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The movie "Straight Outta Compton" comes out. I'm so excited.
《冲出康普顿》上映了，我好兴奋哦！
I'm from LA, so this movie is particularly close to my heart.
我是从洛杉矶来的，所以这部电影特别贴近我的心。
I saw it in theaters three times.
我在电影院看了三次。
So I'm cruising the Internet devouring everything I can about this movie. I come across the casting call.
在网上读所有跟这部电影有关的信息。我还找到了当时的选角广告。
This movie has already come out and I'm no actress, so I wouldn't actually audition,
虽然这部电影已经上映了，而且我也不是演员，所以我并不会参加试镜，
but I just wondered, hypothetically, if I did, what role would I get?
我只是在想，假如我去的话，我会得到哪个角色？
I look at the casting call, I'm going down the categories, and I start at the top: the A girls.
我看着选角广告上的角色类别说明，最上面是A组女孩。
The casting call reads: "These are the hottest of the hottest, models, must have real hair, no extensions."
选角广告这么写着：“性感中的性感，最性感的模特儿，头发得是真的，不准接发。”
Well, since I have 20 inches of Brazilian hair extensions on my head, doesn't quite apply to me. But that's fine.
因为我有20寸的巴西式接发，所以我没有资格。好，没关系。
I go to the next category: the B girls.
接下去：B组女孩。
The casting call reads: "These are fine girls, long natural hair, must have light skin, Beyoncé's the prototype hit here."
选角广告这么写着：“美女，有自然长发，肤色偏白，碧昂斯是代表人物。”
Light skin? Also not me. And might I add: not even Beyoncé made the cut to be an A girl. But that's fine.
皮肤要偏浅？也不是我。然后我想：连碧昂斯也不符合A组的标准。好，没关系。
I go to the next category: the C girls.
我接着看：C组女孩。
The casting call reads: "These are African American girls, can have extensions, must be medium to light skin toned."
选角广告这么写着：“非裔美国人，可以接发，肤色中等偏浅。”
Now, maybe back when I lived in Boston, in the middle of the winter can I get away with being "medium skin toned,"
那，也许以前我住在波士顿时，冬天的時候我可能算是“中等肤色”，
but since I've come back to sunny California where I spend all my free time baking in the sun, not so much.
但是我回到了晴朗的加州，只要我有空，就去晒太阳。现在绝对不是中等肤色。
So I scroll all the way down to the last category: the D girls.
所以我继续往下看，最后一组：D组女孩。
The casting call reads: "These are African American girls, poor, not in good shape, must have a darker skin tone."
选角广告这么写着：“非裔美国人，贫穷，身材不好，肤色深黑。”
A darker skin tone. Well, I guess that's me: a D girl.
肤色要深黑。那就是我了。D组女孩。
When I first read this, I felt betrayed.
一开始，我有一种被背叛的感觉。
Any given year, there are just a handful of movies starring black actors and actresses,
每年只有极少数电影黑人影星可以成为主演，
just a handful of opportunities when people can see actresses that look like me, on the big screen,
真的是极少数的机会观众可以在电影里看到长得跟我很像的演员，
and see that we are fierce and beautiful and desirable. So I felt betrayed.
觉得我们很厉害，很美丽，大家很羡慕。所以我感到被背叛了。
Not even in these small circles I'm allowed to feel beautiful?
难道在这些小群体中，我也不能觉得自己很美？
I felt shoved aside for those of more "favorable" features: light skin, light eyes, long, soft real hair.
我感觉我被那些所谓的优点排挤：浅色的皮肤，浅色的眼睛，自然柔软的长发。
But the more I thought about it,
可是我越想越沒有背叛的感觉。
the more the feeling of betrayal slipped away for the more familiar feeling of "that's just the way it is"
一种更熟悉的感觉取而代之：本来就是如此，
because in my world, this phenomenon is all too familiar.
因为在我的世界里，这个现象太熟悉了。
Something just as sinister and subtle as racism: Colorism, the discrimination of those with a darker skin tone,
就跟种族主义一样邪恶，一样隐约又微妙：肤色歧视，就是歧视肤色比较黑的人，
typically among individuals within the same racial or ethnic group.
一般来说，发生在同一种族或民族之间。
The story of colorism in the US begins with slavery.
在美国，肤色歧视源自奴隶制度。
The mass rape of African slave females by white male slave masters gave birth to a cohort of mixed-race slave children.
