听力课堂TED音频栏目主要包括TED演讲的音频MP3及中英双语文稿,供各位英语爱好者学习使用。本文主要内容为演讲MP3+双语文稿:应对气候变化最重要的事情就是谈论它,希望你会喜欢!
【演讲者及介绍】Katharine Hayhoe
凯瑟琳·海霍研究气候变化对我们生活的地方意味着什么。
【演讲主题】应对气候变化最重要的事情就是谈论它
The most important thing you can do to fight climate change: talk about it
【中英文字幕】
翻译者 David Shi 校对者 Homer Li
00:18
It was my first year as an atmospheric science professor at Texas Tech University. We had just moved to Lubbock, Texas, which had recently been named the second most conservative city in the entire United States. A colleague asked me to guest teach his undergraduate geology class. I said, "Sure." But when I showed up, the lecture hall was cavernous and dark. As I tracked the history of the carbon cycle through geologic time to present day, most of the students were slumped over, dozing or looking at their phones. I ended my talk with a hopeful request for any questions. And one hand shot up right away. I looked encouraging, he stood up, and in a loud voice, he said, "You're a democrat, aren't you?"
那是我在德克萨斯科技大学 当大气科学教授的第一年。 我们刚搬到德克萨斯 的卢博克市。 这个镇最近被评为全美国 第二保守的镇。 一个同事请我客串教他的 地质学的本科课程。 我说:“没问题”。 但是当我第一次去上课的时候,整个 教室显得空荡荡的和黑黢黢的。 在我从地质时间到现在 追述碳循环的历史时, 大部分学生都趴在桌子上, 或者打瞌睡,或者看手机。 在我结束时,我报着一线希望 问大家有没有什么问题。 马上有双手举了起来。 我投给他鼓励的眼光, 他站起来,大声问我, “你是民主党的,不是吗?”
01:05
(Laughter)
(大笑)
01:08
"No," I said, "I'm Canadian."
“不”,我说,“我是加拿大人。”
01:10
(Laughter)
(大笑)
01:12
(Applause)
(鼓掌)
01:19
That was my baptism by fire into what has now become a sad fact of life here in the United States and increasingly across Canada as well. The fact that the number one predictor of whether we agree that climate is changing, humans are responsible and the impacts are increasingly serious and even dangerous, has nothing to do with how much we know about science or even how smart we are but simply where we fall on the political spectrum.
这是我的一个火的洗礼, 让我进入到美国一个 悲哀的现实中, 这一现实也逐渐跨过 边境弥漫到加拿大。 这个现实就是,当我们预测, 我们能否同意气候在变化, 而人类直接负责, 同时这个影响越来 越严重和危险时, 不在于我们对科学了解多少, 或甚至是我们有多聪明, 而简单的是第一 我们属于什么党派。
01:47
Does the thermometer give us a different answer depending on if we're liberal or conservative? Of course not. But if that thermometer tells us that the planet is warming, that humans are responsible and that to fix this thing, we have to wean ourselves off fossil fuels as soon as possible -- well, some people would rather cut off their arm than give the government any further excuse to disrupt their comfortable lives and tell them what to do. But saying, "Yes, it's a real problem, but I don't want to fix it," that makes us the bad guy, and nobody wants to be the bad guy. So instead, we use arguments like, "It's just a natural cycle." "It's the sun." Or my favorite, "Those climate scientists are just in it for the money."
难道温度计会因为我们 是自由派或保守派 而给出不同的答案吗? 当然不会。 如果温度计告诉 我们地球在变暖, 人类对此负有责任, 而要纠正这个问题, 我们必须尽快减少 使用化石燃料 -- 那有些人会宁肯 砍掉他们的胳膊, 也不愿给政府任何理由 来告诉他们该怎么做,来打断 他们舒适的生活方式。 但是如果我们说:“是的,那是一个 真正的问题,但是我不想纠正它,” 那我们就变成了坏人, 而没有人想做坏人。 所以我们会找各种各样的借口, 比如:“那只是一个自然的循环。” “那是太阳造成的。” 还有我最喜欢的, “这些气候专家只是 想从这里面赚钱。”
02:34
(Laughter)
(大笑)
02:36
I get that at least once a week. But these are just sciencey-sounding smoke screens, that are designed to hide the real reason for our objections, which have nothing to do with the science and everything to do with our ideology and our identity.
