米娜·古力：為生命之源奔跑

by Rachel Jacqueline

翻譯：范婕

米娜·古力：為生命之源奔跑

by Rachel Jacqueline

翻譯：范婕

Mina Guli:Run for Water

“我努力奔跑，不是為自己，而是為造福他人，為完成一項(xiàng)事業(yè)，為應(yīng)對(duì)一個(gè)難題。對(duì)此，我堅(jiān)信只要我們齊心協(xié)力，最終一定能解決?！?/p>

七個(gè)星期便跑了四十場(chǎng)沙漠馬拉松。今年，她還要用六個(gè)星期跑遍分散在六塊大陸上的六條干枯河流（SIX FOR SIX）。米娜·古力（Mina Guli）鐵人般的意志讓她不懼身體的傷痛，在被醫(yī)生警告不能跑步的情況下仍堅(jiān)持跑了幾十年。她的愿望只有一個(gè)：為解決水資源危機(jī)貢獻(xiàn)力量?？赐晁墓适潞?，你會(huì)不會(huì)有一絲觸動(dòng)呢？

What Does Running Mean to You?

Running is simply a vehicle. There are a lot of1)similarities between running long distances and solving big problems. We think it’s impossible, but when we break it down, solutions become2)achievable. When you really want something, you can do it—five kilometers, a3)marathon, running through seven deserts, or achieving global change, you can do it.

You Did Such a Crazy Challenge Simply to Raise Awareness?

A big part of the issue is people don’t understand the nature or4)extent of the global water crisis.

Growing up in Australia, I always thought saving water was about turning off the tap when I brushed my teeth or taking shorter showers. Actually, that is just a small part. Truth is that 95% of the water we use every day is hidden inside the things we wear, eat, use and5)consume. Eating chicken, instead of beef, for example, saves 2,2006)litres of water. We can’t continue to use water the way we do now—we need to be smarter about our business practices and supply chains. And that means being smarter consumers, too.

Any Lasting lmpressions?

There were many, of course, but one in South Africa sticks out: we were waiting to cross the Orange River by7)barge, but the river was too low. The river had dropped six metres in six years because grape8)plantations were using the water for9)irrigation. And that’s when it really hit me: grapes are not a10)necessity, but a11)luxury. I sat on the bank of the river and thought, I can’t go back, get a job and slip into “normal life.” Telling these stories, solving this crisis—this is my future.

詞組加油站

turn off 關(guān)掉，關(guān)閉

supply chain 供應(yīng)鏈

stick out 突出，顯眼

slip into（不知不覺地）陷入，落入

1) similarity [,s?m?'l?r?t?] n. 相似之處

2) achievable [?'t?i?v?bl] adj.可實(shí)現(xiàn)的

3) marathon ['m?r?θ?n] n. 馬拉松賽跑

4) extent [?k'stent] n. 程度

5) consume [k?n'sju?m] v. 消耗，消費(fèi)

6) litre ['li?t?] n.（公制容量單位）升

7) barge [bɑ?d?] n. 駁船

8) plantation [pl?n'te??n] n. 種植園，大農(nóng)場(chǎng)

9) irrigation [,?r?'ge??n] n. 灌溉

10) necessity [n?'ses?t?] n. 必需品

11) luxury ['l?k??r?] n. 奢侈品

奔跑于你意義何在？

奔跑只是一個(gè)載體。長(zhǎng)距離奔跑和解決重大問題有很多相似之處。會(huì)有那么一件事我們覺得不可能做到，但如果化整為零，一點(diǎn)一點(diǎn)地去做，問題是可以得到解決的。當(dāng)你真心想做成一件事，你就可以做到——無論是五千米長(zhǎng)跑、馬拉松、奔跑穿越七個(gè)沙漠，又或是實(shí)現(xiàn)全球性變革，你都能做到。

進(jìn)行這樣一項(xiàng)瘋狂挑戰(zhàn)就只為喚起公眾對(duì)缺水問題的意識(shí)嗎？

我們所面對(duì)的問題在很大程度上，是人們不了解全球水資源危機(jī)的實(shí)質(zhì)或嚴(yán)重性。

我在澳大利亞長(zhǎng)大，以前總以為節(jié)約用水就是刷牙的時(shí)候關(guān)上水龍頭或者縮短洗澡淋浴的時(shí)間。其實(shí)，那只是微不足道的一部分。事實(shí)上，我們每日耗水量的95%都隱藏在我們吃、穿、用、度中。比如說，食用雞肉而不是牛肉能節(jié)約兩千兩百毫升水。我們不能再以現(xiàn)有方式繼續(xù)消耗水資源了——我們必須找到更聰明的方法來進(jìn)行生產(chǎn)經(jīng)營(yíng)和產(chǎn)品供應(yīng)。這同時(shí)也意味著我們要成為更明智的消費(fèi)者。

所見所聞中有沒有什么是特別難忘的？

當(dāng)然會(huì)有很多難忘的經(jīng)歷，但最特別的是在南非那次：我們等著乘駁船過奧蘭治河，但河水太淺了。由于葡萄種植園使用河水來進(jìn)行灌溉，奧蘭治河的水位線在六年里下降了六米。就在那時(shí)，我突然真正意識(shí)到：葡萄并不是生活必需品，而是一種奢侈品。我坐在河岸邊，心想著自己不能就這樣回去，然后找份工作，就這么過起“尋常的生活”。向人們講述我的所見所聞，為解決水資源危機(jī)貢獻(xiàn)自己的一份力量——這才是我在未來應(yīng)該做的事情。