For the love of birds | Washington Wachira

翻译人员: Cassie XUE 校对人员: Yinuo Wang

With me here today

今天，

I brought something beautiful.

我带来了一些漂亮的东西。

This is a feather from one of the most beautiful birds we have in Kenya,

这羽毛来自肯尼亚最漂亮的鸟类之一，

the crested guinea fowl.

凤头珍珠鸡。

But this feather is more than just that.

但是这羽毛不仅仅只是漂亮。

If you've taken time when you are outdoors

如果你在户外时花些时间

to look at the feathers around you,

去观察周围的羽毛，

you'll have noticed

你会发现

这些羽毛形态各异，有各种大小、

that there is this huge variety of different sizes,

shapes and even colors.

形状、甚至颜色。

The feather is one of the most astonishing pieces of technology

这羽毛是大自然创造的

invented by the natural world,

最惊人的技术之一，

and for centuries, this feather has helped birds to keep dry,

自古以来，这羽毛帮助鸟儿保持干燥、

to keep warm and even power flight.

温暖，甚至驱动它们飞行。

Only one section of the tree of life can actually make a feather.

事实上，仅有一部分物种能长出这样的羽毛。

Among all the world's animals,

在世界上所有的动物中，

birds are the only ones who can make something

鸟类是唯一一种能长出

like what I'm holding today.

像我手上的东西的生物。

I personally have given them a nickname,

我自己给它们起了个昵称，

and I like to call them the feathermakers.

我喜欢叫它们 “羽毛制造者”。

It is the major difference between birds and any other animals we have on earth,

这是鸟类和地球上其他动物之间最大的不同，

and if you can't make a feather, you cannot call yourself a bird.

如果你不能长出一根羽毛， 你就不能称自己是只鸟。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

For us humans, who are earthbound,

对于我们生活在地面上的人类而言，

birds represent freedom.

鸟类代表着自由。

This feather has enabled birds to conquer gravity

这种羽毛能使鸟类克服重力，

and take to the air in an extraordinary way.

并以一种非凡的姿态在空中飞翔。

Don't you sometimes wish you could fly like a bird?

你难道不希望能像鸟儿一样飞翔吗？

Birds are my passion,

鸟儿是我的酷爱，

and I want to change the way each one of you thinks about them.

我希望改变你们每个人对它们的看法。

The easiest reason I love them so much is because they are beautiful.

我之所以这么喜欢它们，最简单的原因是它们很漂亮。

There are 10,000 species in the world,

世界上有10000种鸟类，

and each one of them is uniquely beautiful.

每一种都有与众不同的美丽。

Birds are amazing,

鸟类是令人惊异的，

and this talk is dedicated to all the birds of the world.

而这个演讲就是献给世界上所有的鸟。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

Indeed, these birds have been part of our lives and cultures

确实，自古以来，鸟类是我们生命中和

all over the world for centuries,

文化中的一部分，

and every society has a story about birds.

每一个社会都有一个关于鸟类的故事。

You probably have heard childhood stories of different birds

你可能听说过关于不同种鸟类的童话，

and how they relate with man.

还有它们和人类有着怎样的联系。

I personally recently learned

我个人近期学习了，

that our human ancestors would follow flocks of vultures

我们人类的祖先会跟随成群的秃鹫，

and then they would help them

它们会帮助我们的祖先

to identify where carcasses have been dropped by large carnivores,

确定大型食肉动物掉落动物尸体的位置，

and these humans will scavenge and eat part of that meat.

然后这些人会从残骸中找出肉来吃。

Birds have been used as brands and labels all over the world.

全世界的商标和标签都有运用到鸟儿的形象。

You know the bald eagle?

你知道这只白头鹰吗？

It was chosen as the national emblem for the US

它被选用作美国的国徽，

because of its majestic strength,

因为它有雄伟的力量、

beautiful looks

美丽的外表、

and even a long lifespan.

和长的寿命。

And just like us humans

鸟类和我们人类一样，

who have managed to live in virtually all habitats of this earth,

设法生活在地球上几乎每一个栖息地，

birds have also conquered the world.

鸟儿也已经征服了这个世界。

From birds such as these beautiful penguins

从生活在寒冷冰层中的

美丽的企鹅，

that live in the cold ice caps

to even others like the larks,

到你所能想象的最炎热的沙漠中

who live in the hottest deserts you can imagine.

生活着的百灵鸟,

Indeed, these species have conquered this world.

鸟类确实已经征服了这个世界。

Birds also build houses like us.

鸟儿还和我们一样盖房子。

The real pros in housebuilding

我们称真正建房子的那群鸟为

are a group of birds we call the weaverbirds,

“织巢鸟”，

and this name they were given

而这种织巢的方式

because of the way in which they weave their nests.

