TED2013
Hyeonseo Lee: My escape from North Korea
Hyeonseo Lee: 我的北韓逃亡記
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李炫秀 (Hyeonseo Lee之音譯) 是一個在北韓長大的小孩，她曾經以為他住在「全世界最棒」的國家，直到 90 年代的一場大饑荒。從北韓逃亡那年，她年僅 14 歲。此後，她成了在中國的難民，開始過著躲躲藏藏的生活。這是一段令人捶胸頓足，關於生存與希望的個人故事；也是一段無關乎國境距離，持續生活在危險中的回憶。
Hyeonseo Lee - Activist
As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee thoght her country was the "best on the planet." It wasn't until the famine of the 90s that she began to wonder. She escaped the country at 17-years-old to begin a life in hiding as a refugee in China. Hers is a harrowing, personal tale of survival and hope -- and a powerful reminder of those who face constant danger, even when the border is far behind. Full bio
As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee thoght her country was the "best on the planet." It wasn't until the famine of the 90s that she began to wonder. She escaped the country at 17-years-old to begin a life in hiding as a refugee in China. Hers is a harrowing, personal tale of survival and hope -- and a powerful reminder of those who face constant danger, even when the border is far behind. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:16
When I was little,
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我小的時候以為
00:17
I thought my country was the best on the planet,
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我住在全世界最棒的國家
00:20
and I grew up singing a song called "Nothing To Envy."
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有首叫做「我們最幸福」 的歌陪伴著我長大
00:24
And I was very proud.
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當時 我好驕傲
00:26
In school, we spent a lot of time
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在學校 我們花很多時間
00:28
studying the history of Kim Il-Sung,
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學習有關金日成的歷史
00:30
but we never learned much about the outside world,
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但從來沒有人告訴我們
外面的世界長甚麼樣子
外面的世界長甚麼樣子
00:34
except that America, South Korea, Japan are the enemies.
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我們只知道 美國 南韓 和日本 都是敵人
00:39
Although I often wondered about the outside world,
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即便我對外面的世界充滿好奇心
00:42
I thought I would spend my entire life in North Korea,
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那時的我也沒想過
自己這輩子會離開北韓
自己這輩子會離開北韓
00:46
until everything suddenly changed.
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直到一切忽然急轉直下
00:50
When I was seven years old, I saw my first public execution,
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我七歲那年 第一次看到公開處刑
00:55
but I thought my life in North Korea was normal.
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但我還是覺得在北韓的生活很正常
00:58
My family was not poor,
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我的家境並不窮困
01:00
and myself, I had never experienced hunger.
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而我也不曾餓過肚子
01:04
But one day, in 1995, my mom brought home a letter
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1995 年的某一天 我媽媽帶了一封信回到家
01:08
from a coworker's sister.
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那封信是她同事的姊姊寄的
01:10
It read, "When you read this, all five family members
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信上寫著 「當你讀到這些字的時候 我們一家五口
01:15
will not exist in this world,
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已經離開這個世界了
01:18
because we haven't eaten for the past two weeks.
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因為我們已經足足餓了兩個禮拜
01:22
We are lying on the floor together,
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我們五個人現在全倒在地上
01:25
and our bodies are so weak we are ready to die."
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身體虛弱地 感受死亡的逼近」
01:33
I was so shocked.
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我當下真的好震驚
01:37
This was the first time I heard
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那是我第一次知道
01:39
that people in my country were suffering.
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原來我們國家也有如此生靈塗炭的一面
01:43
Soon after, when I was walking past a train station,
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那之後沒多久的一天
當我經過經過火車站的時候
當我經過經過火車站的時候
01:46
I saw something terrible
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我看到一個可怕的景象
01:48
that I can't erase from my memory.
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我這輩子永遠忘不掉
01:52
A lifeless woman was lying on the ground,
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一個女人奄奄一息地倒臥在路邊
01:55
while an emaciated child in her arms
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手裡卻仍緊抱著嬴弱的孩子
01:58
just stared helplessly at his mother's face.
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那孩子瞪大了雙眼
無助地凝視著媽媽的臉龐
無助地凝視著媽媽的臉龐
02:02
But nobody helped them, because they were so focused
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但沒有一個人幫助他們 因為大家都忙著
02:07
on taking care of themselves and their families.
