What it feels like to see Earth from space | Benjamin Grant

翻译人员: Hong Li 校对人员: Chen Zou

It's Christmas Eve, 1968.

那是1968年圣诞前夜

The Apollo 8 spacecraft has successfully completed

阿波罗8号太空船成功完成了

its first three orbits around the moon.

首次绕月三周的飞行

Launched from Cape Canaveral three days before,

它是三天前从 卡纳维拉尔角发射的

this is the first time

这是第一次

that humans have ever traveled beyond low Earth orbit.

人类冲出近地球轨道

On the vessel's fourth pass,

在飞船的第四次飞越中

the Earth slowly comes into view

地球慢慢进入视野

and reveals itself above the Moon's horizon.

缓缓出现在月球的地平线上

Astronaut Bill Anders frantically asks his crewmates where their camera is,

宇航员比尔·安德斯发疯似的 问自己的同伴相机在哪里

grabs the Hasselblad, points it towards the window,

他抓起一部哈苏相机 对准窗外

presses the shutter,

按下了快门

and takes one of the most important photographs of all time:

拍下了人类历史上 最重要的照片之一

"Earthrise."

地球初升

When the crew was safely home a few days later,

几天后 当宇航员们安全返回地球

they were asked about the mission.

被问及这次太空任务时

Anders famously replied,

安德斯做了个著名的回答

"We went to the moon,

“我们去了月球

but we actually discovered Earth."

但实际上我们发现了地球”

What did he and his fellow crewmates feel

在那个令人振奋的时刻 他和其他宇航员

in this incredible moment?

到底有怎样的感受呢

In a study released just this past year,

在去年发布的一项研究中

a team of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania

宾夕法尼亚大学的 一支研究团队

examined the testimonies of hundreds of astronauts

研究了数百名宇航员的证词

who had the opportunity to view the Earth from space.

他们都曾从太空中观察过地球

Their analysis uncovered three common feelings:

他们的分析揭示了三种普遍的感受

first, a greater appreciation for Earth's beauty;

首先 被地球的美丽 所深深折服

second, an increased sense of connection to all other living beings;

其次 感觉与其他物种 有了更紧密的联系

and third, an unexpected, often overwhelming sense of emotion.

第三点比较意外 就是感受到压倒性的情绪

The researchers believe that seeing the Earth from a great distance

研究者认为 从遥远的距离看地球

provokes someone to develop new cognitive frameworks

会引发他们 产生新的认知框架

to understand what they are seeing.

来理解他们所看到的

They believe these astronauts were forever changed

他们相信这些宇航员 被这全新的视野

by this new view,

全新的视角

this new perspective,

全新的视觉真相

this new visual truth.

永久的改变了

This feeling is commonly referred to as the "overview effect."

这种感受通常被称为 “全景效应”

Only 558 people have ever been to outer space.

一共只有558人 曾经进入过外太空

558 people had the opportunity

558人有机会

to gaze down in awe,

怀着敬畏之心俯瞰地球

to wonder at our planet

惊叹于我们的星球

floating in an infinite sea of darkness.

漂浮于无尽的黑暗之海

But what if that number were bigger?

那如果更多的人有这样的机会呢

Three years ago, I set off on my own mission:

3年前 我开始了一项 属于自己的任务

to see if I could bring this feeling of overwhelming scale and beauty

看能不能将这种无法抗拒的 尺度和美丽带来的震撼

to many more people

带给更多的人

just by using one small computer

仅仅用一台小小的电脑

in my small New York City apartment.

在我纽约的小公寓里

It was then, in 2013, that I launched "Daily Overview."

就这样 在2013年 我开始了“每日全景”项目

Every day, I have used satellite imagery

每天我都使用卫星图像

to create one expansive overhead view of our planet.

来创作一幅广阔的 地球鸟瞰风景照

More than 1,000 of these images have been created thus far,

到目前为止已经创作了 超过1000幅作品

and more than 600,000 people

超过60万人

tune in for this daily dose of perspectives.

每天都来感受这神奇的风景

I create the imagery by curating photos from the massive archive

我创作的这些图像 都挑选自一个巨大的照片档案库

of a satellite company called Digital Globe.

