TEDGlobal 2009
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Chimamanda Adichie: Hatari ya simulizi moja
Filmed:
Readability: 4.1
21,248,547 views
Maisha yetu, tamaduni zetu, vimeumbwa na hadithi nyingi zinazoingiliana. Mwandishi wa riwaya Chimamanda Adichie anatoa simulizi ya jinsi alivyogundua sauti yake halisi kiutamaduni -- na anatahadharisha kwamba kama tukisikia hadithi moja juu ya mtu mwingine ama nchi nyingine, tupo hatarini kuelewa visivyo.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Novelist
Inspired by Nigerian history and tragedies all but forgotten by recent generations of westerners, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novels and stories are jewels in the crown of diasporan literature. Full bio
Inspired by Nigerian history and tragedies all but forgotten by recent generations of westerners, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novels and stories are jewels in the crown of diasporan literature. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I'm a storyteller.
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Mimi ni msimuliaji wa hadithi
00:14
And I would like to tell you a few personal stories
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Ningependa kuwasimulia kidogo maisha yangu
00:17
about what I like to call "the danger of the single story."
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juu ya kile ninachopenda kuita
"hatari ya simulizi moja"
"hatari ya simulizi moja"
00:22
I grew up on a university campus in eastern Nigeria.
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Nilikulia mazingira ya chuo
kikuu magharibi mwa Nigeria
kikuu magharibi mwa Nigeria
00:26
My mother says that I started reading at the age of two,
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Mama yangu anasema nilianza kusoma
nikiwa na miaka miwili
nikiwa na miaka miwili
00:29
although I think four is probably close to the truth.
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japo nadhani miaka minne ni sahihi zaidi
Niliwahi sana kuanza kusoma
00:34
So I was an early reader, and what I read
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Nilisoma vitabu vya watoto vya Uingereza
na Marekani
na Marekani
00:36
were British and American children's books.
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00:39
I was also an early writer,
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Pia nilianza kuandika katika umri mdogo
00:42
and when I began to write, at about the age of seven,
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Na nilipoanza kuandika,
nikiwa na takriban miaka saba,
nikiwa na takriban miaka saba,
00:46
stories in pencil with crayon illustrations
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hadithi za penseli na michoro ya rangi
00:48
that my poor mother was obligated to read,
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ambazo mama yangu alilazimika kuzisoma,
00:51
I wrote exactly the kinds of stories I was reading:
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niliandika hadithi
sawa na zile nilizokuwa nazisoma:
sawa na zile nilizokuwa nazisoma:
00:55
All my characters were white and blue-eyed,
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Wahusika wangu wote
walikuwa wazungu na wenye macho ya bluu.
walikuwa wazungu na wenye macho ya bluu.
01:00
they played in the snow,
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Walicheza katika theluji.
01:02
they ate apples,
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Walikula matofaa
01:04
and they talked a lot about the weather,
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(Kicheko)
01:06
how lovely it was
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Na walizungumza sana kuhusu hali ya hewa,
01:08
that the sun had come out.
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jinsi ilivyo vizuri kuona jua limechomoza.
01:10
(Laughter)
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(Kicheko)
01:12
Now, this despite the fact that I lived in Nigeria.
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Yote haya,ingawa niliishi Nigeria.
01:15
I had never been outside Nigeria.
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Nilikuwa sijawahi kwenda nje ya Nigeria.
01:19
We didn't have snow, we ate mangoes,
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Hatukuwa na theluji, tulikula maembe.
01:22
and we never talked about the weather,
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Na hatukuzungumza kuhusu hali ya hewa,
01:24
because there was no need to.
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sababu hakukuwa na haja ya kufanya hivyo.
01:26
My characters also drank a lot of ginger beer
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Wahusika wangu pia
walikunywa sana bia ya tangawizi
walikunywa sana bia ya tangawizi
01:29
because the characters in the British books I read
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kwa sababu wahusika
katika vitabu vya Uingereza
katika vitabu vya Uingereza
01:31
drank ginger beer.
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walikunywa bia ya tangawizi.
01:33
Never mind that I had no idea what ginger beer was.
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Ijapokuwa
sikuifahamu bia ya tangawizi
sikuifahamu bia ya tangawizi
01:36
(Laughter)
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(Kicheko)
01:37
And for many years afterwards, I would have a desperate desire
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Na kwa miaka mingi baadaye
nilikuwa na shauku
ya kuonja bia ya tangawizi.
ya kuonja bia ya tangawizi.
01:40
to taste ginger beer.
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01:42
But that is another story.
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Lakini hiyo ni hadithi nyingine.
01:44
What this demonstrates, I think,
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Ambacho hii inaonyesha,nafikiri
01:46
is how impressionable and vulnerable we are
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Ni namna tulivyo wajinga na wanyonge
01:49
in the face of a story,
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Tunapokabiliana na simulizi
01:51
particularly as children.
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hasa hasa kama watoto
01:53
Because all I had read were books
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Sababu nilisoma vitabu
vyenye wahusika wa kigeni
vyenye wahusika wa kigeni
01:55
in which characters were foreign,
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01:57
I had become convinced that books
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Nilikuwa nimeaminishwa kwamba vitabu
01:59
by their very nature had to have foreigners in them
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kwa asili lazima
viwe na wahusika wageni
viwe na wahusika wageni
02:02
and had to be about things with which
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Na vielezo kuhusu mambo ambayo
binafsi siyafahamu
binafsi siyafahamu
02:04
I could not personally identify.
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02:07
Things changed when I discovered African books.
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Mambo yalibadilika
Nilipopata vitabu vya Afrika
Nilipopata vitabu vya Afrika
02:11
There weren't many of them available, and they weren't
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havikuwepo kwa wingi
02:13
quite as easy to find as the foreign books.
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Na haikuwa rahisi kuvipata
kama vya kigeni
kama vya kigeni
02:15
But because of writers like Chinua Achebe and Camara Laye
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Lakini sababu ya waandishi
kama Chinua Achebe na Camara Laye
kama Chinua Achebe na Camara Laye
02:19
I went through a mental shift in my perception
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Nilipata badiliko la akili
ninavyoiona fasihi
ninavyoiona fasihi
02:21
of literature.
