The Human Cost of Coal Mining in China | Xiaojun "Tom" Wang | TED

翻译人员: Amelie Chen Qu 校对人员: suya f.

So in early April this year,

在今年四月初，

I went back to my hometown, Lüliang

我回到家乡 吕梁

in central China’s Shanxi Province,

一座位于山西省中心的城市，去过清明节

for the tomb-sweeping day.

The tomb-sweeping day, literally,

从字面上说，叫做扫墓日

it is a day when we go and clean the tombs

我们在这个日子去清理已故亲人坟墓，

of our deceased beloved ones.

It is also a day when we go and ask for blessings from our ancestors.

我们也在这个日子去向祖先 祈求祝福的日子。

And this year,

今年，

my sister became a new grandmother,

我姐姐成了一位祖母，

and she wanted to ask for blessings from our father

她想向自己的父亲 求得她的新生孙子的祝福。

for her new grandson.

We had a hard time finding our father's tomb.

我们费了很多力气去寻找 父亲的坟墓。

The roads leading into our village had wide cracks,

通往我们村庄的道路 有很宽的裂缝，

with signs telling people to stay away and beware of landslides.

有标语告诉人们 远离并小心山体滑坡。

Landslides in my usually dry hometown

在我平时干燥的家乡 发生山体滑坡

used to be just a rare natural disaster.

曾经只是一场罕见的自然灾害

Today, they are manmade, everyday threats

今天，这成为了人为的日常的威胁，

because our mountains are being hollowed out by coal mining.

因为我们的山 正被煤炭开采挖掘。

And these are the very mountains where my father and my grandfather

这些正是埋葬我父亲、祖父

and our ancestors are buried.

和祖先的山。

My name is Xiaojun Wang.

我叫王小军。

People who are familiar with Chinese language,

对于熟悉中国语言

culture or history will immediately know I was born in the 1970s

文化或历史的人来说， 会立刻知道我出生于 1970 年代，

because of the character “jun” in my name.

因为我的名字中 有 “Jun” 这个字。

Jun means soldier,

Jun 的意思是士兵

and that, back then, was the best job in China.

那在当时是中国最好的工作。

And that was what my veteran grandfather had expected me to do:

这就是我的老祖父期望我做的事情：

to grow up and become a soldier, just like him.

长大后成为 一名士兵，就像他一样。

I grew up, became a teacher, a journalist,

我长大后，成为一名教师，一名记者，

and then an environmental activist.

之后成为了一名环保活动家。

My work today focuses mostly on helping my village,

我今天的工作 主要侧重于帮助我的村庄、

my province and China to move out of coal addiction,

我的省份和中国摆脱煤炭成瘾，

regain our confidence

恢复我们的信心

and build a new, clean living without coal.

过上没有煤炭的新清洁生活。

Because I have witnessed how my village,

因为我亲眼目睹了我的村庄，

my province had been destroyed by coal mining and coal burning.

我的省份是如何 被煤炭开采和燃煤摧毁的。

My province, over 40 percent, sits on top of coal and coal mining.

我所在的省份占 40％ 以上， 以煤炭和煤炭开采为主。

At its peak in the mid-1990s,

在 1990 年代中期的鼎盛时期，

we had about 11,000 coal mines all over the province.

我们在全省有 大约 11,000 个煤矿。

And even today, right now,

即使在今天，目前仍有

more than one million people work at various coal mines.

超过一百万人 在各种煤矿工作。

And that means one of every 30 people.

这意味着 每 30 个人中就有一人。

One of them was my cousin,

其中一位是我的堂兄，

who also had the name or the character “jun” in his name.

他的名字中也有一个字 “Jun”。

So he shared the same expectations from our grandfather.

我们的祖父对我们有着同样的期望。

He grew up, became a coal miner.

他长大后， 成为了一名煤矿工人。

Ten years ago, he was injured in a coal mine accident.

十年前，他在煤矿事故中受伤。

He got addicted to painkillers.