使它们得到了这样的名字。

An interesting one:

有趣的是：

birds also love and date just like us humans.

鸟儿们也和人类一样，恋爱、约会。

In fact, you'll be surprised to know that males dress to impress the women,

事实上，你会惊奇于雄性鸟类为吸引雌性而装扮自己。

and I'll show you how.

我将向你展示这个过程。

So here we have a long-tailed widowbird,

我们有一只长尾非洲凤凰雀，

and this is how they would normally look.

这是它们平时的模样。

But when it comes to the breeding season,

但是当繁衍时期来临时，

everything changes,

一切都变了，

and this is how he looks.

这是它现在的样子。

(Audience murmurs)

（观众小声说话）

Yeah?

哦？

Birds also, multiple species of them,

很多种鸟类也的确，

do love to touch and cuddle just like humans.

和人类一样喜欢抚摸和拥抱。

And I know you're wondering about this one.

我还知道你正在疑惑这件事。

Yes, they kiss too,

没错，它们也接吻，

sometimes very deeply.

有时候深吻。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

Some have even learned to cheat on their spouses.

一些已经学会了欺骗它们的配偶。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

For example, the African jacana:

举个例子，非洲水雉：

the females will mate with multiple males

雌性水雉会和多个雄性交配，

and then she takes off to find other males to mate with

然后她会离开去找其他的雄性交配，

and she leaves the male behind to take care of the chicks.

她把雄性留下照顾雏鸟。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

And birds help us so much,

鸟类给予了我们很多帮助，

and they play very crucial roles in our ecosystems each day.

他们每天在我们的生态系统中扮演着非常关键的角色。

Vultures clean up our environment

秃鹫们打扫着我们的环境

by literally digesting disease-causing pathogens,

通过真正地消化致病的病原体，

and they finish carcasses that would otherwise cost us lots of money

它们还消灭尸体残骸，为我们省下一大笔

to clear from the environment.

清洁环境的钱。

A sizable flock of vultures is capable of bringing down a carcass

数量可观的秃鹫群可以消灭

the size of a zebra straight to the bone

一具斑马大小的尸体，吃到只剩骨头，

within just about 30 minutes.

在短短30分钟内。

Owls help to rid the environments of rodents

猫头鹰帮助摆脱环境中的啮齿动物，

and this helps us a lot because it saves us money --

这帮助了我们不少，因为省了我们的钱，

we don't lose our crops --

我们没有损失农作物，

and secondly, we don't have to buy harmful chemicals

其次，我们不需要去买有伤害的化学物品

to handle these rodents.

来对付这些啮齿动物。

The beautiful sunbirds we see in our environments

我们看见的美丽的太阳鸟

are part of nature's pollination crew,

是大自然的授粉员的一部分，

and they help our plants to form fruits.

它们有助于我们的庄稼结果。

Together with other pollinators like insects,

和其他授粉员一起，如昆虫，

they have actually helped us

他们真正地帮助我们

to get most of the food crops that we depend on for many years.

收获我们多年来赖以生存的大部分粮食作物。

Unfortunately, the story of birds is by far not perfect.

不幸的是，鸟类的故事还远远不够完美。

They are faced by numerous challenges every day wherever they live.

无论它们生活在哪里，它们每天正面临着无数的挑战。

Top on the threats facing birds

鸟类面临的最首要的威胁

is habitat loss

就是栖息地的丧失

and reduced food availability.

和越来越少的食物供应。

Birds are also hunted, especially migratory species

鸟类也被猎杀，尤其是迁徙物种和

and ducks that congregate in water bodies.

水中聚集的鸭子。

Poisoning is happening to flocks that like to stick together,

中毒的现象在喜欢聚集在一起的鸟群中发生，

especially in places like rice schemes.

特别在像在大米计划等地方。

Moreover, power lines are electrocuting birds

另外，电线正电击着鸟类，

and wind farms are slicing birds

当它们从到片中飞过时，

when they fly through the blades.

风电场也正切割着鸟类

Recently, we've heard the talk of climate change

最近，我们听说气候变化的问题

making a lot of headlines,

引发了很多头条新闻，

and it's also affecting birds,

这也影响着鸟类，

because birds are being forced to migrate to better breeding and feeding grounds

因为它们被迫从更好的繁殖和饲养场地迁移

because unfortunately where they used to live

因为不幸的是，他们过去居住的地方

is no longer habitable.

已经不再适合居住了。

My own perspective towards birds was changed

我改变了自己对鸟类的看法

when I was a small boy in high school,

当我还是一个高中男孩时，

and there was this boy who struck,

这个男孩撞到了一只被我们称做非洲鵟的鸟，

injuring the wing and the leg of a bird we called the augur buzzard.

