and when I was young, she'd tell the craziest stories

我媽媽是小兒科醫生，

that combined science with her overactive imagination.

我小時候，她會說非常瘋狂的故事，

One of the stories she told was that if you eat a lot of salt,

結合了科學和她過度活躍的想像力。

all of the blood rushes up your legs,

其中一個故事是如果你吃很多鹽，

through your body,

所有的血液會從你的腳向上衝，

and shoots out the top of your head,

通過你的身體，

killing you instantly.

從你的頭頂噴出，

(Laughter)

讓你立即死亡。

She called it "high blood pressure."

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

她稱之為「高血壓」。

This was my first experience with science fiction,

（笑聲）

and I loved it.

這是我對科幻小說的初體驗，

So when I started to write my own science fiction and fantasy,

我很喜歡。

I was surprised that it was considered un-African.

所以當我開始寫我自己的 科幻及奇幻小說時，

So naturally, I asked, what is African?

我很意外它們被認為是「不非洲的」。

And this is what I know so far:

很自然的，我會問， 什麼才算非洲的？

Africa is important.

目前我所知道的如下：

Africa is the future.

非洲是重要的。

It is, though.

非洲是未來。

And Africa is a serious place where only serious things happen.

儘管，它的確是。

So when I present my work somewhere, someone will always ask,

且非洲是個嚴肅的地方， 所有嚴肅的事都會在那裡發生。

"What's so important about it?

所以當我在某處展示作品，總有人問：

How does it deal with real African issues

「它有什麼重要性？

like war, poverty, devastation or AIDS?"

它如何處理真正的非洲議題，

And it doesn't.

如戰爭、貧窮、毀壞、或愛滋病？」

My work is about Nairobi pop bands that want to go to space

我的作品不處理這些。

or about seven-foot-tall robots

我的作品內容是關於 奈洛比流行樂團想要上太空，

that fall in love.

或是關於七呎高的機器人

It's nothing incredibly important.

陷入愛河。

It's just fun, fierce and frivolous,

它不是什麼特別重要的東西。

as frivolous as bubble gum --

它就是好玩、激烈、輕浮的，

"AfroBubbleGum."

和泡泡糖一樣輕浮──

So I'm not saying that agenda art isn't important;

「非洲泡泡糖」。

I'm the chairperson of a charity

我並不是說應辦事項的藝術不重要；

that deals with films and theaters that write about HIV and radicalization

我是一間慈善機構的主席，

and female genital mutilation.

這機構處理影片和劇院

It's vital and important art,

寫作有關愛滋病、激進化、 和女性割禮等議題的劇本。

but it cannot be the only art that comes out of the continent.

那是必要且重要的藝術，

We have to tell more stories

但非洲大陸不能只產出這種藝術。

that are vibrant.

我們得要說更多的故事，

The danger of the single story is still being realized.

充滿生氣的故事。

And maybe it's because of the funding.

單一故事的危險性，還正在發生中。

A lot of art is still dependent on developmental aid.

也許資金是原因。

So art becomes a tool for agenda.

許多藝術還仰賴發展的金援。

Or maybe it's because we've only seen one image of ourselves for so long

所以藝術成了應辦事項的工具。

that that's all we know how to create.

也可能是因為長久以來 我們只看見自己的形象，

Whatever the reason, we need a new way,

以致於我們只會創造這樣的形象。

and AfroBubbleGum is one approach.

不論是什麼理由， 我們都需要新方法。

It's the advocacy of art for art's sake.

而非洲泡泡糖是一種方式。

It's the advocacy of art that is not policy-driven

它是為藝術而做的藝術擁護。

or agenda-driven

它不是被政治驅使的藝術擁護，

or based on education,

不由應辦事項所驅使，

just for the sake of imagination:

也不以教育為基礎，

AfroBubbleGum art.

單純就是為了想像而做：

And we can't all be AfroBubbleGumists.

非洲泡泡糖藝術。

We have to judge our work for its potential poverty porn pitfalls.

我們不能全都當非洲泡泡糖藝術家。

We have to have tests that are similar to the Bechdel test,

我們得要判斷我們的作品， 避免陷入貧困色情的陷阱。

and ask questions like:

我們得要有類似 「貝克德爾測驗」的測驗，

Are two or more Africans in this piece of fiction healthy?

問類似這樣的問題：

Are those same Africans financially stable and not in need of saving?

這部小說中，有兩個以上的 健全非洲人嗎？

Are they having fun and enjoying life?

這些健全的非洲人， 財務穩定且不需被救助嗎？

And if we can answer yes to two or more of these questions,

他們過得開心、能享受人生嗎？

then surely we're AfroBubbleGumists.

如果有兩個以上的答案是肯定的，

(Laughter)

當然，我們就是非洲泡泡糖藝術家

(Applause)

（笑聲）

And fun is political,

（掌聲）

because imagine if we have images of Africans who were vibrant

樂趣是政治的，

and loving and thriving

因為，想像一下，如果我們的 非洲人形象是充滿活力的、

and living a beautiful, vibrant life.

慈愛的、茁壯成長的、

What would we think of ourselves then?

過著美好、充滿活力的生活。

Would we think that maybe we're worthy of more happiness?

那麼我們會如何看待我們自己？

Would we think of our shared humanity through our shared joy?

也許會覺得我們值得更快樂？

I think of these things when I create.

我們會透過共同的喜悅 來思考我們共同的人性嗎？

I think of the people and the places that give me immeasurable joy,

當我創作時，我會想這些事。

and I work to represent them.

我會想著給我無限喜悅的人與地，

And that's why I write stories

我會努力來代表他們。

about futuristic girls that risk everything to save plants

那就是為什麼我寫的故事是關於

or to race camels

未來的女孩願賭上一切去拯救植物，

or even just to dance,

或是去賽駱駝，

to honor fun,

或甚至只是跳舞。

because my world is mostly happy.

向樂趣致敬，

And I know happiness is a privilege in this current splintered world

因為我的世界大部份是快樂的。

where remaining hopeful requires diligence.

我知道在目前這個分裂的 世界裡，快樂是項特權，

But maybe, if you join me in creating, curating and commissioning

得要勤勉才能保有希望。

more AfroBubbleGum art,

但也許，如果你們能加入我，

there might be hope for a different view of the world,

創作、策展、委託 更多的非洲泡泡糖藝術，

a happy Africa view

也許有希望達成不同的世界觀，

where children are strangely traumatized

一個快樂的非洲觀，

by their mother's dark sense of humor,

那裡的孩童因為母親的黑色幽默

(Laughter)

而受到奇特的心理創傷，

but also they're claiming fun, fierce and frivolous art

（笑聲）

in the name of all things unseriously African.

但同時他們也主張 好玩、激烈、輕浮的藝術，

Because we're AfroBubbleGumists

以所有不嚴肅的非洲事物為名。

and there's so many more of us than you can imagine.

因為我們是非洲泡泡糖藝術家，

Thank you so much.

我們的人數眾多，超出你們的想像。

(Applause)

非常謝謝。