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.
Pri TED je v središču pozornosti človeštvo, jaz pa bi rad dodal še glas za živali, katerih telesa in umi in duhovi so nas izoblikovali.
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.
Pred nekaj leti sem imel srečo, da sem srečal starešino plemena na otoku nedaleč od Vancouvra. Njegovo ime je Jimmy Smith in z mano je delil zgodbo, ki si jo pripovedujejo med njegovimi ljudmi, ki si pravijo Kwikwasut'inuxw.
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.
Pred davnimi časi, mi je rekel, so vse živali na Zemlji bile eno. Čeprav na zunaj izgledajo različno, so odznotraj vse enake in od časa do časa so se zbrale pri sveti jami globoko v gozdu, da bi slavile svojo enotnost. Ko so prispele, so si slekle svojo kožo. Krokar je slekel svoje perje, medved svoj kožuh in losos svoje luske, potem pa so zaplesali. Nekega dne pa je do jame prispel človek in se smejal temu, kar je videl, ker ni razumel. Osramočene so živali pobegnile in to je bilo zadnjič, da so se razkrile na takšen način.
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.
Starodavno razumevanje, da so pod svojimi različnimi identitetami vse živali eno, je bilo zame močan navdih. Rad grem mimo krzna, perja in lusk. Rad bi prišel pod kožo. Ne glede na to, ali sem soočen z ogromnim slonom ali majhno drevesno žabo, je moj cilj, da nas povežem z njimi, iz oči v oči.
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.
Lahko se vprašate, če sploh kdaj fotografiram ljudi? Seveda. Na mojih slikah so vedno prisotni ljudje, ne glede na to, da se lahko zdi, da upodabljajo želve ali pume ali leve. Naučiti se morate le, da vidite skozi njihovo krinko. Kot fotograf poskušam seči čez razlike v našem genetskem ustroju,
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.
da bi lahko občudoval vse, kar imamo skupnega z vsemi živimi stvarmi. Ko uporabljam svoj fotoaparat, slečem svojo kožo kot živali pri tisti jami, da lahko pokažem, kdo so v resnici. Kot živali, ki so blagoslovljene z močjo racionalne misli,
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.
se lahko čudimo zapletenosti življenja. Kot državljani planeta v težavah imamo moralno dolžnost, da se spopademo z dramatičnim zmanjšanjem v raznolikosti življenja. Kot ljudje s srcem, pa se lahko veselimo enotnosti življenja in morda lahko spremenimo, kar se je nekoč zgodilo v tisti sveti jami.
Let's find a way to join the dance.
Najdimo način, da se pridružimo plesu.
Thank you.
Hvala.
(Applause)
(aplavz)