About 75 years ago,

大概七十五年前

my grandfather, a young man,

我的祖父，仍是一位年青人，

walked into a tent

走進一個由帳篷

that was converted into a

改裝而成的

movie theater like that,

電影院

and he fell hopelessly in love

而他馬上瘋狂地愛上

with the woman he saw on the

影在銀幕上的女人:

silver screen: none other than Mae West,

那人是在三十年代的

the heartthrob of the '30s,

萬人迷梅·蕙絲

and he could never forget her.

他從此對她無法忘懷

In fact, when he had his daughter

甚至於幾年後

many years later, he wanted to

當他有了一個女兒

name her after Mae West,

他想把她改名為梅·蕙絲

but can you imagine an Indian

但你不可能想像有一個

child name Mae West?

印度孩子叫梅·蕙絲

The Indian family said, no way!

印度的家庭都說:不可以

So when my twin brother Kaesava

所以當我的孿生兄弟Kaesava出生時

was born, he decided to tinker

他決定在Keshava的名字的拼寫上

with the spelling of Keshava's name.

作出一點修改

He said, if Mae West can be M-A-E,

他說既然梅·蕙絲可以是拼成 M-A-E

why can't Keshava be K-A-E?

為什麼Keshava 不可以是 K-A-E

So he changed Kaesava's spelling.

所以他把Kaeshava 的拼寫改變

Now Kaesava had a baby boy

而Kaeshava 在幾星期前

called Rehan a couple of weeks ago.

有了一個小男孩名叫Rehan

He decided to spell, or, rather,

他決定把它拼成或可以說是把它

misspell Raehan with an A-E.

拼錯為Raehan，有一個A-E.

You know, my grandfather died

你要知道，我的祖父

many years ago when I was

在我還是很小的時候已經去世

little, but his love for Mae

但他對梅·蕙絲的愛

West lives on as a misspelling

以拼字錯誤的方式

in the DNA of his progeny.

長存在他後代的DNA上

That for me is successful legacy. (Laughs)

我覺得這是一個成功的遺傳(笑)

You know, as for me,

而至於我

my wife and I have our own

我太太和我有一個

crazy legacy project.

瘋狂的傳奇計劃

We actually sit every few years,

我們事實上每幾年都在

argue, disagree, fight,

爭論，反對，爭執

and actually come up with our

最終想出

very own 200-year plan.

我們的二百年計劃

Our friends think we're mad.

我們的朋友認為我們瘋掉

Our parents think we're cuckoo.

我們的父母認為我們瘋掉

Because, you know, we both

因為我們兩個

come from families that really

都是來自一個

look up to humility and wisdom,

謙遜和智慧的家庭

but we both like to live

但我們兩個都想生存

larger than life.

得比生命更偉大

I believe in the concept of

我相信一個勝王瑜伽行者的概念

a Raja Yogi: Be a dude before

要成為一個苦行者前

you can become an ascetic.

你先要成為一個講究生活的人

This is me being a rock star,

這是我成為一個搖滾巨星

even if it's in my own house.

雖然只是在家裡

You know?

你能想像嗎

So when Netra and I sat down

當我太太Netra和我坐下

to make our first plan

在十年前

10 years ago, we said

去制定我們第一個計劃時

we want the focus of this plan

我們希望這計劃的重點是

to go way beyond ourselves.

要遠遠超越我們

What do we mean by beyond ourselves?

那麼超越我們是指什麼呢

Well 200 years, we calculated,

噢，我們計算二百年後

is at the end of our direct

將會是我們對世界

contact with the world.

的直接連繫的終結

There's nobody I'll meet in

我所認識的人

my life will ever live beyond

沒有人可以生存超過

200 years, so we thought

二百年。所以我們想

that's a perfect place where

這將是把我們的計劃

we should situate our plan and

紮根的好地方

let our imagination take flight.

並讓我們的想像起飛

You know, I never really

你要知道我從來不相信傳承

believed in legacy. What am I

我會留下什麼呢

going to leave behind? I'm an artist.

我是一個藝術家

Until I made a cartoon about 9/11.

直至我作了有關911的卡通

It caused so much trouble for me.

它帶給我很多的麻煩

I was so upset.

我非常的失落

You know, a cartoon that was

那個卡通本是

meant to be a cartoon of the week

本週最佳卡通片

ended up staying so much longer.

最後維持得更久

Now I'm in the business of

現在我正

creating art that will

創作一定可以

definitely even outlive me, and

比我活得更久的作品

I think about what I want to

我會想我希望透過那些作品

leave behind through those paintings.

留下什麼訊息

You know, the 9/11 cartoon

你要知道911的卡通

upset me so much that I decided

令我非常沮喪

I'll never cartoon again.

使我打算不再作卡通了

I said, I'm never going to make any

我說:我不會再

honest public commentary again.