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02:23
I realized that people like me,
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Niligundua kwamba watu kama mimi,
02:25
girls with skin the color of chocolate,
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wasichana weusi
02:27
whose kinky hair could not form ponytails,
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wenye nywele ngumu
02:30
could also exist in literature.
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pia wapo katika fasihi.
02:32
I started to write about things I recognized.
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Nilianza kuandika
vitu nilivyovifahamu
vitu nilivyovifahamu
02:36
Now, I loved those American and British books I read.
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Nilikuwa navipenda hivyo vitabu
vya Marekani na Uingereza
vya Marekani na Uingereza
02:40
They stirred my imagination. They opened up new worlds for me.
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Viliamsha fikra zangu
Vilifunua vitu vipya.
Vilifunua vitu vipya.
02:44
But the unintended consequence
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Lakini matokeo yasiyokusudiwa
02:46
was that I did not know that people like me
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yalikuwa; sikufahamu kuwa
watu kama mimi
watu kama mimi
02:48
could exist in literature.
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waweza kuwepo katika fasihi.
02:50
So what the discovery of African writers did for me was this:
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hivyo ufumbuzi wa waandishi Waafrika:
02:54
It saved me from having a single story
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Uliniokoa na mtazamo mmoja
juu ya vitabu
juu ya vitabu
02:57
of what books are.
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02:59
I come from a conventional, middle-class Nigerian family.
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Ninatoka kwenye familia
ya kawaida
ya kawaida
03:02
My father was a professor.
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Baba yangu alikuwa mhadhiri
03:04
My mother was an administrator.
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Mama yangu ni
afisa wa utawala
afisa wa utawala
03:07
And so we had, as was the norm,
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Kwa hiyo kama kawaida, tulikuwa na,
03:10
live-in domestic help, who would often come from nearby rural villages.
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mtumishi wa nyumbani
anayetoka vijiji vya jirani
anayetoka vijiji vya jirani
03:15
So the year I turned eight we got a new house boy.
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Nilipokuwa na miaka nane
tulipata mtumishi wa kiume
tulipata mtumishi wa kiume
03:19
His name was Fide.
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Jina lake aliitwa Fide
03:21
The only thing my mother told us about him
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Mama alituambia kuwa familia
yake ni masikini sana
yake ni masikini sana
03:24
was that his family was very poor.
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03:27
My mother sent yams and rice,
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Mama alituma magimbi na mchele
na nguo zetu za zamani kwa familia yao
na nguo zetu za zamani kwa familia yao
03:29
and our old clothes, to his family.
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03:32
And when I didn't finish my dinner my mother would say,
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Na niliposhindwa kumaliza chakula
mama alisema,
mama alisema,
03:34
"Finish your food! Don't you know? People like Fide's family have nothing."
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"Maliza chakula! kuna watu
ambao hawana chochote
ambao hawana chochote
03:39
So I felt enormous pity for Fide's family.
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Niliwahurumia sana
familia ya Fide
familia ya Fide
03:43
Then one Saturday we went to his village to visit,
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Jumamosi moja tukaenda
kijijini kwao kutembelea
kijijini kwao kutembelea
03:46
and his mother showed us a beautifully patterned basket
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na mama yake akatuonyesha
kikapu kizuri
kikapu kizuri
03:50
made of dyed raffia that his brother had made.
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kilichosukwa kwa ukili uliopakwa rangi
na kaka yake Fide
na kaka yake Fide
03:53
I was startled.
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Nilishangaa
03:55
It had not occurred to me that anybody in his family
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Sikudhani kuwa yeyote katika familia yake
03:58
could actually make something.
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angeweza kutengeneza chochote
04:01
All I had heard about them was how poor they were,
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yote niliyowahi kusikia kuhusu wao
ni namna walivyo masikini
ni namna walivyo masikini
04:04
so that it had become impossible for me to see them
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Kwa hiyo ilikuwa haiwezekani kwangu
kuwaona tofauti na umasikini wao
kuwaona tofauti na umasikini wao
04:06
as anything else but poor.
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04:09
Their poverty was my single story of them.
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umasikini wao ilikuwa
ni simulizi moja kwangu
ni simulizi moja kwangu
04:13
Years later, I thought about this when I left Nigeria
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baadaye niliwaza hili
nilipotoka Nigeria
nilipotoka Nigeria
04:15
to go to university in the United States.
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Kwenda Marekani kusoma
chuo kikuu
chuo kikuu
04:18
I was 19.
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Nilikuwa na miaka 19
04:20
My American roommate was shocked by me.
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Mmarekani niliyekuwa
naishi naye chumba kimoja alinishangaa
naishi naye chumba kimoja alinishangaa
04:24
She asked where I had learned to speak English so well,
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Aliuliza wapi nimefunza
kuzungumza kiingereza vizuri
kuzungumza kiingereza vizuri
04:27
and was confused when I said that Nigeria
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Alishangaa nilipomwambia kuwa Nigeria
04:29
happened to have English as its official language.
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wanatumia kiingereza kama lugha ya taifa
Aliomba kusikiliza "nyimbo za kikabila"
04:34
She asked if she could listen to what she called my "tribal music,"
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04:38
and was consequently very disappointed
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na alipigwa butwaa vile vile
04:40
when I produced my tape of Mariah Carey.
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Nilipompa kanda yangu ya Mariah Carey
04:42
(Laughter)
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(kicheko)
04:45
She assumed that I did not know how
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Alidhani kuwa sifahamu
kutumia jiko la umeme
kutumia jiko la umeme
04:47
to use a stove.
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Kilichonishangaza mimi ni hiki
04:50
What struck me was this: She had felt sorry for me
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Alikuwa ananihurimia
hata kabla ya kuniona
hata kabla ya kuniona
04:52
even before she saw me.
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04:54
Her default position toward me, as an African,
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Mtazamo wake mbovu,
kunihusu, kama Mwafrika,
kunihusu, kama Mwafrika,
04:58
was a kind of patronizing, well-meaning pity.
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Ulikuwa wa huruma ya kudhalilisha,
yenye kujali
yenye kujali
05:02
My roommate had a single story of Africa:
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Alikuwa na simulizi moja
kuhusu Afrika:
kuhusu Afrika:
05:05
a single story of catastrophe.
