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SukiKim_2015-_在朝鲜教书是怎样一种体验_
In 2011, during the final six months of Kim Jong-Il's life, 2011年,金正日在世的最后6个月期间,
I lived undercover in North Korea. 我在朝鲜当卧底
undercover:adj.秘密工作的;暗中做的;私下进行的;
I was born and raised in South Korea, their enemy. 我在韩国出生长大,朝鲜的敌国
I live in America, their other enemy. 我居住在美国,朝鲜的另一个敌国
Since 2002, I had visited North Korea a few times. 自从2002年,我访问朝鲜数次
And I had come to realize that to write about it with any meaning, or to understand the place beyond the regime 's propaganda , the only option was total immersion . 我认识到,如果要写出它任何的内涵, 或者想要越过政权的宣传,去深度了解这个国度, 唯一的办法就是沉浸其中
regime:n.政权,政体;社会制度;管理体制; propaganda:n.宣传;传道总会; option:n.选择;可选择的东西; immersion:n.沉浸;陷入;专心;
So I posed as a teacher and a missionary at an all-male university in Pyongyang . 于是,我充当老师和传教士的角色, 生活在平壤的一个全男子大学
posed:v.造成;引起;产生;提问;质询;摆好姿势;(pose的过去分词和过去式) missionary:adj.传教的;传教士的;n.传教士; Pyongyang:n.平壤(朝鲜民主主义人民共和国首都);
The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology was founded by Evangelical Christians who cooperate with the regime to educate the sons of the North Korean elite , without proselytizing , which is a capital crime there. 平壤科技大学 是福音派基督徒和政权领导人联合创办的 为了教育朝鲜精英的子孙, 禁止传教,因为在朝鲜这是一个死罪
Technology:n.技术;工艺;术语; Evangelical:adj.福音的;福音派教会的;新教会的;n.福音派信徒; cooperate:v.合作;配合;协作;结合; Korean:n.朝鲜族;韩国人;朝鲜话;adj.朝鲜的;朝鲜族的;朝鲜话的; elite:n.精英;精华;杰出人物; proselytizing:n.使改变宗教信仰;劝服;v.使改变宗教信仰(proselytize的ing形式);
The students were 270 young men, expected to be the future leaders of the most isolated and brutal dictatorship in existence. 学校里有270名男生,有望成为未来的领导者 统治全球最孤立,残酷的独裁国家
isolated:adj.偏远的; v.隔离,孤立,脱离; brutal:adj.残忍的;野蛮的,不讲理的; dictatorship:n.专政;独裁权;独裁者职位;
When I arrived, they became my students. 当我到达时,他们就是我的学生们了
2011 was a special year, marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of North Korea's original Great Leader, 2011是非常特殊的一年 因为是朝鲜原伟大领袖,金日成的诞辰
original:n.原件;原作;原物;原型;adj.原始的;最初的;独创的;新颖的;
Kim Il-Sung. 100周年
To celebrate the occasion, the regime shut down all universities, and sent students off to the fields to build the DPRK's much-heralded ideal as the world's most powerful and prosperous nation. 为了庆祝这个场合,朝鲜政权关闭了所有的大学 并且派学生去实地宣传 朝鲜大肆赞扬的思想: 他们是世界上最强大和富强的国家
prosperous:adj.繁荣的;兴旺的;
My students were the only ones spared from that fate. 我的学生是唯一幸免的人
spared:v.抽出;留出;免去;放过;使逃脱(spare的过去分词和过去式)
North Korea is a gulag posing as a nation. 朝鲜是古拉格（前苏联囚禁营）,却冒充一个国家
gulag:n.古拉格(集中营); posing:v.造成;引起;产生;提问;摆好姿势;(pose的现在分词)
Everything there is about the Great Leader. 那里的一切都是赞扬伟大领袖的
Every book, every newspaper article, every song, every TV program -- there is just one subject. 每一本书,每一篇报道,每一首歌,每一个电视节目-- 都只有一个话题
The flowers are named after him, the mountains are carved with his slogans . 花是以他的名字命名 山脉上刻着他的口号
carved:v.雕刻;刻;把(熟肉)切成块;(carve的过去分词和过去式) slogans:n.口号(slogan复数);