發表坦誠的公開評論了

But of course I continued

但當然我會繼續

creating artwork that was honest

創作真誠和完創的作品

and raw, because I forgot about

因為我忘記了別人

how people reacted to my work.

對我的作品的反應

You know, sometimes forgetting

你要知道有時健忘是

is so important to remain idealistic.

能令人保持理想

Perhaps loss of memory is so

可能失去記憶

crucial for our survival

是對人類生存

as human beings.

是關重要

One of the most important things

Netra和我

in my 200-year plan that Netra

在我們的200年計劃中寫下

and I write is what to forget

其中一件最重要的事情是

about ourselves.

如何忘記自己

You know, we carry so much

你知道我們背負著很多包袱

baggage, from our parents,

從父母

from our society, from so many

從社會，從很多人 --

people -- fears, insecurities -- and

恐懼，不安感

our 200-year plan really lists

我們的200年計劃列舉了

all our childhood problems that we have to expire.

我們應該終止的兒時問題

We actually put an expiry date

我們甚至乎在我們的兒時問題上

on all our childhood problems.

加上一個到期日

The latest date I put was,

最近我加上日期時

I said, I am going to expire

我打算對

my fear of my leftist, feminist

我左傾和崇尚男女平等主義

mother-in-law, and this

的外母的恐懼終止

today is the date! (Laughs)

而到期日就是今天(笑)

She's watching. (Laughter)

她正在看(笑)

Anyway, you know, I really

反正我時常

make decisions all the time

對我如何能記住自己

about how I want to remember

而作出決定

myself, and that's the most important

而這些是我做的

kind of decisions I make.

最重要的決定

And this directly translates

而這些直接反映

into my paintings.

在我的畫作中

But like my friends, I can do

如同我的朋友

that really well on Facebook,

我可以在面書，

Pinterest, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube.

微博，照相簿，網上短片中做得很好

Name it, I'm on it.

你能說出的，我都在

I've started outsourcing my

我開始把其他人對我的回憶

memory to the digital world,

外判給數碼世界

you know? But that comes

但你要知道

with a problem.

這帶來一個問題

It's so easy to think of

你很容易以

technology as a metaphor

科技象徵

for memory, but our brains

記憶

are not perfect storage devices

但我們的大腦是不像

like technology.

科技那樣成為一個完美存儲設備

We only remember what we

我們只會記著我們想記著的事情

want to. At least I do.

至少我是這樣

And I rather think of our brains

我甚至認為我們的大腦

as biased curators of our

對我們的記憶

memory, you know? And if

產生偏頗的管理

technology is not a metaphor for

如果科技不是記憶的象徵

memory, what is it?

那麼是什麼呢

Netra and I use our technology

Netra 和我以科技作為

as a tool in our 200-year plan

我們的200年計劃的一個工具

to really curate our digital legacy.

用以牧養我們的電子傳承

That is a picture of my mother,

這是我母親的照片

and she recently got a Facebook account.

她最近在臉譜網(Facebook)上創建了一個帳戶

You know where this is going.

你知道這將會怎樣發展

And I've been very supportive

我原先是非常支持

until this picture shows up

直至這張照片出現

on my Facebook page. (Laughter)

在我的面書上(笑)

And I actually untagged myself

我真的把自己的標記移除

first, then I picked up the

然後我拿起電話

phone. I said, "Mom, you will

我說: 媽! 你以後不要再

never put a picture of me

把我穿著比基尼的照片

in a bikini ever again."

放上網，以後也不要

And she said, "Why? You look

而她說:為什麼，親愛的，

so cute, darling." I said,

你很可愛呀

"You just don't understand."

我說:你真的不明白

Maybe we are among the first

可能我們是第一代人

generation that really understands

真的明白網絡世界

this digital curating of ourselves.

如何塑造我們

Maybe we are the first to even

可能我們是第一代人

actively record our lives.

開始記錄我們的生活

You know, whether you

你要知道

agree with, you know, legacy

無論你同意與否

or not, we are actually leaving

我們是無時無刻都在

behind digital traces all the time.

留下我們的電子足跡

So Netra and I really wanted

所以Netra和我真的很想

to use our 200-year plan

用我們的200年計劃

to curate this digital legacy,

來建立我們的電子遺傳

and not only digital legacy

不單單只是電子記憶

but we believe in curating

我們是相信把

the legacy of my past

我們的過去與未來

and future.

好好的遺傳下去

How, you may ask?

你可能會問，那應怎樣做呢

Well, when I think of the future,

當我想著未來

I never see myself moving forward

我是不可能見著自己隨著時間向前走

in time. I actually see time

而我其實是看見時間

moving backward towards me.

如何在後退

I can actually visualize

我可以想像

my future approaching.

我的將來在向我靠近

I can dodge what I don't want

我可以躲開我不喜歡的事情

and pull in what I want.

