The bridge between suicide and life | Kevin Briggs

翻译人员: YǐngRuì Xú 校对人员: Tian Ye

I recently retired

我最近刚退休，

from the California Highway Patrol

离开了加利福尼亚公路巡警局，

after 23 years of service.

我工作了23年的地方。

The majority of those 23 years

这23年里的大多数时间，

was spent patrolling the southern end

我都是在马林县的南部巡逻，

of Marin County,

我都是在马林县的南部巡逻，

which includes the Golden Gate Bridge.

其中包括金门大桥，

The bridge is an iconic structure,

这座桥是一个标志性建筑，

known worldwide

世界闻名，

for its beautiful views of San Francisco,

因为从桥上可以观赏旧金山与

the Pacific Ocean, and its inspiring architecture.

太平洋的美景，还有它予人灵感的建筑风格。

Unfortunately, it is also a magnet for suicide,

不幸的是，这座桥也吸引了自杀者，

being one of the most utilized sites in the world.

成为了全球自杀事件最多的地点之一。

The Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937.

金门大桥开通于1937年，

Joseph Strauss, chief engineer in charge of building the bridge,

约瑟夫·施特劳斯是负责建造这座桥的总工程师，

was quoted as saying,

我引用他一句话，

"The bridge is practically suicide-proof.

“这座桥实际上有防自杀设计，

Suicide from the bridge

在这座桥上自杀

is neither practical nor probable."

既难以成功也不太可能发生。”

But since its opening,

但自从这座桥开放后，

over 1,600 people have leapt to their death

超过1,600 人从桥上

from that bridge.

纵身投入了死亡。

Some believe that traveling

某些人相信

between the two towers

经过这两座塔间

will lead you to another dimension --

会带你去另一个世界——

this bridge has been romanticized as such —

这座桥已经被浪漫成这样了——

that the fall from that

就是说从桥上坠落

frees you from all your worries and grief,

会让你免除所有的烦恼与悲痛，

and the waters below

而下面的水

will cleanse your soul.

会净化你的灵魂。

But let me tell you what actually occurs

但是，让我来告诉你

when the bridge is used

假如你尝试从金门大桥跳河自杀

as a means of suicide.

结果实际上是怎样的。

After a free fall of four to five seconds,

在四到五秒的自由落体后，

the body strikes the water

人的身体击中水面，

at about 75 miles an hour.

速度大约75英里（120公里）每小时。

That impact shatters bones,

这个冲击力能使骨头粉碎，

some of which then puncture vital organs.

一些碎片之后会刺穿重要器官。

Most die on impact.

大多数人当场死亡。

Those that don't

如果没有死，

generally flail in the water helplessly,

一般是在水中无助地扑腾，

and then drown.

然后淹死。

I don't think that those who contemplate

我认为那些考虑

this method of suicide

这种自杀方式的人

realize how grisly a death that they will face.

并未意识到他们的死法将会多么可怕。

This is the cord.

这是钢索。

Except for around the two towers,

除了在两座塔周围，

there is 32 inches of steel

桥边有32英寸（80厘米）的钢索，

paralleling the bridge.

平行于桥。

This is where most folks stand

大多数自杀者

before taking their lives.

在自杀前就站在这里。

I can tell you from experience

根据我的经验，我可以告诉你，

that once the person is on that cord,

一旦有人站在了钢索上，

and at their darkest time,

在他人生最黑暗的时刻，

it is very difficult to bring them back.

再让他回来是极为困难的。

I took this photo last year

我在去年拍了这张照片，

as this young woman spoke to an officer

当时这位年轻女子正和一位警官说话，

contemplating her life.

思索她的人生。

I want to tell you very happily

我要很高兴地告诉大家，

that we were successful that day

那天我们很成功地

in getting her back over the rail.

把她从护栏那边拉了回来。

When I first began working on the bridge,

当我刚开始在这座桥上工作时，

we had no formal training.

我们没有受过正式的训练，

You struggled to funnel your way through these calls.

我在这些呼叫中挣扎前进，

This was not only a disservice

这是帮倒忙，

to those contemplating suicide,

不仅是对那些想自杀的人，

but to the officers as well.

对警察也是伤害。

We've come a long, long way since then.

从那以后，我们走过了漫漫长路。

Now, veteran officers and psychologists

如今，经验丰富的老警官和心理学家们

train new officers.

对新警察进行训练。

This is Jason Garber.

