Fabien Cousteau: What I learned from spending 31 days underwater

翻译人员: Zhiting Chen 校对人员: Geoff Chen

I have a confession to make.

我要忏悔 。

I am addicted to adventure,

我对冒险活动很上瘾，

and as a young boy,

作为一个年轻男孩，

I would rather look outside the window

我宁可看窗户外面

at the birds in the trees and the sky

鸟、树林、天空，

than looking at that two-dimensional

而不是盯着二维黑板，

chalky blackboard where time stands still

时间在那里静止，

and even sometimes dies.

有时甚至终止。

My teachers thought there was something wrong

我的老师认为我有点儿毛病，

with me because I wasn't paying attention in class.

因为我根本不在乎课堂。

They didn't find anything specifically wrong with me,

他们并未发现我到底有那点不正常，

other than being slightly dyslexic because I'm a lefty.

除了我有点阅读障碍，我是左撇子。

But they didn't test for curiosity.

他们并没有检测好奇。

Curiosity, to me,

好奇，于我，

is about our connection

是关于我们与世界，

with the world, with the universe.

宇宙的联系。

It's about seeing what's around that next coral head

有关那片珊瑚旁边有什么，

or what's around that next tree,

那棵树周边有什么，

and learning more not only about our environment

了解我们的环境

but about ourselves.

以及我们自身。

Now, my dream of dreams,

现在，我梦到的梦想，

I want to go explore the oceans of Mars,

我想去探索火星上的海洋，

but until we can go there,

但在我们有能力到达那里之前，

I think the oceans still hold

我想海洋仍有

quite a few secrets.

一些不为人知的秘密。

As a matter of fact,

事实上，

if you take our planet as the oasis in space that it is

如果你将我们的地球 视为太空中的绿洲

and dissect it into a living space,

仔细分出宜居空间，

the ocean represents over 3.4 billion

海洋占据了超过 34 亿

cubic kilometers of volume, within which

立方公里，

we've explored less than five percent.

我们只探索了其不到 5%。

And I look at this, and I go, well,

我看着这个，我想，嗯，

there are tools to go deeper, longer and further:

有机械工具能够探索地 更深、更长、更远：

submarines, ROVs, even Scuba diving.

潜艇、水下机器人，甚至是轻便潜水器。

But if we're going to explore the final frontier

但是，如果我们想要探索

on this planet, we need to live there.

地球上最后一篇未知土地， 我们就得住在那儿。

We need to build a log cabin, if you will,

如果力所能及，要建造一座木屋，

at the bottom of the sea.

在海洋底端。

And so there was a great curiosity in my soul

我的大脑中迸发了强大的好奇，

when I went to go visit a TED [Prize winner]

当我去拜访一位 TED [大奖得主]，

by the name of Dr. Sylvia Earle.

西尔维娅·厄尔博士的时候。

Maybe you've heard of her.

也许你听说过她。

Two years ago, she was staked out

两年前，她坚守在

at the last undersea marine laboratory

最后一个海底潜艇研究室

to try and save it,

想要保全它，

to try and petition

试着帮我们请愿，

for us not to scrap it

不要拆掉它，

and bring it back on land.

把它带回到陆地上面。

We've only had about a dozen or so

我们大约只有十来个

scientific labs at the bottom of the sea.

海底科学实验室。

There's only one left in the world:

这是世界上仅存的一个：

it's nine miles offshore

离岸 9 英里远

and 65 feet down.

65 英尺深。

It's called Aquarius.

它叫水瓶座。

Aquarius, in some fashion,

水瓶座，从某些角度看，

is a dinosaur,

像个恐龙，

an ancient robot chained to the bottom,

一个古老的机器人被 链子拴在海底，

this Leviathan.

这个利维坦。 （译注：圣经中的巨型海怪）

In other ways, it's a legacy.

另一方面说，这是经典。

And so with that visit, I realized that my time is short

那次访问的经历让我意识到 我的时间不够了，

if I wanted to experience

如果我想要体验

what it was like to become an aquanaut.

