My name is Kate Simonds, and I'm 17.

我是凱特賽門，今年十七歲。

Upon hearing me say this or seeing the title of this talk, "I'm 17",

聽見我的話，或看到我的標題寫「我十七歲」，

I'm sure you're thinking:

你們一定在想，

since she's on the stage,

她能夠站在台上，

she must have done something incredible that she can teach me about.

一定是因為她做了什麼了不起的事情可以和人分享。

Maybe she-- I don't know, what did she do to deserve a TED talk?

也許她...，我不知道，她為什麼能來 TED 演講？

Did she accidentally make millions

是因為她在十五歲時，投資在一間新創公司

from investing in a successful startup company at age 15?

而意外地賺了幾百萬嗎？

Maybe she cured some disease accidentally while interning in a lab

也許是她去實習時，有些疾病被她治療好了，

or maybe she received a perfect score on her SATs at the age of 7.

或是她七歲時在 SAT 大考裡獲得優異的成績。

Did I do any of those things?

我做過這些事情嗎？

No.

並沒有。

I haven't done any of these things unfortunately

可惜的是這些我都沒做過，

so here's the reason why I'm talking today:

而我今天在這裡演講的原因是：

When I took this stage, you all assumed that I'm some child genius

當我站上這講台，你們會覺得我可能是天才兒童，

or some accredited creator because I'm 17.

或是某位被認可的創作家，因為我才十七歲。

I must have done something worthy of your attention.

我一定做了什麼值得吸引你們注意的事。

Yet, the only qualification to being a TED speaker is to have an idea.

然而，能擔任 TED 講者唯一的資格就是有想法。

An idea you think is worth spreading.

一個你覺得值得傳遞的想法。

And that's the problem.

而這就是問題所在。

Because I'm 17 and I'm on this stage,

因為我十七歲而且站在台上，

you're only respecting me because I'm on this stage.

你們尊重我只因為我站在這台上。

Maybe it's because you like my extremely high heels

可能因為你們喜歡我非常高的高跟鞋，

but I don't think that's the reason why I should have your respect.

但我覺得這不應是我能獲得你們尊重的原因。

I don't think that I should have to be a high school millionaire

我不認為我應該要是一個擁有百萬的高中生，

or to have cured an epidemic to be worth listening to.

或是能醫治好傳染病才值得被人傾聽。

I think that any idea should be respected no matter the age of who it comes from.

我認為每一個想法都該被尊重，不管年齡，不管來自何方。

My voice has been disrespected what seems like hundreds of times.

我的話曾受到人無數次的不尊重。

I've been told by adults that I'm not ready to vote

大人告訴我，我還不夠資格去投票，

even though I keep up with politics, and I'm sure of my beliefs.

即便我跟上政治議題，也確信我的信念。

I've been told to stop fighting for equality

也被勸說不要為平等而抗議，

because I have a little voice, and it won't fix anything.

因為我微小的聲音，什麼也幫不了。

The difference is, no one would say those things to an adult.

而差別在於，沒有人會這樣對大人說話。

Any adult that fights for a cause like that

任何一個大人為了那樣的事情去抗爭，

would be deemed a courageous and dedicated hero

就被認為是勇敢且奉獻自己的英雄。

but because I'm 17, I'm naïve and ignorant.

但就因為我十七歲，所以我就是幼稚和無知。

I have years of experience of my voice not mattering and not being respected.

有好幾年，我所說的話一直不被人當作一回事。

I'm even told, according to a Life Science article from 2008,

甚至看了生命科學2008年的期刊，有篇文章說到，

that because I'm a teenager, I can't experience empathy

因為我是個年輕人，所以我無法擁有同情心。

which is defined as the ability

這是一種能力，

to understand and share the feelings of an other.

可以去了解對方和分享彼此的感受。

Now, without any quantifiable data or scientific evidence

現在呢，撇除任何有效資料或科學證據，

I can prove that article wrong.

