地球改变之年（2021）

Annual global emissions of carbon dioxide
下降了超过6%
have fallen by over 6%,
这是记录上最大的降幅
the largest drop ever measured.
在地球表面之下也经历了惊人的变化
And there have been striking changes beneath the Earth’s surface too.
随着旅行和工业造成的震动减少了一半
With the vibrations from travel and industry halved,
这是有史以来地下最安静的一段时间
it’s been the quietest period underground in recorded history.
但这次封锁的影响不会永远持续下去
But the impact of this lockdown won’t last forever.
我们能从这一刻得到什么启迪
What inspiration can we take from this moment
来寻找更好地与大自然共处的方式？
to find ways to better coexist with nature?
在印度 有些人已经抓住机会
In India, some are already seizing the chance
与一些非常强壮
to live more harmoniously
但濒危的动物更和谐地一起生活
alongside some very powerful yet endangered animals.
（印度 阿萨姆邦 人口 三千六百万）
一只成年的亚洲象
A fully grown Asian elephant
每天都要吃150公斤的食物
needs to eat 150 kilos of food every day.
但由于它们的自然栖息地仅剩下5%
But with only 5% of their natural habitat remaining,
以及它们绝大部分的森林家园被农田取代
and with much of their forest home replaced by farmland,
这里生活的大象 常常为了生存而毁坏农作物
elephants here often raid crops to survive.
因此农民们试图保卫他们的农田
In response, the farmers try to defend their fields.
尽管如此 他们仍经常损失 一半以上赖以生存的稻米收成
But they still regularly lose over half of the rice harvest on which they depend.
我们会花一整夜
We would spend the entire night
把它们赶回森林里去
chasing them away into the forest.
可是它们还会回来
But they’d come back
（巴什卡巴拉）
and we’d have to do it all over again.
我们就得再驱赶
不仅农田受到了威胁
And it’s not just farms that are at risk.
大象们还到村子里找食物
Elephants also search for food in villages
曾经踩死过人
and have ended up trampling people.
在全国各地
Across the country,
每年约有400人和100头大象
around 400 humans and a hundred elephants
在这些冲突中丧生
are killed in these conflicts every year.
而有一个社区正在尝试用一种新方式
But one community is trying a new approach
来解决这个问题
to solving the problem.
在城里工作的人因为封锁而返乡
City workers who’ve returned home because of lockdown
他们提供了急需的额外人手
can provide the extra hands needed
帮助完成由一家当地的 自然保护基金会发起的项目
for a project spearheaded by a local conservation trust.
在封锁期间 我们有一个很好的机会
We got a great opportunity during lockdown
（环保人士 梅格纳哈扎里卡）
为野生大象种植食物
to do plantation for wild elephants.
沿着森林的边缘 他们设立了一个缓冲区
Along the forest edge, they plant a buffer zone
种植快速生长的野生稻米和草给大象吃
of fast-growing wild rice and grasses for the elephants to eat.
有500多人的整个社区都来帮忙
The entire community of more than 500 people came to help.
（环保人士 杜鲁波拉）
仅仅几个月内
Over just a few months,
他们改造了几乎1.6平方公里的土地
they transform almost 400 acres, 1.6 square kilometers, of their land.
现在 他们不再驱赶大象
And now, instead of driving the elephants away
而是举♥行♥仪式欢迎它们
they’re holding a ceremony to welcome them.
农作物可以收获了
The crops are ready for harvest.
可是大象会吃那些为它们种下的草吗？
But will the elephants eat the grasses that have been planted for them…
还是会袭击农民的田地？
or will they raid the farmers’ fields?
在人们返家途中
As the people return home…
森林的边缘出现了响动
something stirs at the edge of the forest.
大象们一只接一只地从森林的掩护下走出
One by one, the elephants emerge from the cover of the trees.
母象
Mothers.
小象
Calves.
由26头大象组成的大家庭饥肠辘辘
A whole extended family of 26 hungry elephants.
可是它们会走多远？
But how far will they come?
待在森林边缘的附近
Staying close to the edge of the forest…
它们选择只吃那些专门为它们栽种的植物
they choose to feast only on the crops planted for them.
我们以前驱赶它们
Before, we used to chase them away.
但现在情况改变了
But now, things have changed.
这让人感觉很好 让我们很高兴
It feels good… makes us happy.
随着收获季节的展开
As the harvest season progresses,
大象们不再闯入农民的田地
the elephants never stray onto the farmers’ fields
也不进入村子了
nor do they enter the village.
如果我们爱大象
If we love elephants
那大象也会爱我们
then elephants love us too.
一个农作物缓冲区
A buffer zone of plants
为一个多年存在的冲突
is providing a long-term solution
提供了一个长♥期♥的解决方案
to an age-old conflict.
附近的村子
And it’s one which neighboring villages
也已经在与当地自然保护基金会 商讨准备采取这个做法
are already talking with the local conservation trust about adopting.
回顾过去的一年
Looking back over the past year,
这一年对我们很多人来说困难重重
one that has been so difficult for many of us,
我们能学到什么经验教训 来确保自然界的未来
what can we learn to secure the future of the natural world
和我们自己的未来？
and our own?
我们必须思考应该如何与自然共处
We have to think of how we shall coexist.
我们认识到我们能够与野生动物共享空间
Awaken us to the fact that we can share our spaces with wildlife.
不会想当然地认为
Not taking it for granted
当生活恢复正常时 我们还会一切照旧
that we’re going to do the same things when we go back.
大自然如此迅速和多样的反应
The astonishing speed and variety of nature’s response
显示出即使是我们生活中的微小改变
has shown that even modest changes to our lives
也会对全世界的野生动物带来重大的影响
can make a vital difference to wildlife around the world.
我们可以每年夏天实行某种小型封闭
There could be some small shutdowns every single summer.
海滩每晚关闭 不一定非得在白天关闭
Nightly beach closures. It doesn’t have to be during the day.
人们能够做到很小的改变
Very small alterations that people can do
以确保人类和野生动物 和谐共处并共同繁荣
to make sure that humans and wildlife are both successful together.
我们知道如果我们让船只放慢速度
We know that if we ask vessels to go slower,
或让船只成群行进 就能减少它们的影响
and we maybe group vessel traffic, they can actually have a smaller footprint
保护水下的声音景观和鲸鱼
and protect the underwater soundscape and the whales.
我们在向公园管理部门作出建议
We are making recommendations to the park authorities
目标是在游客和导游当中 提倡良好的行为举止
that are aimed at promoting good conduct among tourists and tour guides
以确保这些动物的生存
that will ensure the survival of these animals.
这不同寻常的一年 地球改变的一年
This extraordinary year, the year Earth changed,
不仅向我们展示了 我们可以帮助野生动物繁衍生息
has not only shown us that we can help wildlife to flourish,
而且如果我们愿意这样做
but if we choose to do so,
就可以改进地球的健康 造福所有人类和动物
we can also transform the health of the planet for all.
我知道现在迫切需要我们
I know it’s high time now
竭尽所能减少污染
that we should contribute in every small way we can to reduce the pollution.
并且我们发现人类并非远离大自然
And far from being separate from the natural world…
我们的生活和大自然
we’ve discovered that our lives are interconnected
以深刻和惊人的方式紧密相连
in deep and surprising ways.
如果我们要在未来繁荣发展
If we are to thrive in the future,
当下就是关键的时刻
now is the crucial moment
来寻找与地球上所有生物
to find ways to share our planet…
共享我们这个星球的方式
with all the life on Earth.