或是走進我喜歡的事情中

It's like a video game obstacle

這好像電子遊戲中的障礙賽

course. And I've gotten better and better

我做得越來越好

at doing this. Even when I make

甚至乎當我作畫時

a painting, I actually imagine

我可以幻想

I'm behind the painting,

站在畫作背後

it already exists, and

好像它已經存在一棣

someone's looking at it,

其他人在看著它

and I see whether they're

而我可以見到他們

feeling it from their gut.

對它內心的感覺

Are they feeling it from their

他們是發自內心

heart, or is it just a cerebral thing?

還是只是理性的

And it really informs my painting.

這帶給我很多訊息

Even when I do an art show,

甚至乎當我在開畫展時

I really think about, what should

我真的會幻想

people walk away with?

人們會帶走哪些作品呢

I remember when I was 19,

我記得當我19歲的時候

I did, I wanted to do my first

我想作我第一個畫展

art exhibition, and I wanted the

我想全世界

whole world to know about it.

都知道

I didn't know TED then,

我當時不認識 TED

but what I did was I closed

但我當時是把

my eyes tight, and I started

我的眼睛緊閉然後開始幻想

dreaming. I could imagine people

我可以想像人們走進來

coming in, dressed up, looking

盛裝出席, 非常漂亮

beautiful, my paintings with all

我的畫作得到全場的焦點

the light, and in my visualization

而在我的幻想裡

I actually saw a very famous

我真的見到一位非常

actress launching my show,

有名的女藝人為我的畫展剪綵

giving credibility to me.

給我讚賞

And I woke up from my

我從我的幻想中醒來

visualization and I said,

我問她是誰

who was that? I couldn't tell

我不能分辨

if it was Shabana Azmi or Rekha,

她是謝花阿茲米還是瑞卡

two very famous Indian actresses,

兩位印度當紅的女藝人

like the Meryl Streeps of India.

有如印度的梅莉史翠普

As it turned out, next morning

最後第二天

I wrote a letter to both of them,

我寫了一封信給她們

and Shabana Azmi replied,

而謝花阿茲米回覆了

and came and launched

她來了為畫展剪綵

my very first show 12 years ago.

在12年前我的第一個畫展

And what a bang it started

而這打嚮了

my career with! You know,

我的事業頭一炮

when we think of time in this

當我們用這方法想著時間

way, we can curate not only the

你不但在建立將來

future but also the past.

還有過去

This is a picture of my family,

這是我的家庭照

and that is Netra, my wife.

這是Netra, 我的太太

She's the co-creator of my

她是我的200年計劃的

200-year plan.

同創人

Netra's a high school history

Netra 是一個中學歷史老師

teacher. I love Netra,

我愛Netra

but I hate history.

但我討厭歷史

I keep saying, "Nets, you live

我常常說:Nets, 你活在過去

in the past while I'll create

而我在創造未來

the future, and when I'm done,

當我完成了

you can study about it."

你就可以研究它

(Laughter)

(笑)

She gave me an indulgent smile,

她會給我一個寬容

and as punishment, she said,

而後作為一個懲罰，她會說

"Tomorrow I'm teaching a class

明天我將會教授

on Indian history, and you are

有關歷史的課，而你要來上課

sitting in it, and I'm grading you."

而我給你評分

I'm like, "Oh, God." I went.

我會像"噢,我的天呀"

I actually went and sat in

我確實有去並上了她的課

on her class. She started by

她開始給她的學生

giving students primary source

來自印度,巴基斯坦

documents from India, Pakistan,

英國的原檔案

from Britain, and I said,

而我嘩了一聲

"Wow." Then she asked them to

而她叫她的學生把那些檔案

separate fact from bias.

把事實和偏見分開

I said, "Wow," again.

我會再一次嘩了一聲

Then she said, "Choose your

她會接著說:揀選你的事實和偏見

facts and biases and create an

而後創造

image of your own story

你故事的

of dignity."

莊嚴幻想

History as an imaging tool?

歷史作為一個幻想的工具?

I was so inspired.

造給我很多的靈感

I went and created my own

我也創作我

version of Indian history.

印度歷史的版本

I actually included stories from

我甚至於加入

my grandmother.

來自我祖母的故事

She used to work for the

她以往從事

telephone exchange, and she used

電話轉駁的工作

to actually overhear conversations

她會偷聽

between Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten.

尼赫魯和埃德維娜蒙巴頓的對話

And she used to hear all

她會聽到所有

kinds of things she shouldn't

她不應該聽到的事情

have heard. But, you know,

但你知道

I include things like that.

我會把它放進去

This is my version of Indian history.

而這是我印度歷史的版本

You know, if this

你知道如果是這樣

is so, it occurred to me that

它發生在我身上

maybe, just maybe, the primary

可能，僅僅是可能

objective of our brains

我們的大腦的主要目標

is to serve our dignity.

是為著我們的尊嚴

Go tell Facebook to

去面書