我可以證明這個文章是錯的。

Here's how.

就讓我來說說。

I did it about a minute ago

在幾分鐘前我做過了，

when I understood the assumptions you made when I took this stage.

就是當我明白你們看見我在台上而有的猜測。

Now with empathy because I can relate to you,

因著有同情心，因為我和你們有關係，

I understand your hesitations to my qualifications

我能理解你們對於我能力的疑惑，

because when I was picked for this TED talk,

因為當我被通知要演講時，

I wondered the same thing.

我也同樣懷疑過這件事。

I'm just a 17 year old, what do I know?

我才十七歲，我知道些什麼？

What can I teach you about?

我可以教導你們什麼？

But by this time, I hope I've gained your respect.

但這次，我希望能得到你們的尊重。

I say "gained" because unlike the other speakers, I didn't have it initially.

我會說「得到」，是因為我不像其他講者，這是我一開始沒有的。

There was an inherent paradigm of doubt.

這是一種固有的懷疑範例。

This surrounds all students.

這在所有學生身上都會發生。

The reason I'm so passionate about this is because of my work

我之所以對於這個如此熱情，是因為我

with a local non-profit organization which is called One Stone.

在一個名叫 One Stone 的非營利組織裡面工作。

One Stone is a student-run, official 501(c) non-profit,

One Stone 由學生經營，是聯邦 501(c) 條款中的非營利組織，

and after joining as a sophomore in high school,

高中二年級後我加入組織，

I learnt how to create a budget, to run an interview,

我學到了如何建立預算、如何舉辦採訪、

how to speak in front of large groups like this one

如何在像這麼大群的人面前講話，

and most importantly, how to problem solve.

最重要的，是我學習如何解決問題。

Surrounded by high school students,

我的身旁都是高中生們，

no one ever questioned the validity of my thoughts.

沒有人會質疑我的想法是否正確。

Let me tell you, we've got stuff done.

讓我告訴你們，我們真的做了許多事情。

But things would change the second I'd leave the building.

但事情發生在我從公司走出去，

I'd try talking to an adult about something I'd be working on,

我試著和一位大人訴說某些我在進行的工作，

my research or a project, and they would ask me, "What do you know?"

我的研究和計畫，而他們會問我：「妳知道什麼？」

All teens are asked this, "What do you know? How could you know this?

所有年輕人都被這樣問：「你知道什麼？你又是怎麼知道的？

You're only a teenager."

你只是一個青少年。」

We are asked this when we talk about politics, education,

我們總被這樣問，當我們談論到政治、教育

even with what we want to do with our lives

甚至關於我們生命中想做的事，

because we're "Too young to understand."

全因為我們「太年輕所以不懂。」

Just because we have vertical driver's licenses

只因為我們是垂直式汽車駕照，

and you all have horizontal driver's licenses,

而你們有的是水平式駕照，

apparently, we don't know what love is.

但很明顯的是，我們都不懂什麼是愛。

We can't know what we should or shouldn't believe,

我們不知道我們是不是該相信，

we don't get to deserve, we don't get to talk about education or politics

我們不夠有資格，不能談論有關教育及政治，

because we don't live in the equal real world.

因為我們住在一個不平等的真實世界裡。

We actually do not get to speak for ourselves.

事實上我們無法為自己發聲。

Now at this point, you may have noticed that I'm not using slides.

你們可能有注意到我並沒有使用投影片，

Part of the reason why is that I don't really need them

部分原因是因為我不需要用到，

but to be honest with you, the real reason why is that this is a really unique chance

但老實和你們說，真正的原因是因為能夠得到你們的注意，

for a student like me to have your attention,

這對於一個學生來說是很特別的機會。

so I'm going to strategically direct 100 % of it to myself.

所以我要百分之百有策略地讓你們專注在我身上。

(Laughter)

笑聲

This problem is bigger than it sounds.

