為什麼印第安人不願自稱為「美國原住民」：英語精讀講義

The first people who lived here named themselves across the continent in hundreds of languages

居住在這裡的原住民在整個大陸上用數百種語言為自己命名，

the word for people or the first people was what they used.

他們使用的詞語意為「人」或「第一批人」。

Other people existed to trade and talk and fight with,

存在其他族群可以用來進行貿易、交流和戰鬥，

but the continent was vast and travel slow.

但這片大陸幅員遼闊，且旅行緩慢。

There were no horses and wouldn't be for millennia. 文法

當時沒有馬，且數千年內都不會有。

No group could know all the others,

沒有任何群體能認識所有其他群體，

so there was no single name for all.

因此並沒有一個統一的稱呼。

Then from across the sea came a new other people who brought with them great and terrible things. 文法

隨後，從大洋彼岸來了一群新的「其他人」，他們帶來了偉大而又可怕的事物。

They too had a name for themselves in their own language,

他們在自己的語言中也有自稱，

but they also brought a name for the first people

但他們也為原住民帶來了一個稱呼——

Indians.

印第安人 (Indians)。

We are in the future from this past and you in the future from my present, 表達脈絡

相對於這個過去，我們處於未來；相對於我的現在，你們處於未來，

possibly the far future.

可能是遙遠的未來。

And the word Indian may have just made you uncomfortable.

「印第安人」這個詞可能剛讓你感到不適。

So let's talk about words. 表達脈絡

所以讓我們來談談詞語。

Words are what we make them. 文法

詞語的意義是我們賦予的。

Without the words surrounding them,

如果沒有上下文的環繞，

without brains to interpret them,

如果沒有大腦去解讀，

words are but whispers of wind. 慣用語

詞語不過是風中的低語。

It's a word's utility to the speaker and the reaction of the listener

正是詞語對說話者的實用性以及聽者的反應，

that causes words to be born and to live and to die. 表達脈絡

促使了詞語的誕生、存活與消亡。

Long after its first use in the New World,

在「新大陸」首次使用這個詞很久之後，

the early British and American Empires needed a word to collectively describe the first people

早期的大英帝國和美利堅帝國需要一個詞來統稱這些原住民，

and Indian despite its confused origins was that word. 文法

儘管「印第安人」起源混亂，但它正是那個詞。

As the Empires expanded,

隨著帝國的擴張，

there was terrible conflict.

爆發了可怕的衝突。

The first people found themselves decimated and scattered. 文法

原住民發現自己被大批屠殺，流離失所。

Many forcibly moved to reservations, 文化背景

許多人被強行遷移到保留區，

land unknown with others unknown,

在未知的土地上與未知的其他人相處，

needing to act as one new group to survive,

需要作為一個新的群體共同行動以求生存，

to hold on to any sovereignty. 片語動詞

以保住僅存的主權。

As the world progressed from horses to steam to electricity, 表達脈絡

隨著世界從馬匹過渡到蒸汽、再到電力，

the nature of conflict changed.

衝突的本質也發生了改變。

Fewer guns and germs, 表達脈絡

槍支和細菌變少了，

more minds and laws.

思想和法律變多了。

But the first people were now a tiny minority in the land

但原住民現在已成為這片土地上的極少數，

while also a multiplicity of groups.

同時又分為眾多的群體。

For comparison, 表達脈絡

對比一下，

there are about 200 countries in the world.

世界上大約有200個國家。

Within the United States,

而在美國境內，

the reservations number more than 300.

保留區的數量超過了300個。

Within and without those areas of special sovereignty,

在這些擁有特殊主權的區域內外，

there are more than 500 federally recognized tribes, 文化背景

聯邦政府承認的部落多達500多個，

each with a different name.

每個部落都有不同的名字。

To win the minds of the majority, 文法

為了贏得多數人的認同，

to get laws securing sovereignty,

為了制定保障主權的法律，

hundreds of different names for different groups is not helpful.

給不同群體起幾百個不同的名字是毫無幫助的。

A collective name,

需要一個集體名稱，

one clear in the minds of the majority,

一個在多數人心中清晰明了的名稱，

was needed.

