(Applause)

(音樂)

Thank you for being here.

(鼓掌)

And I say "thank you for being here" because I was silent for 17 years.

謝謝大家今天來到這裡

And the first words that I spoke were in Washington, D.C.,

謝謝你們，因為我已經17年沒開口說話

on the 20th anniversary of Earth Day.

我開口說的第一個字是在華盛頓特區

And my family and friends had gathered there to hear me speak.

二十週年的地球日時

And I said, "Thank you for being here."

我的家人及朋友們，全都聚在一起聽我說話

My mother, out in the audience, she jumped up,

然後我說"謝謝你們在這裡"

"Hallelujah, Johnny's talking!"

我母親，在人群中跳起來說

(Laughter)

"哈雷路亞, Johnny說話了"

Imagine if you were quiet for 17 years

(笑聲)

and your mother was out in the audience, say.

想像一下假設你沉默了17年

My dad said to me, "That's one" --

然後你母親在人群中說

I'll explain that.

我父親對我說"就是這裡了"

But I turned around because I didn't recognize where my voice was coming from.

我稍後在解釋

I hadn't heard my voice in 17 years,

但我轉過頭，因為我不知道我的聲音是從哪來傳出來的

so I turned around and I looked and I said,

我已經17年沒聽過我自己的聲音了

"God, who's saying what I'm thinking?"

所以我環顧四周然後說

And then I realized it was me, you know, and I kind of laughed.

天啊！是誰正在把我的想法說出來？

And I could see my father: "Yeah, he really is crazy."

然後我知道了，是我自己阿，然後我笑了。

Well, I want to take you on this journey.

然後我可以想像我父親說 "是的，他真的瘋了"

And the journey, I believe, is a metaphor for all of our journeys.

我想與你分享這段旅程

Even though this one is kind of unusual,

這段旅程我相信是所有人歷程的一個隱喻

I want you to think about your own journey.

即使這是段不尋常的經歷

My journey began in 1971

我要你們也思考一下你們的經歷

when I witnessed two oil tankers collide beneath the Golden Gate,

我的旅程從1971年開始

and a half a million gallons of oil spilled into the bay.

當我目睹兩艘油輪在金色大橋下相撞時

It disturbed me so much

50多萬加崙的油流進海灣

that I decided that I was going to give up riding and driving in motorized vehicles.

這畫面這讓我非常不安

That's a big thing in California.

所以我決定放棄駕駛機動型的運輸工具

And it was a big thing in my little community of Point Reyes Station

這在加州來講可是一件大事

in Inverness, California, because there were only

這對我的小社區來講更是一件大事

about 350 people there in the winter – this was back in '71 now.

我的小社區位在加州印威內斯的波印雷站

And so when I came in and I started walking around, people --

因為在1971年的冬天，那裡大約只有350人。

they just knew what was going on.

所以當我進到當地時，然後我開始步行，人們

And people would drive up next to me

他們才剛知道這件事時

and say, "John, what are you doing?"

他們會開車到我身旁

And I'd say, "Well, I'm walking for the environment."

然後說"約翰，你在幹嘛"

And they said, "No, you're walking to make us look bad, right?

然後我會說，"我為保護環境而行走"

You're walking to make us feel bad."

然後他們說"不，你是為了讓我們難堪而走對吧？"

And maybe there was some truth to that,

你步行是為了讓我們覺得難受

because I thought that if I started walking, everyone would follow.

或許有部分是真的

Because of the oil, everybody talked about the polllution.

因為我想如果我開始步行，或許其他人也會跟進

And so I argued with people about that, I argued and I argued.

因為漏油事件，大家開始談論污染

I called my parents up.

所以我開始不停的說服人們。

I said, "I've given up riding and driving in cars."

我打給我父母

My dad said, "Why didn't you do that when you were 16?"

我說"我已經放棄開車了"

(Laughter)

我父親說"為什麼你不在十六歲時就這麼做？"

I didn't know about the environment then.

(笑聲)

They're back in Philadelphia.

我那時候不知道這些環境問題

And so I told my mother, "I'm happy though, I'm really happy."

問題都在費城

She said, "If you were happy, son, you wouldn't have to say it."

然後我告訴我母親"我很開心，我真的很開心"

Mothers are like that.

她說"如果你真的開心，你才不會說出來"

And so, on my 27th birthday I decided, because I argued so much

母親都這樣

and I talk so much, that I was going to stop speaking

因此，我27歲生日那天我決定，因為我爭論太多

for just one day -- one day -- to give it a rest.

而且我說太多，所以，我決定不要開口說話

And so I did.

一天就好，僅僅一天，讓嘴巴休息一下。

I got up in the morning and I didn't say a word.

所以就這樣

And I have to tell you, it was a very moving experience,

我起床後就沒說過一句話

because for the first time, I began listening -- in a long time.

我必須告訴你，這是個非常難忘的經驗

And what I heard, it kind of disturbed me.

因為第一次在這麼長的時間裡，我開始去聆聽

Because what I used to do, when I thought I was listening,

然而我所聽見的，卻又有些困擾我

was I would listen just enough to hear what people had to say

因為我聆聽時會習慣

and think that I could -- I knew what they were going to say,

只聽到對方講完該說的話為止

and so I stopped listening.

