聯(lián)合國秘書長潘基文2015年國際地球日致辭

　　The word ‘mother’ holds great power. It evokes memories of the women who gave us life, nurtured us as infants and helped mould us into who we are today. The Earth is the ultimate mother – an astounding planet that has, since time immemorial, supported life in myriad forms. As humans, we outgrow the need for constant maternal care. But we can never outgrow our reliance on Mother Earth. As long as we live, we need air, water, fertile soil and the countless other gifts this planet bestows.

　　“母親”一詞蘊含著巨大的力量。它使我們聯(lián)想到婦女，她們賦予我們生命，把我們從嬰兒養(yǎng)育成人，并幫助塑造我們的人格。地球是終極的母親，這個神奇的星球自遠古以來就一直承載著萬物。生而為人，我們長大以后就不再需要母親的持續(xù)呵護，卻永遠不能擺脫對地球母親的依賴。只要活著，我們就需要空氣、水、肥沃的土壤以及這個星球賜予我們的萬物。

　　This dependence makes it all the more astonishing that we have allowed rapid and often unwise human development to disrupt so many of the delicate systems that have functioned harmoniously for millennia. We are increasingly aware of the damage our species has wrought – the pollution, the dwindling resources, the species of flora and fauna forever gone, the rush towards tipping points that may alter the way our planet functions. Even with this knowledge, we have yet to change our ways.

　　我們?nèi)绱艘蕾?，卻又允許開展快速、并且經(jīng)常不明智的人類開發(fā)活動，破壞這么多已經(jīng)和諧運行了幾千年的微妙系統(tǒng)，豈不更加令人吃驚?我們?nèi)找嬉庾R到我們這個物種已經(jīng)造成的損害：污染、資源日益減少、永遠消失的動植物物種，并且我們正在急速走向可能會改變我們這個星球運行方式的臨界點。我們即便已經(jīng)認識到這一點，卻還沒有改變我們的行為方式。

　　But we can change, and 2015 brings a critical opportunity to do just that. This year, the world aims to finalize the post-2015 sustainable development agenda and reach a new and meaningful universal climate change agreement. These processes have the potential to redefine our future for the better, by eradicating extreme poverty in all its forms and resetting our relationship with this planet and every living being it sustains.

　　但我們是可以改變的，2015年就是實現(xiàn)改變的一個關(guān)鍵機會。今年，全世界的目標是最后敲定2015年后可持續(xù)發(fā)展議程，并達成一個新的、有意義的普遍性氣候變化協(xié)議。這些進程有可能通過消除各種形式的極端貧困，調(diào)整我們與這個星球及其維系的每一個生命的關(guān)系，從而重塑我們的未來，使之向更好的方向發(fā)展。

　　But the big decisions that lie ahead are not just for world leaders and policy-makers. Today, on Mother Earth Day, I ask each one of us to be mindful of the impacts our choices have on this planet, and what those impacts will mean for future generations. Not everyone is able to make sustainable choices, but for those who can, simple decisions such as switching to energy-efficient lighting or buying only what you will consume – when accumulated across billions of people – can transform our world. The power to change begins with you.

　　但擺在面前的重大決定不僅要由世界各國的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人和決策者做出。在今天的地球母親日上，我要求我們每一個人都要注意到我們的選擇對這個星球的影響，以及這些影響對子孫后代將意味著什么。不是每個人都能夠做出可持續(xù)的選擇，但對于那些能夠做出這類選擇的人而言，可以做出采用節(jié)能照明以及用多少就買多少等簡單決定，數(shù)十億人做出的這類決定累積起來，就足以改變我們的世界。改變產(chǎn)生的力量從你我開始。

　　As a global community, we have the opportunity to make 2015 a turning point in human history. This can be the year our children and grandchildren will remember as when we chose to build a sustainable and resilient future – both for Mother Earth and all those that development has until now left behind. Let us seize this historic opportunity together.

　　我們作為一個全球社會，有機會讓2015年成為人類歷史的轉(zhuǎn)折點。我們要讓子孫后代記住今年，因為我們在今年選擇建設(shè)一個可持續(xù)、有復(fù)原力的未來，既要有利于地球母親，也要有利于所有那些迄今為止在發(fā)展大潮中被拉下的人。讓我們共同抓住這一歷史機遇。