TED演讲：我为什么划船横渡太平洋(11)

 　　The other point: It's about taking responsibility. 另外的一个关键问题，是关于承担责任的问题。

　　For so much of my life, I wanted something else to make me happy. 我在生活的大部分时间里都努力使自己高兴。

　　I thought if I had the right house or the right car or the right man in my life, then I could be happy. 我曾认为如果我有称心房子、满意的轿车或对的人，我就会心满意足。

　　But when I wrote that obituary¹ exercise,  但是，当我为自己写讣告的时候，

　　I actually grew up a little bit in that moment and realized that I needed to create my own future.  我发现自己在那一刻成熟了许多，我意识到我要自己创造未来。

　　I couldn't just wait passively for happiness to come and find me.  我不能够消极地等待幸福自己找上门来。

　　And I suppose I'm a selfish environmentalist. 我假想自己是一名自私的环境专家。

　　I plan on being around for a long time, and when I'm 90 years old, I want to be happy and healthy. 我打算长期致力于此项工作，当我90岁的时候，我希望自己健康快乐。

　　And it's very difficult to be happy on a planet that's racked with famine and drought. 然而如果我们居住的星球满目疮痍，充满了饥荒和干旱，我们很难会找到快乐。

　　It's very difficult to be healthy on a planet where we've poisoned the earth and the sea and the air. 如果我们的星球到处是受污染的土壤、海水和空气，我们无法维持健康。

　　So, shortly, I'm going to be launching a new initiative called Eco-Heroes. 简单地说，我打算发起一项新的行动，它叫做生态英雄。

　　And the idea here is that all our Eco-Heroes will log at least one green deed every day. 这项运动倡导我们所有的生态英雄们每天至少做一件绿色环保的事情。

　　It's meant to be a bit of a game. We're going to make an iPhone app out of it. 它有点像游戏。我们打算以此来制作一个iPhone软件。

　　We just want to try and create that awareness² because, sure, changing a light bulb isn't going to change the world, 我们只是努力地创造那人们的环保意识，因为，当然了，更换一个灯泡并不会改变世界，

　　but that attitude, that awareness that leads you to change the light bulb or take your reusable coffee mug,  但是，那种促使你去换这个灯泡或自带可重复使用咖啡杯的环保意识和环保态度，

　　that is what could change the world. 却可以改变世界。

　　I really believe that we stand at a very important point in history.  我确信我们所处的历史时期是非常关键的一个阶段。

　　We have a choice. We've been blessed, or cursed, with free will.  我们面临一个选择。我们会被保佑，还是会被诅咒，完全凭我们自己的意志。

　　We can choose a greener future, and we can get there if we all pull together to take it one stroke at a time. Thank you. 我们可以选择一个更加绿色的未来，如果我们团结一心、齐心协力，我们就可实现这个目标。谢谢大家。

1 obituary   

n.讣告，死亡公告；adj.死亡的

参考例句：

• The obituary records the whole life of the deceased.讣文记述了这位死者的生平。
• Five days after the letter came,he found Andersen s obituary in the morning paper.收到那封信五天后，他在早报上发现了安德森的讣告。

2 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。