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照顧自己和自己的家人
02:11
A huge famine hit North Korea in the mid-1990s.
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90年代中期 北韓發生大饑荒
02:15
Ultimately, more than a million North Koreans
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超過一百萬的北韓人民
02:18
died during the famine, and many only survived
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因為那場飢荒而死亡 而許多倖存者
02:21
by eating grass, bugs and tree bark.
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靠著吃草 抓蟲 嚼樹根 才活了下來
02:27
Power outages also became more and more frequent,
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沒電的情況也越來越嚴重
02:30
so everything around me was completely dark at night
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所以當夜色降臨時 我的世界天昏地暗
02:35
except for the sea of lights in China,
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我唯一能看到的是
中國的燈火照在海波上反射過來的光
中國的燈火照在海波上反射過來的光
02:37
just across the river from my home.
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中國距離我家僅有一河之隔
02:40
I always wondered why they had lights but we didn't.
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我總是在想 為什麼他們有光 而我們卻沒有
02:45
This is a satellite picture showing North Korea at night
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這張是北韓夜晚的衛星空照圖
02:49
compared to neighbors.
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可以和鄰國們相比
02:53
This is the Amrok River,
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這是鴨綠江 (Amrok River)
02:55
which serves as a part of the border
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她就恰巧壓在
02:57
between North Korea and China.
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北韓和中國的邊境線上
03:00
As you can see, the river can be very narrow
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如你所見 這條河川的河道十分狹窄
03:02
at certain points, allowing North Koreans to secretly cross.
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北韓人民可以從某些地方偷偷跨境
03:08
But many die.
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然而 有很多人因此死了
03:10
Sometimes, I saw dead bodies floating down the river.
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有時候 我會看到河面上漂著浮屍
03:17
I can't reveal many details [about] how I left North Korea,
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我不能透漏太多 我是怎麼怎麼離開北韓的
03:22
but I only can say that during the ugly years of the famine
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我能說的就是 在那可恨的飢荒歲月中
03:27
I was sent to China to live with distant relatives.
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我被送到中國的遠房親戚那去了
03:32
But I only thought
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但那時我認為
03:34
that I would be separated from my family for a short time.
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我和我的家人過不久一定能再見面
03:38
I could have never imagined
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我從來沒想過
03:40
that it would take 14 years to live together.
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這一別 就是14 個年頭
03:44
In China, it was hard living as a young girl without my family.
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在中國 沒有家人的陪伴下 很難不馬上長大
03:48
I had no idea what life was going to be like
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我根本不知道 身為北韓難民
03:52
as a North Korean refugee,
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人生會變成什麼樣子
03:54
but I soon learned it's not only extremely difficult,
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但很快地我就明白 這樣的生活不僅艱難困苦
03:57
it's also very dangerous,
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更是危機四伏
04:00
since North Korean refugees are considered in China
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因為中國將北韓難民
04:05
as illegal migrants.
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視為非法移民
04:08
So I was living in constant fear
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所以我無時無刻都活在恐懼之中
04:10
that my identity could be revealed,
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我擔心我的身分會被發現
04:12
and I would be repatriated to a horrible fate
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也擔心我會被遣返回北韓
04:16
back in North Korea.
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接受可怕的命運
04:18
One day, my worst nightmare came true,
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有一天 我的噩夢成真了
04:21
when I was caught by the Chinese police
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中國的警察抓了我
04:24
and brought to the police station for interrogation.
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把我帶回警察局去偵訊
04:28
Someone had accused me of being North Korean,
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原來 有人向他們告發我是北韓人
04:31
so they tested my Chinese language abilities
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於是 他們考我中文
04:35
and asked me tons of questions.
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問我一大堆問題
04:38
I was so scared,
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我好害怕
04:41
I thought my heart was going to explode.
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我的心臟簡直要跳出來了
04:44
If anything seemed unnatural, I could be imprisoned
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如果哪裡表現的不自然
我很可能會面臨牢獄之災
我很可能會面臨牢獄之災
04:47
and repatriated.
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甚至 被遣返
04:49
I thought my life was over,
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當時 我覺得我人生簡直要畫上句點了
04:52
but I managed to control all the emotions inside me
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但我努力控制自己的情緒
04:55
and answer the questions.