這個問題比想像中還要大。

From my contrasting experiences at One Stone

從我在 One Stone 裡不同的經驗，

and with the help of the amazing teachers I've had,

以及很棒的老師們給予我的協助，

I've become fully aware of the constant belittling that occurs to student voices.

我越來越意識到學生們的聲音不斷地被輕視。

This problem is big.

這個問題可大了。

Look at our education system; as students, we have no say

看看我們的教育體制，身為一個學生，沒有辦法說我們

in what we learn or how we learn it, yet we're expected to absorb it all,

學到了什麼或如何學習，但我們卻被期望能吸收全部的知識。

take it all in, and be able to run the world someday.

所有都要記下來，然後有一天能夠使用。

We're expected to raise our hands to use the restroom, then 3 months later

我們被要求上廁所前要舉手，而三個月後

be ready to go to college or have a full time job,

要準備去上大學，然後有一個全職的工作，

support ourselves and live on our own.

可以靠自己過生活。

It's not logical.

這一點都不合理。

My mum is an elementary school teacher

我媽媽是一位國小老師，

and I always hear her and her colleagues talking about how kindergartners,

我常聽見她和她的同事說到幼稚園的孩子，

when asked a question, are thrilled to be raising their hands, all of them.

當問他們問題時，每一個人都會非常踴躍的舉起手回答。

Yet, as you increase the grade level,

但是，當你年級越讀越高，

fewer and fewer hands are raised each year.

舉起的手也一年比一年減少。

Now, in my senior classes in high school, it's common that, when asked a question,

而現在，在我高中的班級裡，常見的是，當被問到問題，

no one raises their hand, and the teacher has to call out names from a roster.

沒有一個人舉手，而老師還必須要從點名冊裡點人回答。

I think this is because A, students aren't confident in their own answers,

我想這是因為：A，學生對自己的答案沒有自信，

B, students have been made fun of for answering too many questions correctly

B，學生們因為太常回答正確而被嘲笑，

or C, the students aren't listening.

或 C，學生根本沒有在聽課。

Maybe they're texting in their lap

他們可能用筆電再傳訊息，

or most likely, just extremely disinterested.

或更有可能，他們就是完全沒有興趣。

These are all three really big problems.

這是三個非常的嚴重問題。

Students have lost sight of their education's value

學生失去了他們對於教育價值的理解，

and have therefore stopped learning.

因此就停止了學習。

Because we're told, "You don't get it, you're 17.

因為人們告訴我們：「你不會懂的，你才十七歲。

You don't deserve to have the control over what you learn."

你無法掌握你學到的東西。」

This statement and this mindset are toxic.

這樣的論斷和想法很傷人，

It's gotten to the point where we've begun to stop listening to ourselves.

而這便使我們開始不再傾聽自己的聲音。

Sometimes, I catch myself on a wild train of thought and stop myself thinking,

有時候，我會在狂亂的思慮裡阻止自己思考，

"Self, stop thinking about this.

「不要在想這個了，

You're only 17, you don't know anything about psychology.

你才十七歲，妳對於心理學什麼也不懂的。

What are you doing? Stop!"

妳在做什麼？別想了！」

and this is me, someone who totally believes in the validation of everyone's ideas

這就是我，完全相信每個人有自己的想法，

and is doing a TED Talk on the validation of everyone's ideas,

而我現在正在 TED 演講，

is discrediting my own because my thoughts don't come from an adult mind.

但我卻懷疑自己的想法，因為它們並不來自於一個大人的思想。

Last spring, my friend and I started a club.

去年春天，我和朋友成立的一個社團。

Both of us are very outspoken, and we saw this as an opportunity

我們講話都很坦率，也看見這是一個

to make a difference in our school.

可以在學校裡帶來些改變的機會。

We anticipated it might take some work to convince the adults of our mission

我們預期會花一些功夫讓大人們接受我們的任務，

but we didn't realize

但我們沒有想到，

that the real challenge would be convincing our classmates

真正的挑戰是說服我們的同學們，

that they could make a change as students.