海底观察员的工作生活。

When we swam towards this after many

我们游向这个实验室

moons of torture and two years of preparation,

在历经了数月的艰苦训练 和长达两年的准备后，

this habitat waiting to invite us

这个海底栖息地

was like a new home.

成了我的新住处。

And the point of going down to

深入海底并居住在那里

and living at this habitat was not to stay inside.

并不是为了住在里面。

It wasn't about living at something the size of a school bus.

我们并不是要住在校车大小的房屋里。

It was about giving us the luxury of time

住在这里为我们争取了宝贵的时间，

outside to wander, to explore,

让我们可以在海洋里穿梭、探索，

to understand more about this oceanic final frontier.

去了解更多关于海洋的边界。

We had megafauna come and visit us.

矩形海底生物会游到我们附近。

This spotted eagle ray is a fairly common sight in the oceans.

途中的燕魟是海洋中较常见的一种。

But why this is so important,

为什么这是重要的呢？

why this picture is up,

为什么要选择这张照片？

is because this particular animal brought his friends around,

因为它将朋友们也一同带来了，

and instead of being the pelagic animals that they were,

即使它们是海洋中的珍稀物种，

they started getting curious about us,

它们却开始对我们感到好奇，

these new strangers that were moving into the neighborhood,

这些新邻居的新面孔，

doing things with plankton.

和浮游生物一起。

We were studying all sorts of animals and critters,

我们研究着不同种类的动物和奇怪生物，

and they got closer and closer to us,

而且它们与我们越来越近，

and because of the luxury of time,

因为时间宽裕，

these animals, these residents of the coral reef,

这些生物，住在珊瑚礁附近的居民，

were starting to get used to us,

开始习惯我们的存在，

and these pelagics that normal travel through stopped.

这些时常穿梭于海底的 动物都停了下来。

This particular animal actually circled

这只特别的生物围着我们游来游去，

for 31 full days during our mission.

在我们执行海底勘探工作期间， 转了整整 31 天。

So mission 31 wasn't so much

31 号任务并不是

about breaking records.

为了要打破记录，

It was about that human-ocean connection.

而是为了人类与海洋的连结。

Because of the luxury of time, we were able

我们有足够宽裕的时间 来研究动物，

to study animals such as sharks and grouper

像鲨鱼及石斑鱼群聚集在一起，

in aggregations that we've never seen before.

这种现象从未见过。

It's like seeing dogs and cats behaving well together.

就像狗和猫能友好共处一样。

Even being able to commune with animals

甚至能够和动物交流，

that are much larger than us,

那些体型比我们大数倍的动物，

such as this endangered goliath grouper

就像这个濒危伊氏石斑鱼，

who only still resides in the Florida Keys.

仍然只栖息于佛罗里达群岛。

Of course, just like any neighbor,

当然，就像所有邻居，

after a while, if they get tired,

一阵子之后，如果它们累了，

the goliath grouper barks at us,

伊氏石斑鱼就会冲着我们咆哮，

and this bark is so powerful

吼叫的声音非常大，

that it actually stuns its prey before it aspirates it all

强大到能够镇晕猎物，

within a split second.

然后迅速将其吸入口中。

For us, it's just telling us to go back

对我们， 只是告诉我们回去海底小屋，

into the habitat and leave them alone.

不要打扰它们。

Now, this wasn't just about adventure.

那么这就不只是冒险而已，

There was actually a serious note to it.

这是一个严肃认真的研究。

We did a lot of science, and again, because of the luxury of time,

因为时间充裕， 我们做了很多科学研究，

we were able to do over three years of science

在 31 天的时间里， 我们做了通常需要 3 年的

in 31 days.

科学研究。

In this particular case, we were using a PAM,

这个研究中，我们使用了脉冲幅度调制，

or, let me just see if I can get this straight,

让我用更直白的方法说明，

a Pulse Amplitude Modulated Fluorometer.