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回答那些問題
04:57
After they finished questioning me,
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他們問完我之後
04:59
one official said to another,
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其中一個警察向另一個警察說
05:01
"This was a false report.
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這是誤報
05:03
She's not North Korean."
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她又不是北韓人
05:05
And they let me go. It was a miracle.
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然後他們就這樣放我走了 這簡直是奇蹟
05:09
Some North Koreans in China seek asylum
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一些在中國的北韓人民 會向外國駐華使館
05:12
in foreign embassies,
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尋求庇護
05:15
but many can be caught by the Chinese police
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但還是有很多北韓人被中國警察抓走
05:18
and repatriated.
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然後被遣返
05:19
These girls were so lucky.
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這幾個女孩很幸運
05:22
Even though they were caught,
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那時候 雖然他們被逮捕了
05:23
they were eventually released
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中國後來還是因為面臨
05:25
after heavy international pressure.
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國際施加的壓力釋放了他們
05:28
These North Koreans were not so lucky.
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這幾個北韓人民就沒有那麼幸運了
05:31
Every year, countless North Koreans are caught in China
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每年 中國政府在中國境內逮捕了無數的北韓人民
05:35
and repatriated to North Korea,
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並將他們遣返回北韓
05:38
where they can be tortured, imprisoned
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一個可能虐待他們 監禁他們
05:41
or publicly executed.
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甚至將他們公開處刑的地方
05:44
Even though I was really fortunate to get out,
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即便我非常幸運地逃離了那裏
05:47
many other North Koreans have not been so lucky.
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還是有許多北韓人民不是那麼的走運
05:50
It's tragic that North Koreans have to hide their identities
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北韓的人民需要隱姓埋名的生活
這件事真的很可悲
這件事真的很可悲
05:54
and struggle so hard just to survive.
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他們光是活下去就要花好大的力氣
05:58
Even after learning a new language and getting a job,
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儘管如此 只要有機會學習新的語言 然後找到工作
06:01
their whole world can be turned upside down in an instant.
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這世界馬上就會截然不同
06:05
That's why, after 10 years of hiding my identity,
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這也就是為什麼 在我過了
10 年隱姓埋名的生活後
10 年隱姓埋名的生活後
06:09
I decided to risk going to South Korea,
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我決定冒險前往南韓
06:13
and I started a new life yet again.
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再一次展開我的新生活
06:16
Settling down in South Korea was a lot more challenging
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在南韓安頓下來 比我想像中
06:19
than I had expected.
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要難的多
06:22
English was so important in South Korea,
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在南韓 英文非常重要
06:25
so I had to start learning my third language.
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所以我得開始學習第三種語言
06:28
Also, I realized there was a wide gap
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此外我了解到南韓和北韓間
06:31
between North and South.
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有著深不見底的鴻溝
06:33
We are all Korean, but inside,
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雖然我們都叫做韓國人
06:36
we have become very different
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但是骨子裡的差異真的很大
06:37
due to 67 years of division.
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畢竟我們分裂了 67 年啊
06:41
I even went through an identity crisis.
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我甚至有過認同危機
06:45
Am I South Korean or North Korean?
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我究竟是南韓人 還是北韓人呢
06:48
Where am I from? Who am I?
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我是從哪裡來的 我究竟是誰
06:51
Suddenly, there was no country
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一瞬間 讓我驕傲的國家
06:53
I could proudly call my own.
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煙消雲散了
06:59
Even though adjusting to life in South Korea was not easy,
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雖然不是那麼容易適應在南韓的生活
07:03
I made a plan.
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但我有了計畫
07:04
I started studying for the university entrance exam.
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我開始準備起大學的入學考試
07:07
Just as I was starting to get used to my new life,
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但正當我逐漸適應新的生活的時候
07:11
I received a shocking phone call.
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我接到了一通令人錯愕的電話
07:14
The North Korean authorities
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北韓政府
07:15
intercepted some money that I sent to my family,
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截獲到一些我寄回家的錢
07:18
and, as a punishment, my family was going
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他們懲罰我的家人
07:21
to be forcibly removed
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即將把我的家人發配到
07:23
to a desolate location in the countryside.