来自一家叫做 “数字地球”的卫星公司

They operate a constellation of five satellites,

他们运营着一组卫星 一共5颗

each roughly the size of an ambulance,

每一颗差不多有 一辆救护车那么大

that is constantly taking pictures of the Earth

当它们以28000公里的时速

as they orbit at 28,000 kilometers per hour.

沿轨道飞行的时候 会不断的给地球拍照

Now, what does this mean?

那么这意味着什么呢

Each of these satellites is equipped with a camera

每一个卫星都装备了摄像头

that has a focal length of 16 meters,

它们的焦距达到了16米

so that's roughly 290 times greater

差不多相当于 配有55毫米标准镜片的

than a DSLR camera equipped with a standard 55 millimeter lens.

数码单反镜头的290倍

So if were able to attach one of their satellites

所以如果我们能够 在牛津的这个剧院的屋顶

to the roof of this theater in Oxford,

放置一颗这样的卫星

we could take a picture of a football,

就可以拍下放在 阿姆斯特丹体育场草皮上

clearly, on the pitch at the stadium in Amsterdam.

一枚足球清晰的照片

That's 450 kilometers away.

这两个位置相距450公里

That's incredibly powerful technology.

这技术简直不可思议

And I decided at the beginning of this project

在这个项目的开始 我就决定了

that I would use that incredible technology

要运用这一强大的技术

to focus on the places

来聚焦地球上

where humans have impacted the planet.

那些被人类深刻影响的地区

As a species, we dig and scrape the Earth for resources,

作为一个物种 我们在地球上开采资源

we produce energy,

我们生产能源

we raise animals and cultivate crops for food,

饲养动物 种植粮食作为食物

we build cities, we move around,

我们建造城市 四处迁徙

we create waste.

我们生产垃圾

And in the process of doing all of these things,

在做这些事情的过程中

we shape landscapes and seascapes

我们也改变着陆地和海洋

and cityscapes with increasing control and impunity.

以及城市的面貌 而且越来越有恃无恐

So with that in mind,

那么基于我刚才说的

I would like to share a few of my overviews with you now.

现在我来跟大家分享 一些我制作的全景图

Here we see cargo ships and oil tankers

这里我们可以看到货船和油轮

waiting outside the entry to the port of Singapore.

等待驶入新加坡港

This facility is the second-busiest in the world by terms of total tonnage,

按照总吨位来算 它是世界第二繁忙的港口

accounting for one-fifth of the world's shipping containers

转运着全世界五分之一的集装箱

and one half of the annual supply

以及全球一半的

of crude oil.

原油年运输量

If you look closely at this overview, you'll see a lot of little specks.

如果你仔细看这张图 你会发现很多细小的斑点

Those are actually cows at a feedlot

那些其实是饲养场的牛

in Summerfield, Texas, in the United States.

位于美国德克萨斯州的 萨默菲尔德

So once cows reach a particular weight,

当牛的体重达到某个数值

roughly 300 kilograms,

大概300公斤左右

they are moved here and placed on a specialized diet.

它们就会被运到这里 接受某种特殊的喂养

Over the next three to four months, the cows gain an additional 180 kilograms

在接下来的3-4个月里 这些牛会增重180公斤

before they are shipped off to slaughter.

然后被运到屠宰场

You're also probably wondering about this glowing pool at the top there.

你也许还会好奇顶端那个 色彩艳丽的池塘是什么

That gets its color from a unique combination of manure, chemicals

那种颜色是粪便 化学物质

and a particular type of algae that grows in the stagnant water.

和某种生长在静置 污水中的藻类的结合物

This is the Mount Whaleback iron ore mine

这是鲸背山铁矿

in the Pilbara region of Western Australia,

位于澳大利亚西部 皮尔巴拉地区

a beautiful yet scary scar on the face of the Earth.

一条地球上美艳 却有点骇人的伤疤

Of the world's mined iron ore,

在全世界开采的铁矿石中

98 percent is used to make steel

98%用来炼钢

and is therefore a major component in the construction of buildings,

所以它是建筑物的一种主要原料

automobiles or appliances such as your dishwasher or refrigerator.