我至少每个星期会听到一次。 但是这些只是看起来 很科学的烟幕弹, 它们被用来隐藏我们 反对的真实原因, 那和科学没有任何关系, 而和我们的意识形态和 身份认证息息相关。
02:55
So when we turn on the TV these days, it seems like pundit X is saying, "It's cold outside. Where is global warming now?" And politician Y is saying, "For every scientist who says this thing is real, I can find one who says it isn't." So it's no surprise that sometimes we feel like everybody is saying these myths. But when we look at the data -- and the Yale Program on Climate [Change] Communication has done public opinion polling across the country now for a number of years -- the data shows that actually 70 percent of people in the United States agree that the climate is changing. And 70 percent also agree that it will harm plants and animals, and it will harm future generations. But then when we dig down a bit deeper, the rubber starts to hit the road. Only about 60 percent of people think it will affect people in the United States. Only 40 percent of people think it will affect us personally.
所以现在当我们打开电视时, 我们可能看到评论员X在说: “外面这么冷,哪里有全球变暖?” 以及政治家Y在说: “对每一个说这是真的科学家, 我都能找到另一个说这不是真的。” 所以并不奇怪有时候我们 感觉大家都是在这么说。 但是当我们看相关数据时 -- 比如耶鲁“气候(变化)交流项目” 在全国范围做了几年的 大众观点抽样调查 -- 数据显示美国70%的人认为 气候正在发生变化。 而且70%的人同意这 会伤害植物和动物, 会伤害人类的后代。 但当我们进一步分析这些 数据时,实际问题就来了。 只有60%的人认为 这会影响美国人。 只有40%的人认为 这会影响到自己。
03:50
And then when you ask people, "Do you ever talk about this?" two-thirds of people in the entire United States say, "Never." And even worse, when you say, "Do you hear the media talk about this?" Over three-quarters of people say no. So it's a vicious cycle. The planet warms. Heat waves get stronger. Heavy precipitation gets more frequent. Hurricanes get more intense. Scientists release yet another doom-filled report. Politicians push back even more strongly, repeating the same sciencey-sounding myths.
而当你问他们:“你们 谈论这个话题吗?” 全美国三分之二的人的 回答是,“从不。” 更糟糕的是,当你问“你听到过 媒体谈论这个话题吗?” 四分之三的人说没有。 所以这是一个恶性的循环。 地球变暖, 高温气候越来越剧烈, 大雨越来越频繁, 飓风越来越强烈, 科学家们发布一个又 一个黯淡前景的报告, 而政治家们则更强烈地反驳, 同样的听起来很科学的 谬论不断地被重复。
04:29
What can we do to break this vicious cycle? The number one thing we can do is the exact thing that we're not doing: talk about it. But you might say, "I'm not a scientist. How am I supposed to talk about radiative forcing or cloud parametrization in climate models?" We don't need to be talking about more science; we've been talking about the science for over 150 years. Did you know that it's been 150 years or more since the 1850s, when climate scientists first discovered that digging up and burning coal and gas and oil is producing heat-trapping gases that is wrapping an extra blanket around the planet? That's how long we've known. It's been 50 years since scientists first formally warned a US president of the dangers of a changing climate, and that president was Lyndon B. Johnson. And what's more, the social science has taught us that if people have built their identity on rejecting a certain set of facts, then arguing over those facts is a personal attack. It causes them to dig in deeper, and it digs a trench, rather than building a bridge.