是必需的。

A name useful for unity.

一個有助於團結的名稱。

In the time of civil rights, 文化背景

在民權運動時期，

American Indians shortened to Indians was,

從「美洲印第安人」簡稱為「印第安人」，

despite its confused origins,

儘管其起源混亂，

that name.

但它就是那個名字。

For words are what we make them, 表達脈絡

因為詞語的意義是我們賦予的，

and we can unmake them.

我們也可以廢除它們。

As I write this script looking at the past and toward you in the future,

當我寫下這份回顧過去並面向你們未來的文案時，

I will bet that future history will unmake Indian in favor of Native American or something else. 片語搭配

我敢打賭，未來的歷史將廢棄「印第安人」，轉而使用「美國原住民」或其他詞語。

You know if this has happened.

你們自然知道這是否已經發生。

But here,

但是在這裡，

as part of working on this series,

作為製作本系列影片的一部分，

I've traveled to many reservations to see them

我去過許多保留區進行實地考察，

and to talk to the people who live in them.

並與生活在那裡的人們交談。

On reservations,

在保留區裡，

the word Indian is still used without hesitation or negative connotation, 用詞

「印第安人」這個詞仍然被毫不猶豫地使用，沒有任何貶義，

used as identity.

被用作一種身份認同。

Not universally, 表達脈絡

雖然不是絕對普遍，

but near it.

但也幾乎如此了。

You,

你們，

like me,

也許和我一樣，

may be surprised to hear that

聽到這個可能會感到驚訝，

given the word's confused origins. 用詞

畢竟這個詞的起源非常混亂。

But words are what we make them,

但詞語的意義是我們賦予的，

and Indians have made the word theirs. 慣用語

而印第安人已經把這個詞變成了他們自己的。

Now,

那麼，

as for Native American, 表達脈絡

至於「美國原住民 (Native American)」這個詞，

while preferred by some,

雖然有些人偏愛它，

there exists in others a strong dislike and resentment of the name.

但另一些人對這個稱呼有著強烈的反感與厭惡。

The word created to explain this dislike was passed on to me, 片語動詞

別人傳達了一個詞來向我解釋這種反感，

and the only way to explain fully is to pass it on to you.

而徹底解釋清楚的唯一方法就是把它傳達給你們。

So,

那麼，

the dislike comes from overinclusivity.

這種反感來自於「過度包容」。

I know.

我懂，

I know.

我懂，

I know.

我懂。

But let's stay thoughtful 語氣意圖

但讓我們保持思考，

and examine what this word was created to communicate.

審視一下創造這個詞是為了傳達什麼。

For at least 300 years,

在至少300年的時間裡，

Indian has meant the first people in this part of the world,

「印第安人」一直指的是這片世界上的第一批居民，

separated at first,

他們最初是分散的，

but thrust into a shared history. 慣用語

卻被捲入了一段共同的歷史。

It is clear, 表達脈絡

這個詞很清晰，

it is sharp.

很銳利。

The word Native American less so.

「美國原住民」這個詞就不那麼銳利了。

It can include everyone from the top to bottom of two continents.

它可以包括兩大洲從北到南的所有人。

A vast number of different cultures

包含了極其龐大的不同文化、

and current day goals and concerns.

以及當今的目標和關切。

The histories of North,

北美、

Central,

中美、

and South America

和南美的歷史，

are as divergent as the histories of Asia, 文法

就像亞洲、

Europe,

歐洲、

and Africa.

和非洲的歷史一樣大相徑庭。

To call a person from here,

如果把一個來自這裡、

here,

這裡、

or here

或這裡的人

a Native Afro-Eurasian

稱為「亞歐非原住民」，

would be so overinclusive 文法

那就太過度包容了，

as to make it difficult for that human to strongly identify with

以至於那個人很難產生強烈的認同感，

or rally others under.

也很難將其他人團結在這一稱呼之下。

So it goes for Native American. 表達脈絡

「美國原住民」也是如此。

Additionally,

此外，

it can feel like yet another thing forced from the outside.