Every citizen wears the badge of the Great Leader at all times. 每一个市民每时每刻都戴着伟大领袖的徽章
badge:n.徽章;证章;标记;v.授给…徽章;
Even their calendar system begins with the birth of Kim Il-Sung. 朝鲜的日历甚至都是从金日成的诞辰算起
calendar:n.日历;挂历;v.把…记入日程表中;
The school was a heavily guarded prison, posing as a campus . 学校就是一个戒备森严的监狱,冒充是一个校园
campus:n.(大学)校园;大学,大学生活;校园内的草地;
Teachers could only leave on group outings accompanied by an official minder . 老师只能在守卫伴随的团体出游才能离开学校
accompanied:v.陪同;陪伴;与…同时发生;为…伴奏;(accompany的过去式和过去分词) official:adj.官方的;正式的;公务的;n.官员;公务员;高级职员; minder:n.看守者;照顾者;
Even then, our trips were limited to sanctioned national monuments celebrating the Great Leader. 即使是这样,我们的旅行也仅限于被批准的庆祝 伟大领袖的国家纪念碑
limited:adj.有限的; n.高级快车; v.限制; (limit的过去分词和过去式) sanctioned:v.许可;准许;惩罚;实施制裁;(sanction的过去分词和过去式) monuments:n.遗迹;纪念物;不朽的功业;有永久价值的作品(monument的复数形式);
The students were not allowed to leave the campus, or communicate with their parents. 学生不允许离开校园 或者与家长沟通
Their days were meticulously mapped out, and any free time they had was devoted to honoring their Great Leader. 每天的安排都是精心计划好的,任何的空闲时间 都被用来纪念他们的伟大领袖
meticulously:adv.细致地;一丝不苟地;拘泥地; devoted:adj.专心致志; v.献身; (devote的过去分词和过去式)
Lesson plans had to meet the approval of North Korean staff, every class was recorded and reported on, every room was bugged , and every conversation, overheard . 教案都必须被朝鲜部门批准 每节课都被记录汇报,每一个房间都被窃听 每一个对话都会被人听到
approval:n.批准;认可;赞成; bugged:adj.装有窃听器的;n.装窃听器;打扰;把…弄糊涂;除虫(bug的过去分词); overheard:v.无意中听到;偷听;(overhear的过去分词)
Every blank space was covered with the portraits of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il, like everywhere else in North Korea. 每一个空间和间隙都被金日成和金正日的肖像填满 朝鲜的每一个角落都是如此
portraits:n.肖像;半身照;详细的描述;描绘;(portrait的复数)
We were never allowed to discuss the outside world. 我们被禁止讨论外面的世界
As students of science and technology, many of them were computer majors but they did not know the existence of the Internet. 作为研究科学和科技的学生,很多主修计算机专业, 但是他们却不知道互联网的存在
They had never heard of Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs. 他们从未听说过马克·扎克伯格或者史蒂夫·乔布斯
Facebook, Twitter -- none of those things would have meant a thing. 脸谱网,推特--他们全然不知
And I could not tell them. 我也不能告诉他们
I went there looking for truth. 我去那里寻求真相
But where do you even start when an entire nation's ideology , my students' day-to-day realities, and even my own position at the universities, were all built on lies? 但是你又从何开始呢？当整个国家的思想 我的学生的日常面对的现实, 甚至我在大学的职位 全都建立在谎言上？
ideology:n.意识形态;思想意识;观念学; day-to-day:adj.日常的;逐日的;
I started with a game. 我先和学生们做了一个游戏
We played "Truth and Lie." 我们玩 “真相和谎言”
A volunteer would write a sentence on the chalkboard , and the other students had to guess whether it was a truth or a lie. 一个人志愿在黑板上写下一句话, 另一个学生需要猜 这句话是真相还是谎言
volunteer:n.志愿者;志愿兵;adj.志愿的;v.自愿; chalkboard:n.黑板;
Once a student wrote, "I visited China last year on vacation," 有一次,我的一个学生写道:“我去年到中国去度假。”
and everyone shouted, "Lie!" 每个人都大喊:“说谎！”