一个脉冲幅度调制荧光剂。

And our scientists from FIU, MIT,

来自佛罗里达国际大学，麻省理工学院，

and from Northeastern

东北大学的科学家们

were able to get a gauge for what coral reefs do

就能测量估算出珊瑚礁

when we're not around.

在我们离开时的动态。

The Pulse Amplitude Modulated Fluorometer, or PAM,

脉冲幅度调制荧光剂， 简称 PAM，

gauges the fluorescence of corals

能够测量出珊瑚发出的荧光，

as it pertains to pollutants in the water

因为这与水中污染物质有关，

as well as climate change-related issues.

也与气候变化等相关问题有关。

We used all sorts of other cutting-edge tools,

我们使用最新研发出的仪器设备，

such as this sonde, or what I like to call

像是这个探测器，我更喜欢称之为

the sponge proctologist, whereby the sonde

海绵的直肠科医师，

itself tests for metabolism rates

它可以检测海绵的新陈代谢率，

in what in this particular case is a barrel sponge,

这张照片中，我们正在测试桶状海绵的代谢率，

or the redwoods of the [ocean].

桶状海绵也称作海里的红杉树。

And this gives us a much better gauge

这让我们能够更好地测量出

of what's happening underwater

水面下发生了什么事，

with regard to climate change-related issues,

理解当气候变化相关问题发生时，

and how the dynamics of that

其动态状况

affect us here on land.

是如何影响着陆地上的我们。

And finally, we looked at predator-prey behavior.

最后，我们还看到捕食者和被捕食者的行为。

And predator-prey behavior is an interesting thing,

捕食者和被捕食者的行为非常有趣，

because as we take away some of the predators

因为我们拿走了一些

on these coral reefs around the world,

世界各地珊瑚礁群上的捕食者，

the prey, or the forage fish, act very differently.

那些被捕食者，或饵料鱼， 与先前行为很大不同。

What we realized is

我们观察到

not only do they stop taking care of the reef,

它们不仅会停止照顾珊瑚礁，

darting in, grabbing a little bit of algae

钻进去，抓一些藻类生物

and going back into their homes,

然后回家，

they start spreading out and disappearing

它们还会开始四处散开来，

from those particular coral reefs.

消失在这些特别的珊瑚礁群里。

Well, within that 31 days,

在 31 天里，

we were able to generate over 10 scientific papers

我们完成了 10 篇分别有关这些实验的

on each one of these topics.

不同题目的科研文章。

But the point of adventure is not only to learn,

探险的意义不只在于学习了解，

it's to be able to share that knowledge with the world,

还在于与世界分享知识，

and with that, thanks to a couple of engineers at MIT,

感谢来自麻省理工的工程师们，

we were able to use a prototype camera called the Edgertronic

我们能够使用一种名叫 Edgertronic 的 原型照相机

to capture slow-motion video,

来捕捉慢动作影像，

up to 20,000 frames per second

高达每秒 2 万帧，

in a little box

就是这个小盒子，

that's worth 3,000 dollars.

价值 3 千美元。

It's available to every one of us.

我们人手一个。

And that particular camera gives us an insight

这个特殊的相机帮助我们了解

into what fairly common animals do

那些常见生物日常行为，

but we can't even see it in the blink of an eye.

那些我们用肉眼观察不到的事。

Let me show you a quick video

让我用这个简短的视频

of what this camera does.

展示这台相机是如何工作的。

You can see the silky bubble come out

你能看见那些细小的泡泡

of our hard hats.

从我们的头盔中冒出来。

It gives us an insight

它能让我们仔细观察

into some of the animals that we were sitting

那些围绕我们身边生物的日常生活

right next to for 31 days

长达 31 天，

and never normally would have paid attention to,

这些生物是平常不会引起我们注意的，

such as hermit crabs.

比如，寄居蟹。

Now, using a cutting-edge piece of technology

现在，使用这些 并不是专门为了海洋研究设计的

that's not really meant for the oceans

最新的高科技产品

is not always easy.

