01:34
we were both fascinated
by foreign cultures --
by foreign cultures --
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sote tulikuwa tunavutiwa na
tamaduni za kigeni --
tamaduni za kigeni --
01:38
that he invited me home.
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mpaka akanikaribisha nyumbani.
01:42
So we turned off the wide,
crowded streets,
crowded streets,
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Tukatoka kwenye mtaa wenye watu wengi,
01:45
and we began bumping
down rough, wild alleyways.
down rough, wild alleyways.
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na tukaanza kupita kwenye njia zenye
mabonde na kona nyingi
mabonde na kona nyingi
01:50
There were broken shacks all around.
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Kulikuwa na nyumba zilizo bomoka
kila sehemu.
kila sehemu.
01:52
I really lost the sense of where I was,
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Kwakweli sikujua nilipokuwepo,
01:56
and I realized that anything
could happen to me now.
could happen to me now.
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na nikagundua kua chochote
kinaweza kunitokea sasa.
kinaweza kunitokea sasa.
01:59
I could get mugged or drugged
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Ninaweza ibiwa au leweshwa
02:02
or something worse.
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au kibaya zaidi.
02:03
Nobody would know.
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Hamna ambaye angejua.
02:06
Finally, he stopped and led me into a hut,
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Mwishowe, akasimama na akanipeleka
kwenye kibanda,
kwenye kibanda,
02:10
which consisted of just one tiny room.
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ambacho kilikuwa na chumba kimoja
tu kidogo.
tu kidogo.
02:14
And then he leaned down,
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Kisha akainama chini,
02:16
and reached under his bed.
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kwenye kitanda chake.
02:19
And something in me froze.
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Kitu ndani yangu kikaganda.
02:24
I waited to see what he would pull out.
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Nikawa nasubiri nione atavuta nini.
02:27
And finally he extracted a box.
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Mwishowe akatoa boksi.
02:31
Inside it was every single letter
he had ever received
he had ever received
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Ndani yake kulikuwa na barua zote
alizowahi kupokea
alizowahi kupokea
02:36
from visitors from abroad,
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kutoka kwa wageni wa nchi za nje,
02:39
and on some of them he had pasted
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na baadhi zao alikuwa amebandika
02:41
little black-and-white worn snapshots
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picha ndogo zisizo na rangi zilizochoka
02:44
of his new foreign friends.
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za marafiki zake wapya wa kigeni.
02:48
So when we said goodbye that night,
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Hivyo tulivyoagana usiku ule,
02:52
I realized he had also shown me
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nikagundua kua amenionyesha pia
02:54
the secret point of travel,
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siri ya kwenye kusafiri,
02:56
which is to take a plunge,
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ambayo ni kufanya kitu bila uwoga,
02:59
to go inwardly as well as outwardly
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kusafiri ndani vile vile na nje,
03:01
to places you would never go otherwise,
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kwenda sehemu ambazo usingeenda
vinginevyo,
vinginevyo,
03:04
to venture into uncertainty,
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kufanya usiyoyafahamu,
03:07
ambiguity,
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usichokielewa,
03:09
even fear.
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hata uwoga.
03:12
At home, it's dangerously easy
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Nyumbani, ni hatari kirahisi
03:14
to assume we're on top of things.
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kujiona tupo juu ya mambo.
03:17
Out in the world, you are reminded
every moment that you're not,
every moment that you're not,
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Nje kwenye dunia, unakumbushwa
kila saa kwamba haupo
kila saa kwamba haupo
03:22
and you can't get to the bottom
of things, either.
of things, either.
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na hauwezi kufikia kwenye
mwisho wa mambo pia.
mwisho wa mambo pia.
03:26
Everywhere, "People wish to be settled,"
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Kila sehemu, "Watu wanatamani kutulia,"
03:29
Ralph Waldo Emerson reminded us,
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Ralph Waldo Emerson alitukumbusha,
03:31
"but only insofar
as we are unsettled
as we are unsettled
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"lakini mara nyingi tunapokuwa
hatujatulia
hatujatulia
03:34
is there any hope for us."
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ndipo kuna tumaini kwetu."
03:36
At this conference,
we've been lucky enough
we've been lucky enough
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Kwenye hili kongamano,
tumebahatika sana
tumebahatika sana
03:39
to hear some exhilarating
new ideas and discoveries
new ideas and discoveries
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kusikia mawazo mapya ya
kustaajabisha na vumbuzi
kustaajabisha na vumbuzi
03:42
and, really, about all the ways
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na kweli, kuhusu njia zote
03:44
in which knowledge is being
pushed excitingly forwards.
pushed excitingly forwards.
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ambazo maarife yanasukumwa
mbele sana.
mbele sana.
03:48
But at some point, knowledge gives out.
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Lakini kuna hatua, maarifa yanaondoka.
