Camille Seaman: Photos from a storm chaser

Translator: Timothy Covell Reviewer: Thu-Huong Ha

Translator: Joachim Mangilima Reviewer: Nelson Simfukwe

Everything is interconnected.

KIla kitu kinahusiana na kingine

As a Shinnecock Indian, I was raised to know this.

Kama muhindi, nilikuzwa kujua hili

We are a small fishing tribe

Sisi ni kabila dogo la wavuvi

situated on the southeastern tip of Long Island

Katika ncha ya kusini mashariki mwa kisiwa cha Long

near the town of Southampton in New York.

karibu na mji wa Southampton katika jiji la New York.

When I was a little girl,

Nilipokuwa msichana mdogo,

my grandfather took me to sit outside in the sun on a hot summer day.

Babu yangu alinichukua kukaa naye juani katika wakati wa majira ya joto.

There were no clouds in the sky.

Hakukuwa na mawingu angani.

And after a while I began to perspire.

na baada ya muda mfupi nikaanza kutoka jasho.

And he pointed up to the sky, and he said,

na akanionyesha angani na kusema,

"Look, do you see that?

"Angalia,unaona kile?

That's part of you up there.

Ile ni sehemu yako kule juu.

That's your water that helps to make the cloud

Yale ni maji yako yanayosaidia kutengeneza mawingu

that becomes the rain that feeds the plants

yanayokuwa mvua inayonywesha mimea

that feeds the animals."

ambayo inalisha wanyama."

In my continued exploration of subjects in nature

katika utafiti wangu wa mambo haya

that have the ability to illustrate the interconnection of all life,

ambayo yanaonyesha uhusiano katika maisha,

I started storm chasing in 2008

Nilianza kukimbiza vimbunga mwaka 2008

after my daughter said, "Mom, you should do that."

baada ya binti yangu kusema, " Mama, ni lazima ufanye hivyo."

And so three days later, driving very fast,

siku tatu baadaye,nikiendesha gari kwa kasi sana,

I found myself stalking a single type of giant cloud called the super cell,

nikajikuta nafuatilia aina moja ya wingu kubwa sana,

capable of producing grapefruit-size hail

lenye uwezo wa kutengeneza mvua ua mawe kubwa

and spectacular tornadoes,

na vimbunga vya ajabu,

although only two percent actually do.

ingawa ni asilimia mbili tu hufanya hivyo.

These clouds can grow so big, up to 50 miles wide

mawingu haya yanaweza kuwa makubwa sana, mpaka maili 50 kwa upana

and reach up to 65,000 feet into the atmosphere.

na yanaweza yakaenda mpaka futi 65,000 juu angani.

They can grow so big, blocking all daylight,

yanaweza yakawa makubwa sana kiasi cha kuzuia mwanga wa mchana,

making it very dark and ominous standing under them.

kufanya ukisimama chini yake kuwa peusi sana.

Storm chasing is a very tactile experience.

Kukimbiza vimbunga ni kitu chenye mguso wa kipekee.

There's a warm, moist wind blowing at your back

unakuta kuna upepo mnyevu wa joto unaopuliza mgongoni kwako

and the smell of the earth, the wheat, the grass, the charged particles.

haufu ya mchanga,ngano na majani.

And then there are the colors in the clouds

halafu pia kuna rangi mbalimbali katika mawingu

of hail forming, the greens and the turquoise blues.

ya mvua ya mawe, ya kijani na bluu.

I've learned to respect the lightning.

nimejifunza kuiheshimu radi.

My hair used to be straight.

Nywele zangu zilikuwa hazijajikunja ziko moja kwa moja.

(Laughter)

(vicheko)

I'm just kidding.

ninatania.

(Laughter)

(vicheko)

What really excites me about these storms

kinachonifurahisha mimi kuhusu vimbunga hivi

is their movement, the way they swirl and spin and undulate,

ni jinsi vinavyotembea,vinavyozunguka,

with their lava lamp-like mammatus clouds.

na mawingu yenye vitu kama miale ya moto.

They become lovely monsters.

yanakuwa ni madude yanayotisha huku yakipendeza pia.

When I'm photographing them,

ninapoyapiga picha,

I cannot help but remember my grandfather's lesson.

nashindwa kujizuia kukumbuka mafundisho ya babu yangu.

As I stand under them,

na ninasimama chini yake,

I see not just a cloud,

naona sio tu wingu,

but understand that what I have the privilege to witness

lakini na kuelewa pia nina bahati ya kushuhudia

is the same forces, the same process in a small-scale version

nguvu zile zile ,mchakato ule ule, katika hali ndogo

that helped to create our galaxy, our solar system, our sun

ambavyo vilitengeneza anga letu,mfumo wa jua,jua letu

and even this very planet.

na hata sayari hii.

All my relations. Thank you.

na mahusiano yote yangu. Asante sana.

(Applause)

(Shangwe)