ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Julia Sweeney - Actor, comedian, playwright
Julia Sweeney creates comedic works that tackle deep issues: cancer, family, faith.

Why you should listen

Julia Sweeney is a writer, director, actress, comedian and monologist. She is known for being a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995, where she created and popularized the androgynous character, Pat. She is also well known for her comedic and dramatic monologues. God Said Ha! is a monologue about serious illness, her brother's lymphoma and her own cancer, and her family's crazy reactions to this crisis as they soldiered their way through struggle, confusion and death. This play was performed all over the U.S. and on Broadway at the Lyceum Theater. It was made into a film produced by Quentin Tarantino, and the comedy album from the show was nominated for a Grammy.

Sweeney's second monologue, In the Family Way, played in theatrical runs in New York and Los Angeles. It was ultimately fashioned into a book, a memoir titled If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother. Sweeney's third monologue, Letting Go of God, chronicled her journey from Catholicism to atheism. It was made into a film that played on Showtime.

More profile about the speaker
Julia Sweeney | Speaker | TED.com
TED2010

Julia Sweeney: It's time for "The Talk"

Julia Sweeney與八歲女兒的對話

Filmed:
3,719,405 views

儘管Julia Sweeney喜劇表演絕佳,她在面對八歲女兒談論青蛙繁殖的話題、詢問一些超齡的問題時,還是不免說了一些善意的謊言。
- Actor, comedian, playwright
Julia Sweeney creates comedic works that tackle deep issues: cancer, family, faith. Full bio