03:52
And that is the moment
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Na huo ndio muda
03:54
when your life is truly decided:
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ambao maisha yako yanaamua kweli:
03:57
you fall in love;
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unapata upendo;
04:00
you lose a friend;
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unapoteza rafiki;
04:02
the lights go out.
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taa zinazimika.
04:05
And it's then, when you're lost
or uneasy or carried out of yourself,
or uneasy or carried out of yourself,
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Na ni hapo, ambapo ukiwa umepotea,
au huelewi au umepoteza matumaini,
au huelewi au umepoteza matumaini,
04:10
that you find out who you are.
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ndipo unapogundua wewe ni nani.
04:14
I don't believe that ignorance is bliss.
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Siamini kama ujinga ni starehe.
04:18
Science has unquestionably made our lives
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Sayansi imefanya maisha yetu
04:21
brighter and longer and healthier.
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yang'ae zaidi, marefu zaidi na yenye
afya zaidi.
afya zaidi.
04:24
And I am forever grateful to the teachers
who showed me the laws of physics
who showed me the laws of physics
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Na ninawashukuru sana walimu
walionifundisha kanuni za fizikia,
walionifundisha kanuni za fizikia,
04:29
and pointed out that
three times three makes nine.
three times three makes nine.
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na kunielekeza kwamba
tatu mara tatu ni tisa.
tatu mara tatu ni tisa.
04:33
I can count that out on my fingers
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Naweza kuhesabu hiyo kwa vidole vyangu.
04:36
any time of night or day.
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muda wowote wa usiku au mchana.
04:40
But when a mathematician tells me
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Lakini mwanahisabati akiniambia
04:42
that minus three times
minus three makes nine,
minus three makes nine,
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hio ukitoa mara tatu
ukitoa tatu ni tisa,
ukitoa tatu ni tisa,
04:45
that's a kind of logic
that almost feels like trust.
that almost feels like trust.
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hiyo ni aina ya mantiki inayoonekana
kama uaminifu.
kama uaminifu.
04:52
The opposite of knowledge, in other words,
isn't always ignorance.
isn't always ignorance.
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Tofauti ya maarifa, kwa maneno mengine,
sio lazima iwe ujinga.
sio lazima iwe ujinga.
04:56
It can be wonder.
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Inaweza ikawa mshangao.
04:58
Or mystery.
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Au maajabu.
04:59
Possibility.
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Uwezekano.
05:01
And in my life, I've found
it's the things I don't know
it's the things I don't know
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Na kwenye maisha yangu, nimegundua
ni vile nisivyovijua
ni vile nisivyovijua
05:05
that have lifted me up
and pushed me forwards
and pushed me forwards
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ndivyo ambavyo vimeninyanyua
na kunisukuma mbele zaidi
na kunisukuma mbele zaidi
05:08
much more than the things I do know.
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kushinda vile ninavyovijua.
05:12
It's also the things I don't know
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Ni pia vile nisivyovijua
05:14
that have often brought me closer
to everybody around me.
to everybody around me.
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vilivyonileta karibu na kila mtu
anaenizunguka.
anaenizunguka.
05:18
For eight straight Novembers, recently,
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Kwa Novemba nane mfululizo, hivi karibuni,
05:20
I traveled every year across Japan
with the Dalai Lama.
with the Dalai Lama.
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nimesafiri kila mwaka kupitia
Japan na Dalai Lama.
Japan na Dalai Lama.
05:26
And the one thing he said every day
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Na kitu ambacho alikuwa anasema kila siku
05:29
that most seemed to give people
reassurance and confidence
reassurance and confidence
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ambacho kilionekana kuwapa watu
suluhisho na tumaini
suluhisho na tumaini
05:32
was, "I don't know."
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ilikuwa ni "sijui."
05:36
"What's going to happen to Tibet?"
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"Nini kitatokea Tibet?"
05:39
"When are we ever
going to get world peace?"
going to get world peace?"
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"Lini tutapata amani duniani?"
05:42
"What's the best way to raise children?"
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"Ipi ni njia sahihi ya kulea watoto?"
05:46
"Frankly," says this very wise man,
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"Kiukweli," anasema huyu mtu mwenye
busara,
busara,
05:49
"I don't know."
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"Sijui."
05:52
The Nobel Prize-winning
economist Daniel Kahneman
economist Daniel Kahneman
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Mshindi wa tuzo ya Nobeli,
mwanauchumi Daniel Kahneman
mwanauchumi Daniel Kahneman
05:55
has spent more than 60 years now
researching human behavior,
researching human behavior,
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ametumia zaidi ya miaka 60 sasa
akichunguza tabia za binadamu,
akichunguza tabia za binadamu,
06:00
and his conclusion is
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na muafaka wake ni
06:02
that we are always much more confident
of what we think we know
of what we think we know
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kua huwa tunajiamini sana na kile
tunachodhani tunakijua
tunachodhani tunakijua
06:07
than we should be.