它會讓人覺得這又是一個外界強加的東西。

Talking to people about this project over the last five years

在過去五年裡與人們談論這個專案時，

revealed a strong correlation.

我發現了一個強烈的相關性。

The closer a person had ever been to a reservation, 文法

一個人離保留區越近，

the more likely they would use Indian.

他們使用「印第安人」的可能性就越大。

The farther,

離得越遠，

the more likely they would use the word Native American.

他們使用「美國原住民」一詞的可能性就越大。

And that's understandable.

這是可以理解的。

Is Indian okay? 語氣意圖

說「印第安人」可以嗎？

Maybe,

也許吧，

but Native American won't be wrong.

但說「美國原住民」肯定不會錯。

And it's useful to express concern and sensitivity as an outsider.

作為一個局外人，表達出關心和敏感度是有益的。

But this creates an unstable balance between insider and outsider use of a word. 用詞

但這在圈內人和圈外人對一個詞的使用之間造成了不穩定的平衡。

If the majority hesitates over a word,

如果多數人對一個詞感到遲疑，

it slides into uncomfortability or worse. 慣用語

它就會淪為令人不適的詞，甚至更糟。

If the majority decides a word is unacceptable,

如果多數人認為一個詞不可接受，

so it becomes.

那麼它就會變得不可接受。

Groups should be able to name themselves,

群體應該有權為自己命名，

but when they're small,

但當他們是小群體時，

they often can't.

他們往往做不到。

The word used to describe themselves

他們用來描述自己的詞語，

outsiders through sheer numbers redefine.

會被圈外人憑藉數量優勢重新定義。

At the time of writing,

在寫這篇文章的時候，

this is happening to Indian,

這種情況正發生在「印第安人」這個詞上，

but the leading replacement is not as universally well regarded inside reservations as those outside may expect. 文法

但是，最主要的替代詞在保留區內部並不像外界預期的那樣受到普遍好評。

As we will talk about,

正如我們即將談到的，

many things have been given to the first people,

很多東西曾被賦予原住民，

promises and rights and lands only once used and adopted by them

承諾、權利和土地，然而一旦他們使用並接受了，

to be taken away.

就又被奪走。

So it may go again.

所以歷史可能會重演。

Thus, 表達脈絡

因此，

this series will use American Indian or Indian for three main reasons.

本系列將使用「美洲印第安人」或「印第安人」，主要有三個原因。

One,

第一，

the word is clear in geography and history,

這個詞在地理和歷史上的界定非常清晰，

limited to the first people of what is now the continental United States.

僅限於如今美國本土的原住居民。

Two,

第二，

the tribal governments and the United States government use Indian.

部落政府和美國政府都在使用「印第安人」。

The Bureau of Indian Affairs, 文化背景

印第安事務局，

staffed by Indians,

其工作人員也是印第安人，

which mediates between the two governments,

它在兩個政府之間進行調解，

also uses Indian.

也使用「印第安人」一詞。

To call governments and departments and laws by names other than what they are

如果用其他名字來稱呼這些政府、部門和法律，

would be pointlessly confusing.

將會造成毫無意義的混淆。

Three,

第三，

at the time of writing,

在撰寫本稿時，

Indian is used by Indians on Indian reservations to describe themselves.

印第安人保留區裡的印第安人正是用「印第安人」來稱呼自己的。

Okay,

好了，

we're well past that point where you hear a word so many times it starts to become meaningless. 文法

我們已經過了那個因為聽太多遍某個詞而覺得它失去意義的臨界點了。

Fun fact,

有趣的是，

there's a word for that,

這種現象有個專門的名詞，

semantic satiation. 用詞

叫做語義飽和。

Delightfully alliterative and will cause itself,

這個詞在英語中押頭韻很有趣，而且念多了也會引發自身的語義飽和，

but I leave that as an exercise to the viewer. 慣用語

這個就留給觀眾自己去體驗吧。

This has been 1,300 words in an attempt to explain one. 表達脈絡

我用了1300個詞來試圖解釋一個詞。

That's complete.

解釋完畢。

We can now move on to the next part.

我們現在可以進入下一部分了。