Mark Bezos: A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter

譯者: Coco Shen 審譯者: Adrienne Lin

Back in New York, I am the head of development

在紐約，我是“羅賓漢”社運團體

for a non-profit called Robin Hood.

發展部門的頭頭

When I'm not fighting poverty, I'm fighting fires

在我消滅貧窮之餘，我也消防

as the assistant captain of a volunteer fire company.

我是義消公司的副指揮

Now in our town,

在我們的小鎮

where the volunteers supplement a highly skilled career staff,

在一個義工都是成功人士的地方

you have to get to the fire scene pretty early

你必須要很早到火場

to get in on any action.

才有可能加入戰況

I remember my first fire.

我記得我第一場火

I was the second volunteer on the scene,

我是第二個到火場的義工

so there was a pretty good chance I was going to get in.

進火場的可能性蠻大的

But still it was a real footrace against the other volunteers

但你還得跑贏其它義工

to get to the captain in charge

先找到總指揮

to find out what our assignments would be.

讓他分配工作給你

When I found the captain,

當我好不容易找到總指揮

he was having a very engaging conversation

他正全神貫注地

with the homeowner,

和屋主討論

who was surely having one of the worst days of her life.

她顯然正經歷人生中最糟糕的一天

Here it was, the middle of the night,

當時是大半夜

she was standing outside in the pouring rain,

她站在滂沱大雨中

under an umbrella, in her pajamas, barefoot,

穿著睡衣、打赤腳、撐著傘

while her house was in flames.

她的房子正在熊熊燃燒

The other volunteer who had arrived just before me --

另外一個比我先來一步的義工

let's call him Lex Luther --

就叫他 Lex Luther （超人中的反派）好了

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

got to the captain first

先到了總指揮身邊

and was asked to go inside

他被分配到

and save the homeowner's dog.

殺進火場去拯救屋主的小狗

The dog! I was stunned with jealousy.

小狗哎！我嫉妒死了

Here was some lawyer or money manager

這個律師或財務經理

who, for the rest of his life, gets to tell people

終身都可以告訴別人

that he went into a burning building

他深入火場

to save a living creature,

救出一條活生生的小狗

just because he beat me by five seconds.

就因為他比我早到五秒

Well, I was next.

好吧，接下來輪到我了

The captain waved me over.

總指揮叫我過去

He said, "Bezos, I need you to go into the house.

他說，“Bezos，我需要你殺進火場

I need you to go upstairs, past the fire,

我需要你上樓，越過火焰

and I need you to get this woman a pair of shoes."

我需要你為這位女士拿雙鞋。“

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I swear.

是真的，我發誓

So, not exactly what I was hoping for,

這不是我心裡想像的樣子

but off I went --

但我去了

up the stairs, down the hall, past the 'real' firefighters,

上樓，走到走廊底，穿過那些”真正的“消防員

who were pretty much done putting out the fire at this point,

他們差不多已經把火熄滅了

into the master bedroom to get a pair of shoes.

我走進主臥室，拿了一雙鞋

Now I know what you're thinking,

我知道你在想甚麼

but I'm no hero.

但我非英雄

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I carried my payload back downstairs

我把我的任務帶下樓

where I met my nemesis

在前門遇見那位早我五秒的先生

and the precious dog by the front door.

和他救出的那條狗

We took our treasures outside to the homeowner,

我們帶著我們的寶藏走向前門

where, not surprisingly,

毫無意外的

his received much more attention than did mine.

他比我獲得更多關注

A few weeks later,

幾個禮拜後

the department received a letter from the homeowner

我們部門收到從屋主來的一封信

thanking us for the valiant effort displayed

謝謝我們的拯救她家的

in saving her home.

義勇行為

The act of kindness she noted above all others:

她特別提到一件溫馨的細節

someone had even gotten her a pair of shoes.

甚至有人為她拿來一雙鞋

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

In both my vocation at Robin Hood

無論是我在“羅賓漢”的工作

and my avocation as a volunteer firefighter,

或是我身為義消的副業

I am witness to acts of generosity and kindness

我目睹許多非常慷慨

on a monumental scale,

善行

but I'm also witness to acts of grace and courage

但我同時也目睹一個人的勇氣和慈悲

on an individual basis.

能帶來多大的不同

And you know what I've learned?

你知道我學到甚麼？

They all matter.

它們都一樣重要。

So as I look around this room

當我環顧四周

at people who either have achieved,

這些成功的

or are on their way to achieving,

或正要成功的人士

remarkable levels of success,

你們都有著令人激賞的成就

I would offer this reminder:

我想在這裡提醒你們：

don't wait.

不要等待

Don't wait until you make your first million

不要等待你賺到第一個一百萬

to make a difference in somebody's life.

才開始改變別人的生活

If you have something to give,

如果你有甚麼可以給予

give it now.

現在就開始付出

Serve food at a soup kitchen. Clean up a neighborhood park.

無論是供應窮人食物、清掃社區公園

Be a mentor.

做個榜樣

Not every day is going to offer us a chance

不是每一天我們都有機會

to save somebody's life,

拯救他人的生命

but every day offers us an opportunity to affect one.

但每一天我們都有機會影響他人的生命

So get in the game. Save the shoes.

來吧：救那雙鞋。

Thank you.

謝謝各位

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Bruno Giussani: Mark, Mark, come back.

Bruno Giussani：Mark，Mark，回來

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Mark Bezos: Thank you.

謝謝各位