TED英语演讲稿不幸也许是个机会1.docx

TED英语演讲稿不幸也许是个机会1.docx

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TED英语演讲稿不幸也许是个机会1

TED英语演讲稿：

不幸也许是个机会

　　i'dliketosharewithyouadiscoverythatimadeafewmonthsagowhilewritinganarticleforitalianwired.ialwayskeepmythesaurushandywheneveri'mwritinganything,buti'dalreadyfinishededitingthepiece,andirealizedthatihadneveronceinmylifelookeduptheword"disabled"toseewhati'dfind.

　　letmereadyoutheentry."disabled,adjective:

crippled,helpless,useless,wrecked,stalled,maimed,wounded,mangled,lame,mutilated,run-down,worn-out,weakened,impotent,castrated,paralyzed,handicapped,senile,decrepit,laid-up,done-up,done-for,done-incracked-up,counted-out;seealsohurt,uselessandweak.antonyms,healthy,strong,capable."iwasreadingthislistoutloudtoafriendandatfirstwaslaughing,itwassoludicrous,buti'djustgottenpast"mangled,"andmyvoicebroke,andihadtostopandcollectmyselffromtheemotionalshockandimpactthattheassaultfromthesewordsunleashed.

　　youknow,ofcourse,thisismyraggedyoldthesaurussoi'mthinkingthismustbeanancientprintdate,right?

but,infact,theprintdatewastheearly1980s,wheniwouldhavebeenstartingprimaryschoolandforminganunderstandingofmyselfoutsidethefamilyunitandasrelatedtotheotherkidsandtheworldaroundme.and,needlesstosay,thankgodiwasn'tusingathesaurusbackthen.imean,fromthisentry,itwouldseemthatiwasbornintoaworldthatperceivedsomeonelikemetohavenothingpositivewhatsoevergoingforthem,wheninfact,todayi'mcelebratedfortheopportunitiesandadventuresmylifehasprocured.

　　so,iimmediatelywenttolookuptheXXonlineedition,expectingtofindarevisionworthnoting.here'stheupdatedversionofthisentry.unfortunately,it'snotmuchbetter.ifindthelasttwowordsunder"nearantonyms,"particularlyunsettling:

"whole"and"wholesome."

　　so,it'snotjustaboutthewords.it'swhatwebelieveaboutpeoplewhenwenamethemwiththesewords.it'saboutthevaluesbehindthewords,andhowweconstructthosevalues.ourlanguageaffectsourthinkingandhowweviewtheworldandhowweviewotherpeople.infact,manyancientsocieties,includingthegreeksandtheromans,believedthattoutteracurseverballywassopowerful,becausetosaythethingoutloudbroughtitintoexistence.so,whatrealitydowewanttocallintoexistence:

apersonwhoislimited,orapersonwho'sempowered?

bycasuallydoingsomethingassimpleasnamingaperson,achild,wemightbeputtinglidsandcastingshadowsontheirpower.wouldn'twewanttoopendoorsfortheminstead?

　　onesuchpersonwhoopeneddoorsformewasmychildhooddoctoratthea.i.dupontinstituteinwilmington,delaware.hisnamewasdr.pizzutillo,anitalianamerican,whosename,apparently,wastoodifficultformostamericanstopronounce,sohewentbydr.p.anddr.palwaysworereallycolorfulbowtiesandhadtheveryperfectdispositiontoworkwithchildren.

　　ilovedalmosteverythingaboutmytimespentatthishospital,withtheexceptionofmyphysicaltherapysessions.ihadtodowhatseemedlikeinnumerablerepetitionsofexerciseswiththesethick,elasticbands--differentcolors,youknow--tohelpbuildupmylegmuscles,andihatedthesebandsmorethananything--ihatedthem,hadnamesforthem.ihatedthem.and,youknow,iwasalreadybargaining,asafiveyear-oldchild,withdr.ptotrytogetoutofdoingtheseexercises,unsuccessfully,ofcourse.and,oneday,hecameintomysession--exhaustiveandunforgiving,thesesessions--andhesaidtome,"wow.aimee,youaresuchastrongandpowerfullittlegirl,ithinkyou'regoingtobreakoneofthosebands.whenyoudobreakit,i'mgoingtogiveyouahundredbucks."

　　now,ofcourse,thiswasasimpleployondr.p'sparttogetmetodotheexercisesididn'twanttodobeforetheprospectofbeingtherichestfive-year-oldinthesecondfloorward,butwhatheeffectivelydidformewasreshapeanawfuldailyoccurrenceintoanewandpromisingexperienceforme.andihavetowondertodaytowhatextenthisvisionandhisdeclarationofmeasastrongandpowerfullittlegirlshapedmyownviewofmyselfasaninherentlystrong,powerfulandathleticpersonwellintothefuture.