他沉迷于止痛药。

His liver was damaged.

他的肝脏因此受损了。

And three years ago, he died.

三年前，他去世了。

He was younger than me.

他比我年轻。

And now today,

现在，

he's buried in the same mountains as our grandfather.

他和我们的祖父们一起 被埋葬在同一座山里。

Even buried,

即使被埋葬，

he’s still not free from coal-mine related accidents.

他仍然无法幸免于与煤矿 有关的事故。

We have been told to remove or to relocate

我们被告知 要拆除或搬迁

our family graveyard.

我们的家庭墓地。 在今年年底之前，

By the end of this year,

we need to find new places for our deceased beloved ones.

我们需要为已故的亲人 寻找新的地方。

My cousin, our fathers,

我的堂兄、我们的父亲、

our grandfather,

我们的祖父、

our grandparents, our ancestors.

我们的祖父母、我们的祖先。

And that is the reality my province has been stuck in.

这就是我所在的省份 一直处于的现实困境。

We are proudly,

具有讽刺意味的是， 我们自豪于

ironically speaking,

the eldest coal brother for China.

我们是中国最年长的煤炭兄弟。

We produce over one billion tons of coal every year.

我们每年生产 超过十亿吨煤炭。

So one billion tons of coal is dug out every year from underneath our mountains,

每年从我们的山下挖出 十亿吨煤炭

and most of that is sent to other provinces

其中大部分 被运往其他省市

and cities to support their economies.

以支持其经济。

This highly centralized coordination mechanism in China

中国这种高度集中的协调机制

is called the “sibling mechanism.”

被称为 “兄弟机制”。

We support 24 provinces and cities in China.

我们为中国的 24 个省市提供支持。

They rely on our coal for their heating,

他们依靠我们的煤炭来取暖

their electricity, their industries,

电力、工业，

almost everything.

几乎所有事情。

And we are very proud to be that.

我们为此感到非常自豪。

In mid-2021,

2021 年年中，

an energy crisis hit China.

一场能源危机袭击了中国。

So the parents in Beijing

北京的家长

asked Shanxi to keep digging

要求山西继续挖掘

and to dig harder and faster.

更努力更快地挖掘。

And we, the eldest coal brother, Shanxi,

而我们，煤炭大哥，山西，

responded with earnest and pride.

则以认真和自豪的态度回应。

Then in early October,

然后在10月初，

a very rare heavy rainstorm hit our usually dry province.

一场非常罕见的暴雨袭击了 我们这个通常干燥的省份。

Almost 100 towns got flooded.

将近 100 个城镇被洪水淹没。

More landslides happened.

发生了更多的山体滑坡。

Over 120,000 people had to evacuate,

超过12万人不得不撤离，

leaving behind their houses,

留下房屋、

their crops,

农作物，

their livestock,

牲畜，

to soak, to rot, to die

在洪水中浸泡、腐烂、死亡

and to collapse in flood water.

和倒塌。

At the same time, our governor held a press conference.

同时，我们的省长 举行了新闻发布会。

Not to ask Beijing for rescue or for help,

不是向北京寻求救援或帮助，

but to promise that we would keep digging

而是承诺我们将继续挖矿，

and to ensure the rest of the other 24 siblings

并确保其他 24 个兄弟姐妹省份 在今年余下的时间里供应

coal supply for the rest of the year.

煤炭。

Then, one month later, in November,

然后，一个月后，11月

at COP26 in Glasgow,

在格拉斯哥举行的 COP26 上

the whole world, China included, promised and committed to a coal phasedown.

包括中国在内的全世界 都承诺并承诺逐步减少煤炭。

China had also made its domestic commitments

中国还做出了承诺到

to reach carbon emission peak by 2030

在 2030 年达到碳排放峰值和

and carbon neutrality by 2060.

在 2060 年实现碳中和。

The most effective ways to reach these goals or these targets

实现这些目标的最有效方法

is to reduce the burning of coal.