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Simulizi ya majanga.
05:08
In this single story there was no possibility
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Kwenye simulizi hii moja,
Hakukuwa na uwezekano wa Mwafrika
kufanana naye kwa namna yeyote,
kufanana naye kwa namna yeyote,
05:10
of Africans being similar to her in any way,
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05:14
no possibility of feelings more complex than pity,
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Hakukuwa na uwezekano wa hisia
ngumu zaidi ya huruma,
ngumu zaidi ya huruma,
05:17
no possibility of a connection as human equals.
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Hakukuwa na uwezekano wa ushirikiano
kama binadamu walio sawa.
kama binadamu walio sawa.
05:21
I must say that before I went to the U.S. I didn't
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Lazima niseme kuwa
kabla ya kwenda Marekani,
kabla ya kwenda Marekani,
05:23
consciously identify as African.
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Sikuwa nikijitambua kwa undani
kama Mwafrika.
kama Mwafrika.
05:26
But in the U.S. whenever Africa came up people turned to me.
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Lakini Marekani, popote Afrika ilipotajwa,
watu walinigeukia.
watu walinigeukia.
05:29
Never mind that I knew nothing about places like Namibia.
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Bila kujali kuwa sifahamu chochote
kuhusu nchi kama Namibia.
kuhusu nchi kama Namibia.
05:33
But I did come to embrace this new identity,
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Lakini nilikuja kuupokea
huu utambulisho mpya,
huu utambulisho mpya,
05:35
and in many ways I think of myself now as African.
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Na kwa namna nyingi sasa
ninajitazama kama Mwafrika.
ninajitazama kama Mwafrika.
05:38
Although I still get quite irritable when
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Ijapokuwa bado ninakasirishwa sana
pale Afrika inapoelezewa kama ni nchi
pale Afrika inapoelezewa kama ni nchi
05:40
Africa is referred to as a country,
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05:42
the most recent example being my otherwise wonderful flight
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Mfano wa karibu, ni safari yangu ya ndege
05:46
from Lagos two days ago, in which
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Kutoka Lagos hivi juzi,
Ambapo kulikuwa na tangazo
05:48
there was an announcement on the Virgin flight
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05:50
about the charity work in "India, Africa and other countries."
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Kuhusu kazi ya kujitolea kule
"India, Afika na nchi nyingine"
"India, Afika na nchi nyingine"
05:55
(Laughter)
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Kicheko
05:56
So after I had spent some years in the U.S. as an African,
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Baada ya kuishi Marekani kama Mwafrica
06:00
I began to understand my roommate's response to me.
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Nikaanza kuelewa mwitikio wa
niliyekuwa naishi naye chumba kimoja
niliyekuwa naishi naye chumba kimoja
06:04
If I had not grown up in Nigeria, and if all I knew about Africa
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kama sikukulia Nigeria
Na kama kila nilichofahamu kuhusu Afrika
kilitokana na picha maarufu
kilitokana na picha maarufu
06:07
were from popular images,
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06:09
I too would think that Africa was a place of
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Mimi pia ningedhani kuwa Africa ni mahali
penye mandhari nzuri,
penye mandhari nzuri,
06:12
beautiful landscapes, beautiful animals,
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Wanyama wa kupendeza,
06:16
and incomprehensible people,
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na watu wasioeleweka,
06:18
fighting senseless wars, dying of poverty and AIDS,
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wapiganao vita visivyo na maana,
wanaokufa na umasikini na UKIMWI
wanaokufa na umasikini na UKIMWI
06:21
unable to speak for themselves
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wasioweza kujisemea
06:24
and waiting to be saved
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wanaosubiri kusaidiwa na
mtu mweupe, mgeni mwenye ukarimu
mtu mweupe, mgeni mwenye ukarimu
06:26
by a kind, white foreigner.
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Ningewaona waafrika
kwa namna ile ambayo mimi,
kwa namna ile ambayo mimi,
06:29
I would see Africans in the same way that I,
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06:31
as a child, had seen Fide's family.
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nilipokuwa mtoto,
niliiona familia ya Fide
niliiona familia ya Fide
06:35
This single story of Africa ultimately comes, I think, from Western literature.
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Hii simulizi moja kuhusu Afrika
nadhani inatokana na fasihi za magharibi
nadhani inatokana na fasihi za magharibi
06:39
Now, here is a quote from
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Sasa, huu ni msemo kutoka katika uandishi
wa mfanyabiashara wa London aitwaye John Lok,
wa mfanyabiashara wa London aitwaye John Lok,
06:41
the writing of a London merchant called John Locke,
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06:44
who sailed to west Africa in 1561
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aliyesafiri kwa maji kuelekea
Afrika magharibi mwaka 1561
Afrika magharibi mwaka 1561
06:47
and kept a fascinating account of his voyage.
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na aliweka hazina ya kuvutia
kutokana na safari yake.
kutokana na safari yake.
06:52
After referring to the black Africans
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Baada ya kuwaita Waafrika weusi kama
" hayawani wasio na nyumba,"
" hayawani wasio na nyumba,"
06:54
as "beasts who have no houses,"
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06:56
he writes, "They are also people without heads,
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aliandika,"Pia kuna watu wasio na vichwa,
07:00
having their mouth and eyes in their breasts."
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midomo na macho yao
yapo katika vifua vyao."
yapo katika vifua vyao."
07:05
Now, I've laughed every time I've read this.
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Sasa, nilicheka kila
nikisoma haya maneno.
nikisoma haya maneno.
07:07
And one must admire the imagination of John Locke.
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Na lazima mtu
atakubaliana na fikira za John Lok.
atakubaliana na fikira za John Lok.
