What I discovered in New York City trash | Robin Nagle

譯者: lin piao 審譯者: Marssi Draw

I was about 10 years old

我10歲左右的時候，

on a camping trip with my dad

有一次和爸爸一起去

in the Adirondack Mountains, a wilderness area

阿第倫達克山脈露營，那是一片

in the northern part of New York State.

位於紐約州北部的荒野。

It was a beautiful day.

那天天氣特別好。

The forest was sparkling.

森林裡處處閃閃發光。

The sun made the leaves glow like stained glass,

陽光照耀下，樹葉閃閃地像晶瑩的彩色玻璃。

and if it weren't for the path we were following,

如果沒有腳下的小路，

we could almost pretend we were

我們幾乎可以假裝我們是

the first human beings to ever walk that land.

首批到達那片土地的人類。

We got to our campsite.

我們抵達了營地，

It was a lean-to on a bluff

那是一個在懸崖上的營地，

looking over a crystal, beautiful lake,

可以向下俯瞰一個水晶般的美麗湖泊。

when I discovered a horror.

後來我卻發現了很糟糕的事。

Behind the lean-to was a dump,

就在懸崖營地的後面，

maybe 40 feet square

有個40英尺見方的大垃圾堆。

with rotting apple cores

裡面有爛蘋果核、

and balled-up aluminum foil,

用過的鋁箔紙

and a dead sneaker.

和破舊的運動鞋。

And I was astonished,

我當時非常吃驚，

I was very angry, and I was deeply confused.

非常生氣，也非常非常困惑。

The campers who were too lazy

來露營的人實在太懶了，

to take out what they had brought in,

連自己帶來的垃圾都不肯收拾。

who did they think would clean up after them?

他們覺得誰會替他們清理善後呢？

That question stayed with me,

這個問題一直困擾著我，

and it simplified a little.

後來成了一個更簡化的問題，

Who cleans up after us?

誰來清理我們留下的垃圾？

However you configure

但是你可以把這個問題

or wherever you place the us,

放在任何你生活的地方。

who cleans up after us in Istanbul?

誰在伊斯坦堡清理我們留下的垃圾？

Who cleans up after us in Rio

誰在里約清理我們留下的垃圾？

or in Paris or in London?

在巴黎或倫敦呢？

Here in New York,

在紐約，這裡，

the Department of Sanitation cleans up after us,

是環衛部門清理我們留下

to the tune of 11,000 tons of garbage

多達11,000噸的垃圾，

and 2,000 tons of recyclables every day.

和每天2,000噸的可回收資源。

I wanted to get to know them as individuals.

我想一個個去瞭解這些清潔工人，

I wanted to understand who takes the job.

我想知道誰在做這樣的工作。

What's it like to wear the uniform

穿上制服

and bear that burden?

承擔起這份責任的感覺是什麼樣子？

So I started a research project with them.

所以我開始了一項關於 清潔工人的研究課題。

I rode in the trucks and walked the routes

我坐在垃圾車上，沿著收垃圾的路線，

and interviewed people in offices and facilities

採訪全紐約在辦公室和工作現場

all over the city,

的清潔人員。

and I learned a lot,

我學到了很多，

but I was still an outsider.

但我仍然是個局外人。

I needed to go deeper.

我需要更深入地瞭解。

So I took the job as a sanitation worker.

於是我真的找了份清潔工人的工作。

I didn't just ride in the trucks now. I drove the trucks.

現在我不僅是坐在垃圾車裡， 我還開著垃圾車。

And I operated the mechanical brooms and I plowed the snow.

我親作操作掃街車清理大街、 鏟除街上的雪。

It was a remarkable privilege

那可是一種非凡的特權，

and an amazing education.

也是令人讚嘆的一課。

Everyone asks about the smell.

每個人都會問到垃圾臭味。

It's there, but it's not as prevalent as you think,

是有臭味，但不像你想的那樣糟。

and on days when it is really bad,

有時候確實很臭，

you get used to it rather quickly.

但你很快就會適應了。

The weight takes a long time to get used to.