这位是杰森·加博。

I met Jason on July 22 of last year

我遇到杰森是在去年6月22日，

when I get received a call

那时我接到一个电话，

of a possible suicidal subject

说可能是一个人要自杀，

sitting on the cord near midspan.

正坐在桥中段附近的钢索上。

I responded, and when I arrived,

我回应了，而当我到达时，

I observed Jason

我看到了杰森，

speaking to a Golden Gate Bridge officer.

他正和一位金门大桥的警官对话。

Jason was just 32 years old

杰森年仅32岁，

and had flown out here from New Jersey.

是从新泽西州乘飞机来的。

As a matter of fact,

事实上，

he had flown out here on two other occasions

他另外还来过两次，

from New Jersey

从新泽西飞来，

to attempt suicide on this bridge.

想在这座桥上自杀。

After about an hour of speaking with Jason,

在与杰森交谈了大约一个小时后，

he asked us if we knew the story of Pandora's box.

他问我们是否知道潘多拉之盒的故事。

Recalling your Greek mythology,

想一想希腊神话，

Zeus created Pandora,

宙斯创造了潘多拉，

and sent her down to Earth with a box,

然后将她降于人间，还有一个盒子，

and told her, "Never, ever open that box."

并告诉她：”永远不要打开这个盒子。“

Well one day, curiosity got the better of Pandora,

终于有一天，好奇心战胜了潘多拉，

and she did open the box.

她真的打开了盒子。

Out flew plagues, sorrows,

飞出了瘟疫、悲伤，

and all sorts of evils against man.

以及对人类有害的种种坏事。

The only good thing in the box was hope.

盒内唯一的好东西只有希望。

Jason then asked us,

然后杰森问我们，

"What happens when you open the box

“当你打开盒子，

and hope isn't there?"

却没有希望，会发生什么？”

He paused a few moments,

他停顿了一会儿，

leaned to his right,

向他的右方倒下，

and was gone.

不见了。

This kind, intelligent young man from New Jersey

这位来自新泽西的善良，聪明的年轻人

had just committed suicide.

就这样自杀了。

I spoke with Jason's parents that evening,

那天晚上我与杰森父母谈话，

and I suppose that, when I was speaking with them,

我感觉，我和他们谈话时，

that I didn't sound as if I was doing very well,

我的声音听起来好像是我状态不好，

because that very next day,

因为就在后一天，

their family rabbi called to check on me.

他们家的拉比打电话过来问我怎么样。

Jason's parents had asked him to do so.

杰森的父母要他打的电话。

The collateral damage of suicide

自杀带来的间接伤害

affects so many people.

影响着如此多的人。

I pose these questions to you:

我向你们提出这些问题：

What would you do if your family member,

如果你们的家人、朋友或爱人要自杀，

friend or loved one was suicidal?

你们会怎么办？

What would you say?

你们会说什么？

Would you know what to say?

你知道要说什么吗？

In my experience, it's not just the talking that you do,

据我的经验，要做的不仅仅是说，

but the listening.

而是听。

Listen to understand.

通过倾听去理解，

Don't argue, blame,

不要争辨、责备，

or tell the person you know how they feel,

或是告诉那个人你知道他的感受，

because you probably don't.

因为你很可能并不知道。

By just being there,

只要你在那里，

you may just be the turning point that they need.

你可能就是他们所需的那个转折点。

If you think someone is suicidal,

如果你认为有人想自杀，

don't be afraid to confront them and ask the question.

不要害怕面对他们，别怕提问题。

One way of asking them the question is like this:

提问的方法有许多，可以是这样：

"Others in similar circumstances

“别人处在类似的境况下，

have thought about ending their life;

会考虑结束自己的生命；

have you had these thoughts?"

你有这样想过吗？”

Confronting the person head-on

与这个人正面相对可能正好挽救了他的生命，

may just save their life and be the turning point for them.

从而成为了他的转折点。

Some other signs to look for:

有一些其他的迹象值得留意：

hopelessness, believing that things are terrible

绝望，认为一切都很可怕，

and never going to get better;

永远不会好转；

helplessness, believing that there is nothing

无助，认为没有任何办法

that you can do about it;

可以进行改变；

recent social withdrawal;

近来回避人际交往；

and a loss of interest in life.

以及对生活失去兴趣。

I came up with this talk just a couple of days ago,

就在几天前我有过一次谈话，

and I received an email from a lady

我收到一位女士的一封电子邮件，

that I'd like to read you her letter.

我想给大家读读她的信。

She lost her son on January 19 of this year,

她在今年1月19日失去了儿子，

and she wrote this me this email

然后她给我写了这封邮件，

just a couple of days ago,

就在几天前，

and it's with her permission and blessing

她给了我许可和祝福，

that I read this to you.