07:11
But what is important about his writing is that
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Lakini kipi ni muhimu
kuhusu uandishi wake
kuhusu uandishi wake
07:13
it represents the beginning
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ni kwamba inawakilisha mwanzo
07:15
of a tradition of telling African stories in the West:
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wa utamaduni wa kuelezea hadithi
za Afrika kwa Magharibi:
za Afrika kwa Magharibi:
07:18
A tradition of Sub-Saharan Africa as a place of negatives,
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Utamaduni wa kusini mwa jangwa la Sahara
kama sehemu isiyofaa,
kama sehemu isiyofaa,
07:21
of difference, of darkness,
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yenye utofauti, yenye kiza,
07:23
of people who, in the words of the wonderful poet
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ya watu ambao, kutokana na maneno ya
mshairi bora aitwaye Rudyard Kipling,
mshairi bora aitwaye Rudyard Kipling,
07:27
Rudyard Kipling,
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07:29
are "half devil, half child."
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ni "nusu shetani, nusu watoto."
07:32
And so I began to realize that my American roommate
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Hivyo, nilianza kuelewa kwamba mwanafunzi
Mmarekani ninayeshirikiana nae chumba
Mmarekani ninayeshirikiana nae chumba
07:35
must have throughout her life
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lazima katika maisha yake
07:37
seen and heard different versions
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atakuwa ameona na kusikia
namna mbalimbali za hii hadithi moja,
namna mbalimbali za hii hadithi moja,
07:39
of this single story,
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07:41
as had a professor,
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kama ilivyo kwa profesa,
07:43
who once told me that my novel was not "authentically African."
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ambaye aliwahi niambia kuwa
riwaya yangu haikuwa "na uhalisia wa Kiafrika,"
riwaya yangu haikuwa "na uhalisia wa Kiafrika,"
Sasa, nilikubaliana na kuchanganua
07:48
Now, I was quite willing to contend that there were a number of things
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kwamba kulikuwa na baadhi ya vitu
ambavyo si sawa katika riwaya hii,
ambavyo si sawa katika riwaya hii,
07:50
wrong with the novel,
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07:52
that it had failed in a number of places,
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na kuwa nilifeli katika maeneo mbalimbali,
07:56
but I had not quite imagined that it had failed
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lakini sikufiria kwamba ilifeli
07:58
at achieving something called African authenticity.
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katika kutekeleza
uhalisia wake wa Kiafrika.
uhalisia wake wa Kiafrika.
08:01
In fact I did not know what
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Kiukweli, sikufahamu
uhalisia wa Kiafrika ni upi.
uhalisia wa Kiafrika ni upi.
08:03
African authenticity was.
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08:06
The professor told me that my characters
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Profesa alinielezza kwamba wahusika kwenye riwaya
walikuwa wanafanana mno kama yeye,
walikuwa wanafanana mno kama yeye,
08:08
were too much like him,
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08:10
an educated and middle-class man.
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msomi aliye katika maisha ya kati.
08:12
My characters drove cars.
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Wahusika wangu waliendesha magari.
08:14
They were not starving.
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Hawakuwa wanashinda na njaa.
08:17
Therefore they were not authentically African.
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Kwa hiyo hawakuwa Waafrika halisi.
08:21
But I must quickly add that I too am just as guilty
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Lakini niongeze haraka-haraka
kwamba najisikia hatia
kwamba najisikia hatia
08:24
in the question of the single story.
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katika swali la la hadithi iliyo moja.
08:27
A few years ago, I visited Mexico from the U.S.
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Miaka michache iliyopita,
nilitembelea Mexico nikitokea Marekani.
nilitembelea Mexico nikitokea Marekani.
08:31
The political climate in the U.S. at the time was tense,
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Hali ya kisiasa nchini Marekani
wakati huo ilikuwa tete,
wakati huo ilikuwa tete,
08:33
and there were debates going on about immigration.
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kulikuwa na majadiliano yanayoendelea
kuhusu uhamiaji.
kuhusu uhamiaji.
08:37
And, as often happens in America,
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Na, mara kwa mara hutokea Marekani,
08:39
immigration became synonymous with Mexicans.
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neno uhamiaji likaja kuwa
linahusishwa na watu wenye asili ya Mexico.
linahusishwa na watu wenye asili ya Mexico.
08:42
There were endless stories of Mexicans
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Kulikuwa na hadithi ndefu
kuhusu Wamexico
kuhusu Wamexico
08:44
as people who were
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kama watu wanaonyonya mfumo wa afya,
08:46
fleecing the healthcare system,
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08:48
sneaking across the border,
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wanajipenyeza kwenye mipaka,
08:50
being arrested at the border, that sort of thing.
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wanakamatwa kwenye mipaka,
vitu kama hivyo.
vitu kama hivyo.
08:54
I remember walking around on my first day in Guadalajara,
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Nakumbuka siku ya kwanza nilipokuwa natembea
eneo liitwalo Guadalajara,
eneo liitwalo Guadalajara,
08:58
watching the people going to work,
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nikiwaangalia watu wakielekea makazini,
09:00
rolling up tortillas in the marketplace,
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wakitengeneza tortilla maeneo ya sokoni,
09:02
smoking, laughing.
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wakivuta sigara, wakicheka.
09:05
I remember first feeling slight surprise.
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Nakumbuka kwa mara ya kwanza
nilipatwa na mshangao kidogo.
nilipatwa na mshangao kidogo.
09:08
And then I was overwhelmed with shame.
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Kisha, nikagubikwa na aibu.
09:11
I realized that I had been so immersed
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Nikatambua ya kwamba nimezama sana katika habari zinazoelezea watu wa Mexico
09:14
in the media coverage of Mexicans
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09:16
that they had become one thing in my mind,
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ambao wamekuwa jambo katika akili yangu,
09:18
the abject immigrant.
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wahamiaji duni,
nilidanganyika katika hadithi moja
ya watu wa Mexico
ya watu wa Mexico
09:21
I had bought into the single story of Mexicans
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09:23
and I could not have been more ashamed of myself.
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na sikuweza kujisikia aibu zaidi.
09:26
So that is how to create a single story,
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Kwa hiyo hiyo ndiyo
namna ya kutengeneza hadithi moja.
namna ya kutengeneza hadithi moja.
09:28
show a people as one thing,
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kuwaeleza watu kama jambo moja,
09:31
as only one thing,
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kama jambo moja tu,
09:33
over and over again,
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tena na tena,
09:35
and that is what they become.
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na hivyo ndivyo watakavyokuwa.
Haiwezekani kuongelea kuhusu hadithi moja
09:38
It is impossible to talk about the single story
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09:40
without talking about power.