我们怎样才能打破 这个恶性循环呢? 第一可以做的事情就是 我们现在正在做的: 讨论这个问题。 但是你也许会说: “我不是科学家, 我怎么有办法讨论辐射作用量, 或者气候模型中的云参数呢?” 我们不需要讨论更多的科学; 我们已经讨论了150年的科学了。 你知道吗,自从150年前 或者1850年左右, 气候科学家首先发现, 挖掘并燃烧煤,气和油 会产生聚热气体, 从而给地球包裹了额外一层毛毯? 我们已经知道了这么长时间。 50年前科学家就正式 地警告了一位美国总统 气候变化的危险性, 那个总统就是林登-约翰逊。 更进一步的是, 社会科学告诉我们, 如果人们把自己的身份验证 建立在拒绝某些事实上, 那么辩论这些事实就 变成了一个个人攻击。 这使得他们越挖越深, 最后挖出一条壕沟, 而不是修建一座桥梁。
05:42
So if we aren't supposed to talk about more science, or if we don't need to talk about more science, then what should we be talking about? The most important thing to do is, instead of starting up with your head, with all the data and facts in our head, to start from the heart, to start by talking about why it matters to us, to begin with genuinely shared values. Are we both parents? Do we live in the same community? Do we enjoy the same outdoor activities: hiking, biking, fishing, even hunting? Do we care about the economy or national security?
所以说如果我们 不应该讨论更多的科学, 或者说我们不需要讨论更多的科学, 那我们应该讨论什么呢? 我们应该要做的最重要的事情, 不是一开始就从我们的 大脑里的数据和事实开始, 而是从我们的心开始, 开始讨论为什么这对我们很重要, 从大家都真心共享的价值观开始。 我们都是父母吗? 我们都住在同样的社区吗? 我们都喜欢同样的室外活动, 如徒步,骑车,钓鱼,甚至捕猎吗? 我们在乎经济或国家安全吗?
06:19
For me, one of the most foundational ways I found to connect with people is through my faith. As a Christian, I believe that God created this incredible planet that we live on and gave us responsibility over every living thing on it. And I furthermore believe that we are to care for and love the least fortunate among us, those who are already suffering the impacts of poverty, hunger, disease and more.
对我来说,我找到的最 基础的和他人连接的途径, 就是通过我的信仰。 作为一个基督徒,我相信上帝创造了 这个不可思议的地球让我们居住, 并赋于我们照顾这 上面每个生命的责任。 并且我相信我们需要照顾和爱护 我们当中最不幸的人群。 这些人已经被贫穷, 饥饿,疾病所困扰。
06:43
If you don't know what the values are that someone has, have a conversation, get to know them, figure out what makes them tick. And then once we have, all we have to do is connect the dots between the values they already have and why they would care about a changing climate. I truly believe, after thousands of conversations that I've had over the past decade and more, that just about every single person in the world already has the values they need to care about a changing climate. They just haven't connected the dots. And that's what we can do through our conversation with them.
如果你不知道某些人的价值观, 那就和他们聊一聊,更多地了解他们 ,看哪些方面他们比较在乎。 一旦了解后, 我们只需要把他们已有的 价值观中一些点连接起来, 并解释为什么他们会在乎气候变化。 在我过去十多年几千次的对话后, 我真实地相信, 在这个世界上的每个人 都已经有了在乎气候 变化的某些价值观。 他们只是还没有把 那些点连接起来。 而那是我们可以通过 和他们对话做到的。
07:19
The only reason why I care about a changing climate is because of who I already am. I'm a mother, so I care about the future of my child. I live in West Texas, where water is already scarce, and climate change is impacting the availability of that water. I'm a Christian, I care about a changing climate because it is, as the military calls it, a "threat multiplier." It takes those issues, like poverty and hunger and disease and lack of access to clean water and even political crises that lead to refugee crises -- it takes all of these issues and it exacerbates them, it makes them worse.