是减少煤炭的燃烧。

So clearly, the direction for coal

因此，很明显，煤炭的方向

has been very firmly set.

已经非常确定。

Coal has no future.

煤炭没有未来。

Many of the 24 provinces and cities,

在这 24 个省市中，有很多

who have been relying heavily on Shanxi coal, our coal,

一直严重依赖山西煤炭 （我们的煤炭）

are taking actions to move away from coal into a cleaner,

他们正在采取行动， 从煤炭转向主要由可再生源支撑的

stronger economy that is mainly supported by renewable energy.

更清洁、更强大的经济。

But.

但是，

Our province has been told to keep digging and to dig harder and faster,

我们省仍被告知要继续 挖矿更努力更快地挖矿，

because the parents in Beijing are still very concerned

因为北京父母官仍然非常担心

about another energy crisis.

另一场能源危机。

That is our reality.

这就是我们的现实。

That is the reality the eldest coal brother Shanxi has been stuck in.

这就是煤炭大哥山西陷入的现实。

Burning less coal is good news for the world.

减少燃烧煤炭对世界来说是个好消息。

Burning less coal is even good news for Shanxi.

减少煤炭燃烧对 山西来说甚至也是个好消息。

Because the sooner all the other siblings start to reduce their reliance on coal,

因为所有其他兄弟姐妹越早 开始减少对煤炭的依赖，

the sooner can we start to climb out of coal mine shafts

我们就能越快开始 爬出煤矿竖井

and to look around, above the ground,

在地面上环顾四周

for other options and other solutions

寻找其他解决方案，在阳光下， 开阔清洁的空气中

in the sunlight,

in the open, clean air.

Above the ground,

在地面上，

we have the highest cluster of ancient buildings in China.

我们拥有中国最多 的古建筑群。

Over 75 percent of buildings

在我所在的省份

that are older than 1,000 years exist in my province.

拥有 1000 年以上 的建筑超过 75%。

The Forbidden City in Beijing

北京的紫禁城

is only 600 years old.

只有 600 年的历史。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And even underneath the ground,

即使在地下，

our real treasure is not coal.

我们真正的宝藏也不是煤炭。

We have ancient tombs

我们的古墓

that are easily 500 years older

很容易发现比知名度更高的兵马俑 要古老 500 年的文物。

than the better-known terracotta warriors.

That is our real treasure.

那是我们真正的财富。

That is our real pride.

这是我们真正的骄傲。

Not many people outside Shanxi know about it, though.

但是，山西以外没有多少人 知道这件事。

In fact, not many people outside Shanxi know much about Shanxi other than coal.

实际上，除了煤炭以外， 山西以外没有多少人对山西了解太多。

We are the birthplace of China's agriculture and culture.

我们是中国农业和文化的发源地。

We are the birthplace of noodles and bread and wine.

我们是面条、 面包和葡萄酒的发源地。

We are the birthplace of Chinese language, poetry

我们是中国语言、诗歌 的发源地，

and even the earliest banking system in China.

甚至是中国最早的银行体系。

People outside Shanxi associate us with coal

山西以外的人 把我们与煤炭联系起来，

because that's what we have been giving.

因为那是我们一直在捐赠。

So fortunately, Shanxi Province,

因此，幸运的是，

our government, has been slowly waking up

我们的政府山西省 已经慢慢觉醒过来

and are taking actions to move away.

正在采取行动撤离。

So things are changing, things are happening.

因此，事情在变化， 事情正在发生。

But Shanxi alone cannot do it.

但是，光靠山西是做不到的。

We alone will not be able to break away from the vicious circle of cold reliance

光靠我们自己 无法摆脱冷依赖

or coal addiction.

或煤炭成瘾的恶性循环。

Beijing and other sibling provinces need to step up

北京和其他兄弟省份 需要加大其份额

with their share and pay back.