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bila kuongelea kuhusu uwezo ya mamlaka.
09:43
There is a word, an Igbo word,
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Kuna neno, neno la lugha ya Igbo,
09:45
that I think about whenever I think about
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ambalo huwa naliwaza kila nikifikiria
mfumo wa mamlaka wa dunia,
mfumo wa mamlaka wa dunia,
09:47
the power structures of the world, and it is "nkali."
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na hili "nkali".
09:50
It's a noun that loosely translates
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Ni nomino ambayo inatafsiriwa kama
"kuwa juu zaidi ya mwigine."
"kuwa juu zaidi ya mwigine."
09:52
to "to be greater than another."
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09:55
Like our economic and political worlds,
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Kama ulivyo ulimwengu wa
kiuchumi na kisiasa,
kiuchumi na kisiasa,
09:58
stories too are defined
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hadithi pia huelezwa kwa kanuni ya nkali:
10:00
by the principle of nkali:
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10:03
How they are told, who tells them,
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Zinaelezwaje, nani anaelezea,
10:05
when they're told, how many stories are told,
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wakati gani zilielezwa,
hadithi ngapi zinaelezwa,
hadithi ngapi zinaelezwa,
10:08
are really dependent on power.
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haya yote yanategemea sana
nguvu ya mamlaka.
nguvu ya mamlaka.
10:12
Power is the ability not just to tell the story of another person,
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Mamlaka ni uwezo sio tu wa kueleza
hadithi ya kuhusu mtu mwingine,
hadithi ya kuhusu mtu mwingine,
10:15
but to make it the definitive story of that person.
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lakini kuifanya iwe hadithi mahususi
kuhusu mtu huyo.
kuhusu mtu huyo.
10:19
The Palestinian poet Mourid Barghouti writes
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Mshairi wa Kipalestina
Mourid Barghouti aliandika
Mourid Barghouti aliandika
10:21
that if you want to dispossess a people,
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kwamba kama unataka kuwaondoa watu,
10:24
the simplest way to do it is to tell their story
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njia rahisi ya kufanya hivyo
ni kuelezea hadithi yao
ni kuelezea hadithi yao
10:27
and to start with, "secondly."
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na kuanza na, "pili."
10:30
Start the story with the arrows of the Native Americans,
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Anza hadithi na mishale
ya waliokuwa wakazi halisi wa Amerika,
ya waliokuwa wakazi halisi wa Amerika,
10:34
and not with the arrival of the British,
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na sio baada ya kufika kwa Waingereza,
10:37
and you have an entirely different story.
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na utakuwa na hadithi tofauti nyingine kabisa.
10:40
Start the story with
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Anza na hadithi kuhusu
kuanguka kwa dola za Kiafrika,
kuanguka kwa dola za Kiafrika,
10:42
the failure of the African state,
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10:44
and not with the colonial creation of the African state,
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na sio dola za Kiafrika
zilizotokana na ukoloni,
zilizotokana na ukoloni,
10:48
and you have an entirely different story.
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na utakuwa na hadithi tofauti kabisa.
10:52
I recently spoke at a university where
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Hivi karibun nilitoa hotuba katika chuo
10:54
a student told me that it was
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ambapo mwanafunzi aliniambia
kwamba ilikuwa ni aibu
kwamba ilikuwa ni aibu
10:56
such a shame
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kwamba wanaume wa Kinigeria
walikuwa wanyanyasaji
walikuwa wanyanyasaji
10:58
that Nigerian men were physical abusers
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kama alivyo muhusika
ambaye ni baba katika riwaya yangu.
ambaye ni baba katika riwaya yangu.
11:01
like the father character in my novel.
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11:04
I told him that I had just read a novel
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Nikamwambia nimesoma riwaya
iitwayo "Mwendawazimu wa Kiamerika" --
iitwayo "Mwendawazimu wa Kiamerika" --
11:06
called American Psycho --
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11:08
(Laughter)
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(Kicheko)
11:10
-- and that it was such a shame
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-- na kwamba ilikuwa aibu
11:12
that young Americans were serial murderers.
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kwamba vijana wadogo wa Kiamerika
walikuwa wauaji waliokubuhu.
walikuwa wauaji waliokubuhu.
11:15
(Laughter)
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(Kicheko)
11:19
(Applause)
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(Makofi)
11:25
Now, obviously I said this in a fit of mild irritation.
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Sasa, kiukweli nilisema hili
kutokana na kukerwa.
kutokana na kukerwa.
11:28
(Laughter)
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(Kicheko)
11:30
But it would never have occurred to me to think
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Lakini isingeweza kutokea kwangu kuwaza
11:32
that just because I had read a novel
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kwamba kwa sababu nimesoma riwaya
ambayo muhusika ni muuaji wa kufululiza
ambayo muhusika ni muuaji wa kufululiza
11:34
in which a character was a serial killer
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11:36
that he was somehow representative
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kwamba kwa kiasi fulani
wanawakilisha Wamarekani wote.
wanawakilisha Wamarekani wote.
11:38
of all Americans.
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11:40
This is not because I am a better person than that student,
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Hii si kwamba mimi
ni mtu bora kuliko yule mwanafunzi,
ni mtu bora kuliko yule mwanafunzi,
11:43
but because of America's cultural and economic power,
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lakini kwa sababu ya utamaduni
na nguvu ya uchumi wa Marekani,
na nguvu ya uchumi wa Marekani,
11:46
I had many stories of America.
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Nilikuwa nina hadithi nyingi za Marekani.
11:48
I had read Tyler and Updike and Steinbeck and Gaitskill.
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Nilisoma Tyler na Updike
na Steinbeck na Gaitskill.
na Steinbeck na Gaitskill.
11:52
I did not have a single story of America.
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Sikuwa na hadithi moja ya Marekani.
11:55
When I learned, some years ago, that writers were expected
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Nilipojifunza, miaka kadhaa iliyopita,
kwamba waandishi wanategemewa kuwa na maisha ya utotoni ambayo siyo ya furaha
11:58
to have had really unhappy childhoods
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ili kuja kufanikiwa baadaye,
12:02
to be successful,
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12:04
I began to think about how I could invent
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Nilianza kuwaza ni namna gani naweza buni
vitu vibaya ambavyo wazazi wangu walinifanyia.
vitu vibaya ambavyo wazazi wangu walinifanyia.