还广泛用于汽车和电器制造 比如洗碗机或者电冰箱

This is a solar concentrator in Seville, Spain.

这是位于西班牙塞维利亚的 太阳能聚光电站

So this facility contains 2,650 mirrors

这个设施一共有2650面镜子

which are arrayed in concentric circles around an 140-meter-tall tower

排列成同心圆 中心是一座

at its center.

140米高的塔

At the top of the tower,

在塔的顶端

there is a capsule of molten salt

有一个隔间装满了熔盐

that gets heated by the beams of light reflected upwards

被由下方的镜子反射上来的

光柱加热

from the mirrors below.

From there, the salt circulates to a storage tank underground,

盐从那里循环进入到 地下的存储舱

where it produces steam,

在那里产生蒸汽

which spins turbines

推动涡轮机发电

and generates enough electricity to power 70,000 homes

产生足以满足7万个 家庭使用的电量

and offsets 30,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year.

每年还能减少 3万吨的二氧化碳排放

This overview shows deforestation in Santa Cruz, Bolivia

这张全景图显示的是 玻利维亚圣克鲁兹的森林砍伐区域

immediately adjacent to untouched tracts of rainforest.

与未遭破坏的大片雨林紧密相连

Deforestation in the country has primarily been driven

这个国家的森林砍伐主要是受到

by the expansion of mechanized agriculture

农业机械化和畜牧业

and cattle ranching,

发展的驱动

so as the country tries to meet the demand of its growing population

随着国家正试图 满足人口增长的需要

and feed them,

并为他们提供食物

the sacrificial destruction of its rainforest

只能靠牺牲雨林

has taken place to do so.

来实现这个目标

It is estimated that the country lost 4.5 million acres of rainforest

据估算 从2000年到2010年 仅仅在10年之间

in one decade alone

玻利维亚就失去了

from 2000 until 2010.

450万英亩的雨林

This is the Eixample district in Barcelona, Spain.

这是西班牙巴塞罗那的扩展区

So the overview perspective can be incredibly helpful

这种全景视角能非常有效地

to help us understand how cities function

帮助我们理解城市功能

and how we can devise smarter solutions for urban planning,

以及我们如何更好地 进行城市规划

and this will become only more relevant

而且这只会变得越来越重要

as it is expected that 4.9 billion people will live in cities around the world

因为据估算 到2030年 全世界会有49亿人口

by the year 2030.

居住在城市里

This area of Barcelona is characterized by its strict grid pattern,

巴塞罗那的这个区域非常有名 规整的网格图案

apartments with communal courtyards

带有公共庭院的公寓

and these octagonal intersections

以及八角形的十字路口

which allow for more sunlight, better ventilation

有利于更多的采光 更好的通风

and additional parking at street level.

以及更多的街边停车位

And here we see that grid pattern but under much different circumstances.

这张图里我们也看到了网格图案 但却是在非常不同的背景下

This is the Dadaab Refugee Camp in northern Kenya,

这是位于肯尼亚北部的 达达阿布难民营

the largest such facility of its kind in the world.

世界上面积最大的难民营

To cope with the influx of refugees who are fleeing Somalia,

为了接收大批 逃离索马里的难民而建

where there is famine and conflict,

那里饥荒和冲突不断

the UN has built this area gridded out at left

联合国将这块区域 划成网格形状

called the LFO extension

称之为LFO扩展区

to house more and more refugees

以便安置越来越多的难民

who are arriving and occupying these white dots,

他们源源不断前来 占据图上这些小白点

which are actually tents

这些点实际上是帐篷

which will slowly fill up the area over time.

它们会慢慢填满这个区域

So if you have one of these overviews,

那么如果你有一张全景图

you have a moment in time.

你就拥有了时间中的一瞬间

If we have two overviews, however,

如果我们有两张全景图

we are able to tell stories about changes in time.

那我们就可以讲述 时间流逝带来的变化了

I call that feature of the project "Juxtapose,"

我将这个项目的特性称为“并列”

and we'll share a few examples of it with you now.

下面我来举几个例子

So the tulip fields in Netherlands bloom every year in April.