我个人在乎气候 变化的唯一原因, 就是因为我是 一个什么样的人。 我是一个母亲,所以我 关心我的孩子的前途。 我住在德克萨斯州的西部, 这里的水已经非常缺乏, 而气候变化会影响水的多少。 作为一个基督徒, 我关心气候变化, 因为它就像军队里说的, 是一个“威胁扩大器”。 它把各种各样的社会问题, 比如贫困,饥饿,疾病, 以及缺乏干净的水, 甚至导致难民危机 的政治危机 -- 它把所有这些问题进一步加重, 让它们变得更加糟糕。
07:55
I'm not a Rotarian. But when I gave my first talk at a Rotary Club, I walked in and they had this giant banner that had the Four-Way Test on it. Is it the truth? Absolutely. Is it fair? Heck, no, that's why I care most about climate change, because it is absolutely unfair. Those who have contributed the least to the problem are bearing the brunt of the impacts. It went on to ask: Would it be beneficial to all, would it build goodwill? Well, to fix it certainly would. So I took my talk, and I reorganized it into the Four-Way Test, and then I gave it to this group of conservative businesspeople in West Texas.
我不是“扶轮社”的成员, 但当我第一次给一个 “扶轮社”俱乐部演讲时, 一进门我就看到他们挂着 一个巨大的“四通试验”的横幅。 它是事实吗? 当然是。 它公平吗? 当然不公平。所以我在乎气候变化, 因为它绝对不公平。 那些最少带来气候变化的人群, 却是受害最深的。 “四通试验”接着问: 它对所有人都有利吗? 它会建立友善吗? 如果我们纠正了它那当然会。 所以我把我的演讲按照 “四通试验”重新做了安排, 然后我给这些保守的 商业人士做了这个演讲, 那是在德克萨斯州西部。
08:32
(Laughter)
(大笑)
08:33
And I will never forget at the end, a local bank owner came up to me with the most bemused look on his face. And he said, "You know, I wasn't sure about this whole global warming thing, but it passed the Four-Way Test."
我永远不能忘记的是在结束时, 一个当地的银行持有人带着 极为困惑的神情走到我面前。 然后他说:“你知道,我对 这个全球变暖的事情并不确定, 但是它的确通过了“四通试验”。”
08:45
(Laughter)
(大笑)
08:48
(Applause)
(鼓掌)
08:56
These values, though -- they have to be genuine. I was giving a talk at a Christian college a number of years ago, and after my talk, a fellow scientist came up and he said, "I need some help. I've been really trying hard to get my foot in the door with our local churches, but I can't seem to get any traction. I want to talk to them about why climate change matters." So I said, "Well, the best thing to do is to start with the denomination that you're part of, because you share the most values with those people. What type of church do you attend?" "Oh, I don't attend any church, I'm an atheist," he said.
当然,这些价值观必须真诚。 几年前我在一个 基督教学院演讲。 结束后一个同道科学家 走过来对我说: “我需要一些帮助。 我在我们当地的一些教会 做了很大的努力, 但是没有什么效果。 我很希望跟他们谈谈为什么 气候变化和他们有关系。” 所以我说:“好,那最好的做法就是 从你所属的教派开始。 因为你和他们有最多共同的价值观。 你去什么类型的教会?” “哦,我不去任何教会, 我是一个无神论者。” 他说。
09:29
(Laughter)
(大笑)
09:30
I said, "Well, in that case, starting with a faith community is probably not the best idea. Let's talk about what you do enjoy doing, what you are involved in." And we were able to identify a community group that he was part of, that he could start with.
我说:“哦,那样的话, 从一个宗教团体开始 可能不是一个好主意。 我们来谈谈你喜欢做什么, 平时参与了什么。” 由此我们找到了一个 他参加的社区组织, 这样他可以从那里开始。
09:43
The bottom line is, we don't have to be a liberal tree hugger to care about a changing climate. All we have to be is a human living on this planet. Because no matter where we live, climate change is already affecting us today. If we live along the coasts, in many places, we're already seeing "sunny-day flooding." If we live in western North America, we're seeing much greater area being burned by wildfires. If we live in many coastal locations, from the Gulf of Mexico to the South Pacific, we are seeing stronger hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones, powered by a warming ocean. If we live in Texas or if we live in Syria, we're seeing climate change supersize our droughts, making them more frequent and more severe. Wherever we live, we're already being affected by a changing climate.