12:06
horrible things my parents had done to me.
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12:08
(Laughter)
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(Kicheko)
12:10
But the truth is that I had a very happy childhood,
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Lakini ukweli ni kwamba nilikuwa na maisha ya utoto ambayo yalikuwa ya furaha sana,
12:14
full of laughter and love, in a very close-knit family.
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yaliyojaa vicheko na upendo,
katika familia iliyo na ukaribu sana.
katika familia iliyo na ukaribu sana.
12:17
But I also had grandfathers who died in refugee camps.
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Lakini pia nilikuwa na mababu
waliofia kwenye kambi za wakimbizi.
waliofia kwenye kambi za wakimbizi.
Binamu yangu Polle alifariki
sababu hakupata matibabu yanayostahili.
sababu hakupata matibabu yanayostahili.
12:21
My cousin Polle died because he could not get adequate healthcare.
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12:25
One of my closest friends, Okoloma, died in a plane crash
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Mmoja wa rafiki zangu,Okoloma,
alifariki kwenye ajali ya ndege
alifariki kwenye ajali ya ndege
12:28
because our fire trucks did not have water.
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kwa sababu gari zetu za zimamoto
hazikuwa na maji.
hazikuwa na maji.
12:31
I grew up under repressive military governments
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Nimekulia katika serikali ya kijeshi
ambayo ni kandamizi
ambayo ni kandamizi
12:34
that devalued education,
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ambayo haikujali elimu,
12:36
so that sometimes my parents were not paid their salaries.
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kwa muda mwingine,
wazazi walikuwa hawalipwi mishahara.
wazazi walikuwa hawalipwi mishahara.
12:39
And so, as a child, I saw jam disappear from the breakfast table,
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Hivyo, kama mtoto, nilianza kuona jamu hakuna mezani wakati wa kupata kifungua kinywa,
12:43
then margarine disappeared,
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kisha siagi nayo ikakosekana,
12:45
then bread became too expensive,
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kisha mkate ukawa ghali sana,
12:48
then milk became rationed.
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kisha maziwa yakapungua.
12:51
And most of all, a kind of normalized political fear
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Na katika yote, hali ya hofu ya kisiasa
12:54
invaded our lives.
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ikaingilia maisha yetu,
Na hadithi zote hizi zimenitengeneza mimi wa leo.
12:58
All of these stories make me who I am.
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13:00
But to insist on only these negative stories
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Lakini kusisitiza katika hizi hadithi hasi
13:04
is to flatten my experience
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ni kuongeza uzoefu wangu
13:07
and to overlook the many other stories
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na kuachana na hadithi nyinginezo nyingi ambazo zimenitengeneza mimi.
13:09
that formed me.
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13:11
The single story creates stereotypes,
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Hadithi moja hutengeneza tabaka,
13:14
and the problem with stereotypes
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na tatizo la tabaka
si kwamba hazina kweli,
si kwamba hazina kweli,
13:17
is not that they are untrue,
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13:19
but that they are incomplete.
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lakini hazijakamilika.
13:21
They make one story become the only story.
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Hufanya hadithi moja kuwa hadithi pekee.
13:25
Of course, Africa is a continent full of catastrophes:
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Hakika, Afrika ni bara
ambalo limejaa majanga:
ambalo limejaa majanga:
13:27
There are immense ones, such as the horrific rapes in Congo
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Kuna majanga yaliyo makubwa,
kama ubakaji wa kutisha nchini Congo
kama ubakaji wa kutisha nchini Congo
13:31
and depressing ones, such as the fact that
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na wa kudidimiza,
kama ukweli kwamba watu 5000 wanaomba
nafasi moja ya kazi nchini Nigeria.
nafasi moja ya kazi nchini Nigeria.
13:33
5,000 people apply for one job vacancy in Nigeria.
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13:38
But there are other stories that are not about catastrophe,
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Lakini kuna hadithi nyingine
ambazo hazihusiani na majanga,
ambazo hazihusiani na majanga,
13:41
and it is very important, it is just as important, to talk about them.
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na ni muhimu sana, ni namna kuziongelea.
13:45
I've always felt that it is impossible
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Wakati wote nimekuwa nikihisi haiwezekani
13:47
to engage properly with a place or a person
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kujiunga kwa utaratibu na sehemu au mtu
13:50
without engaging with all of the stories of that place and that person.
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bila kuhusiana na hadithi zote
za mahala pale au mtu huyo.
za mahala pale au mtu huyo.
13:54
The consequence of the single story
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Madhara ya hadithi moja ni kwamba:
13:57
is this: It robs people of dignity.
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Hunyang'anya watu wa heshima.
14:00
It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult.
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Hufanya utambuzi wetu
wa usawa wa kibinadamu kuwa mgumu.
wa usawa wa kibinadamu kuwa mgumu.
14:04
It emphasizes how we are different
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Husisitiza ni jinsi gani tulivyo tofauti
kuliko vile tulivyo sawa.
kuliko vile tulivyo sawa.
14:07
rather than how we are similar.
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14:09
So what if before my Mexican trip
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Inakuwaje wakati
kabla ya safari yangu ya Mexico,
kabla ya safari yangu ya Mexico,
14:11
I had followed the immigration debate from both sides,
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Ningefatilia majadiliano ya uhamiaji
kutoka pande zote,
kutoka pande zote,
14:15
the U.S. and the Mexican?
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upande wa Marekani na wa Mexico?
14:17
What if my mother had told us that Fide's family was poor
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Ingekuwaje kama mama yangu angeniambia
familia ya Fide ilikuwa masikini
familia ya Fide ilikuwa masikini
14:21
and hardworking?
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na ya wachapakazi?
14:23
What if we had an African television network
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Inakuwaje kama tungekuwa
na mtandao wa televisheni wa Kiafrika
na mtandao wa televisheni wa Kiafrika
14:25
that broadcast diverse African stories all over the world?
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ambao unarusha vipindi
vya hadithi za Afrika duniani kote?
vya hadithi za Afrika duniani kote?