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kuliko tunavyotakiwa kuwa.
06:08
We have, as he memorably puts it,
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Tunakuwa, kama anavyosema,
06:11
an "unlimited ability
to ignore our ignorance."
to ignore our ignorance."
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na "uwezo usio na kikomo wa
kupuuzia ujinga wetu."
kupuuzia ujinga wetu."
06:16
We know -- quote, unquote -- our team
is going to win this weekend,
is going to win this weekend,
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Tunajua -- nanukuu -- timu yetu
itaenda kushinda wikiendi hii,
itaenda kushinda wikiendi hii,
06:21
and we only remember that knowledge
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na tunakumbuka tu hayo maarifa
06:24
on the rare occasions when we're right.
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mara chache tukiwa sahihi.
06:27
Most of the time, we're in the dark.
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Mara nyingi, tunakuwa gizani.
06:31
And that's where real intimacy lies.
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Na hapo ndipo hisia za kweli zipo.
06:36
Do you know what your lover
is going to do tomorrow?
is going to do tomorrow?
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Unajua mpenzi wako
atakachokua anafanya kesho?
atakachokua anafanya kesho?
06:40
Do you want to know?
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Je unataka kujua?
06:43
The parents of us all,
as some people call them,
as some people call them,
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Wazazi wetu sote
kama watu wanavyowaita,
kama watu wanavyowaita,
06:46
Adam and Eve,
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Adam na Hawa,
06:47
could never die, so long as they
were eating from the tree of life.
were eating from the tree of life.
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wasigeweza kufa, alimradi waliendelea kula
kutoka kwenye mti wa uzima.
kutoka kwenye mti wa uzima.
06:52
But the minute they began nibbling
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Ila punde walivyoanza kula
06:54
from the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil,
of good and evil,
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kutoka kwenye mti wa maarifa,
ya mema na mabaya,
ya mema na mabaya,
06:57
they fell from their innocence.
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wakaanguka kutoka kwenye weupe wao.
06:59
They grew embarrassed and fretful,
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Wakajawa na aibu na uwoga,
07:02
self-conscious.
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wakajitambua.
07:04
And they learned,
a little too late, perhaps,
a little too late, perhaps,
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Na wakajifunza,
kwa kuchelewa, pengine,
kwa kuchelewa, pengine,
07:07
that there are certainly some things
that we need to know,
that we need to know,
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kwamba kwa kweli kuna vitu
tunahitaji kuvijua,
tunahitaji kuvijua,
07:10
but there are many, many more
that are better left unexplored.
that are better left unexplored.
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lakini kuna vingi, vingi zaidi
ambavyo ni bora visichunguzwe.
ambavyo ni bora visichunguzwe.
07:15
Now, when I was a kid,
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Sasa, nilivyokuwa mtoto,
07:17
I knew it all, of course.
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nilijua vyote, bila shaka.
07:21
I had been spending 20 years
in classrooms collecting facts,
in classrooms collecting facts,
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Nilitumia miaka 20 darasani
nikikusanya mawazo,
nikikusanya mawazo,
07:25
and I was actually
in the information business,
in the information business,
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na nilikuwa kweli
kwenye biashara ya habari,
kwenye biashara ya habari,
07:28
writing articles for Time Magazine.
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nikiandika makala ya gazeti la Time.
07:31
And I took my first real trip to Japan
for two-and-a-half weeks,
for two-and-a-half weeks,
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Nikasafiri kwenda Japan kwa mara ya kwanza
kwa muda wa wiki mbili na nusu,
kwa muda wa wiki mbili na nusu,
07:36
and I came back with a 40-page essay
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na nikarudi na insha ya karatasi 40
07:39
explaining every last detail
about Japan's temples,
about Japan's temples,
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ikielezea kila kitu kuhusu
nyumba za ibada za Japan,
nyumba za ibada za Japan,
07:43
its fashions, its baseball games,
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mitindo yake, michezo yake ya besiboli,
07:46
its soul.
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nafsi yake.
07:49
But underneath all that,
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Lakini chini ya hayo yote,
07:51
something that I couldn't understand
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kitu ambacho sikuweza elewa
07:54
so moved me for reasons
I couldn't explain to you yet,
I couldn't explain to you yet,
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kiliniongoza kwa sababu
nisizoweza kuwaelezea bado,
nisizoweza kuwaelezea bado,
08:00
that I decided to go and live in Japan.
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mpaka nikaamua kwenda kuishi Japan.
08:04
And now that I've been there for 28 years,
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Na sasa ambapo nimekuwa kule kwa miaka 28,
08:07
I really couldn't tell you
very much at all
very much at all
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siwezi kuwaelezea mengi kabisa
08:09
about my adopted home.