让我为大家读一下。

"Hi, Kevin. I imagine you're at the TED Conference.

“嗨，凯文。我猜想你在TED大会上了。

That must be quite the experience to be there.

能在那里想必是次难得的经历吧。

I'm thinking I should go walk the bridge this weekend.

我在想我应该这个周末去大桥上走一走。

Just wanted to drop you a note.

只是想给你留个言。

Hope you get the word out to many people

希望你能把话带给许多人，

and they go home talking about it

然后他们回家会把这事说给朋友们，

to their friends who tell their friends, etc.

朋友们也会讲给他们的朋友，等等。

I'm still pretty numb,

我还是感觉很木，

but noticing more moments of really realizing

而更多的时候会真正意识到

Mike isn't coming home.

麦克没有回家。

Mike was driving from Petaluma to San Francisco

麦克是从佩塔卢马开车到旧金山，

to watch the 49ers game with his father

来和父亲看49人队的比赛，

on January 19.

就在1月19日。

He never made it there.

他永远没有到达。

I called Petaluma police

我打电话给佩塔卢马警察局，

and reported him missing that evening.

报告麦克在那天晚上失踪了。

The next morning,

第二天早上，

两个警官来到了我家，

two officers came to my home

and reported that Mike's car was down at the bridge.

说麦克的车掉在了桥下。

A witness had observed him jumping off the bridge

一名目击者看到他从桥上冲下去，

at 1:58 p.m. the previous day.

就在前一天下午1点58分。

Thanks so much

我非常感谢你

for standing up for those

一直在鼓励那些人，

who may be only temporarily too weak

他们可能只是一时软弱

to stand for themselves.

而自己无法承受。

Who hasn't been low before

谁没有消沉过？

without suffering from a true mental illness?

即使是没有遭受过真正的精神疾病？

It shouldn't be so easy to end it.

这么轻率地结束它实在是不应该。

My prayers are with you for your fight.

我为你和你的努力而祷告。

The GGB, Golden Gate Bridge,

金门大桥

本应是跨过

is supposed to be a passage across

我们美丽的旧金山湾，

our beautiful bay,

not a graveyard.

而非跨过一片墓地。

Good luck this week. Vicky."

祝你这周好运。维姬。”

I can't imagine the courage it takes for her

我无法想象她这样的勇气，

to go down to that bridge and walk the path

就这样走过那座桥，

that her son took that day,

重走她儿子那天所走的路，

and also the courage just to carry on.

以及坚持下来的勇气。

I'd like to introduce you to a man

我想为大家介绍一个人，

我认为他代表了希望和勇气。

I refer to as hope and courage.

On March 11 of 2005,

在2005年3月11日，

I responded to a radio call of a possible

我的无线电说桥上的人行道上有个人可能想自杀，

suicidal subject on the bridge sidewalk

我回应了。

near the north tower.

I rode my motorcycle down the sidewalk

就在北塔附近，

我骑着我的摩托车沿着人行道过去，

and observed this man, Kevin Berthia,

看到了这个人，凯文·贝希亚，

standing on the sidewalk.

他正站在人行道上。

When he saw me, he immediately traversed

当他看到我时，

that pedestrian rail,

他立即翻过人行道护栏，

and stood on that small pipe

站在塔周围的小钢管上。

which goes around the tower.

站在塔周围的小钢管上。

For the next hour and a half,

之后的一个半小时里，

I listened as Kevin spoke about

我就在那里听凯文讲

his depression and hopelessness.

他的抑郁和绝望。

Kevin decided on his own that day

那一天凯文自己决定，

从护栏那边回来，

to come back over that rail

and give life another chance.

再给生命一次机会。

When Kevin came back over,

当凯文回来时，

I congratulated him.

我祝贺了他。

"This is a new beginning, a new life."

“这是一个新的开始，新的生命。”

But I asked him, "What was it

但我又问他：

“是什么让你回来，

that made you come back

and give hope and life another chance?"

并且再给希望和生命一次机会？”

And you know what he told me?

你们知道他告诉了我什么？

He said, "You listened.

他说：“你听了。

You let me speak, and you just listened."

你让我说，你就是听。”

Shortly after this incident,

这件事后不久，

I received a letter from Kevin's mother,

我收到凯文母亲写来的一封信，

and I have that letter with me,

我带来了这封信，

and I'd like to read it to you.