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

00:15
I have a daughter女兒, Mulan花木蘭.
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我有個女兒,她叫木蘭。
00:17
And when she was eight, last year,
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在她八歲的時候,也就是去年,
00:20
she was doing a report報告 for school學校
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她在做一份作業,
00:22
or she had some homework家庭作業 about frogs青蛙.
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一份關於青蛙的作業。
00:24
And we were at this restaurant餐廳,
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我們在一家餐廳用餐,
00:26
and she said, "So, basically基本上,
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她說:「基本上,
00:28
frogs青蛙 lay鋪設 eggs
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青蛙會先生蛋,
00:30
and the eggs turn into tadpoles蝌蚪,
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蛋變成蝌蚪,
00:32
and tadpoles蝌蚪 turn into frogs青蛙."
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然後蝌蚪再變成青蛙。」
00:34
And I said, "Yeah. You know, I'm not really up on my frog青蛙 reproduction再生產 that much.
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我說:「嗯,我對青蛙的繁殖並不是真的那麼瞭解。
00:37
It's the females女性, I think, that lay鋪設 the eggs,
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我想,是母的青蛙生蛋,
00:39
and then the males男性 fertilize施肥 them.
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然後公的青蛙讓這些蛋受精,
00:41
And then they become成為 tadpoles蝌蚪 and frogs青蛙."
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然後變成蝌蚪和青蛙。」
00:43
And she says, "What? Only the females女性 have eggs?"
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然後她說:「什麼?只有母的會生蛋?」
00:45
And I said, "Yeah."
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我說:「對啊。」
00:47
And she goes, "And what's this fertilizing施肥?"
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然後她說:「那什麼是受精?」
00:49
So I kind of said, "Oh, it's this extra額外 ingredient成分,
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所以我回答:「噢,就是加入一些其他的材料啊...
00:51
you know, that you need
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就是青蛙媽媽
00:53
to create創建 a new frog青蛙
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和青蛙爸爸會一起
00:55
from the mom媽媽 and dad frog青蛙." (Laughter笑聲)
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製造出一隻新的青蛙啊...」
00:57
And she said, "Oh, so is that true真正 for humans人類 too?"
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然後她說:「噢,那人類也一樣嗎?」
01:00
And I thought, "Okay, here we go."
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我心裡想,「好吧,總是要面對的。」
01:03
I didn't know it would happen發生 so quick, at eight.
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我不知道孩子還這麼小就會想知道這件事,才八歲耶...
01:05
I was trying to remember記得 all the guidebooks旅遊指南,
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我試著回想我看過的指導手冊,
01:07
and all I could remember記得 was,
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我能想到的只有
01:09
"Only answer回答 the question they're asking.
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「只要回答他們問的問題就好,
01:11
Don't give any more information信息." (Laughter笑聲)
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其他不要多講。」
01:14
So I said, "Yes."
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所以我回答:「是啊。」
01:16
And she said, "And where do, umUM,
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然後她說:「那,蛋在哪裡?
01:19
where do human人的 women婦女,
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人類女性...
01:21
like, where do women婦女 lay鋪設 their eggs?"
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女人把蛋生在哪裡?」
01:23
And I said, "Well,
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我說:「嗯,
01:25
funny滑稽 you should ask. (Laughter笑聲)
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你問得很有趣,
01:28
We have evolved進化 to have our own擁有 pond池塘.
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我們已經進化到有自己的池塘了哦,
01:31
We have our very own擁有 pond池塘 inside our bodies身體.
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我們在自己的身體裡有一個池塘,
01:34
And we lay鋪設 our eggs there,
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我們就把蛋生在那裡,
01:36
we don't have to worry擔心 about other eggs or anything like that.
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我們不用擔心有其他人的蛋或是其他什麼的。
01:39
It's our own擁有 pond池塘. And that's how it happens發生."
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那是我們自己的池塘,就是這樣。」
01:42
And she goes, "Then how do they get fertilized受精?"
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然後她說:「那這些蛋怎麼受精?」
01:44
And I said, "Well,
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我說:「嗯,
01:46
Men男人, through通過 their penis陰莖,
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男人,用他們的小雞雞,
01:49
they fertilize施肥 the eggs by the sperm精子 coming未來 out.
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把精子發射出來,讓這些蛋受精,
01:52
And you go through通過 the woman's女人的 vagina陰道."
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然後你就從女人的陰道生出來了。」
01:55
And so we're just eating, and her jaw just drops滴劑,
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我們那時正在吃飯,她的下巴都快掉下來了,
01:57
and she goes, "Mom媽媽!
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然後她問:「媽咪!
01:59
Like, where you go to the bathroom浴室?"
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就像你上廁所一樣?」
02:02
And I said, "I know.
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然後我說:「我知道...
02:04
I know."
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我知道...」
02:06
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
02:12
That's how we evolved進化. It does seem似乎 odd.
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這就是生物啊...看起來確實很怪,
02:14
It is a little bit like having a waste浪費 treatment治療 plant
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就有點像是在遊樂場旁邊
02:17
right next下一個 to an amusement娛樂 park公園 ...
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蓋了一個化糞池一樣,
02:20
Bad zoning區劃, but ..." (Laughter笑聲)
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地點選得不好,但是...
02:22
She's like, "What?" And she goes, "But Mom媽媽,
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她的表情像在說:「什麼?」然後她問:「但是媽咪,
02:25
but men男人 and women婦女 can't ever see each other naked, Mom媽媽.
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男生和女生不是不能互相偷看對方脫光光嗎?
02:28
So how could that ever happen發生?"
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那要怎麼受精?」
02:30
And then I go, "Well," and then I put my Margaret瑪格麗特 Mead蜂蜜酒 hat帽子 on.
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我只好把自己裝成瑪格麗特.米格(人類學家):
02:34
"Human人的 males男性 and females女性
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「人類的社會為男性和女性
02:36
develop發展 a special特別 bond,
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建立了一些規範,
02:39
and when they're much older舊的, much, much older舊的 than you,
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當他們長大之後,比你大很多、很多的時候,
02:42
and they have a very special特別 feeling感覺,
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當他們對彼此具有好感之後,
02:44
then they can be naked together一起."
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就可以脫光光在一起了。」
02:46
And she said, "Mom媽媽,
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然後她問:「媽咪,
02:48
have you doneDONE this before?"
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那你以前做過嗎?」
02:50
And I said, "Yes."
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我說:「有啊。」
02:53
And she said, "But Mom媽媽, you can't have kids孩子."
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然後她說:「但是媽咪,你不能生小孩啊...」
02:55
Because she knows知道 that I adopted採用 her and that I can't have kids孩子.
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她知道她是被我領養的,而且我不能生育。
02:57
And I said, "Yes."
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我說:「對啊。」
02:59
And she said, "Well, you don't have to do that again."