They all knew this wasn't possible. 他们都知道这是不可能的
Virtually no North Korean is allowed to leave the country. 朝鲜人是从来不能离开他们的国家的
Virtually:adv.事实上,几乎;实质上;
Even traveling within their own country requires a travel pass. 即使是在朝鲜旅游,也需要一个通行证
I had hoped that this game would reveal some truth about my students, because they lie so often and so easily, whether about the mythical accomplishments of their Great Leader, or the strange claim that they cloned a rabbit as fifth graders . 我希望这个游戏能让我看出学生的真面目, 因为他们经常轻易地撒谎 无论是关于他们伟大领袖的虚构的成就, 还是声称他们在五年级克隆了一只兔子
reveal:v.显示;透露;揭露;泄露;n.揭露;暴露;门侧,窗侧; mythical:adj.神话的;虚构的; accomplishments:n.成就;成绩;才艺;技艺;完成;(accomplishment的复数) claim:v.要求;声称;需要;认领;n.要求;声称;索赔;断言;值得; cloned:v.以无性繁殖技术复制;克隆;非法复制;(clone的过去分词和过去式) graders:分级机;分类机;…年级学生;[建]平地机(grader的复数);
The difference between truth and lies seemed at times hazy to them. 真相和谎言的区别对他们来说很含糊
hazy:adj.朦胧的;模糊的;有薄雾的;
It took me a while to understand the different types of lies; they lie to shield their system from the world, or they were taught lies, and were just regurgitating them. 我过了一段时间才能分辨出不同类型的谎言 他们撒谎去隐藏他们的统治系统 有时,他们被灌输谎言,只是重复他们听到的话
shield:n.盾;防护物;保护者;v.遮蔽;包庇;避开;保卫; regurgitating:vi.回流;回涌;反胃;反刍;vt.使回流;使回涌;使反刍;
Or, at moments, they lied out of habit. 或者,有时候,他们习惯性地撒谎
But if all they have ever known were lies, how could we expect them to be otherwise? 但是如果他们所知道的一切都是谎言, 我们怎么能指望他们去改变呢？
Next, I tried to teach them essay writing. 接下来,我试图教他们写论文
But that turned out to be nearly impossible. 但是这几乎不可能
Essays are about coming up with one's own thesis , and making an evidence-based argument to prove it. 论文需要每个人构思得出自己的论点 并且运用证据写出论据去证明观点
thesis:n.论文;论点; evidence-based:adj.基于证据的;
These students, however, were simply told what to think, and they obeyed . 然而这些学生的思维从来都是被命令的 他们也一直服从
obeyed:v.服从;遵守;顺从;(obey的过去分词和过去式)
In their world, critical thinking was not allowed. 在他们的世界里,批判性思维是不允许的
critical:adj.鉴定的;[核]临界的;批评的,爱挑剔的;危险的;决定性的;评论的;
I also gave them the weekly assignment of writing a personal letter, to anybody. 我每周的作业是让他们写一封信, 可以写给任何人
assignment:n.分配:(分派的)工作,任务: personal:adj.个人的;身体的;亲自的;n.人事消息栏;人称代名词;
It took a long time, but eventually some of them began to write to their mothers, their friends, their girlfriends. 过了很长时间,才有人提笔开始 写信给妈妈,朋友,女友
eventually:adv.最后,终于;
Although those were just homework, and would never reach their intended recipients , my students slowly began to reveal their true feelings in them. 尽管这都只是作业, 这些信也从来不会到收件人的手中, 我的学生开始慢慢地展现出他们的内心感受
intended:adj.预定的;计划的;v.打算;计划;想要;(intend的过去分词和过去式) recipients:n.收件人(recipient的复数);
They wrote that they were fed up with the sameness of everything. 他们写道他们对一切的格式化忍无可忍了
fed up with:受够了;极厌恶;对…厌倦; sameness:n.相同;千篇一律;单调;
They were worried about their future. 他们很担心自己的未来
In those letters, they rarely ever mentioned their Great Leader. 在那些信中,他们很少提到他们的伟大领袖
rarely:adv.很少地;难得;罕有地;
I was spending all of my time with these young men. 我整天和学生们相处