我想给大家读一读。

"Dear Mr. Briggs,

“亲爱的布里格斯先生，

Nothing will erase the events of March 11,

什么都无法抹去3月11日的那件事，

but you are one of the reasons Kevin is still with us.

而凯文仍在我们身边，你是原因之一。

I truly believe Kevin was crying out for help.

我真的相信凯文是在呼喊求救。

He has been diagnosed with a mental illness

他诊断患有精神疾病，

for which he has been properly medicated.

一直在接受适当的药物治疗。

I adopted Kevin when he was only six months old,

在凯文年仅六个月时，我收养了他，

completely unaware of any hereditary traits,

我完全不知道他在遗传上的任何问题，

but, thank God, now we know.

但感谢上帝，现在我们知道了。

Kevin is straight, as he says.

凯文说自己是直男。

We truly thank God for you.

我们真的为你而感谢上帝，

Sincerely indebted to you,

真的感激不尽，

Narvella Berthia."

娜弗拉·贝希亚。”

And on the bottom she writes,

在信下面她写道，

"P.S. When I visited San Francisco General Hospital that evening,

“又及：我那晚到旧金山综合医院时，

you were listed as the patient.

你被登记为病人。

Boy, did I have to straighten that one out."

天哪，我一定要提这事吗？”

Today, Kevin is a loving father

今天，凯文是个慈爱的父亲，

and contributing member of society.

对社会也在做出贡献。

他坦率地说起

He speaks openly

about the events that day and his depression

那天的事和他的抑郁症，

in the hopes that his story

希望他的故事

will inspire others.

能启发他人。

Suicide is not just something I've encountered on the job.

自杀不仅是我工作中遇到的事情，

It's personal.

在我的私人生活也有。

My grandfather committed suicide by poisoning.

我的祖父服毒自杀。

That act, although ending his own pain,

他这样做，虽然结束了他自己的痛苦，

robbed me from ever getting to know him.

而连我认识他的机会也被夺走了。

This is what suicide does.

这就是自杀的后果。

For most suicidal folks,

对于大多数试图自杀者，

or those contemplating suicide,

或考虑自杀的人，

they wouldn't think of hurting another person.

他们不会想到会伤害到另一个人，

They just want their own pain to end.

他们就是想结束自己的痛苦。

Typically, this is accomplished in just three ways:

通常，只有三种方法可以实现：

sleep, drugs or alcohol, or death.

睡觉，毒品或酒精，或是死亡。

在我的职业生涯中，

In my career, I've responded to

我参与了数百起

and been involved in hundreds

大桥附近的精神疾病和自杀报案。

of mental illness and suicide calls

大桥附近的精神疾病和自杀报案。

around the bridge.

Of those incidents I've been directly involved with,

其中我直接参与的事件里，

I've only lost two,

我只失去了两个，

but that's two too many.

但两个实在太多了。

One was Jason.

一个是杰森。

The other was a man I spoke to

另外一个是名男子，

for about an hour.

我和他谈了大约一个小时。

During that time, he shook my hand

在那一小时里，

on three occasions.

他三次与我握手。

On that final handshake,

最后一次握手时，

he looked at me, and he said,

他看着我说，

"Kevin, I'm sorry, but I have to go."

“凯文，我很抱歉，我得走了。”

And he leapt.

他一跃而下。

Horrible, absolutely horrible.

太可怕了，真的太可怕了。

I do want to tell you, though,

但我真的想告诉你们，

the vast majority of folks

绝大多数

that we do get to contact on that bridge

我们在桥上与之有过接触的人

do not commit suicide.

都没有自杀。

Additionally, that very few

另外，

who have jumped off the bridge and lived

那些跳下桥并且幸存的极少数，

and can talk about it,

那些能说起这件事的人，

that one to two percent,

那百分之一、二的人，

其中多数人都说，

most of those folks have said

that the second that they let go of that rail,

他们放开护栏的一瞬间，

他们知道了自己犯下了一个错误，

they knew that they had made a mistake

and they wanted to live.

他们想活。

I tell people, the bridge not only connects

我告诉人们，金门大桥连接的

Marin to San Francisco,

不仅是马林县与旧金山，

but people together also.

也连接着人与人之间。

That connection, or bridge that we make,

这种连接，或者我们所建的这座桥，

is something that each and every one of us

代表着我们每一个人应当

should strive to do.

为之而努力的东西。

Suicide is preventable.

自杀是可以避免的。

There is help. There is hope.

有帮助，也有希望。

Thank you very much.

非常感谢大家。

(Applause)