　　thisisanexampleofhowadultsinpositionsofpowercanignitethepowerofachild.but,inthepreviousinstancesofthosethesaurusentries,ourlanguageisn'tallowingustoevolveintotherealitythatwewouldallwant,thepossibilityofanindividualtoseethemselvesascapable.ourlanguagehasn'tcaughtupwiththechangesinoursociety,manyofwhichhavebeenbroughtaboutbytechnology.certainly,fromamedicalstandpoint,mylegs,lasersurgeryforvisionimpairment,titaniumkneesandhipreplacementsforagingbodiesthatareallowingpeopletomorefullyengagewiththeirabilities,andmovebeyondthelimitsthatnaturehasimposedonthem--nottomentionsocialnetworkingplatformsallowpeopletoself-identify,toclaimtheirowndescriptionsofthemselves,sotheycangoalignwithglobalgroupsoftheirownchoosing.so,perhapstechnologyisrevealingmoreclearlytousnowwhathasalwaysbeenatruth:

thateveryonehassomethingrareandpowerfultoofferoursociety,andthatthehumanabilitytoadaptisourgreatestasset.

　　thehumanabilitytoadapt,it'saninterestingthing,becausepeoplehavecontinuallywantedtotalktomeaboutovercomingadversity,andi'mgoingtomakeanadmission:

thisphraseneversatrightwithme,andialwaysfeltuneasytryingtoanswerpeople'squestionsaboutit,andithinki'mstartingtofigureoutwhy.implicitinthisphraseof"overcomingadversity"istheideathatsuccess,orhappiness,isaboutemergingontheothersideofachallengingexperienceunscathedorunmarkedbytheexperience,asifmysuccessesinlifehavecomeaboutfromanabilitytosidesteporcircumnavigatethepresumedpitfallsofalifewithprosthetics,orwhatotherpeopleperceiveasmydisability.but,infact,wearechanged.wearemarked,ofcourse,byachallenge,whetherphysically,emotionallyorboth.andi'mgoingtosuggestthatthisisagoodthing.adversityisn'tanobstaclethatweneedtogetaroundinordertoresumelivingourlife.it'spartofourlife.anditendtothinkofitlikemyshadow.sometimesiseealotofit,sometimesthere'sverylittle,butit'salwayswithme.and,certainly,i'mnottryingtodiminishtheimpact,theweight,ofaperson'sstruggle.

　　thereisadversityandchallengeinlife,andit'sallveryrealandrelativetoeverysingleperson,butthequestionisn'twhetherornotyou'regoingtomeetadversity,buthowyou'regoingtomeetit.so,ourresponsibilityisnotsimplyshieldingthosewecareforfromadversity,butpreparingthemtomeetitwell.andwedoadisservicetoourkidswhenwemakethemfeelthatthey'renotequippedtoadapt.there'sanimportantdifferenceanddistinctionbetweentheobjectivemedicalfactofmybeinganamputeeandthesubjectivesocietalopinionofwhetherornoti'mdisabled.and,truthfully,theonlyrealandconsistentdisabilityi'vehadtoconfrontistheworldeverthinkingthaticouldbedescribedbythosedefinitions.

　　inourdesiretoprotectthosewecareaboutbygivingthemthecold,hardtruthabouttheirmedicalprognosis,or,indeed,aprognosisontheexpectedqualityoftheirlife,wehavetomakesurethatwedon'tputthefirstbrickinawallthatwillactuallydisablesomeone.perhapstheexistingmodelofonlylookingatwhatisbrokeninyouandhowdowefixit,servestobemoredisablingtotheindividualthanthepathologyitself.

　　bynottreatingthewholenessofaperson,bynotacknowledgingtheirpotency,wearecreatinganotherillontopofwhatevernaturalstruggletheymighthave.weareeffectivelygradingsomeone'sworthtoourcommunity.soweneedtoseethroughthepathologyandintotherangeofhumancapability.and,mostimportantly,there'sapartnershipbetweenthoseperceiveddeficienciesandourgreatestcreativeability.soit'snotaboutdevaluing,ornegating,thesemoretryingtimesassomethingwewanttoavoidorsweepundertherug,butinsteadtofindthoseopportunitieswrappedintheadversity.somaybetheideaiwanttoputoutthereisnotsomuchovercomingadversityasitisopeningourselvesuptoit,embracingit,grapplingwithit,touseawrestlingterm,maybeevendancingwithit.and,perhaps,ifweseeadversityasnatural,consistentanduseful,we'relessburdenedbythepresenceofit.

　　thisyearwecelebratethe200thbirthdayofcharlesdarwin,anditwas150yearsago,whenwritingaboutevolution,thatdarwinillustrated,ithink,atruthaboutthehumancharacter.toparaphrase:

it'snotthestrongestofthespeciesthatsurvives,norisitthemostintelligentthatsurvives;itistheonethatismostadaptabletochange.conflictisthegenesisofcreation.fromdarwin'swork,amongstothers,wecanrecognizethatthehumanabilitytosurviveandflourishisdrivenbythestruggleofthehumanspiritthroughconflictintotransformation.so,again,transformation,adaptation,isourgreatesthumanskill.and,perhaps,untilwe'retested,wedon'tknowwhatwe'remadeof.maybethat'swhatadversitygivesus:

asenseofself,asenseofourownpower.so,wecangiveourselvesagift.wecanre-imagineadversityassomethingmorethanjusttoughtimes.maybewecanseeitaschange.adversityisjustchangethatwehaven'tadaptedourselvestoyet.

　　ithinkthegreatestadversitythatwe'vecreatedforourselvesisthisideaofnormalcy.now,who'snormal?

there'snonormal.there'scommon,there'stypical.there'snonormal,andwouldyouwanttomeetthatpoor,beigepersoniftheyex