TED英语演讲稿不幸也许是个机会.docx

TED英语演讲稿不幸也许是个机会.docx

《TED英语演讲稿不幸也许是个机会.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《TED英语演讲稿不幸也许是个机会.docx（7页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

TED英语演讲稿不幸也许是个机会

TED英语演讲稿：

不幸也许是个机会

简介：

残奥会短跑冠军aimeemullins天生没有腓骨，从小就要学习靠义肢走路和奔跑。

如今，她不仅是短跑选手、演员、模特，还是一位稳健的演讲者。

她不喜欢字典中disabled这个词，因为负面词汇足以毁掉一个人。

但是，坦然面对不幸，你会发现等待你的是更多的机会。

idliketosharewithyouadiscoverythatimadeafewmonthsagowhilewritinganarticleforitalianwired.ialwayskeepmythesaurushandywheneverimwritinganything,butidalreadyfinishededitingthepiece,andirealizedthatihadneveronceinmylifelookeduptheworddisabledtoseewhatidfind.

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,butidjustgottenpastmangled,andmyvoicebroke,andihadtostopandcollectmyselffromtheemotionalshockandimpactthattheassaultfromthesewordsunleashed.

youknow,ofcourse,thisismyraggedyoldthesaurussoimthinkingthismustbeanancientprintdate,right?

but,infact,theprintdatewastheearly1980s,wheniwouldhavebeenstartingprimaryschoolandforminganunderstandingofmyselfoutsidethefamilyunitandasrelatedtotheotherkidsandtheworldaroundme.and,needlesstosay,thankgodiwasntusingathesaurusbackthen.imean,fromthisentry,itwouldseemthatiwasbornintoaworldthatperceivedsomeonelikemetohavenothingpositivewhatsoevergoingforthem,wheninfact,todayimcelebratedfortheopportunitiesandadventuresmylifehasprocured.

so,iimmediatelywenttolookuptheXXonlineedition,expectingtofindarevisionworthnoting.herestheupdatedversionofthisentry.unfortunately,itsnotmuchbetter.ifindthelasttwowordsundernearantonyms,particularlyunsettling:

wholeandwholesome.

so,itsnotjustaboutthewords.itswhatwebelieveaboutpeoplewhenwenamethemwiththesewords.itsaboutthevaluesbehindthewords,andhowweconstructthosevalues.ourlanguageaffectsourthinkingandhowweviewtheworldandhowweviewotherpeople.infact,manyancientsocieties,includingthegreeksandtheromans,believedthattoutteracurseverballywassopowerful,becausetosaythethingoutloudbroughtitintoexistence.so,whatrealitydowewanttocallintoexistence:

apersonwhoislimited,orapersonwhosempowered?

bycasuallydoingsomethingassimpleasnamingaperson,achild,wemightbeputtinglidsandcastingshadowsontheirpower.wouldntwewanttoopendoorsfortheminstead?

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,ithinkyouregoingtobreakoneofthosebands.whenyoudobreakit,imgoingtogiveyouahundredbucks.

now,ofcourse,thiswasasimpleployondr.psparttogetmetodotheexercisesididntwanttodobeforetheprospectofbeingtherichestfive-year-oldinthesecondfloorward,butwhatheeffectivelydidformewasreshapeanawfuldailyoccurrenceintoanewandpromisingexperienceforme.andihavetowondertodaytowhatextenthisvisionandhisdeclarationofmeasastrongandpowerfullittlegirlshapedmyownviewofmyselfasaninherentlystrong,powerfulandathleticpersonwellintothefuture.

thisisanexampleofhowadultsinpositionsofpowercanignitethepowerofachild.but,inthepreviousinstancesofthosethesaurusentries,ourlanguageisntallowingustoevolveintotherealitythatwewouldallwant,thepossibilityofanindividualtoseethemselvesascapable.ourlanguagehasntcaughtupwiththechangesinoursociety,manyofwhichhavebeenbroughtaboutbytechnology.certainly,fromamedicalstandpoint,mylegs,lasersurgeryforvisionimpairment,titaniumkneesandhipreplacementsforagingbodiesthatareallowingpeopletomorefullyengagewiththeirabilities,andmovebeyondthelimitsthatnaturehasimposedonthem--nottomentionsocialnetworkingplatformsallowpeopletoself-identify,toclaimtheirowndescriptionsofthemselves,sotheycangoalignwithglobalgroupsoftheirownchoosing.so,perhapstechnologyisrevealingmoreclearlytousnowwhathasalwaysbeenatruth:

thateveryonehassomethingrareandpowerfultoofferoursociety,andthatthehumanabilitytoadaptisourgreatestasset.