We all ate meals together, played basketball together. 我们一起吃饭,一起打篮球
I often called them gentlemen, which made them giggle . 我经常称他们 “绅士”, 这让他们暗笑
giggle:v.傻笑;咯咯地笑;n.吃吃的笑;
They blushed at the mention of girls. 他们谈到女生就很害羞
blushed:adj.脸红的(blush的过去分词);
And I came to adore them. 我逐渐喜欢我的学生
And watching them open up even in the tiniest of ways, was deeply moving. 看到他们打开心扉,哪怕就那么一点点, 都十分地感人
But something also felt wrong. 但是总感觉怪怪的
During those months of living in their world, 生活在他们的世界中的几个月期间,
I often wondered if the truth would, in fact, improve their lives. 我经常在想,知道真相会不会让他们的生活变得更好
improve:v.改进;改善;
I wanted so much to tell them the truth, of their country and of the outside world, where Arab youth were turning their rotten regime inside out, using the power of social media , 我十分想告诉他们真相, 他们的国家以及外面的世界的真相 阿拉伯青年正在把他们腐败的政权翻得底朝天, 凭靠着社交媒体的力量,
rotten:adj.腐烂的;堕落的;恶臭的;虚弱的;极坏的;adv.非常; media:n.媒体;媒质(medium的复数);血管中层;浊塞音;中脉;
where everyone except them was connected through the world wide web , which wasn't worldwide after all. 除了朝鲜,全世界的人们都通过互联网彼此相连, 终究不是全世界的人能够这样
world wide web:n.万维网; worldwide:adj.全世界的;adv.在世界各地;
But for them, the truth was dangerous. 但是对他们而言,真相是危险的
By encouraging them to run after it, I was putting them at risk -- of persecution , of heartbreak . 鼓励他们寻求真相就是把他们处于危险境地-- 他们可能会遭到迫害, 他们可能会被痛苦折磨
persecution:n.迫害;烦扰; heartbreak:n.心碎;伤心事;
When you're not allowed to express anything in the open , you become good at reading what is unspoken . 当你不能随意表达自己的想法时, 你就会擅长读出潜在的含义
express:v.表达; adj.特快的; n.特快列车; v.使用快速服务; in the open:在户外;在野外; unspoken:adj.无言的;未说出口的;不言而喻的;
In one of their personal letters to me, a student wrote that he understood why I always called them gentlemen. 在我的一个学生的信件中,他写道他懂得 为什么我说他们是 “绅士”,
It was because I was wishing them to be gentle in life, he said. 因为我希望他们能平和地面对生活
On my last day in December of 2011, the day Kim Jong-Il's death was announced, their world shattered . 2011年的12月份,我在朝鲜的最后一天, 金正日的死讯被公布了, 他们的世界破碎了
shattered:adj.受到严重打击的; v.(使)破碎,碎裂; (shatter的过去式和过去分词)
I had to leave without a proper goodbye. 我没有正式地告别就走了
But I think they knew how sad I was for them. 但是我觉得他们知道我为他们感到伤心
Once, toward the end of my stay, a student said to me, "Professor, we never think of you as being different from us. 在我快要离开之前,一个学生告诉我, “老师,我们从来没有认为你和我们是不同的”
Our circumstances are different, but you're the same as us. “我们的境遇不同,但是你和我们都一样”
circumstances:n.情况;环境;情形;(circumstance的复数)
We want you to know that we truly think of you as being the same." “我们想让您知道我们一直把您看做我们的一份子”
Today, if I could respond to my students with a letter of my own, which is of course impossible, 今天,如果我能写一封信回复我的学生们, 当然这是不可能的,
respond:vi.回答;作出反应;承担责任;n.应答;唱和;
I would tell them this: "My dear gentlemen, 我会告诉他们: “亲爱的绅士们,
It's been a bit over three years since I last saw you. 我上次见到你们已经是3年前了,
And now, you must be 22 -- maybe even as old as 23. “现在你们肯定已经过了22,23岁了”
