美国国家公共电台 NPR Greta Thunberg To U.S.: 'You Have A Moral Responsibility' On Climate Change

 

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

Students holding signs that said denial is not a policy and raise your voice, not the sea chanted today outside the White House.

(SOUNDBITE OF PROTEST)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Business as usual is not enough. Business as usual is not enough.

...A crisis. Act like it. This is a crisis. Act like it.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: What do we want?

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Climate action.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: When do we want it?

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Now.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Hey, hey. Ho, ho. Climate change has got to go. Hey, hey...

CHANG: A protest for climate action happens every Friday here. It doesn't usually draw more than a hundred people. But today, a small 16-year-old with a braid down to her waist was there.

(SOUNDBITE OF PROTEST)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Greta, Greta, Greta...

CHANG: Greta Thunberg started these weekly strikes for the climate last year in her home country of Sweden.

(SOUNDBITE OF PROTEST)

GRETA THUNBERG: But I'm just going to say that I'm so incredibly grateful for every single one of you. And I'm so proud of you.

CHANG: The movement grew. She's now been invited to speak around the world. To get to the U.S., though, she chose to sail instead of taking a plane.

(SOUNDBITE OF PROTEST)

THUNBERG: Never give up. We will continue. And see you next week on September 20.

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

CHANG: I met Thunberg today at the UN Foundation on Pennsylvania Avenue, practically right next to the White House. And I asked her if she wanted to meet with the people inside that building, many of whom are skeptical¹ of climate science.

THUNBERG: I haven't been invited to do that yet. And honestly, I don't want to do that.

CHANG: Why not?

THUNBERG: Because I don't want to meet with people who don't accept the science.

CHANG: But don't you want to change people's minds?

THUNBERG: Yeah, but I think I'm doing that to others. And I - they don't need me to come there. If they want someone to change their mind, it should be scientists and professionals within this area. So I don't think I'm the one person to do that.

CHANG: Well, then how do you reach people who don't see climate change as an urgent problem? I mean, don't you even want to try?

THUNBERG: I don't specify² in targeting certain groups. I just try to get my message across to everyone. And whoever listens listens. And of course, these people are maybe not the ones who willingly listens to this. But I think I'm just trying to influence the opinion...

CHANG: Yeah.

THUNBERG: ...And - in general. And I think that once enough people realizes the urgency, then others will also have to adapt.

CHANG: How important do you think the U.S. is in combating climate change as a whole?

THUNBERG: Incredibly important. You are such a big country. In Sweden, we say when we demand politicians to do something, they say it doesn't matter what we do because just look at the U.S. So I think you have an enormous responsibility in leading this role, and I think you have a moral responsibility to do that.

CHANG: I am so curious, can you tell me how you first became passionate³ about climate change? When did it begin? How did you get so focused on this cause?

THUNBERG: I - it was in school when I was taught about the climate crisis and everything that was happening around the world.

CHANG: How old were you?

THUNBERG: I think I was 8...

CHANG: Wow.

THUNBERG: ...Nine, 7 maybe. I don't remember exactly. But I remember that, of course, made me very sad as every other child in my class. And we saw these horrifying⁴ pictures of plastic in the oceans and floodings and so on. Everyone was very moved by that. But then it just seemed like everyone went back to normal, and I couldn't go back to normal because those pictures were stuck in my head. And I couldn't just go on knowing that this was happening around the world. So then I started to read about it and inform myself about it, ask people and read books and articles. And I just started slowly to understand what was happening.

CHANG: And do you remember when it started clarifying for you that beyond reading about it and worrying about it that you as an individual could actually do something? When did that realization⁵ dawn on you?

THUNBERG: I don't think there was a specific moment. I had depression when I was 11, and then how I got back from that depression was by telling myself I can do so much good with my life instead of just being depressed⁶.

CHANG: Yeah.

THUNBERG: And so that was a way to get me out of that depression. And then I became a climate activist⁷, started to attend demonstrations⁸ and marches and join organizations and contact people within these movements. But I just felt like things were still too slow, and so I decided⁹ to try something new. And that's when I started planning the school strike. And then I just decided to do it.

CHANG: I want to ask you about something a little more personal now. You have told people that you were diagnosed with Asperger's. You're on the autism spectrum¹⁰. And you have said that that part of you has helped you take a leadership role on climate change. Tell me; why is that?

THUNBERG: My diagnosis¹¹ helps me see things a bit more clearly sometimes when everyone else seems to just compromise and have this double moral that's - yeah, that's very important, but also, I can't do that right now, and I'm too lazy and so on.

CHANG: Yeah.

THUNBERG: But I can't really do that because I want to walk the talk...

CHANG: Yes.

THUNBERG: ...And to practice as I preach. So that is what I'm trying to do because if I am focused on something and if I know something and if I decide to do something, then I go all-in. And it seems like others are not doing that right now. So yeah, it has definitely helped me.

CHANG: I love that. You believe it being on the autism spectrum helps you see things very starkly¹², very clearly and keeps you consistent about your message.

THUNBERG: Yeah, and keeps me focused as well.

CHANG: As you have evolved into this warrior¹³, how have your parents reacted? Are they a little bit concerned (laughter) about your global trekking¹⁴, or are they fully¹⁵ behind you? What do you - what would you say?

THUNBERG: I mean, of course they are concerned that I am doing all this and that I am not going to school, of course - now I've taken a gap here, but still. But I think they also see that I am happier now than I was before because I'm doing something meaningful. Because they see I am much more happier, so then, of course, they want me to do what makes me happy.

CHANG: Of course.

THUNBERG: And - but also, of course, they are concerned that I am so public and that I am not going to school, I've taken a gap year and so on. But I think they support me in at least some way. They know that what I'm doing is morally right.

CHANG: And they are seeing you smile a lot more these days, huh?

THUNBERG: Yeah.

CHANG: That's wonderful to hear.

Greta Thunberg, thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us today. It was such a pleasure.

THUNBERG: Pleasure to talk to you, too. And thank you.

CHANG: While in the U.S., Thunberg will visit Capitol Hill, be at the UN Climate Summit in New York and from there, join youth from all around the world in a climate protest one week from today.

(SOUNDBITE OF EL PERRO DEL MAR'S "DARK NIGHT")

1 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

2 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。

3 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

4 horrifying   

a.令人震惊的，使人毛骨悚然的

参考例句：

• He went to great pains to show how horrifying the war was. 他极力指出战争是多么的恐怖。
• The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate. 战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。

5 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

6 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

7 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

8 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

11 diagnosis   

n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断

参考例句：

• His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

12 starkly   

adj. 变硬了的,完全的 adv. 完全,实在,简直

参考例句：

• The city of Befast remains starkly divided between Catholics and Protestants. 贝尔法斯特市完全被处在天主教徒和新教徒的纷争之中。
• The black rocks stood out starkly against the sky. 那些黑色的岩石在天空衬托下十分显眼。

13 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

14 trekking   

v.艰苦跋涉，徒步旅行( trek的现在分词 )；（尤指在山中）远足，徒步旅行，游山玩水

参考例句：

• She can't come pony trekking after all because she's in a delicate condition. 她结果还是不能坐小马车旅行，因为她已怀孕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We spent the summer trekking in the foothills of the Himalayas. 我们整个夏天都在喜马拉雅山的山麓艰难跋涉。 来自互联网

15 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。