thehumanabilitytoadapt,itsaninterestingthing,becausepeoplehavecontinuallywantedtotalktomeaboutovercomingadversity,andimgoingtomakeanadmission:

thisphraseneversatrightwithme,andialwaysfeltuneasytryingtoanswerpeoplesquestionsaboutit,andithinkimstartingtofigureoutwhy.implicitinthisphraseofovercomingadversityistheideathatsuccess,orhappiness,isaboutemergingontheothersideofachallengingexperienceunscathedorunmarkedbytheexperience,asifmysuccessesinlifehavecomeaboutfromanabilitytosidesteporcircumnavigatethepresumedpitfallsofalifewithprosthetics,orwhatotherpeopleperceiveasmydisability.but,infact,wearechanged.wearemarked,ofcourse,byachallenge,whetherphysically,emotionallyorboth.andimgoingtosuggestthatthisisagoodthing.adversityisntanobstaclethatweneedtogetaroundinordertoresumelivingourlife.itspartofourlife.anditendtothinkofitlikemyshadow.sometimesiseealotofit,sometimestheresverylittle,butitsalwayswithme.and,certainly,imnottryingtodiminishtheimpact,theweight,ofapersonsstruggle.

thereisadversityandchallengeinlife,anditsallveryrealandrelativetoeverysingleperson,butthequestionisntwhetherornotyouregoingtomeetadversity,buthowyouregoingtomeetit.so,ourresponsibilityisnotsimplyshieldingthosewecareforfromadversity,butpreparingthemtomeetitwell.andwedoadisservicetoourkidswhenwemakethemfeelthattheyrenotequippedtoadapt.theresanimportantdifferenceanddistinctionbetweentheobjectivemedicalfactofmybeinganamputeeandthesubjectivesocietalopinionofwhetherornotimdisabled.and,truthfully,theonlyrealandconsistentdisabilityivehadtoconfrontistheworldeverthinkingthaticouldbedescribedbythosedefinitions.

inourdesiretoprotectthosewecareaboutbygivingthemthecold,hardtruthabouttheirmedicalprognosis,or,indeed,aprognosisontheexpectedqualityoftheirlife,wehavetomakesurethatwedontputthefirstbrickinawallthatwillactuallydisablesomeone.perhapstheexistingmodelofonlylookingatwhatisbrokeninyouandhowdowefixit,servestobemoredisablingtotheindividualthanthepathologyitself.

bynottreatingthewholenessofaperson,bynotacknowledgingtheirpotency,wearecreatinganotherillontopofwhatevernaturalstruggletheymighthave.weareeffectivelygradingsomeonesworthtoourcommunity.soweneedtoseethroughthepathologyandintotherangeofhumancapability.and,mostimportantly,theresapartnershipbetweenthoseperceiveddeficienciesandourgreatestcreativeability.soitsnotaboutdevaluing,ornegating,thesemoretryingtimesassomethingwewanttoavoidorsweepundertherug,butinsteadtofindthoseopportunitieswrappedintheadversity.somaybetheideaiwanttoputoutthereisnotsomuchovercomingadversityasitisopeningourselvesuptoit,embracingit,grapplingwithit,touseawrestlingterm,maybeevendancingwithit.and,perhaps,ifweseeadversityasnatural,consistentanduseful,werelessburdenedbythepresenceofit.

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

itsnotthestrongestofthespeciesthatsurvives,norisitthemostintelligentthatsurvives;itistheonethatismostadaptabletochange.conflictisthegenesisofcreation.fromdarwinswork,amongstothers,wecanrecognizethatthehumanabilitytosurviveandflourishisdrivenbythestruggleofthehumanspiritthroughconflictintotransformation.so,again,transformation,adaptation,isourgreatesthumanskill.and,perhaps,untilweretested,wedontknowwhatweremadeof.maybethatswhatadversitygivesus:

asenseofself,asenseofourownpower.so,wecangiveourselvesagift.wecanre-imagineadversityassomethingmorethanjusttoughtimes.maybewecanseeitaschange.adversityisjustchangethatwehaventadaptedourselvestoyet.

ithinkthegreatestadversitythatwevecreatedforourselvesisthisideaofnormalcy.now,whosnormal?

theresnonormal.therescommon,therestypical.theresnonorma