Conflicting Memories in Oral History

liǎng两wèi位shòu受fǎng访zhě者duì对lǎo老jiē街chāiqiān拆迁de的shíjiān时间jìde记得bù不yīyàng一样，zhǎnlǎn展览lǐ里gāi该cǎiyòng采用nǎ哪yī一zhǒng种shuōfa说法？

Two interviewees remember different dates for the old street’s demolition. Which version should we use in the exhibition?

xiān先chá查néng能héshí核实de的dàngàn档案，dàn但yě也bié别jí急zhe着bǎ把lìng另yī一fèn份jìyì记忆pàn判wèi为wúxiào无效。shíjì实际bān搬lí离hé和zhèngshì正式chāichú拆除，kěnéng可能bù不shì是tóngyī同一tiān天。

First check any verifiable records, but do not rush to dismiss the other memory. Moving out and the formal demolition may have happened on different dates.

rúguǒ如果dàngàn档案yě也bù不wánzhěng完整，guānzhòng观众huì会bù不huì会juéde觉得wǒmen我们lián连jīběn基本shìshí事实dōu都méi没nòng弄qīngchu清楚？

If the records are incomplete too, might visitors think we have not even established the basic facts?

kěyǐ可以míngquè明确qūfēn区分yǐ已héshí核实de的shìshí事实hé和shòu受fǎng访zhě者de的huíyì回忆。tǎnchéng坦诚chéngxiàn呈现bù不quèdìng确定xìng性，bǐ比pīn拼chū出yī一gè个kànsì看似wánzhěng完整de的jiélùn结论gèng更kěkào可靠。

We can clearly distinguish verified facts from interviewees’ recollections. Presenting uncertainty openly is more reliable than assembling a conclusion that only appears complete.

dàn但bǎ把liǎng两zhǒng种shuōfa说法bìngliè并列，yě也kěnéng可能ràng让guānzhòng观众yǐwéi以为tāmen它们de的zhèngjù证据qiángdù强度wánquán完全xiāngtóng相同。

But showing both accounts side by side might imply they are equally well supported.

nà那jiù就fù附shàng上gèzì各自de的láiyuán来源hé和héshí核实qíngkuàng情况。bǎoliú保留bùtóng不同shēngyīn声音，bìng并bù不yìwèizhe意味着qǔxiāo取消duì对zhèngjù证据de的pànduàn判断。

Then include their sources and verification status. Preserving different voices does not mean abandoning judgments about evidence.

wǒ我hái还xiǎng想qǐng请shòu受fǎng访zhě者quèrèn确认yǐnyòng引用de的shàngxià上下wén文，bìmiǎn避免yījùhuà一句话tuōlí脱离dāngshí当时de的xùshù叙述。

I also want the interviewees to check the context of the quotations so a sentence is not detached from their original account.

hěn很hǎo好。biānjí编辑jì既yào要duì对shìshí事实fùzé负责，yě也yào要duì对xùshù叙述zhě者fùzé负责，ràng让guānzhòng观众kànjian看见jìyì记忆rúhé如何xíngchéng形成，ér而bù不shì是zhǐ只kàn看yī一gè个zhěngqí整齐de的shíjiānbiǎo时间表。

Good. Editors have responsibilities to both the facts and the narrators. Visitors should see how memories take shape, not just a tidy timeline.