垃圾的重量卻需要 很長的時間來適應。

I knew people who were several years on the job

我就知道即使有 幾年工作經驗的熟練工，

whose bodies were still adjusting to the burden

他們的身體還試著在

of bearing on your body

適應每週

tons of trash every week.

成噸的垃圾。

Then there's the danger.

那麼這裡面就存在著風險。

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,

根據勞動統計局的報告，

sanitation work is one of the 10 most dangerous

清潔工作是國內十大危險

occupations in the country,

職業之一。

and I learned why.

我知道其中原委。

You're in and out of traffic all day,

你整天都在路上，

and it's zooming around you.

就身處車流之中。

It just wants to get past you, so it's often

來往的車輛只想著超過你，

the motorist is not paying attention.

開車的人往往不夠小心。

That's really bad for the worker.

對清潔工人來說，這實在太糟糕了。

And then the garbage itself is full of hazards

還有呢，垃圾本身就充滿了危險，

that often fly back out of the truck

這些危害物經常會從垃圾車裡飛出，

and do terrible harm.

造成可怕的傷害。

I also learned about the relentlessness of trash.

我還瞭解到垃圾的殘酷和可怕。

When you step off the curb

當你走下路沿，

and you see a city from behind a truck,

在垃圾車後觀察一個城市，

you come to understand that trash

你會慢慢理解垃圾

is like a force of nature unto itself.

就像大自然反撲的力量。

It never stops coming.

它一向都是源源不絕的。

It's also like a form of respiration or circulation.

用一種像是呼吸或循環的方式，

It must always be in motion.

它總是在動態中。

And then there's the stigma.

最後一點，清潔工人被汙名化。

You put on the uniform, and you become invisible

當你穿上制服，就會被視而不見，

until someone is upset with you for whatever reason

直到有人找到什麼理由為難你，

like you've blocked traffic with your truck,

嫌你的垃圾車阻礙交通呀，

or you're taking a break too close to their home,

嫌你在離他們家很近的地方休息呀，

or you're drinking coffee in their diner,

嫌你在他們的小餐館喝咖啡呀。

and they will come and scorn you,

他們會走過來嘲笑你，

and tell you that they don't want you anywhere near them.

告訴你離他們遠點。

I find the stigma especially ironic,

我覺得這樣的汙名化非常地可笑，

because I strongly believe that sanitation workers

因為我堅信清潔工人們

are the most important labor force

是城市街道上

on the streets of the city, for three reasons.

最重要的勞動力， 原因有三點。

They are the first guardians of public health.

他們是公共衛生的第一道屏障。

If they're not taking away trash

如果他們每天不

efficiently and effectively every day,

高效率地清理垃圾的話，

it starts to spill out of its containments,

垃圾會從容器中溢出，

and the dangers inherent to it threaten us

在其中的危險 會以非常真實的方式

in very real ways.

威脅我們的生活。

Diseases we've had in check for decades and centuries

我們費時數十年、數個世紀抑制的疾病

burst forth again and start to harm us.

會再次爆發，開始威脅我們的健康。

The economy needs them.

第二，國家經濟需要清潔工人。

If we can't throw out the old stuff,

如果我們不丟掉舊的東西，

we have no room for the new stuff,

我們就沒有空間裝新的東西。

so then the engines of the economy

那樣的話，經濟的引擎

start to sputter when consumption is compromised.

就會停歇，因為人們的消費減少了。

I'm not advocating capitalism, I'm just pointing out their relationship.

我不主張資本主義， 我在這裡只是指出它們的關係。

And then there's what I call

第三個原因就是我稱之為

our average, necessary quotidian velocity.

我們平均、必要的生活步調。

By that I simply mean

我的意思是說

how fast we're used to moving

在現今的年代和日子裡，我們是如此地

in the contemporary day and age.

習慣於奔忙。

We usually don't care for, repair, clean, carry around

我們通常不會在意、修理、清潔、隨身攜帶

our coffee cup, our shopping bag,

我們的咖啡杯、購物袋

our bottle of water.