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窮鄉僻壤去
07:27
They had to get out quickly,
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他們一定得快點離開
07:29
so I started planning how to help them escape.
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於是我開始幫他們計畫要如何出境
07:33
North Koreans have to travel incredible distances
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北韓距離自由
07:36
on the path to freedom.
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不可思議地遙遠
07:39
It's almost impossible to cross the border
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南北韓間的國界
07:42
between North Korea and South Korea,
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基本上是不可能穿越的
07:45
so, ironically, I took a flight back to China
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所以我又搭飛機回到中國
07:48
and I headed toward the North Korean border.
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往中朝邊界前進
07:52
Since my family couldn't speak Chinese,
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因為我家人們不會說中文
07:55
I had to guide them,
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我得帶著他們
07:57
somehow, through more than 2,000 miles in China
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我們就這樣一路逃了 2000 哩 經過了中國
08:01
and then into Southeast Asia.
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來到東南亞
08:04
The journey by bus took one week,
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我們搭了一星期的巴士
08:06
and we were almost caught several times.
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有好幾次都差一點就被抓到了
08:09
One time, our bus was stopped
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有一天 我們的巴士突然熄火
08:12
and boarded by a Chinese police officer.
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一名中國警察走了來
08:17
He took everyone's I.D. cards,
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他檢查每個人的身分證
08:19
and he started asking them questions.
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然後問大家問題
08:21
Since my family couldn't understand Chinese,
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因為我的家人不會說中文
08:25
I thought my family was going to be arrested.
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我以為他們就要被逮捕了
08:29
As the Chinese officer approached my family,
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於是 當中國警察走近我家人的時候
08:32
I impulsively stood up, and I told him
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我立刻站了以來 告訴他
08:34
that these are deaf and dumb people
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那些人又聾 又啞
08:37
that I was chaperoning.
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我是來陪他們來搭巴士的
08:39
He looked at me suspiciously,
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他用懷疑的眼神看了我一會兒
08:42
but luckily he believed me.
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他相信我了 真的好險
08:45
We made it all the way to the border of Laos,
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然後我們就這樣一路到了寮國的邊境
08:49
but I had to spend almost all my money
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但為了賄賂寮國邊境的警察
08:53
to bribe the border guards in Laos.
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我幾乎花光了我所有的錢
08:56
But even after we got past the border,
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然而進入寮國之後
08:59
my family was arrested and jailed
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我的家人還是被抓進去關了
09:02
for illegal border crossing.
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理由是非法入境
09:04
After I paid the fine and bribe,
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在我繳了罰款 然後再次賄賂後的一個月
09:06
my family was released in one month,
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他們終於被放出來了
09:10
but soon after, my family was arrested and jailed again
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不過沒多久 他們又被逮捕
09:14
in the capital of Laos.
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然後被關在寮國的首都
09:16
This was one of the lowest points in my life.
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那絕對是我人生的最低潮的幾個日子之一
09:21
I did everything to get my family to freedom,
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我費盡了所有心思要讓我的家人自由
09:26
and we came so close,
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當我們離自由如此接近的時候
09:29
but my family was thrown in jail
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他們又被抓進去牢裡了
09:31
just a short distance from the South Korean embassy.
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那裡距離南韓的使館只有幾步之遙
09:34
I went back and forth between the immigration office
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於是我開始不斷地在入境局
09:37
and the police station,
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和警察局間奔走
09:39
desperately trying to get my family out,
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拚了命地要把我的家人弄出來
09:42
but I didn't have enough money
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但我沒有足夠的錢
09:44
to pay a bribe or fine anymore.
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再去付罰款或是或賄賂了
09:46
I lost all hope.
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我的希望徹底地粉碎
09:48
At that moment, I heard one man's voice ask me,
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就在那刻 我聽到一個男人的聲音 他問我
09:52
"What's wrong?"
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「妳怎麼了」
09:53
I was so surprised
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我好驚訝
09:55
that a total stranger cared enough to ask.
