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Shortly after he published my first novel, I went to a TV station in Lagos to do an interview,
在他發(fā)布了我的第一部小說的不久后，我前往拉各斯的一家電視臺接受訪問，
and a woman who worked there as a messenger came up to me and said, "I really liked your novel.
期間一位在那里做通信員的女士走向我，并且說道：“我真的非常喜歡你的小說。
I didn't like the ending. Now, you must write a sequel, and this is what will happen ..."
但我不喜歡那個結(jié)尾。你必須寫一個續(xù)集，并且要這么寫...”
And she went on to tell me what to write in the sequel. I was not only charmed, I was very moved.
她滔滔不絕地告訴我在續(xù)集中要寫些什么。她的言語不僅僅讓我充滿歡喜，也讓我充滿了感動。
Here was a woman, part of the ordinary masses of Nigerians, who were not supposed to be readers.
她只是一個平凡的女士，尼日利亞普羅大眾中的一員，一個本不應該讀書的分子。
She had not only read the book, but she had taken ownership of it and felt justified in telling me what to write in the sequel.
但她不僅僅是讀了那本書，而且充滿參與創(chuàng)作的欲望，并且覺得有足夠的權(quán)力來告訴我在續(xù)集中要寫些什么。
Now, what if my roommate knew about my friend Funmi Iyanda, a fearless woman who hosts a TV show in Lagos,
我的朋友Fumi Onda是個無畏的女人，她在拉各斯主持一檔電視節(jié)目，
and is determined to tell the stories that we prefer to forget?
旨在揭露那些被掩埋的故事，如果的室友聽說過她，一切會變得不同嗎？
What if my roommate knew about the heart procedure that was performed in the Lagos hospital last week?
如果我的室友聽說過上周在拉各斯醫(yī)院進行的心臟手術(shù)，一切會變得不同嗎？
What if my roommate knew about contemporary Nigerian music, talented people singing in English and Pidgin, and Igbo and Yoruba and Ijo,
如果我的室友聽說過尼日利亞的當代音樂呢？極富才能的人們用英語、皮欽語、伊博語、約魯巴語和伊喬語演唱，
mixing influences from Jay-Z to Fela to Bob Marley to their grandfathers.
將杰斯、費拉、鮑勃·馬利以及他們祖父們的音樂混雜在一起。
What if my roommate knew about the female lawyer who recently went to court in Nigeria to challenge a ridiculous law
最近有一名女律師在尼日利亞的法庭上挑戰(zhàn)一條極其不可思議的法案--
that required women to get their husband's consent before renewing their passports?
婦女必須經(jīng)過她們老公的許可才可以更新她們的護照，如果我的室友聽說過她，結(jié)果會怎樣呢？
What if my roommate knew about Nollywood, full of innovative people making films despite great technical odds,
如果我的室友聽說過“尼萊塢”以及那些沖破技術(shù)上的缺陷、不斷地創(chuàng)作影視作品的創(chuàng)新者呢？
films so popular that they really are the best example of Nigerians consuming what they produce?
他們制作的電影在本地極其流行，是尼日利亞人自給自足的最佳例子。
What if my roommate knew about my wonderfully ambitious hair braider, who has just started her own business selling hair extensions?
給我辮辮子的朋友最近剛剛成了自己的事業(yè)，開始售賣她的接發(fā)片，如果我的室友聽說過她，結(jié)果會怎樣呢？
Or about the millions of other Nigerians who start businesses and sometimes fail, but continue to nurse ambition?
或者是其他數(shù)以百萬的尼日利亞人，創(chuàng)辦自己的產(chǎn)業(yè)，雖然難免失利，但卻不曾放棄雄心，如果我的室友聽說過他們，又會怎樣呢？
