Children of Palau: Leave only footprints that will wash away | TED Countdown

Translator: Tracy Hui Reviewer: Thomas Tam

“Alii” from Palau,

你好（帛琉語）

my beautiful island home

我美麗嘅家鄉帛琉

in the western Pacific Ocean.

喺西太平洋嘅島嶼度

We Palauans have been here for over 3,000 years,

我哋帛琉人住咗喺度 成 3,000 年

living in harmony with nature in our pristine paradise environment.

同原始環境嘅自然天堂和諧共處

Palau is home to just 20,000 people,

雖然帛琉只係住咗兩萬人

but we are a large ocean state with more than 300 islands,

但係係一個海洋大國 擁有超過三百個島嶼

covering an area the size of France.

面積同法國不相伯仲

Some of our islands are coral atolls,

我哋有啲島係環礁

others are volcanic,

有啲係火山

covered with hills, ancient forests and mangroves,

被山、原始森林同紅樹覆蓋

all with beautiful beaches bordering the crystal-clear sea,

全部都有清澈海水 包圍著好靚嘅海灘

which is alive with incredible, rare marine life.

海裏面有珍貴 同罕有嘅海洋生物

But our home is now threatened by climate change.

但我哋依家嘅家園 受到氣候變化威脅

The climate crisis is causing sea levels to rise,

令到水位上升

and brings so much pollution to our shores.

海岸受到污染

Plastics drift in from thousands of miles away,

喺數千英里外嘅塑膠都漂流過嚟

washing up on our beaches,

沖到海灘上面

threatening our marine life.

威脅到海洋生物

Our precious soil is being washed away by increased rain,

越嚟越多嘅雨水 沖走我哋珍貴嘅泥土

and in other seasons,

而喺其他季節

new droughts are having a terrible impact on our fragile ecosystems.

天氣乾旱嚴重噉 打擊脆弱嘅生態環境

We warmly welcome visitors who come to our beautiful country every year.

我哋每年都好歡迎 嚟我哋美麗國家嘅遊客

We want them to enjoy Palau,

想佢哋享受帛琉嘅旅程

but we need their help to protect our precious home

但係同時需要保護 我哋珍貴嘅家園

and preserve it for future generations.

可以留返俾我哋嘅後代

But visitors don't always know how to protect Palau.

不過唔係個個旅客 都知道點樣保護呢個島

They don't understand

佢哋唔明白

that stepping on coral can badly damage our reefs.

踐踏珊瑚 可以嚴重破壞佢哋

Some corals take hundreds of years to regrow.

有啲珊瑚要幾百年 先可以再次生長

They are sometimes careless and take protected species,

有時旅客唔小心 攞走受保護嘅動植物

or interact with nature in harmful ways.

又喺親近大自然嗰時 傷害咗佢哋

That's why we introduced the Palau Pledge.

所以我想同大家 介紹吓「帛琉公約」

When visitors come to Palau,

當遊客嚟帛琉嘅時候

they must all sign an environmental pledge,

佢哋一定要簽環境公約

which is stamped into their passport as their visa.

環境公約會印係護照度 作為帛琉簽證

The pledge is a promise to the children of Palau

內容係向帛琉群島嘅細蚊仔承諾

to preserve and respect our home, our culture and heritage.

保護同尊重我哋嘅家園 文化同遺產

We also hope that when they return home,

我哋亦希望當旅客返屋企後

visitors will share the idea of the pledge

透過喺屋企同社區實行公約嘅內容

by practicing it at home and in their community.

宣揚公約嘅理念

我哋嘅傳統歌謠 老一輩一直噉話俾我哋知

Through our traditional chants,

our elders have passed on

that we do not inherit the land and waters from our ancestors.

土地同水嘅資源 唔係喺祖先嗰度繼承

We borrow them from our children.

而係喺細蚊仔度借返嚟

That's what the Palau Pledge is about.

呢樣嘢就係帛琉公約嘅內容

And here it is.

佢講到話：

“Children of Palau, I take this pledge as your guest

「帛琉嘅小朋友 作為你哋嘅客人，我承諾：

to preserve and protect your beautiful and unique island home.

會保護你哋呢個 既特別又美麗嘅家園

I vow to tread lightly, act kindly and explore mindfully.

我發誓放輕腳步 善待環境，謹慎探索

I shall not take what is not given.

我唔會攞唔屬於我嘅嘢

I shall not harm what does not harm me.

亦都唔會傷害對我無害嘅嘢

The only footprints I shall leave are those that will wash away."

而我淨係會留低 被沖得走嘅足跡咋。」