TED演讲 自杀者的生死之桥(1)

 I recently retired¹ from the California Highway Patrol after 23 years of service.  我最近刚退休，离开了加利福尼亚公路巡警局，我工作了23年的地方。

The majority of those 23 years was spent patrolling the southern end of Marin County, 这23年里的大多数时间，我都是在马林县的南部巡逻，我都是在马林县的南部巡逻，

which includes the Golden Gate Bridge.  其中包括金门大桥，

The bridge is an iconic structure,  这座桥是一个标志性建筑，

known worldwide for its beautiful views of San Francisco,the Pacific Ocean, and its inspiring architecture.  世界闻名，因为从桥上可以观赏旧金山与太平洋的美景，还有它予人灵感的建筑风格。

Unfortunately, it is also a magnet for suicide,  不幸的是，这座桥也吸引了自杀者，

being one of the most utilized² sites in the world.  成为了全球自杀事件最多的地点之一。

The Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937.  金门大桥开通于1937年，

Joseph Strauss, chief engineer in charge of building the bridge,  约瑟夫·施特劳斯是负责建造这座桥的总工程师，

was quoted as saying,  我引用他一句话，

The bridge is practically suicide-proof.  这座桥实际上有防自杀设计，

Suicide from the bridge is neither practical nor probable. 在这座桥上自杀既难以成功也不太可能发生。

But since its opening,  但自从这座桥开放后，

over 1,600 people have leapt to their death from that bridge. 超过1,600人从桥上纵身投入了死亡。

Some believe that traveling between the two towers will lead you to another dimension this bridge has been romanticized as such a 某些人相信经过这两座塔间会带你去另一个世界—这座桥已经被浪漫成这样了,

that the fall from that frees you from all your worries and grief,  就是说从桥上坠落会让你免除所有的烦恼与悲痛，

and the waters below will cleanse³ your soul.  而下面的水会净化你的灵魂。

But let me tell you what actually occurs when the bridge is used as a means of suicide.  但是，让我来告诉你,假如你尝试从金门大桥跳河自杀结果实际上是怎样的。

After a free fall of four to five seconds,  在四到五秒的自由落体后，

the body strikes the water at about 75 miles an hour.  人的身体击中水面，速度大约75英里（120公里）每小时。

That impact shatters bones,  这个冲击力能使骨头粉碎，

some of which then puncture⁴ vital organs.  一些碎片之后会刺穿重要器官。

Most die on impact.  大多数人当场死亡。

Those that don't generally flail⁵ in the water helplessly,  如果没有死，一般是在水中无助地扑腾，

and then drown.  然后淹死。

I don't think that those who contemplate⁶ this method of suicide realize how grisly a death that they will face. 我认为那些考虑这种自杀方式的人并未意识到他们的死法将会多么可怕。

This is the cord.  这是钢索。

Except for around the two towers,  除了在两座塔周围，

there is 32 inches of steel paralleling the bridge.  桥边有32英寸（80厘米）的钢索，平行于桥。

This is where most folks stand before taking their lives.  大多数自杀者在自杀前就站在这里。

I can tell you from experience that once the person is on that cord, 根据我的经验，我可以告诉你，一旦有人站在了钢索上，

and at their darkest time,  在他人生最黑暗的时刻，

it is very difficult to bring them back.  再让他回来是极为困难的。

I took this photo last year as this young woman spoke⁷ to an officer contemplating⁸ her life. 我在去年拍了这张照片，当时这位年轻女子正和一位警官说话，思索她的人生。

I want to tell you very happily that we were successful that day in getting her back over the rail. 我要很高兴地告诉大家，那天我们很成功地把她从护栏那边拉了回来。

When I first began working on the bridge,  当我刚开始在这座桥上工作时，

we had no formal training.  我们没有受过正式的训练，

You struggled to funnel⁹ your way through these calls.  我在这些呼叫中挣扎前进，

This was not only a disservice to those contemplating suicide, 这是帮倒忙，不仅是对那些想自杀的人，

but to the officers as well.  对警察也是伤害。

We've come a long, long way since then.  从那以后，我们走过了漫漫长路。

Now, veteran officers and psychologists train new officers.  如今，经验丰富的老警官和心理学家们对新警察进行训练。

This is Jason Garber.  这位是杰森·加博。

I met Jason on July 22 of last year when I get received a call of a possible suicidal subject sitting on the cord near midspan. 我遇到杰森是在去年6月22日，那时我接到一个电话，说可能是一个人要自杀，正坐在桥中段附近的钢索上。

I responded, and when I arrived,  我回应了，而当我到达时，

I observed Jason speaking to a Golden Gate Bridge officer.  我看到了杰森，他正和一位金门大桥的警官对话。

Jason was just 32 years old and had flown out here from New Jersey¹⁰.  杰森年仅32岁，是从新泽西州乘飞机来的。

As a matter of fact,  事实上，

he had flown out here on two other occasions from New Jersey to attempt suicide on this bridge. 他另外还来过两次，从新泽西飞来，想在这座桥上自杀。

After about an hour of speaking with Jason,  在与杰森交谈了大约一个小时后，

he asked us if we knew the story of Pandora's box.  他问我们是否知道潘多拉之盒的故事。

Recalling your Greek mythology,  想一想希腊神话，

Zeus created Pandora,  宙斯创造了潘多拉，

and sent her down to Earth with a box,  然后将她降于人间，还有一个盒子，

and told her, Never, ever open that box.  并告诉她：永远不要打开这个盒子。

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 utilized   

v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the19th century waterpower was widely utilized to generate electricity. 在19世纪人们大规模使用水力来发电。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The empty building can be utilized for city storage. 可以利用那栋空建筑物作城市的仓库。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 cleanse   

vt.使清洁，使纯洁，清洗

参考例句：

• Health experts are trying to cleanse the air in cities. 卫生专家们正设法净化城市里的空气。
• Fresh fruit juices can also cleanse your body and reduce dark circles.新鲜果汁同样可以清洁你的身体,并对黑眼圈同样有抑制作用。

4 puncture   

n.刺孔，穿孔；v.刺穿，刺破

参考例句：

• Failure did not puncture my confidence.失败并没有挫伤我的信心。
• My bicycle had a puncture and needed patching up.我的自行车胎扎了个洞，需要修补。

5 flail   

v.用连枷打；击打；n.连枷（脱粒用的工具）

参考例句：

• No fence against flail.飞来横祸不胜防。
• His arms were flailing in all directions.他的手臂胡乱挥舞着。

6 contemplate   

vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视

参考例句：

• The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate.战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。
• The consequences would be too ghastly to contemplate.后果不堪设想。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 contemplating   

深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想

参考例句：

• You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。
• She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。

9 funnel   

n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集

参考例句：

• He poured the petrol into the car through a funnel.他用一个漏斗把汽油灌入汽车。
• I like the ship with a yellow funnel.我喜欢那条有黄烟囱的船。

10 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。