Els humans som al centre de TED, però m'agradaria donar-hi veu als animals, que amb els seus cossos i ments i esperits ens modelen.
Humanity takes center stage at TED, but I would like to add a voice for the animals, whose bodies and minds and spirits shaped us.
Fa uns anys, vaig tenir la sort de conèixer un ancià d'una tribu en una illa a prop de Vancouver. Es deia Jimmy Smith i em va explicar una història que explica la seva gent, que es fan anomenar els Kwikwasut'inuxw.
Some years ago, it was my good fortune to meet a tribal elder on an island not far from Vancouver. His name is Jimmy Smith, and he shared a story with me that is told among his people, who call themselves the Kwikwasut'inuxw.
Fa molt i molt de temps, va dir, tots els animals del món estaven units. Tot i que eren diferents en l'exterior, en l'interior eren tots iguals, i cada cert temps es reunien en una cova sagrada ben endins del bosc per celebrar la seva unió. Quan hi arribaven, tots es treien la pell. El corb es treia les plomes, l'ós, el pèl, i el salmó, les escates, i llavors ballaven. Però un dia un humà va arribar a la cova i es va riure del que va veure perquè no ho entenia. Avergonyits, els animals van fugir i va ser l'últim cop que es van mostrar d'aquella manera.
Once upon a time, he told me, all animals on Earth were one. Even though they look different on the outside, inside, they're all the same, and from time to time they would gather at a sacred cave deep inside the forest to celebrate their unity. When they arrived, they would all take off their skins. Raven shed his feathers, bear his fur, and salmon her scales, and then, they would dance. But one day, a human made it to the cave and laughed at what he saw because he did not understand. Embarrassed, the animals fled, and that was the last time they revealed themselves this way.
L'antiga creença que sota identitats separades, tots els animals en són un m'ha inspirat de manera poderosa. M'agrada anar més enllà del pèl, les plomes i les escates. Vull arribar a sota de la pell. Tant fa si em miro un elefant gegant o una granota minúscula, vull connectar-nos a nosaltres amb ells, mirar dins dels ulls.
The ancient understanding that underneath their separate identities, all animals are one, has been a powerful inspiration to me. I like to get past the fur, the feathers and the scales. I want to get under the skin. No matter whether I'm facing a giant elephant or a tiny tree frog, my goal is to connect us with them, eye to eye.
Potser us pregunteu si mai fotografio persones. I tant. Hi ha persones en totes les meves fotos, tant fa si apareixen en forma de tortuga o de puma o de lleó. Només hem d'aprendre a veure més enllà de la disfressa.
You may wonder, do I ever photograph people? Sure. People are always present in my photos, no matter whether they appear to portray tortoises or cougars or lions. You just have to learn how to look past their disguise.
Com a fotògraf, intento sobrepassar les diferències del maquillatge genètic i valorar el que tenim en comú amb tota la resta d'éssers vius. Quan agafo la càmera, em trec la pell com els animals a la cova per poder mostrar-los com són realment.
As a photographer, I try to reach beyond the differences in our genetic makeup to appreciate all we have in common with every other living thing. When I use my camera, I drop my skin like the animals at that cave so I can show who they really are.
Com a animals beneïts amb el poder del pensament racional, ens podem meravellar de les complexitats de la vida. Com a ciutadans d'un planeta amb problemes, tenim la responsabilitat moral d'enfrontar-nos a la dràstica pèrdua de diversitat. Però com a humans amb cor, podem celebrar la unitat de la vida i potser canviarem el que fa temps va passar a la cova sagrada.
As animals blessed with the power of rational thought, we can marvel at the intricacies of life. As citizens of a planet in trouble, it is our moral responsibility to deal with the dramatic loss in diversity of life. But as humans with hearts, we can all rejoice in the unity of life, and perhaps we can change what once happened in that sacred cave.
Trobem una manera d'unir-nos al ball.
Let's find a way to join the dance.
Gràcies.
Thank you.
[Aplaudiments]
(Applause)