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一個完全陌生的人 是關心地詢問我
09:59
In my broken English, and with a dictionary,
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我用我的破英文 翻著字典
10:01
I explained the situation, and without hesitating,
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向他解釋這一切
10:05
the man went to the ATM
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那個男人二話不說地 走到提款機前領了錢
10:07
and he paid the rest of the money for my family
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幫我把積欠的罰金和賄賂用的錢全部還付清
10:10
and two other North Koreans to get out of jail.
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讓我的家人和另外兩個北韓人能夠出獄
10:14
I thanked him with all my heart, and I asked him,
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我由衷地向他道謝 然後問他
10:18
"Why are you helping me?"
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「你為什麼要幫助我」
10:20
"I'm not helping you," he said.
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他說 「我不是要幫你
10:22
"I'm helping the North Korean people."
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我幫的是北韓的人民」
10:26
I realized that this was a symbolic moment in my life.
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我知道這是我的人生中十分具象徵性意義的一刻
10:30
The kind stranger symbolized new hope for me
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這個好心的陌生人對我而言
象徵了新的希望
象徵了新的希望
10:34
and the North Korean people when we needed it most,
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在北韓人民最需要希望的這一刻
10:37
and he showed me the kindness of strangers
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他讓我體會到來自陌生人的善良
10:40
and the support of the international community
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還有國際社會的支持
10:43
are truly the rays of hope we North Korean people need.
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這些生命之光 都是我們北韓人民需要的
10:48
Eventually, after our long journey,
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經過了這些長途跋涉
10:51
my family and I were reunited in South Korea,
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我和我的家人終於在南韓團聚
10:54
but getting to freedom is only half the battle.
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在獲得自由後 我們還有一段路要走
10:58
Many North Koreans are separated from their families,
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許多北韓人民的家庭還是被拆散的
11:01
and when they arrive in a new country,
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當他們到新的國家
11:04
they start with little or no money.
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他們一盆如洗甚至身無分文
11:08
So we can benefit from the international community
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我們可以得到國際社會的援助
11:11
for education, English language training,
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無論是教育 英語訓練
11:14
job training, and more.
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職業訓練 還是其他的
11:16
We can also act as a bridge
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我們也能扮演起
11:18
between the people inside North Korea
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北韓境內人民和外頭世界
11:20
and the outside world,
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的橋樑
11:22
because many of us stay in contact
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因為我們中的許多人
11:25
with family members still inside,
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和還留在北韓的家人都還保持著連絡
11:28
and we send information and money
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我們把資訊和金錢送進去
11:30
that is helping to change North Korea from inside.
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從內部著手幫忙改變北韓
11:35
I've been so lucky, received so much help
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我真的很幸運 得到了很多幫助
11:38
and inspiration in my life,
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這一路走來 也接受了許多人的鼓勵
11:40
so I want to help give aspiring North Koreans
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所以我想要燃起北韓人的熱情
11:43
a chance to prosper
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讓他的在國際的幫助下
11:46
with international support.
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有機會能成功
11:49
I'm confident that you will see more and more
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我有信心你們將會看到越來越多的
11:51
North Koreans succeeding all over the world,
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北韓人能夠在世界各地有很好的表現
11:54
including the TED stage.
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包括在 TED 這個舞台上
11:57
Thank you.
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謝謝大家
11:59
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Hyeonseo Lee - ActivistAs a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee thoght her country was the "best on the planet." It wasn't until the famine of the 90s that she began to wonder. She escaped the country at 17-years-old to begin a life in hiding as a refugee in China. Hers is a harrowing, personal tale of survival and hope -- and a powerful reminder of those who face constant danger, even when the border is far behind.
Why you should listen
Hyeonseo Lee grew up in North Korea but escaped to China in 1997. In 2008, when she was 28-years-old, she came to Seoul, South Korea, where she struggled to adjust to life in the bustling city. North Korean defectors often have a hard time in South Korea, she noted in the Wall Street Journal: "We defectors have to start from scratch. Prejudice against North Koreans and icy stares were other obstacles that were hard to cope with."
Now a student at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, she has become an advocate for fellow refugees, even helping close relatives leave North Korea after they were targeted. Her dream? As she told the Korea Times, she'd like to work at the UN or an NGO that advocates for the human rights of North Koreans, including their right to be treated as political refugees.
She has a new book called The Girl with Seven Names.
Hyeonseo Lee | Speaker | TED.com