At our final class, I asked you if there was anything you wanted. “在最后一堂课上,我问你们有没有任何想要的东西”
The only wish you expressed , the only thing you ever asked of me in all those months we spent together, was for me to speak to you in Korean. 你们唯一的心愿,唯一问我的一件事 在我们一起度过的几个月中, 就是让我用朝鲜语跟你们对话
expressed:v.表示;表达;显而易见;不言自明;(express的过去分词和过去式)
Just once. 就一次
I was there to teach you English; you knew it wasn't allowed. 我到那里去教你们英语, 你们知道这是不允许的
But I understood then, you wanted to share that bond of our mother tongue . 但是我懂得你们想分享我们母语的纽带
mother tongue:n.母语;本国语;
I called you my gentlemen, but I don't know if being gentle in Kim Jong-Un's merciless North Korea is a good thing. 我称你们为 “绅士”, 但是我不知道在金正恩统治的残忍的朝鲜,性情温和 是否是一件好事
merciless:adj.残忍的;无慈悲心的;
I don't want you to lead a revolution -- let some other young person do it. 我不想你们引领一场革命 -- 让别的年轻人去做吧
revolution:n.革命;旋转;运行;循环; young person:n.(14至17岁的)青少年;
The rest of the world might casually encourage or even expect some sort of North Korean Spring, but I don't want you to do anything risky, because I know in your world, someone is always watching. 世界可能会鼓励,甚至期待 朝鲜的跃进 但是我不希望你们做任何冒险的事, 因为我知道在你们的世界里,总有人观察你们的一举一动
casually:adv.偶然;临时;
I don't want to imagine what might happen to you. 我不想去想象你们可能会有怎样的遭遇
If my attempts to reach you have inspired something new in you, 如果我所做的事启发了你,
attempts:n.企图,试图;尝试(attempt的复数);v.试图;努力去做(attempt的三单形式); inspired:adj.受到启发的; v.鼓舞; (inspire的过去分词和过去式)
I would rather you forget me. 我宁愿你们忘了我
would rather:宁愿,宁可;
Become soldiers of your Great Leader, and live long, safe lives. 成为你们伟大领袖的士兵,生活安稳,长寿
You once asked me if I thought your city of Pyongyang was beautiful, and I could not answer truthfully then. 你们曾经问我觉得平壤很美丽吗, 我当时不能如实回答
truthfully:adv.诚实地;深信不疑地;
But I know why you asked. 但是我知道你们为什么问这个问题
I know that it was important for you to hear that I, your teacher, the one who has seen the world that you are forbidden from, declare your city as the most beautiful. 我知道这个对你们很重要,要从我,你们的老师的口中, 一个能看到你们看不到的世界的人, 听到你们的城市是最美丽的
forbidden:adj.禁止的; v.禁止; (forbid的过去分词和过去式)
I know hearing that would make your lives there a bit more bearable , but no, I don't find your capital beautiful. 我知道听到这句会让你们的生活更加好受一些 但是,不,我不觉得你们的首都很美丽
bearable:adj.可忍受的;支持得住的;
Not because it's monotone and concrete , but because of what it symbolizes : a monster that feeds off the rest of the country, where citizens are soldiers and slaves. 不是因为它的单调无趣或随处可见的混凝土, 而是它所象征的意义; 一个侵蚀自己国家的怪兽 它的百姓都是士兵和奴隶
monotone:n.单调;单音调;adj.单调的;vt.单调地读; concrete:n.混凝土;adj.混凝土制的;确实的,具体的;vt.用混凝土覆盖 symbolizes:v.象征;是…的象征;代表;(symbolize的第三人称单数) monster:n.怪物;恶魔;庞然大物;adj.巨大的;
All I see there is darkness. 我看到的一切都是黑暗的
But it's your home, so I cannot hate it. 但是那是你们的家,我不能憎恨它
And I hope instead that you, my lovely young gentlemen, will one day help make it beautiful. 我依旧希望你们,我的绅士们, 能有一天使它变得美丽
Thank you. 谢谢！
(Applause) （掌声）