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然後她說:「嗯,那你以後就不用再做了。」
03:01
And I said, "..."
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然後我說:「...」
03:04
And then she said, "But how does it happen發生 when a man and woman女人 are together一起?
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然後她說:「那男人和女人在一起的時候是怎麼做的呢?
03:07
Like, how do they know that's the time?
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像他們怎麼知道要什麼時候做?
03:09
Mom媽媽, does the man just say,
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媽咪,還是男人會說
03:11
'Is now the time to take off my pants褲子?'"
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『我現在可以脫褲子了嗎?』」
03:13
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
03:15
And I said, "Yes."
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我說:「對啊。」
03:17
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
03:19
"That is exactly究竟 right.
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「你說的對,
03:22
That's exactly究竟 how it happens發生."
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就是這樣。」
03:24
So we're driving主動 home and she's looking out the window窗口, and she goes,
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當我們開車回家的時候,她看著車窗外面,突然問說:
03:27
"Mom媽媽. What if two just people saw each other on the street,
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「媽咪,會不會有二個人在路上遇到,
03:29
like a man and a woman女人, they just started開始 doing it. Would that ever happen發生?"
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剛好是一個男人和一個女人,然後他們就問始做了?會不會這樣?」
03:32
And I said, "Oh, no. Humans人類 are so private私人的.
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我說:「噢,不會。人類是很注重隱私的,
03:35
Oh ..."
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不會這樣。」
03:37
And then she goes, "What if there was like a party派對,
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她接著問:「那會不會在派對上,
03:39
and there was just like a whole整個 bunch of girls女孩 and a whole整個 bunch of boys男孩,
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剛好有一群女孩子和一群男孩子,
03:41
and there was a bunch of men男人 and women婦女 and they just started開始 doing it, Mom媽媽?
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也有一群男人和一群女人,然後就開始做了?
03:44
Would that ever happen發生?"
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媽咪,會不會這樣?」
03:46
And I said, "Oh, no, no.
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我說:「噢,不會,不會。
03:49
That's not how we do it."
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人類不是這樣的。」
03:52
Then we got home and we see the cat. And she goes,
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然後我們回到家看到了貓咪,她就問:
03:54
"Mom媽媽, how do cats do it?"
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「媽咪,那貓咪是怎麼做的?」
03:56
And I go, "Oh, it's the same相同. It's basically基本上 the same相同."
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我說:「噢,一樣啊,基本上都一樣。」
03:58
And then she got all caught抓住 up in the legs. "But how would the legs go, Mom媽媽?
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然後她開始煩我腳的問題:「那腳要擺哪裡?
04:00
I don't understand理解 the legs."
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媽咪,我不懂腳可以擺哪裡?」
04:02
She goes, "Mom媽媽, everyone大家 can't do the splits拆分."
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她說:「媽咪,不是每個人都會劈腿吧?」
04:04
And I go, "I know, but the legs ..."
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我說:「我知道...但是腳...」
04:06
and I'm probably大概 like, "The legs get worked工作 out."
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我回答:「腳會自己想辦法。」
04:08
And she goes, "But I just can't understand理解 it."
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然後她說:「但是我就是不懂啊...」
04:09
So I go, "You know, why don't we go on the Internet互聯網,
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所以我建議:「我們為什麼不上網,
04:11
and maybe we can see ... like on Wikipedia維基百科." (Laughter笑聲)
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看看能不能找到...像是維基百科之類的。」
04:15
So we go online線上, and we put in "cats mating交配."
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然後我們上網,我輸入貓咪交配,
04:17
And, unfortunately不幸, on YouTubeYouTube的, there's many許多 cats mating交配 videos視頻.
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然後,竟然在Youtube上找到了很多貓咪交配的影片。
04:20
And we watched看著 them and I'm so thankful感謝,
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然後我們就看這些影片,我心存感謝,
04:22
because she's just like, "Wow! This is so amazing驚人."
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因為她的表情就像,「哇!太精彩了!」
04:24
She goes, "What about dogs小狗?"
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然後她又說:「那狗是怎麼交配的?」
04:27
So we put in dogs小狗 mating交配, and,
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所以我們又輸入狗的交配,
04:29
you know, we're watching觀看 it, and she's totally完全 absorbed吸收.
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然後就又開始看那些影片,她完全專注在那些影片上。
04:31
And then she goes, "Mom媽媽,
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最後她問:「媽咪,
04:33
do you think they would have, on the Internet互聯網,
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你覺得在網路上,
04:36
any humans人類 mating交配?"
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會不會有人交配的影片?」
04:39
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
04:41
And then I realized實現 that
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然後我才發覺,
04:43
I had taken採取 my little eight year old's舊的 hand,
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我把自己的八歲女兒
04:45
and taken採取 her right into Internet互聯網 pornA片. (Laughter笑聲)
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帶進了網路色情世界裡去了。
04:47
And I looked看著 into this
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然後我看著這個
04:49
trusting信任的, loving愛心 face面對,
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全心信任我、愛我的小臉蛋,
04:51
and I said,
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我說:
04:53
"Oh, no.
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「噢,不會,
04:55
That would never happen發生."
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網路上沒有。」
04:57
Thank you.
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謝謝你們。
04:59
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
05:01
Thank you.
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謝謝你們。
05:03
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
05:06
Thank you. I'm so happy快樂 to be here.
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謝謝你們。我很高興來到這裡。
Translated by Marie Wu
Reviewed by Terry Lin

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Julia Sweeney - Actor, comedian, playwright
Julia Sweeney creates comedic works that tackle deep issues: cancer, family, faith.

Why you should listen

Julia Sweeney is a writer, director, actress, comedian and monologist. She is known for being a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995, where she created and popularized the androgynous character, Pat. She is also well known for her comedic and dramatic monologues. God Said Ha! is a monologue about serious illness, her brother's lymphoma and her own cancer, and her family's crazy reactions to this crisis as they soldiered their way through struggle, confusion and death. This play was performed all over the U.S. and on Broadway at the Lyceum Theater. It was made into a film produced by Quentin Tarantino, and the comedy album from the show was nominated for a Grammy.

Sweeney's second monologue, In the Family Way, played in theatrical runs in New York and Los Angeles. It was ultimately fashioned into a book, a memoir titled If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother. Sweeney's third monologue, Letting Go of God, chronicled her journey from Catholicism to atheism. It was made into a film that played on Showtime.

More profile about the speaker
Julia Sweeney | Speaker | TED.com