要他們相信自己身為學生也能帶來改變。

When we tried to stand up for something,

當我們為了某件事站出來發聲，

they criticized us, they made fun of us for standing up for our beliefs.

他們批評、嘲笑我們，只因我們為自己的信念堅持。

And that's really, really bad.

而這感覺真的很糟。

Students question the validity of their own thoughts

學生會疑惑自己的想法是否正確，

because they don't come from adult minds,

因為這並不是大人的思考，

yet what really separates adults and teenagers intellectually?

但是，理智上到底什麼區分大人和年輕人？

Is it an age?

是年齡嗎？

Do we wake up on our 21st birthdays with everlasting knowledge?

我們會在二十一歲生日起床時，就擁有許多的知識嗎？

Do we turn 18 and suddenly have ideas that are worth listening to?

當十八歲時，我們的想法就會突然被人接納嗎？

Also, this magical age of adulthood is different in countries all over the world,

況且，這奇妙的成人年齡定義在世界各地是不一樣的，

and it hasn't seemed to work so far, so who's right?

但這其實沒什麼幫助，所以誰講的才是正確？

Or maybe it's from attaining a level of maturity which can come at any age

又或者在任一個年齡裡達到某種成熟度，

but I know a lot of high schoolers and college students

但我知道很多高中生或大學生，

that are more mature than some adults I know.

他們比某些大人還要成熟許多。

So that's not logical either.

所以這也不合理。

I think that it doesn't come with age or experiential maturity.

我認為這並不和年紀或經驗老練有關，

There's a definite biological difference between the two

在生理上兩者的確有不同，

but it comes instead with brain conformity.

但重點在於大腦的整合性。

Researchers at Stanford tested this a while back.

史丹佛研究家對這個做了測試，

They looked at neurosignalling differences in the two ages

他們觀察了兩個年齡層的神經信號之差異，

between adolescence and adults to see how brains were networked.

年輕人以及成人，看看它們在腦袋裡怎麼串聯。

They ended up finding out adult pathways were much more constant

研究家發現，大人腦中的思路十分頻繁，

as if mapped than the younger subjects

好像是被計畫好了，而對比年輕人，

whose pathways were more scattered or spontaneous or, dare I say, creative.

他們的思路較分散或自發，容我說，這代表著創意。

It's no secret that society has a lot of problems

大家都知道，社會上有太多的問題，

that we just can't quite seem to solve.

而我們似乎無法去解決。

And the adults behind them have conditioned attempts at solving them

而大人們在這背後試著要去解決，

which is why we haven't made any progress.

但這就是為什麼都沒有進展的原因。

In my government class, my teacher has a really sarcastic poster that says,

在我的政治課上，我的老師總是說著一句很諷刺的話

"If you think our problems are bad, just wait until you see our solutions".

：「如果你覺得我們的問題很嚴重，只要等到看見我們有解決辦法。」

(Laughter)

笑聲

Maybe this problem is that we're not thinking about these solutions creatively.

或許是我們想出的解決辦法不夠有創意。

Teens, all the times are criticized for having rambunctiously inventive ideas.

而年輕人們創造性的點子總被批評太過魯莽。

But instead of making fun of these teenagers,

但取笑這些年輕人，

maybe the problem is that we should be harnessing these ideas,

或許我們應該要運用這些的點子，

we should be tapping into these spontaneous brain pathways

我們應該使用這些自發性的思維，

and using them to solve these problems.

嘗試去解決這些問題。

This is my idea worth spreading:

我有個需要傳揚的理念，

a world of creative collaboration between adults and students.

就是一個大人和年輕人彼此合作的世界。

It's a world where adults listen and respect student ideas,

就是大人聆聽且尊重學生們的想法，

and a world where students respect and listen to their own ideas.

