If you had caught me straight out of college in the halls of the Vermont State House where I was a lobbyist in training and asked me what I was going to do with my life, I would have told you that I'd just passed the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, the Chinese equivalency exam, and I was going to go study law in Beijing, and I was going to improve U.S.-China relations through top-down policy changes and judicial system reforms. (Laughter) (Applause) I had a plan, and I never ever thought it would have anything to do with the banjo.
Ak by ste si ma odchytili na odchode z univerzity v priestoroch Vermontskej radnice, kde som bola na praxi ako lobistka a spýtali ste sa ma, čo budem v budúcnosti robiť, určite by som vám povedala, že som práve spravila Hanuyu Shuiping Kaoshi, vyrovnávaciu skúšku z čínštiny, a chystala som sa študovať právo v Pekingu a išla som zlepšiť vzťahy medzi USA a Čínou pomocou zmien v politike od vrchu na dol a systémových zmien súdnictva. (Smiech) (Potlesk) Mala som plán a nikdy v živote by som si nepomyslela, že by tento plán mal niečo spoločné s bendžom.
Little did I know what a huge impact it would have on me one night when I was at a party and I heard a sound coming out of a record player in the corner of a room. And it was Doc Watson singing and playing "Shady Grove." ♫ Shady Grove, my little love ♫ ♫ Shady Grove, my darlin' ♫ ♫ Shady Grove, my little love ♫ ♫ Going back to Harlan ♫ That sound was just so beautiful, the sound of Doc's voice and the rippling groove of the banjo. And after being totally and completely obsessed with the mammoth richness and history of Chinese culture, it was like this total relief to hear something so truly American and so truly awesome. I knew I had to take a banjo with me to China.
Vôbec som netušila, ako veľmi ma ovplyvní jedna noc strávená na jednej párty, kde v jednom momente som začula zvuk z prehrávača, ktorý bol v rohu miestnosti. Znel Doc Watson spievajúc a hrajúc "Shady Grove" (Tienistý háj). ♫ Tienistý háj, môj milovaný ♫ ♫ Tienistý háj, môj miláčik ♫ ♫ Tienistý háj, môj milovaný ♫ ♫ Vraciam sa do Harlanu ♫ Ten zvuk bol neuveriteľne krásny, tón Docovho hlasu a vlnivá melódia bendža. A po tom ako som bola totálne a úplne posadnutá obrovským bohatstvom a históriou čínskej kultúry, bolo to ako závan čerstvého vetra, počuť niečo také typicky americké, a také neuveriteľne úžasné. A v tom momente som vedela, že si do Číny musím zobrať bendžo.
So before going to law school in China I bought a banjo, I threw it in my little red truck and I traveled down through Appalachia and I learned a bunch of old American songs, and I ended up in Kentucky at the International Bluegrass Music Association Convention. And I was sitting in a hallway one night and a couple girls came up to me. And they said, "Hey, do you want to jam?" And I was like, "Sure." So I picked up my banjo and I nervously played four songs that I actually knew with them. And a record executive walked up to me and invited me to Nashville, Tennessee to make a record.
A tak pred nastúpením na právo v Číne kúpila som si bendžo, hodila ho do môjho červeného mininákladiaku, precestovala som krížom Apalače, naučila som sa kopu amerických pesničiek a skončila som v Kentucky na Medzinárodnom stretnutí Bluegrass Music Association. Jednej noci som sedela v hale a pár dievčat prišlo ku mne. Povedali mi: „Hej, chceš si zadžemovať?" A ja som im odvetila: „Jasné." A tak som si zodvihla bendžo a nervózne zahrala štyri pesničky, ktoré sme poznali ja aj ony. V nato ku mne pristúpil vlastník nahrávacej spoločnosti a pozval ma do Nashwillu v štáte Tennessee, nahrať platňu.
(Laughter)
(Smiech)
It's been eight years, and I can tell you that I didn't go to China to become a lawyer. In fact, I went to Nashville. And after a few months I was writing songs. And the first song I wrote was in English, and the second one was in Chinese.
Je to už osem rokov, a môžem vám prezradiť, že som do Číny nešla a nestala sa právničkou. V podstate som šla do Nashvillu. A po pár mesiacoch som písala piesne. Prvá pieseň, ktorú som napísala, bola v angličtine a druhá v čínštine.
(Music)
(Hudba)
[Chinese]
(Čínština)
Outside your door the world is waiting. Inside your heart a voice is calling. The four corners of the world are watching, so travel daughter, travel. Go get it, girl.