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kuhusu nyumbani kwangu.
08:12
Which is wonderful,
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Ambayo ni nzuri,
08:13
because it means every day
I'm making some new discovery,
I'm making some new discovery,
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sababu inamaanisha kila siku
ninagundua kitu kipya.
ninagundua kitu kipya.
08:16
and in the process,
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na kwenye hiyo harakati,
08:18
looking around the corner
and seeing the hundred thousand things
and seeing the hundred thousand things
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kuangalia pembeni na kuona
mamia na maelfu ya vitu
mamia na maelfu ya vitu
08:21
I'll never know.
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nisingeweza kujua.
08:24
Knowledge is a priceless gift.
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Maarifa ni zawadi kubwa sana.
08:28
But the illusion of knowledge
can be more dangerous than ignorance.
can be more dangerous than ignorance.
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Lakini maarifa ya uwongo
yanaweza kua hatari kuliko ujinga.
yanaweza kua hatari kuliko ujinga.
08:33
Thinking that you know your lover
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Kuwaza kwamba unamjua mpenzi wako
08:37
or your enemy
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au adui yako
08:38
can be more treacherous
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inaweza kua ya hila zaidi
08:40
than acknowledging you'll never know them.
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kuliko kukubali kwamba hautowajua.
08:43
Every morning in Japan, as the sun
is flooding into our little apartment,
is flooding into our little apartment,
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Kila asubuhi Japan, ua likiwaka kwenye
nyumba yetu ndogo,
nyumba yetu ndogo,
08:48
I take great pains not to consult
the weather forecast,
the weather forecast,
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inanichukua maumivu mengi
kutokuangalia utabiri wa hali ya hewa,
kutokuangalia utabiri wa hali ya hewa,
08:52
because if I do,
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sababu nikiangalia,
08:54
my mind will be overclouded, distracted,
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akili yangu itajawa na mawazo,
na itasumbuka
na itasumbuka
08:57
even when the day is bright.
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hata kama siku ikiwa angavu.
09:02
I've been a full-time
writer now for 34 years.
writer now for 34 years.
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Nimekuwa mwandishi kwa miaka 34 sasa.
09:06
And the one thing that I have learned
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Na kitu kimoja ambacho nimejifunza
09:09
is that transformation comes
when I'm not in charge,
when I'm not in charge,
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ni kua mabadiliko huja pale
nisipoyapangilia,
nisipoyapangilia,
09:13
when I don't know what's coming next,
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pale ambapo sijui nini kinafuata,
09:15
when I can't assume I am bigger
than everything around me.
than everything around me.
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pale ambapo siwezi kuwaza kua ni mkubwa
kuliko kila kitu kinachonizunguka.
kuliko kila kitu kinachonizunguka.
09:21
And the same is true in love
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Na hio ni kweli pia kwenye upendo
09:23
or in moments of crisis.
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au kwenye wakati wa majanga.
09:26
Suddenly, we're back in that trishaw again
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Ghafla, tumerudi kwenye ile guta tena
09:30
and we're bumping off the broad,
well-lit streets;
well-lit streets;
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na tunaruka mitaa mikubwa yenye taa;
09:34
and we're reminded, really,
of the first law of travel
of the first law of travel
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na tunakumbushwa, kweli,
kwenye kanuni ya kwanza ya safari
kwenye kanuni ya kwanza ya safari
09:38
and, therefore, of life:
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na hivyo, ya maisha:
09:41
you're only as strong
as your readiness to surrender.
as your readiness to surrender.
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una nguvu tu kama uwezo
wako wa kujisalimisha.
wako wa kujisalimisha.
09:47
In the end, perhaps,
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Mwishowe, pengine,
09:49
being human
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kuwa binadamu
09:51
is much more important
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ni muhimu zaidi
09:53
than being fully in the know.
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kuliko kuwa kwenye kujua kikamilifu.
09:56
Thank you.
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Asanteni.
09:57
(Applause)
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(Makofi)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Pico Iyer - Global authorPico Iyer has spent more than 30 years tracking movement and stillness -- and the way criss-crossing cultures have changed the world, our imagination and all our relationships.
Why you should listen
In twelve books, covering everything from Revolutionary Cuba to the XIVth Dalai Lama, Islamic mysticism to our lives in airports, Pico Iyer has worked to chronicle the accelerating changes in our outer world, which sometimes make steadiness and rootedness in our inner world more urgent than ever. In his TED Book, The Art of Stillness, he draws upon travels from North Korea to Iran to remind us how to remain focused and sane in an age of frenzied distraction. As he writes in the book, "Almost everybody I know has this sense of overdosing on information and getting dizzy living at post-human speeds ... All of us instinctively feel that something inside us is crying out for more spaciousness and stillness to offset the exhilarations of this movement and the fun and diversion of the modern world."
Pico Iyer | Speaker | TED.com