而學生們也尊重且聆聽自己的想法。

The education system; it will improve dramatically,

教育體制會大幅的改善，

students will care about learning

學生會著重學習，

because they know that their education matters.

因為他們知道教育對他們是有意義的。

In the current status quo,

在現今社會中，

once you're educated past a certain point you've learned all about failure.

當你受教育過了一段時間，你會發現自己根本沒學到什麼。

We're teaching our students right now

我們正在讓學生們，

to lose belief in possible change or perfection.

在可能改變和完美的事上失去信念。

In other words, we're teaching them

換句話說，我們正教導他們

to stop thinking outside the box and to accept adequacy.

不要跳出框框思考，而是接受現況。

We're teaching them to conform to standards and to lose their creativity.

我們教導他們要順從一個標準，而丟棄了他們的創意。

But before this happens, students don't think of logistics or limitations,

但在這些還沒發生前，學生們不會想到邏輯和限制，

they're fearless.

他們一無所懼。

Think of the kindergarteners; if we could harness this excited energy

想想看幼稚園孩子，如果我們能善用他們熱情的能量，

before they lose it and foster it throughout their entire education,

在他們還沒失去前，並透過整全的教育加強它

think of the creative ideas that could come of it.

想想看他們會帶來多有創意的思想。

Possibly even more so, government could improve.

更有可能地也會帶來政府的進步。

Once students know that their voices matter,

當學生們知道自己的聲音被看重，

they'll feel obligated to participate.

他們便會覺得有必要參與其中。

They'll feel responsible for where policies are headed.

他們對於政策的發展會有責任感。

With improved efficacy comes progress across the board.

改善的效力會帶出全面性的進步。

I'm not suggesting we extend suffrage to 5 year olds.

我並不是在建議投票的年齡層要降低五歲，

But I do think that we should encourage our 18 year olds to vote,

但我確實認為應該要鼓勵十八歲的年輕人投票，

not discourage them, that so happens frequently.

不要攔阻他們，這太常發生了。

Ask us about social security, ask us about environmental destruction,

可以問我們關於社會安全，關於環境破壞，

ask us, ask us about anything.

問我們，問什麼都可以。

Let us know that we matter because we do.

讓我們知道我們是重要的，而確實也是。

It's true that not all of us will understand these policies right away.

確實不是每一個人都能很快了解政策。

Just because we're teenagers doesn't mean that we don't understand politics

我們年輕但並不代表我們不懂政治，

and similarly, just because you're an adult, doesn't mean that you do.

同樣地，只因為你們是大人，並不代表你們也一定懂。

When you tell us that our votes don't matter, that we're not ready,

當你們說我們投的票沒有意義，我們還沒有資格，

you lose, too.

其實你們也損失了。

Fewer and fewer people are voting each year, that's a fact.

每一年投票的人數越來越少，這是事實。

And a loss of votes, to be dramatic, is a loss of democracy.

而投票數的損失，誇大一點來說，也代表著民主的喪失。

If you're not old enough, if you're 17 like me, 16, 15, 13, you still matter, too

如果你還不夠大，像我十七歲，或是十六、十五、十三歲，你們也是重要的。

even though you can't legally vote, and you aren't in college yet.

即便你們還不到法定投票年齡，也還沒上大學，

You are still valuable to society.

你們仍然對社會是重要的。

OK, if anyone has fallen asleep or something

好的，如果有人聽到睡著了，

or if you have found me completely disinteresting,

或者對我說的完全沒有興趣，

wake up, and listen to me now.

現在請你們起來，好好地聽我說。

Students, we've been respectfully asking for student voice for years.

學生們，幾年來我們已經不斷的在請求自己的聲音能被重視。

We've sat on representative seats at board meetings,

我們坐在委員會裡的代表席上，

and we've protested standardized testing, but it hasn't been enough.

也抗議過那些標準化的考試，但這些都還不夠。

Look where we are.

看看我們處的環境，

We need to stop asking, and we need to start demanding.