荷兰的郁金香 会在每年4月绽放

So we take an image captured in March a few weeks before

于是我们在花开前几周 在3月拍一张照片

and contrast it to one taken a few weeks later.

然后与几周后的 另一张进行对比

We're able to watch the flowers bloom in this magnificent cascade of color.

我们能看到花海的颜色 像瀑布般流淌

It is estimated that the Dutch produce 4.3 billion tulip bulbs every year.

据估计 荷兰每年 生产43亿朵郁金香

In 2015, two dams collapsed

2015年 在巴西东南部的

at an iron ore mine in southeastern Brazil,

一座铁矿 有两座水坝倒塌

causing one of the worst environmental disasters

造成了这个国家历史上最严重的

in the history of the country.

环境灾难之一

It is estimated that 62 million cubic meters of waste

据估算 6200万立方米的废铁水

were released when the dams broke,

在大坝倒塌时被释放出来

destroying numerous villages in the process,

摧毁了许多村庄

including Bento Rodrigues, seen here before ...

包括班托罗德里格斯 这是洪水前的景象

and after the flood.

这是洪水后

Ultimately, 19 people were killed in this disaster.

最终 这场灾难造成19人丧生

Half a million people did not have access to clean drinking water

50万人在很长的一段时间内

for an extended period of time,

没有清洁的饮用水

and the waste soon entered into the Doce River,

废铁水很快流入了多希河

extended for 650 kilometers

一路奔流650公里

all the way into the sea,

流入大海

killing unknowable amounts of plant and animal life along the way.

沿途夺去了不计其数的 动物和植物的生命

And lastly, here is a story related to the crisis in Syria,

最后这个故事跟叙利亚危机有关

a conflict which has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people

这场冲突已经夺去了 成千上万人的生命

and displaced millions.

让数百万人无家可归

So this patch of desert is seen in Mafraq, Jordan in 2011,

这片沙漠是约旦的马弗拉克 时间是2011年

the year the conflict started,

冲突爆发的那一年

and when we compare it to an image captured just this year in 2017,

我们将其与2017年的 照片进行对比

we see the construction of the Zaatari refugee camp.

我们看到的是扎塔里难民营

So just as the astronauts of Apollo 8

所以就像阿波罗8号的宇航员们

watched the Earth rising above the lunar landscape for the first time,

第一次看到地球 从月球表面升起一样

there is no way that you could have imagined

你根本无法想象

what the places I just showed you look like from outer space.

我刚刚给你们看的地方 从外太空看起来是什么样

And while you may enjoy the aesthetics of an image,

可能你会欣赏这些图像的美

once you learn exactly what it is you're seeing,

然而一旦你真正了解 自己所看到的

you may struggle with the fact that you still like it.

可能你就会开始纠结 是否你仍然喜欢它

And that's the tension I want to create with my work,

而这恰恰就是我想 通过我的作品来实现的

because I believe it is that contemplation,

因为我相信 正是这种沉思

that internal dialogue

这种内心的对话

that will lead to greater interest in our planet

会引导我们对地球 产生更浓厚的兴趣

and more awareness of what we're doing to it.

对我们的所作所为 有更多的意识

I believe that viewing the Earth from the overview perspective

我坚信 从全景的视角来看地球

is more important now than ever before.

比以往任何时候都重要

Through the incredible technology of these high-flying cameras,

借助这些位于高空中 卫星上的惊人技术

we can see, monitor and expose

我们能观察 监控和揭露

the unprecedented impact that we are having.

那些我们所带来的空前影响

And whether we are scientists

无论我们是科学家

or engineers or policymakers

工程师 还是政策制定者

or investors or artists,

无论是投资者还是艺术家

if we can adopt a more expansive perspective,

如果我们能以更广阔的视角

embrace the truth of what is going on

来正视事实的真相

and contemplate the long-term health of our planet,

深思地球长远的健康

we will create a better

我们一定可以创造一个更好的

and safer and smarter future

更安全和更智能的未来

for our one and only home.

为了我们唯一的家园

Thank you.

谢谢大家

(Applause)

（观众掌声）