14:29
What the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe calls
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Kitu ambacho muandishi wa Kinigeria Chinua Achebe
anaita "usawa wa hadithi."
anaita "usawa wa hadithi."
14:31
"a balance of stories."
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Inakuweaje kama mwanafunzi niliyeishi naye chumba kimoja angefahamu kuhusu mchapishaji wangu wa Kinigeria,
14:34
What if my roommate knew about my Nigerian publisher,
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14:37
Mukta Bakaray,
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Muhtar Bakare,
14:39
a remarkable man who left his job in a bank
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mtu wa kipekee ambaye
aliacha kazi ya benki
aliacha kazi ya benki
14:41
to follow his dream and start a publishing house?
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na kufuata ndoto zake
na kuanzisha nyumba ya uchapishaji
na kuanzisha nyumba ya uchapishaji
14:44
Now, the conventional wisdom was that Nigerians don't read literature.
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Sasa, hekima iliyozoeleka ilikuwa kwamba
Wanigeria huwa hawasomi fasihi.
Wanigeria huwa hawasomi fasihi.
Yeye alikataa.
14:48
He disagreed. He felt
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Alihisi kwamba watu
ambao wanaweza kusoma, wangesoma,
ambao wanaweza kusoma, wangesoma,
14:50
that people who could read, would read,
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14:52
if you made literature affordable and available to them.
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kama ungefanya kazi ya fasihi iwe katika bei nafuu na kupatikana kiurahisi.
14:56
Shortly after he published my first novel
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Muda mfupi baada ya kuchapisha
riwaya yangu ya kwanza,
riwaya yangu ya kwanza,
14:59
I went to a TV station in Lagos to do an interview,
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Nilikwenda kwenye kituo cha televisheni
kilichopo Lagos kwa ajili ya mahojiano,
kilichopo Lagos kwa ajili ya mahojiano,
15:02
and a woman who worked there as a messenger came up to me and said,
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na mwanamke ambaye anafanya kazi pale kama karani alinifata na kusema,
15:05
"I really liked your novel. I didn't like the ending.
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"Nimependa sana riwaya yako.
Sijapenda mwishoni mwake.
Sijapenda mwishoni mwake.
15:08
Now you must write a sequel, and this is what will happen ..."
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Sasa, ni lazima uandike muendelezo
na hiki ndicho kitatokea ..."
na hiki ndicho kitatokea ..."
15:11
(Laughter)
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(Kicheko)
15:14
And she went on to tell me what to write in the sequel.
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Na alipoendelea kunielezea
kipi cha kuandika kwenye muendelezo.
kipi cha kuandika kwenye muendelezo.
15:17
I was not only charmed, I was very moved.
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Si kwamba nilivutiwa tu,
lakini pia nilisisimka.
lakini pia nilisisimka.
15:20
Here was a woman, part of the ordinary masses of Nigerians,
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Huyu ni mwanamke, mmoja wa watu wengi
wa kawaida waliopo Nigeria,
wa kawaida waliopo Nigeria,
15:23
who were not supposed to be readers.
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ambao hawakutakiwa kuwa wasomaji.
Si kwamba alisoma tu kitabu,
15:26
She had not only read the book, but she had taken ownership of it
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lakini pia alikimiliki
15:28
and felt justified in telling me
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na aliona ana haki kuaniambia
kitu cha kuandika katika muendelezo.
kitu cha kuandika katika muendelezo.
15:31
what to write in the sequel.
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15:33
Now, what if my roommate knew about my friend Fumi Onda,
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Sasa, ingekuwaje kama mwanafunzi niishiye nae chumba kimoja angejua kuhusu rafiki yangu Funmi Lyanda,
15:37
a fearless woman who hosts a TV show in Lagos,
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mwanamke jasiri ambaye anaongoza
kipindi cha televisheni Lagos,
kipindi cha televisheni Lagos,
15:40
and is determined to tell the stories that we prefer to forget?
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na anadhamiria kuelezea hadithi
ambazo tunapendelea kuzisahau?
ambazo tunapendelea kuzisahau?
15:43
What if my roommate knew about the heart procedure
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Inakuwaje kama mwenzangu
angetambua kuhusu upasuaji wa moyo
angetambua kuhusu upasuaji wa moyo
15:47
that was performed in the Lagos hospital last week?
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ambao ulifanyika wiki iliyopita
jijini Lagos?
jijini Lagos?
15:50
What if my roommate knew about contemporary Nigerian music,
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Inakuwaje angefahamu
kuhusu muziki wa kisasa kwa Kinigeria,
kuhusu muziki wa kisasa kwa Kinigeria,
15:54
talented people singing in English and Pidgin,
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watu wenye vipaji wanaoimba
katika lugha za Kiingereza na pijini,
katika lugha za Kiingereza na pijini,
15:57
and Igbo and Yoruba and Ijo,
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na Kiigbo na Kiyoruba na Kiijo,
15:59
mixing influences from Jay-Z to Fela
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wakichanganya ushawishi
kutoka kwa Jay Z hadi kwa Fela
kutoka kwa Jay Z hadi kwa Fela
16:03
to Bob Marley to their grandfathers.
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kwenda kwa Bob Marley na babu zao.
16:06
What if my roommate knew about the female lawyer
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Inakuwaje kama angejua
kuhusu wakili mwanamke
kuhusu wakili mwanamke
16:08
who recently went to court in Nigeria
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ambaye hivi karibuni alienda mahakamani nchini Nigeria kuipa changamoto sheria isiyo na maana
16:10
to challenge a ridiculous law
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16:12
that required women to get their husband's consent
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ambayo inawataka wanawake
kupewa ruhusa na waume zao
kupewa ruhusa na waume zao
16:15
before renewing their passports?
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kabla ya kutengeneza hati mpya ya kusafiria?
16:18
What if my roommate knew about Nollywood,
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Inakuwaje kama angefahamu kuhusu Nollywood,
16:21
full of innovative people making films despite great technical odds,
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iliyojawa na watu wabunifu wanaotengeneza filamu ingawaje kuna changamoto nyingi za kiufundi,
16:25
films so popular
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filamu ambazo ni maarufu sana
16:27
that they really are the best example
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ambazo ni mfano mzuri unaoonyesha Wanigeria wanatumia kile wanachotengeneza?