最根本的是,我们不需要 因为在乎气候变化 而成为一个极端的自由派。 只要我们是这个地球上 的一个人就可以了。 因为不管我们住在哪里, 气候变化今天都已经影响到我们。 如果我们住在海边, 在很多地方我们已经 看到“太阳天的洪水”。 如果我们住在北美洲, 我们已经看到越来越多 的地方被野火烧毁。 如果我们住在很多靠海的地区, 从墨西哥湾到南太平洋, 我们看到因为变暖的海洋 而更强的飓风,台风,和旋风。 如果我们住在德克萨斯 州,甚至是叙利亚, 我们已经看到气候变化 让干旱范围越来越大, 越来越频繁和严重。 不管我们住在哪里,我们 都已经受到气候变化影响。
10:37
So you might say, "OK, that's good. We can talk impacts. We can scare the pants off people, because this thing is serious." And it is, believe me. I'm a scientist, I know.
所以你也许会说:“好吧, 你说的很好。我们可以谈论后果, 我们可以把大家都吓死, 因为这个事情非常严重。” 相信我,的确是这样。 我是一个科学家,我知道。
10:46
(Laughter)
(大笑)
10:48
But fear is not what is going to motivate us for the long-term, sustained change that we need to fix this thing. Fear is designed to help us run away from the bear. Or just run faster than the person beside us.
但是恐惧不会激励我们 做长时期的,可持续的变化, 来纠正这个问题。 恐惧只会让我们从熊的旁边跑开, 或者仅仅是比我们 旁边的人跑得快一些。
11:02
(Laughter)
(大笑)
11:05
What we need to fix this thing is rational hope. Yes, we absolutely do need to recognize what's at stake. Of course we do. But we need a vision of a better future -- a future with abundant energy, with a stable economy, with resources available to all, where our lives are not worse but better than they are today. There are solutions. And that's why the second important thing that we have to talk about is solutions -- practical, viable, accessible, attractive solutions. Like what? Well, there's no silver bullet, as they say, but there's plenty of silver buckshot.
而我们需要纠正这个问题 的途径是合理的希望。 是的,我们完全需要认识 到问题的严重性, 当然需要。 但是我们需要一个 更好未来的愿景 -- 这个未来有无尽的能源, 稳定的经济, 所有人都有资源, 我们的生活比今天 更好而不是更糟。 解决的方案是存在的。 所以我们必须讨论的第二 重要的事情是解决方案 -- 实际的,可行的, 容易理解的,吸引人的方案。 比如说呢? 好吧,就像他们说的, 没有什么“银弹”(即捷径), 但是大型铅弹还是有很多的。
11:53
(Laughter)
(大笑)
11:56
There's simple solutions that save us money and reduce our carbon footprint at the same time. Yes, light bulbs. I love my plug-in car. I'd like some solar shingles. But imagine if every home came with a switch beside the front door, that when you left the house, you could turn off everything except your fridge. And maybe the DVR.
有一些简单的方案 可以帮我们节省钱, 同时减低我们的碳排放量。 是的,就是灯泡。 我喜欢我的充电车。 我想有太阳能屋顶。 但是设想一下,如果 每家门口都有一个开关, 当你出门时,你可以关掉 除了冰箱以外的所有电器。 或许还有DVR(数字录像机).
12:18
(Laughter)
(大笑)
12:19
Lifestyle choices: eating local, eating lower down the food chain and reducing food waste, which at the global scale, is one of the most important things that we can do to fix this problem. I'm a climate scientist, so the irony of traveling around to talk to people about a changing climate is not lost on me.
生活习惯的改变:消费本地产品, 食用食物链较底端的食物, 在全球范围减少食物浪费, 这是纠正这个问题的 最重要的方法之一。 我是一个气候科学家, 所以我完全能意识到 飞行到世界各地做气候 变化演讲的讽刺意味。
12:39
(Laughter)
(大笑)
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