众多非洲女奴隶被白种男性主人强暴，生下了一代混血的奴隶孩子。
These mixed-race slaves are related to the slave masters and had more Anglo features,
这些奴隶孩子是主人的亲戚，长得比一般的奴隶更像安格鲁人，
and were given preferential treatment and allowed to work inside the house, doing less strenuous work,
因此有特别待遇，可以在房子做家务，不像其他工作那么辛苦。
as opposed to the darker skinned slaves that had to work out in the fields, doing more laborious work.
但是肤色比较黑的奴隶却被强迫在农地上做更辛苦的事。
Even after slavery was abolished,
即使奴隶制度废除了以后，
whites still gave more preferential treatment to blacks that had more Anglo-type features,
白人还继续让混血黑人拥有特殊待遇，
giving them better access to jobs, housing and education.
给他们更好的工作、教育和住房的机会。
The thing is, though, even within the black community,
奇怪的是，甚至在黑人的群体中，
black people used skin tone and facial features to discriminate against each other.
黑人也会以肤色和五官来歧视对方。
They would only allow entrance into sororities, fraternities or elite social clubs to blacks that were able to display Anglo-type features.
姐妹会、兄弟会和精英的社会团体只允许有安格鲁特征的黑人参加。
They'd go through a series of tests to see if you fit the bill.
他们会进行一系列的考试看你符不符合标准。
One well-known test was the "brown paper bag" test.
“棕色纸袋”考试是大家都耳熟能详的。
Where if you were lighter than a brown paper bag, you're in!
你的皮肤如果比棕色纸袋浅，你就通过了！
But if you were darker than a brown paper bag, you're out.
但是你如果比棕色纸袋更黑的话，你就被淘汰了。
Another well-known test was the pencil test, where they would take a pencil and run it through your hair
“铅笔考试”也很有名，他们会拿一支笔梳头发，
to make sure that it's straight enough so the pencil wouldn't get stuck.
如果头发够直，铅笔就不会被卡住。
The last test was called the shadow test,
最后一个叫身影考试，
where they would take a flashlight and shine it against your profile
他们会用手电筒照着你的侧面，
and look at the shadow that your profile made against the wall.
再看墙上的投影。
And if it matched that of a white person's profile, you're fine. But if it didn't, you're out.
如果跟白人的侧影很像的话那就没问题。但是如果不像的话，那就再见了。
Now, though these practices are no longer in effect today, the effects of them are still very much so present.
现在，虽然这些陋规已不复见了，但是其影响至今犹存。
I remember a common "compliment" I would often get in middle and high school, often told to me by other black males;
还记得，中学和高中我常收到一种“赞美”，多数是黑人男性对我说：
it went to the effect of: "Oh! You're so pretty for a dark skinned girl."
“哇，你好漂亮！对肤色深黑的女孩来说。”
And it doesn't help that the media continues to place a premium on lighter skin
让这个问题更严重的是媒体继续推崇浅肤色，
by retouching and photoshopping the skin of actresses of color before putting them on the cover of magazines,
有色演员照片上的肤色一定会经过修图，才能登上杂志封面。
as can be seen here, here, here and even here.
就像这一张，还有这张，这张，甚至这张。
Now, colorism is not just isolated to the US, its effects are global,
肤色歧视不限于美国，它的影响范围遍及全球，
as best illustrated by the skin-lightening and skin-bleaching creams all over the world.
最清楚的证据就是全球风行的美白霜和漂白霜。
In India and Asia alone, skin lightening and skin bleaching is a multi-billion dollar business.
仅仅在印度和亚洲，皮肤美白和皮肤漂白就是一个数十亿元的行业。
Despite the harmful toxins that are present in these products,
虽然这些产品中含有毒性物质，
people are still willing to take the risk and use them in order to achieve what they are led to believe is beautiful.
但是人们还愿意冒险使用为了呈现盲从的美丽。
And beauty products have flocked on this insight.
大量的美容产品反映了这个事实。
One known brand, "Vaseline," even partnered with Facebook to come up with an app
有名的品牌“凡士林”甚至跟脸书合作推出了一个APP，
that would lighten the skin of you profile picture in order to promote their skin-lightening cream.
可以让个人资料照片的肤色变浅，为了宣传他们的美白霜。
And you can't travel throughout Asia without being inundated by advertising and commercials
再说，在亚洲旅游的时候，铺天盖地的美白广告
that promise happiness and success if you could just be a little bit lighter.
跟你保证：只要你变白一点点，你就会得到幸福和成功。
Studies have shown that these messages that we see at a young age have a profound effect on us.