16:29
of Nigerians consuming what they produce?
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16:32
What if my roommate knew about my wonderfully ambitious hair braider,
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Inakuwaje kama angefahamu
kuhusu msusi wangu bora kabisa,
kuhusu msusi wangu bora kabisa,
16:35
who has just started her own business selling hair extensions?
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ambaye ameanza biashara yake mwenyewe
akiuza nywele za kuongezea?
akiuza nywele za kuongezea?
16:39
Or about the millions of other Nigerians
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Au kuhusu mamilioni ya Wanigeria wengine ambao huanza biashara na muda mwingine kuanguka,
16:41
who start businesses and sometimes fail,
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16:43
but continue to nurse ambition?
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lakini huendelea kukuza azma yao?
16:47
Every time I am home I am confronted with
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Muda wote nikiwa nyumbani hukutana
16:49
the usual sources of irritation for most Nigerians:
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na vyanzo vya kila wakati vya kukwaza
kwa Wanigeria wengi:
kwa Wanigeria wengi:
16:52
our failed infrastructure, our failed government,
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miundombinu yetu mibovu,
serikali iliyoanguka,
serikali iliyoanguka,
16:55
but also by the incredible resilience of people who
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lakini pia kwa ustahimilivu mkubwa
wa watu ambao hufanikiwa,
bila ya kutegemea serikali,
bila ya kutegemea serikali,
16:58
thrive despite the government,
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17:01
rather than because of it.
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bila yenyewe kabisa.
17:03
I teach writing workshops in Lagos every summer,
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Huwa natoa mafunzo ya uandishi
kila kipindi cha joto jijini Lagos,
kila kipindi cha joto jijini Lagos,
17:06
and it is amazing to me how many people apply,
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na huwa inanishangaza
kwa namna gani watu wengi hujiunga,
kwa namna gani watu wengi hujiunga,
17:09
how many people are eager to write,
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namna ambavyo watu wengi wana shauku ya kuandika,
17:12
to tell stories.
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ili kueleza hadithi.
17:14
My Nigerian publisher and I have just started a non-profit
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Mimi na mchapishaji wa kitabu changu
tumeanzisha taasisi isiyo ya kibiashara
tumeanzisha taasisi isiyo ya kibiashara
17:17
called Farafina Trust,
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inayofahamika kama Farafina Trust,
17:19
and we have big dreams of building libraries
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na tuna ndoto kubwa ya kujenga maktaba
17:22
and refurbishing libraries that already exist
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na kukarabati maktaba ambazo tayari zipo
17:24
and providing books for state schools
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na kutoa vitabu kwa shule za majimboni
17:27
that don't have anything in their libraries,
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ambazo hazina vitabu katika maktaba zao,
17:29
and also of organizing lots and lots of workshops,
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na kuandaa mafunzo mengi mno,
17:31
in reading and writing,
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katika kuandika na kusoma,
17:33
for all the people who are eager to tell our many stories.
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kwa watu wote ambao wana shauku
ya kuelezea hadithi zetu nyingi.
ya kuelezea hadithi zetu nyingi.
17:36
Stories matter.
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Hadithi zina maana.
17:38
Many stories matter.
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Hadithi nyingi zina maana.
17:40
Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign,
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Haidithi zimekuwa
zikitumika kupokonya na kukejeli,
zikitumika kupokonya na kukejeli,
17:44
but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize.
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lakini hadithi zinaweza tumika
kuhamasisha na kuleta ubinadamu.
kuhamasisha na kuleta ubinadamu.
17:48
Stories can break the dignity of a people,
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Hadithi zinaweza kuvunja heshima ya watu,
17:51
but stories can also repair that broken dignity.
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lakini hadithi zinaweza
kurudisha heshima iliyopotea.
kurudisha heshima iliyopotea.
17:56
The American writer Alice Walker wrote this
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Mwandishi wa Kimarekani
Alice Walker aliandika
Alice Walker aliandika
17:58
about her Southern relatives
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kuhusu ndugu zake wanaotokea Kusini
ambao walihamia Kaskazini.
ambao walihamia Kaskazini.
18:00
who had moved to the North.
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18:02
She introduced them to a book about
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Aliwaonyesha kitabu kuhusu
18:04
the Southern life that they had left behind:
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maisha ya Kusini ambayo wameyaacha nyuma.
18:07
"They sat around, reading the book themselves,
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"Walikaa, na wakakisoma kitabu,
18:11
listening to me read the book, and a kind of paradise was regained."
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nisikilize mimi soma kitabu,
na raha ya dunia utaipata tena."
na raha ya dunia utaipata tena."
18:17
I would like to end with this thought:
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Ningependelea kumalizia na hili wazo:
18:20
That when we reject the single story,
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Kwamba pale tunapokataa hadithi moja,
18:23
when we realize that there is never a single story
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tunapogundua kwamba hakuna hadithi moja
18:26
about any place,
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kuhusu sehemu yoyote,
18:28
we regain a kind of paradise.
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huwa tunarejesha Furaha.
18:30
Thank you.
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Asante.
(Makofi)
18:32
(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - NovelistInspired by Nigerian history and tragedies all but forgotten by recent generations of westerners, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novels and stories are jewels in the crown of diasporan literature.
Why you should listen
In Nigeria, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novel Half of a Yellow Sun has helped inspire new, cross-generational communication about the Biafran war. In this and in her other works, she seeks to instill dignity into the finest details of each character, whether poor, middle class or rich, exposing along the way the deep scars of colonialism in the African landscape.
Adichie's newest book, The Thing Around Your Neck, is a brilliant collection of stories about Nigerians struggling to cope with a corrupted context in their home country, and about the Nigerian immigrant experience.
Adichie builds on the literary tradition of Igbo literary giant Chinua Achebe—and when she found out that Achebe liked Half of a Yellow Sun, she says she cried for a whole day. What he said about her rings true: “We do not usually associate wisdom with beginners, but here is a new writer endowed with the gift of ancient storytellers.”
(Photo: Wani Olatunde)
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Speaker | TED.com