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

譯者: Yin Wu 審譯者: Helen Chang

“Alii” from Palau,

你好（帕勞語）。

my beautiful island home

我美麗的家鄉帕勞 位於西太平洋的島嶼上。

in the western Pacific Ocean.

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

我們帕勞人住在這裡 已經3000多年了，

living in harmony with nature in our pristine paradise environment.

在這純淨的天堂， 我們與大自然和諧共處。

Palau is home to just 20,000 people,

儘管只有二萬人住在帕勞，

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

我們國家有著300多個島嶼，

covering an area the size of France.

和法國面積相當。

Some of our islands are coral atolls,

有些島嶼是珊瑚環礁，

others are volcanic,

而有些是火山，

covered with hills, ancient forests and mangroves,

這些火山被山丘、古老的森林 和紅樹林覆蓋著，

all with beautiful beaches bordering the crystal-clear sea,

所有的島嶼都有著風景優美的海灘， 並被清澈的海洋環抱，

which is alive with incredible, rare marine life.

而海洋裡有著令人歎為觀止的 稀有的海洋生物。

But our home is now threatened by climate change.

但是，氣候變化讓我的家鄉陷入危險。

The climate crisis is causing sea levels to rise,

氣候危機使得海平面上漲，

and brings so much pollution to our shores.

並將大量污染帶到海岸線上。

Plastics drift in from thousands of miles away,

塑料垃圾從數千英里外漂流過來，

washing up on our beaches,

被沖刷到我們的海灘上，

threatening our marine life.

威脅著海洋生命。

Our precious soil is being washed away by increased rain,

有時，越來越多的降雨 沖走了珍貴的泥土資源，

and in other seasons,

而在其他季節，

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

乾旱又危害到我們這裡 脆弱的生態環境。

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

每一年，我們都熱情地歡迎 遊客們來拜訪我們美麗的國家。

We want them to enjoy Palau,

我們希望他們能享受這段旅程，

but we need their help to protect our precious home

但我們也需要他們的幫助， 一起來保護我們珍貴的家園，

and preserve it for future generations.

讓我們的下一代也能擁有這樣的美景。

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

但遊客們有時並不知道 該怎樣保護帕勞。

They don't understand

他們不了解踐踏珊瑚會破壞珊瑚礁。

that stepping on coral can badly damage our reefs.

Some corals take hundreds of years to regrow.

有些珊瑚要花幾百年 才能重新生長起來。

They are sometimes careless and take protected species,

遊客們有時會不小心 帶走了受保護的動植物，

or interact with nature in harmful ways.

或在親近大自然時 無意識地傷害到它們。

That's why we introduced the Palau Pledge.

因此我們向你們介紹「帕勞誓言」。

When visitors come to Palau,

當遊客們來到帕勞時，

they must all sign an environmental pledge,

他們必須簽署一個環境誓言，

which is stamped into their passport as their visa.

而這將會被印在護照上， 作為他們的帕勞簽證。

The pledge is a promise to the children of Palau

這一誓言是他們 對帕勞的孩子們的承諾，

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

意味著他們會保護和尊重 我們的家鄉、文化和傳統。

We also hope that when they return home,

我們也希望，當遊客們 回到他們自己的家鄉，

visitors will share the idea of the pledge

他們會繼續在各自的家庭 和社區裡遵守這些行為準則，

by practicing it at home and in their community.

以此來傳播這一誓言的理念。

Through our traditional chants,

通過我們的傳統歌謠，

our elders have passed on

帕勞的老人們教會我們，

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

我們的土地和水資源 不是從祖先那裡繼承來的，

We borrow them from our children.

而是從子孫後代那裡借用的。

That's what the Palau Pledge is about.

這就是帕勞誓言的真諦。

And here it is.

它這樣說道：

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

帕勞的孩子們， 作為你們的客人，我承諾：

to preserve and protect your beautiful and unique island home.

我會維持和保護 你們美麗和獨特的島嶼，

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

我會放輕腳步，善待環境，謹慎探索。

I shall not take what is not given.

我不會帶走不屬於我的東西，

I shall not harm what does not harm me.

也不會傷害對我無害的事物。

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

我只會留下我的腳印， 而它們將會被海水沖刷乾淨。