24 hours on Earth -- in one image | Stephen Wilkes

Transcriber: TED Translators Admin Reviewer: Rhonda Jacobs

譯者: Peggy Chan 審譯者: Amanda Zhu

Nature reveals itself to us in unique ways,

自然以一種奇特的方式 向我們展示它自己，

if we stop and look at the world through a window of time.

如果我們停下來， 透過一扇時間之窗看這個世界。

Over the last decade,

在過去的十年間，

I've observed endangered species and habitats around the world,

我使用一種可以捕捉到 時間流逝的攝影技術，

using a photographic technique that captures the passage of time,

觀察全世界瀕臨絕種的物種和棲息地，

literally from day to night,

從白天到夜晚，

all within a single image.

全都呈現在同一張照片裡。

It has allowed me to witness

它讓我看到，

the fleeting moments between wildlife and the natural habitat

野生生物和自然棲息地 在一天內時間變化的進程中，

as time changes over the course of a single day.

轉眼即逝的瞬間，

In the Serengeti, during a five-week drought,

在塞倫蓋提生態區為期五週的乾旱裡。

I discovered a watering hole and watched, for 26 hours,

我發現了一個水坑， 並且觀察了 26 個小時，

diverse and competitive wildlife

這些各式各樣的 具有競爭性的野生生物，

calmly share our planet's most precious resource:

安逸地共享著我們 地球上最珍貴的資源：

water.

水。

On Lake Bogoria in Kenya, I photographed the great migration of flamingos.

在肯亞的柏哥利亞湖裡， 我拍攝到了紅鶴鳥大遷移。

This happens normally during the peak of dry season,

這些經常出現在旱季的高峰期，

but climate change has created evening thunderstorms,

但是氣候變遷會帶來夜晚的雷雨，

turning normally dry hills green

使通常乾燥的山丘變綠，

and creating freshwater streams in which the flamingos joyously bathe.

以及形成淡水小溪， 紅鶴在其中欣喜地沐浴。

Our planet is changing before our eyes.

我們的地球就在我們面前變化著。

But to witness that change

然而觀察這些變化，

is also to witness the remarkable relationships between all of nature,

也是在觀察自然間非凡的關係。

to see the infinite beauty of it,

並欣賞這不可思議的美，

to learn how much bigger than us it is

去感受我們人類的渺小，

and why it is worth fighting for.

以及我們為什麼要保護我們的地球。

In 2019, the Greenland ice sheet was experiencing its largest melt

在 2019 年，格陵蘭冰原經歷了，

它史無前例的最大量融冰。

in recorded history:

200 billion tons of ice liquified into the ocean.

2000 億噸冰變成水，注入到海洋中。

When glacial ice melts,

當冰川融化時，

caving icebergs release sediments and particles into the seawater,

崩落的冰山將沉積物和顆粒 帶到海水中，

initiating our ocean's food chain.

開啟新的食物鏈；

Plankton feed on the sediment,

浮游生物以沉積物為食，

krill eat plankton,

磷蝦以浮游生物為食，

and the humpback whales feed on the krill.

座頭鯨以磷蝦為食。

This photograph is the result of witnessing with my camera

這張照片就是用我的 相機進行觀察的結果——`-

a 36-hour feast by humpback whales.

座頭鯨 36 小時的盛宴。

We assume that the greatest threat of glacial melt

我們假設冰川融化的最大威脅，

will be sea level rise,

將是海平面的上升，

which will certainly have major impacts on coastlines

這肯定會大大地影響著海岸線，

and populations around the world.

以及全世界的人口。

But within this image,

但是在這張圖片裡，

we discover that perhaps the greatest threat from glacial melt

我們發現，也許冰川融化的最大威脅

might be our ocean's ability to feed itself.

會是我們海洋自給自足的能力。

Without ice,

沒有了冰，

the ocean food chain may break.

海洋的食物鏈也許就會斷裂。

Creating this photograph opened my consciousness.

創造這張照片讓我的意識有所覺醒。

I hope through your willingness to look and see,

如果你願意睜開眼仔細看，

it may open yours.

這張照片也會讓你有所領悟。