并进行回报。

Just like how our coal has been mobilized

就像我们如何调动煤炭

to support all these provinces' economy and growth,

来支持所有这些省份 的经济和增长一样，

this mechanism, this sibling coordination mechanism in China,

这个机制即中国的兄弟协调机制，

needs to start today

需要从今天开始

and bring resources, clean resources,

为我们带来资源，清洁资源，

back to us and towards us and help us.

回到我们身边 为我们提供帮助。

In the past 45 years,

在过去的 45 年中，

this mechanism has helped,

该机制很高效的

has worked very, very effectively

to bring all the technology and investments

把较富裕的沿海省份的技术和投资

from the richer coastal provinces in the east

带到了较贫穷的内陆省份

to the poorer inland provinces in China.

并且发挥了很高效的作用

It also very successfully helped China to end extreme poverty

在 2021 年非常成功 地帮助中国消除了

for its 1.4 billion people back in 2021.

14 亿人口的极端贫困

In the coming decades and years,

在未来的几年和几十年中，

before 2030, before 2060,

在 2030 年之前， 在 2060 年之前

this same sibling mechanism will be crucial for China as a whole,

这个兄弟机制对于整个中国

as a big family, to achieve its dual carbon targets,

作为一个大家族实现 其双碳目标至关重要，

which is carbon emission peak by 2030

即到 2030 年达到碳排放峰值

and carbon neutrality by 2060.

到 2060 年实现碳中和。

As I said, as a whole, as a big family,

正如我所说，总的来说， 作为一个大家庭，

that means Shanxi, my province, cannot be left behind,

这意味着我所在的省份山西 不能被抛在后面，

stuck in coal mine shafts,

被困在煤矿竖井里 被困在煤炭烟雾中，

stuck in coal smog

and stuck in collapsed mountains.

被困在塌陷的山中。

Only with this policy coordination led by Beijing

只有通过由北京牵头的 这种政策协调

and also financial and technical support from other sibling provinces

以及其他兄弟省份的 财政和技术支持

can we start to climb out of the coal mine shaft

我们才能开始走出 煤矿井道

and rebuild our new economy

通过重振古代历史来 重建我们的新经济，

by reviving our ancient history

for a more guaranteed future.

实现更有保障的未来。

We have all these ancient buildings,

我们拥有这些古老的建筑，

we have all this culture that are waiting to be woken up

我们拥有这些文化 正等待着被唤醒

to actually present and to share with the rest of the world.

真正呈现出来， 并与世界其他地方分享。

This is how we can start to have a fair,

这样我们才能在

clean transition above the ground

不让我们的员工失业、

without leaving our people behind jobless,

绝望、无助和没有前途的情况下 开始公平的过渡。

hopeless, helpless and futureless.

Because each gram of coal that we dig

因为我们每挖一克煤炭

will send all these ancient temples

都会使所有这些古老的神庙

and ancient tombs closer to collapsing.

和古墓更接近倒塌。

Each gram of coal that we burn

我们每燃烧一克煤炭

will send more acid rain to the farmlands

都会给农田

and more coal dust to the fragile wooden temples.

带来更多的酸雨，

给脆弱的木制寺庙带来更多的煤尘。

We pray for hope when we go to these temples.

当我们去这些寺庙时 我们会为希望祈祷。

We pray for hope,

我们为希望祈祷，

we pray for blessings from our ancestors

我们祈求祖先的祝福，

because we deserve a better future.

因为我们理应拥有更美好的未来。

A clean, a safe, a healthy future

给我姐姐的新孙子一个干净、 安全、健康的未来。

for my sister's new grandson.

And at the same time, our deceased beloved ones,

同时， 我们已故的亲人，

my cousin, our fathers,

我的堂兄，我们的父亲， 我们的祖父母，我们的祖先，

our grandparents, our ancestors,

also deserve a safe future.

也应该有一个安全的未来。

They deserve to rest in real peace

他们理应得到真正的安息，

without having the fear to be relocated in their graveyard.

而不必担心 墓地被重新安置。

So that's my story.

这就是我的故事。

Thank you so very much.

非常感谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）