和水瓶。

We use them, we throw them out, we forget about them,

我們使用它們，然後扔掉它們、忘掉它們，

because we know there's a workforce

因為我們知道會有一支工作隊伍

on the other side that's going to take it all away.

在一旁把這些東西清理掉。

So I want to suggest today a couple of ways

所以今天我想提供幾個觀點，

to think about sanitation that will perhaps help

也許能夠幫助清潔工人，

ameliorate the stigma

為他們正名，

and bring them into this conversation

把他們請來參與談論

of how to craft a city that is sustainable and humane.

如何打造一個永續且人道的城市。

Their work, I think, is kind of liturgical.

我認為他們的工作是很崇高的，

They're on the streets every day, rhythmically.

他們每天按時在街上工作。

They wear a uniform in many cities.

在很多城市中，他們會穿著制服，

You know when to expect them.

你知道他們會準時來清理垃圾。

And their work lets us do our work.

是他們讓我們可以安心做自己的工作。

They are almost a form of reassurance.

他們幾乎成了安心工作的保證。

The flow that they maintain

他們不停的工作

keeps us safe from ourselves,

讓我們安全無憂，

from our own dross, our cast-offs,

不必擔心我們剩下的糟粕和垃圾。

and that flow must be maintained always

這樣不停歇的工作

no matter what.

無論如何都不能中斷。

On the day after September 11 in 2001,

2001年9月11日的隔天，

I heard the growl of a sanitation truck on the street,

我聽著街上垃圾車咆哮而來，

and I grabbed my infant son and I ran downstairs

我拉著年幼的兒子跑下樓。

and there was a man doing his paper recycling route

有個回收報紙的工人

like he did every Wednesday.

正在做他每週三都做的工作。

And I tried to thank him for doing his work

我要感謝他在那麼特殊的日子裡，

on that day of all days,

做這些工作，

but I started to cry.

但我忍不住哭了起來。

And he looked at me,

他望著我，

and he just nodded, and he said,

只是點點頭，然後說，

"We're going to be okay.

「我們會沒事的。

We're going to be okay."

我們會沒事的。」

It was a little while later that I started

後來在我剛開始

my research with sanitation,

研究清潔工作的時候，

and I met that man again.

我再次遇見了那個人。

His name is Paulie, and we worked together many times,

他的名字叫保利，我們一起工作過許多次，

and we became good friends.

還成了好朋友。

I want to believe that Paulie was right.

我願意相信保利的話是對的。

We are going to be okay.

我們會沒事的。

But in our effort to reconfigure

但我們作為這個星球的一分子，

how we as a species exist on this planet,

我們需要努力地進行重建。

we must include and take account of

我們必須考慮到

all the costs, including the very real human cost

所有的消耗，包括活生生的勞動人力

of the labor.

消耗。

And we also would be well informed

而且我們要廣納良言，

to reach out to the people who do that work

和從事這個行業的人們交流，

and get their expertise

請他們以專業角度

on how do we think about,

為我們的看法提供建議，

how do we create systems around sustainability

關於如何建立一個 能夠永續經營的制度，

that perhaps take us from curbside recycling,

也許讓我們減少街道回收的工作，

which is a remarkable success across 40 years,

戰勝這項40年來

across the United States and countries around the world,

在美國和世界各國的習慣，

and lift us up to a broader horizon

將大家提升到更高的水平。

where we're looking at other forms of waste

如此一來，我們就能思考

that could be lessened

如何處理在製造業和工業生產過程中

from manufacturing and industrial sources.

能夠被減少的垃圾。

Municipal waste, what we think of when we talk about garbage,

當我們提到垃圾時， 通常想到的就是城市的垃圾，

accounts for three percent of the nation's waste stream.

其實只占國內垃圾總量的3％。

It's a remarkable statistic.

這是個驚人的數據。

So in the flow of your days,

在你的日常生活中，

in the flow of your lives,

在你的生命之流裡，

next time you see someone whose job is

下一次當你看到有人在

to clean up after you,

清理你留下的垃圾時，

take a moment to acknowledge them.

請找個時間向他們致意，

Take a moment to say thank you.

找個時間說聲謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）