并且弄伤了它的腿和翅膀。

I was standing there,

我站在那儿，

just a mere 14-year-old,

年仅14岁，

and I imagined a human being in a similar situation,

我想象着人类处于类似的情况下，

because this bird could not help itself.

因为这只鸟不能自救。

So even if I was hardly any biologist by then,

所以即使我那时还不是什么生物学家，

I gathered with three of my friends and we decided to house the bird

我也召集了三个朋友，我们决定安置这只鸟

until it had regained strength and then let it free.

直到它恢复了力量，然后放飞它。

Interestingly, it accepted to feed on beef from our school kitchen,

有趣的是，它接受了我们从学校厨房拿来喂它的牛肉，

and we hunted termites around the compound for its dinner every day.

我们每天在大院周围狩猎白蚁给它当晚餐。

After a few days, it had regained strength

几天以后，它恢复了力量，

and we released it.

然后我们放了它。

We were so happy to see it flap its wings

我们很高兴地看到它拍打着翅膀，

and fly off gracefully.

优雅地飞走。

And that experience changed the way we looked at birds.

那次经历改变了我们对鸟类的看法。

We went on to actually make a magazine,

事实上，我们继续做了一本杂志，

and we called it the Hawk Magazine,

我们叫它老鹰杂志

and this was in honor of this bird

这是为了纪念我们

在高中时帮助过的这只鸟。

that we had helped within our own high school.

Those experiences in high school made me the conservationist I am today.

那些高中的经历使我成为了今天的环保主义者。

And a passion for birds should especially matter for Africa

对鸟类的热情对于非洲来说尤其重要

and all Africans,

还有所有的非洲人，

because among all other continents,

因为在所有其他大陆中，

Africa hosts some of the most amazing bird species

非洲拥有一些世界上任何地方都能找到的

you can find anywhere in the world.

最惊人的鸟类。

Imagine having a name like "shoebill."

想象一下，拥有一个像“鲸头鹳”这样的名字。

That's the name of that bird.

这是那种鸟类的名字。

And there are countries like DR Congo,

还有像刚果民主共和国，

Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya

坦桑尼亚，乌干达和肯尼亚这样的国家，

who are leading the continent in highest numbers of diversity

它们使这个大陆在物种方面

when it comes to the species.

处于领先地位。

These birds continue to provide the continent

这些鸟类继续为非洲大陆提供它所需的

with very crucial ecosystem services that Africa needs.

非常关键的生态系统服务。

此外，非洲在鸟类旅游领域

Moreover, there is huge potential

for Africa to lead the world in avian tourism.

有着巨大的潜力。

The economy will definitely benefit.

经济必然收益。

Imagine how many communities will benefit from groups of tourists

想象一下，有多少社区可以从参观村庄的游客中受益，

visiting their villages just to see the endemic birds

只是为了看到

that can only be found in those villages.

只能在这些村庄发现的地方性鸟类。

How can we help birds together?

我们能怎样帮助鸟类呢？

There is now a chance for all of you

现在你们有机会

to turn your passion for birds

把你们对鸟类的热情

into contributing to their continued survival,

转化为对它们持续生存的贡献，

and you can do that by becoming a citizen scientist.

你们可以通过成为公民科学家来做到这一点。

Citizen science is a growing trend around the world,

公民科学在全球范围内呈现出不断增长的趋势，

and we are having scenarios where people are sharing information

我们正在设定一些场景，

with the rest of the community about traffic updates,

让人们与社区其他人分享有关交通更新，

security alerts and so on.

安全警报等的信息。

That is exactly what we realized as bird-watchers,

这正是我们作为观鸟者所认识到的，

and we thought, because birds are found everywhere,

我们认为，因为到处都可以找到鸟类，

if we've got all of you and everyone else in Africa

如果我们让非洲的所有人和其他所有人

to tell us the birds they find where they live,

都告诉我们他们在居住、学习甚至工作的地方，

where they school, or even where they work,

甚至工作的地方的鸟类，

then we can be able to come up with a map of every single species,

我们就能够拿出一张包含每个物种的地图

and from there scientists will be able

从而，科学家将能够

to actually prioritize conservation efforts

把保护工作的重点

to those habitats that matter the most.

放在最重要的栖息地。

Take for example these two projects,

以两个项目为例，

the Africa Raptor DataBank,

非洲猛禽数据库

which is mapping all birds of prey in the continent of Africa,

正在绘制非洲大陆的所有猛禽，

and the Kenya Bird Map,

以及肯尼亚鸟类地图，

which is mapping about 1,100 species that occur in my country, Kenya.

该项目正在测绘我的国家， 肯尼亚出现的约1100种物种。

These two projects now have online databases

这两个项目现在有在线数据库，

that are allowing people to submit data,

允许人们提交数据，

and this is converted into very interactive websites

并且这些数据被转换成了可互动的网站，

that the public can consume and make decisions from.