并不太容易。

We sometimes had to put the camera upside down,

我们时常需要把相机倒过来放，

cordon it back to the lab,

密封带回实验室，

and actually man the trigger

并在实验室里

from the lab itself.

操纵触发器。

But what this gives us

但这让我们能够

is the foresight to look at and analyze

用科学的和工程学的方法

in scientific and engineering terms

来查看并分析

some of the most amazing behavior

一些肉眼无法观察仔细的

that the human eye just can't pick up,

非常奇妙的生物行为，

such as this manta shrimp

例如这只濑尿虾，

trying to catch its prey,

正在抓捕猎物，

within about .3 seconds.

用时不到 0.3 秒。

That punch is as strong as a .22 caliber bullet,

它出钳击打的力量非常强大 就像 0.22 口径的子弹，

and if you ever try to catch a bullet

如果你试图用肉眼捕捉一颗子弹，

in mid-flight with your eye, impossible.

飞行中的子弹，那是不可能的。

But now we can see things

但现在我们可以看到

such as these Christmas tree worms

像是这些圣诞树管虫 （有名大旋鳃虫）

pulling in and fanning out

收缩又成扇形散开，

in a way that the eye just can't capture,

肉眼是无法捕捉到这些的，

or in this case,

或者是这个例子，

a fish throwing up grains of sand.

一条鱼吐出沙砾。

This is an actual sailfin goby,

这是四眼虾虎，

and if you look at it in real time,

如果你只用肉眼观察，

it actually doesn't even show its fanning motion

甚至不会看到吐气的过程，

because it's so quick.

因为太快了。

One of the most precious gifts that we had underwater

我们在海底拥有的 最珍贵的礼物

is that we had WiFi,

是 wifi 网络，

and for 31 days straight we were able to connect

31 天里，我们能够

with the world in real time from the bottom of the sea

在海底与世界实时连线

and share all of these experiences.

分享所有这些经验。

Quite literally right there

图片中展示的是

I am Skyping in the classroom

我在教室里视频连线，

with one of the six continents

与位于六大洲之一

and some of the 70,000 students that we connected

约七万名学生连线，

every single day to some of these experiences.

每天都有这样经验分享的活动。

As a matter of fact, I'm showing a picture that I took

事实上，我在展示一张照片

with my smartphone from underwater

那是我在水下用智能手机拍摄的

of a goliath grouper laying on the bottom.

躺在海底的巨型石斑鱼。

We had never seen that before.

我们从未看到过。

And I dream of the day

我梦想有一天

that we have underwater cities,

我们会有水下城市，

and maybe, just maybe, if we push the boundaries

也许，仅仅是也许，如果我们推动

of adventure and knowledge,

探险和知识的边界，

and we share that knowledge with others out there,

我们与外界分享知识，

we can solve all sorts of problems.

我们就能解决各式各样众多问题。

My grandfather used to say,

我的祖父曾说，

"People protect what they love."

“人们保护自己热爱的东西。”

My father, "How can people protect

我的父亲说，“那人们要如何

what they don't understand?"

保护那些他们不懂的东西呢？”

And I've thought about this my whole life.

我一生都在思考这个问题。

Nothing is impossible.

没有什么是不可能的。

We need to dream, we need to be creative,

我们需要梦想，我们需要发挥创造力，

and we all need to have an adventure

我们都需要探险，

in order to create miracles in the darkest of times.

为黑暗的时光创造奇迹。

And whether it's about climate change

不论它是关于气候变化，

or eradicating poverty

还是消灭贫困，

or giving back to future generations

或是把我们认为理所应当的

what we've taken for granted,

还给我们的后代，

it's about adventure.

一切都关于探险。

And who knows, maybe there will be underwater cities,

谁知道呢，也许未来会有水底城市，

and maybe some of you

也许在你们之中

will become the future aquanauts.

就有未来的海底观察员。

Thank you very much.

非常感谢。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）