研究显示，小时候所看到的讯息对我们有深远影响。
In 2010, CNN did a study where they interviewed young children, just five, six, seven years old,
2010年，CNN做了一个研究访问了5、6和7岁的孩子，
and asked them to place values and attributes to people based on their skin tone. Here's a clip from that study.
让他们以肤色来判断价值和特点。让我们看看那个研究的视频：
And why is she the smart child?
她为什么是聪明的女孩呢？
Because she is white.
因为她皮肤白。
OK. Show me the dumb child. And why is she the dumb child?
好。这图中哪个孩子最笨？为什么她笨？
Because she's black.
因为她皮肤黑。
Well, show me the ugly child. And why is she the ugly child?
好，指给我看哪个孩子最丑？她为什么丑？
Because she's black.
因为她皮肤黑。
Show me the good-looking child. And why is she the good-looking child?
好。哪个孩子最好看？为什么她最好看？
Because she's light-skinned.
因为她比较白。
These messages that we see at such a young age and these messages that we internalize, they stay with us. They stayed with me.
我们会内化小时候收到的信息，而这会给我们留下深刻印象。这个印象就跟着我。
And though I denied it and blocked it out and I say I'm strong, I'm smart, I'm accomplished, I'm beautiful,
虽然我拒绝接受，对自己说我很坚强，很聪明我成功了，我很美丽，
I'm here at Stanford and I'm not a D girl, this stuff, these messages, they stayed with me.
我在斯坦福，我不是D组女孩，但是这些东西，这些观点跟着我，
And they manifest in this voice that makes me question,
它们成为一种内在声音，让我产生疑问，
makes me doubt and makes me think: "But wait ..." "Am I a D girl?" It stays with me.
让我怀疑、思考：“等一下...”“难道我是D组女孩？”这个疑问一直跟着我。
And so now, whenever someone gives me compliment or says, "Oh! You look nice, you look pretty,"
所以现在，当人称赞我说：“哇！你长得很好，你长得很漂亮...”
the voice fills in the rest of the sentence with: "for a dark skinned girl."
那个内在声音会把句子说完：“对肤色深黑的女孩来说。”
It stays with me. And it makes me question my intentions
这跟声音一直跟着我。它会让我怀疑自己的意图，
because even though I say that I have these extensions just for fun and that I like them, that voice says "No!"
因为虽然说我接发的目的只是因为好玩，喜欢而已，但是那个声音说：“不！”
"You got them because you're trying to reach a beauty standard you can actually never obtain."
“你接发是因为你想要接近一个永远达不到的标准。”
It stays with me. Even as I go to send a simple text message,
这个声音一直跟着我。甚至我想发一个简单的短信时，
that voice in my head tells me that I should be embarrassed or ashamed when I scroll all the way to the end, to the last, darkest emoji.
内在的声音告诉我我应该感到丢脸，因为我得一路滑到最后的最后选那个最黑的表情符号。
It stays with me. But I don't want it to stay with me. And the good thing is it doesn't have to.
那个声音一直跟着我。可是我不要它跟着我。幸好它不一定要跟着我。
Because these beauty preferences that we have, they're not something we are born with, they're learned.
因为我们对美的定义，不是与生俱来的，而是学习得来的。
And if they're learned, they can be unlearned.
如果学习得来的话当然也可以忘掉。
Among us are CEOs and co-founders, directors of marketing,
在座各位有首席执行官，有创始人，有营销经理，
you all are the arbiters of what society considers beautiful
你们有权决定社会的美丽标准，
by deciding who you chose to put in your advertising or who you chose to be the face of you brand.
有权选出广告模特儿和品牌代言人。
So you have the opportunity to make the unconventional choice.
所以你有机会作出不落窠臼的选择。
And those of us that consume these messages, we play our role too.
接收信息的我们也扮演一个很重要的角色。
Because the first step to change is awareness.
因为改变的第一步就是了解问题的存在。
And now everyone in this room is a little more aware and will see the world just a little bit differently.
大家现在应该更清楚了吧，用一点不同的角度来看世界。
And you don't have to passively accept what society tells us to think is beautiful.
你不一定要被动地接受世俗的美丽标准。
We can question it, and we can challenge the status quo.
我们可以怀疑并挑战现状。
Because when we do, we get one step closer to broadening the standard of beauty
这样做的时候，我们就进一步扩大美丽的标准，
and creating a society where the world can see that D girls are beautiful too. Thank you.
进一步创造一个新的社会让世界了解D组女孩也很美。谢谢。