在这里公众可以消费和作出决定。

But when we started, there was a big challenge.

但是当我们开始的时候，有一个很大的挑战。

We received many complaints from bird-watchers,

我们收到了很多鸟类观察家的投诉抱怨，

and they will say,

他们会说：

"I'm in a village, and I cannot access a computer.

“我在一个村子里，我无法使用电脑。

How do I tell you what birds live in my home,

我怎么告诉你，我的家里、我的学校，

or where I school, or where I work?"

或是我工作的地方有什么鸟儿？”

So we were forced to renovate our strategy and come up with a sustainable solution.

所以我们被迫改变了我们的战略，并提出了一个可持续的解决方案。

It was easy:

很简单：

we immediately realized that mobile phones

我们立即意识到手机

were becoming increasingly common in Africa

在非洲越来越普遍，

and most of the regions could get access to one.

大部分地区都可以接入。

So we came up with mobile phone applications

所以我们想出了可以在iPhone和Android手机上

that you can use on your iPhone and on your Android phone,

使用的手机应用程序，

and we made them freely available

我们可以免费地

for every bird-watching enthusiast out there.

为所有观鸟爱好者提供这些应用程序。

So we came up with BirdLasser, which is used by the Kenya Bird Map,

所以我们想出了肯尼亚鸟类地图使用的BirdLasser，

and also we have the African Raptor Observations,

以及非洲猛禽数据库现在使用的

which is now used by the African Raptor DataBank.

非洲猛禽观察。

This was a huge breakthrough in our work

这是我们工作的一个重大突破，

and it made us get enormous amounts of data

它使我们从各个地区的每一个观鸟者那里

from every birder out there in the regions.

获得了大量的数据。

With this, we realized that citizen science

有了这个，我们意识到公民科学

is indeed very powerful,

的确是非常强大的，

the reason being, citizen science is adaptive.

理由是，公民科学有很强的适应能力。

And we were able to actually convert many bird-watchers

而且我们实际上已经能够让许多观鸟者

to start sharing new information with us.

开始与我们分享新的信息。

When we were starting,

当我们开始的时候，

we didn't know that birds could be a huge gateway

我们不知道鸟类可能成为一个

to approaching conservation of other forms of animals.

接近对其他动物的保护的巨大门户。

Interestingly, now in the Virtual Museum for Africa,

有趣的是，现在在非洲的虚拟博物馆，

we have maps for dragonflies and damselflies,

我们有蜻蜓和豆娘，

butterflies and moths,

蝴蝶和飞蛾，

reptiles, frogs, orchids, spiders,

爬行动物，青蛙，兰花，蜘蛛，

蝎子的地图，是的，我们甚至为蘑菇绘制地图。

scorpions, and yes, we are even mapping mushrooms.

Who could have imagined mapping mushrooms?

谁能想象测绘蘑菇？

So this showed us that indeed we've created a community of people

因此，这向我们展示了我们的确在非洲建立了

who care about nature in Africa.

一个关心自然的社区。

I hereby call upon all of you

我呼吁大家

to join me in promoting the value of birds

与我一道在你们的社区内

within your communities.

宣传的鸟类的价值。

请告诉你们的朋友关于鸟类的事，

Please just tell your friends about birds,

for we are always inclined to love and care for that which we know.

因为我们总是倾向于爱和关心我们所知道的。

Please spend a few minutes in your free time

在工作时，在学校或在家时，

when you are at work, at school, or maybe at home,

请花几分钟的空闲时间，

to at least look around you and see which beautiful birds are there.

至少看看周围的人，看看那些美丽的鸟儿。

Come join us in citizen science

来加入我们的公民科学，

and tell us the birds you're finding in the places where you visit.

告诉我们你在访问的地方找到的鸟儿。

Even simpler,

更简单的，

you could buy your child or your sibling

你可以给你的孩子或你的兄弟姐妹买

a pair of binoculars

一个双筒望远镜

or a bird book

或一本关于鸟类的书，

让他们意识到这些鸟的美丽。

and let them just appreciate how beautiful these birds are.

Because maybe one day they will want to care

因为也许有一天他们会想要照顾

for that one which they know and love.

那个他们所知道和喜欢的东西。

The children indeed are our future.

孩子们的确就是我们的未来。

Let us please teach them to love our feathermakers,

请让我们教他们爱我们的羽毛制作者，

because the love of birds

因为对鸟的喜爱

can be a huge gateway to appreciating all forms of nature.

可以成为欣赏各种形式的大自然的巨大门户。

Thank you very much.

非常感谢你们。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

Thank you.

谢谢。