Za tvojimi dverami ťa čaká svet. V tvojom srdci volá hlas. Štyri kúty sveta sa dívajú, tak cestuj dcérka, cestuj. Dievča, choď si po to.
(Applause)
(Potlesk)
It's really been eight years since that fated night in Kentucky. And I've played thousands of shows. And I've collaborated with so many incredible, inspirational musicians around the world. And I see the power of music. I see the power of music to connect cultures. I see it when I stand on a stage in a bluegrass festival in east Virginia and I look out at the sea of lawn chairs and I bust out into a song in Chinese. [Chinese] And everybody's eyes just pop wide open like it's going to fall out of their heads. And they're like, "What's that girl doing?" And then they come up to me after the show and they all have a story. They all come up and they're like, "You know, my aunt's sister's babysitter's dog's chicken went to China and adopted a girl." And I tell you what, it like everybody's got a story. It's just incredible. And then I go to China and I stand on a stage at a university and I bust out into a song in Chinese and everybody sings along and they roar with delight at this girl with the hair and the instrument, and she's singing their music.
Skutočne je to už 8 rokov od tej osudnej noci v Kentucky. Zahrala som tisícky koncertov. A spolupracovala som s mnohými neuveriteľnými a inšpirujúcimi muzikantmi po celom svete. A uvedomujem si silu hudby. Uvedomujem si silu hudby, ktorá dokáže spájať kultúry. Vidím ju, keď stojím na pódiu na bluegrassovom festivale vo východnej Virgínii a dívam sa na more zo záhradnej stoličky a znenazdajky začnem spievať pieseň v čínštine. (Čínsky) A všetci na mňa vytreštia oči, akoby im mali každú chvíľu vypadnúť z jamiek. A zahlásia: „O čo sa to dievča pokúša?" Po koncerte za mnou prídu a každý z nich má nejaký príbeh. Prídu ku mne a spustia, „Vieš, mojej tety sestry opatrovateľky pes mal sliepku, ktorá šla do Číny a adoptovala si dievčatko." A viete čo? Každý z nás má nejaký príbeh. Je to neuveriteľné. A keď som sa konečne dostala do Číny a stála na pódiu univerzity, začala som spievať pieseň v čínštine a všetci so mnou spievali a burácali s radosťou na toto dievča s týmito vlasmi a týmto nástrojom ako spieva ich piesne.
And I see, even more importantly, the power of music to connect hearts. Like the time I was in Sichuan Province and I was singing for kids in relocation schools in the earthquake disaster zone. And this little girl comes up to me. [Chinese] "Big sister Wong," Washburn, Wong, same difference. "Big sister Wong, can I sing you a song that my mom sang for me before she was swallowed in the earthquake?" And I sat down, she sat on my lap. She started singing her song. And the warmth of her body and the tears rolling down her rosy cheeks, and I started to cry. And the light that shone off of her eyes was a place I could have stayed forever.
A čo vidím ešte dôležitejšie je sila hudby, ktorá dokáže spájať srdcia. Ako keď som bola v provincii Sečuan a spievala som pre deti v školách vysťahovaleckých táborov v oblastiach zasiahnutých zemetrasením. Prišlo ku mne malé dievčatko (Činsky) „Veľká sestra Wong," Washburn či Wong, je to skoro to isté. „Veľká sestra Wong, môžem ti zaspievať pesničku, ktorú mi vždy spievala mamička predtým, než ju zhltlo zemetrasenie?" A tak som sa posadila, dievčatko mi sadlo do lona. Začala spievať jej pieseň. A teplo jej telíčka, slzičky kotúľajúce sa po ružových líčkach ma rozplakali. A to svetlo, ktoré jej žiarilo z očí, bolo miestom, kde by som mohla zostať navždy.
And in that moment, we weren't our American selves, we weren't our Chinese selves, we were just mortals sitting together in that light that keeps us here. I want to dwell in that light with you and with everyone. And I know U.S.-China relations doesn't need another lawyer.
A v tom momente sme neboli Američanmi, ani Číňanmi, boli sme iba smrteľníci sediac pospolu v tom svetle, ktoré nás tu drží. Chcem zostať v tom svetle s vami a s každým na tomto svete. Už viem, že čínsko-americké vzťahy nepotrebujú ďalšieho právnika.
Thank you.
Ďakujem.
(Applause)
(Potlesk)