我就會自認為已經知道他們要說什麼

And in my mind, I just kind of raced ahead

便停止傾聽

and thought of what I was going to say back,

在我腦子裏，我會有些超前

while they were still finishing up.

當他們還在做總結時

And then I would launch in.

就想著我要怎麼回答

Well, that just ended communication.

然後我就會介入

So on this first day I actually listened.

並結束那次的溝通

And it was very sad for me,

所以在那天，我認真聆聽

because I realized that for those many years I had not been learning.

但這對我來說是非常難過的事

I was 27. I thought I knew everything.

因為我了解這麼多年來我沒有成長

I didn't.

當我27歲時，我自認無所不知

And so I decided I'd better do this for another day,

但其實不然

and another day, and another day until finally,

所以我決定我要在做一次這件事

I promised myself for a year I would keep quiet

日復一日直到最後

because I started learning more and more and I needed to learn more.

我向自己保證，保持沉默一年

So for a year I said I would keep quiet,

因為我開始逐漸成長，我覺得我需要學習更多

and then on my birthday I would reassess what I had learned

所以，某年，我說我要保持沉默。

and maybe I would talk again.

然後我會在我生日那天分享我學到了什麼

Well, that lasted 17 years.

或許我就會在度開口

Now during that time -- those 17 years -- I walked and I played the banjo

我安靜了17年

and I painted and I wrote in my journal, and

在這17年裡，我行走，並且彈奏班卓琴

I tried to study the environment by reading books.

我作畫並且寫下我的歷程

And I decided that I was going to go to school. So I did.

然後我經由閱讀來研究環境生態

I walked up to Ashland, Oregon,

之後我決定進修，然後我就去做了

where they were offering an environmental studies degree.

我走到奧勒岡州的奧許蘭市

It's only 500 miles.

那裡提供環境研究的學位

And I went into the Registrar's office and --

這僅僅只有500哩

"What, what, what?"

我走到學校的註冊處

I had a newspaper clipping.

什麼？

"Oh, so you really want to go to school here?

我有某份報紙

You don't …?

所以你真的要來這裡念書？

We have a special program for you." They did.

你不會...？

And in those two years, I graduated with my first degree -- a bachelor's degree.

我們有個特別的計畫適合你，是真的

And my father came out, he was so proud.

所以在這兩年裡，我拿到了我第一個學士學位。

He said, "Listen, we're really proud of you son,

然後我父親來了，他非常驕傲

but what are you going to do with a bachelor's degree?

他說"兒子，我們都以你為傲"

You don't ride in cars, you don't talk --

但你拿個學士學位要幹麻？

you're going to have to do those things."

你又不開車，不講話

(Laughter)

拿了學位就得做這些事阿

I hunched my shoulder, I picked my backpack up again

(笑聲)

and I started walking.

我聳聳肩，然後再次背起背包

I walked all the way up to Port Townsend, Washington, where I built a wooden boat,

然後我又開始步行

rode it across Puget Sound

我走到華盛頓Townsend港口，我在那裡造了一艘木船

and walked across Washington [to] Idaho and down to Missoula, Montana.

然後靠著它穿越了普及桑(地名)

I had written the University of Montana two years earlier

愛達荷州--走路穿越華盛頓，愛達荷然後往下到蒙大拿的冰河湖

and said I'd like to go to school there.

當時的兩年前我就已經寫信給蒙大拿大學

I said I'd be there in about two years.

然後說我想要去那裏進修

(Laughter)

我說我大概會在兩年後抵達

And I was there. I showed up in two years and they --

(笑聲)

I tell this story because they really helped me.

然後我到了，我在兩年內到了，然後他們

There are two stories in Montana.

我提及這段經歷，是因為他們真的幫助過我

The first story is I didn't have any money -- that's a sign I used a lot.

在蒙大拿有兩個故事

And they said,"Don't worry about that."

第一個是我當時身無分文，這表示我花太多錢了

The director of the program said, "Come back tomorrow."

然後他們說"你不需要擔心這個"

He gave me 150 dollars,

這個計畫的負責人說"你明天再過來吧"

and he said, "Register for one credit.

他給了我150美元

You're going to go to South America, aren't you?"

然後他說，去註冊一學分吧。

And I said --

你要前往南非，對吧？

Rivers and lakes, the hydrological systems, South America.

然後我回答

So I did that.

河流和湖水，水利系統，南非。

He came back; he said to me,

然後我就這樣做了

"OK John, now that you've registered for that one credit,

他回來，然後對我說

you can have a key to an office, you can matriculate --

好的，約翰，你已經註冊了這個學分。

you're matriculating, so you can use the library.

你可以擁有辦公室的鑰匙

And what we're going to do

你被錄取了，所以你可以使用圖書館

is, we're going to have all of the professors allow you to go to class.

我們接著

They're going to save your grade,

要讓所有的教授允許你可以上課

and when we figure out how to get you the rest of the money,

他們會替你保留分數

then you can register for that class and they'll give you the grade."

當我們想辦法幫你籌到剩下的錢

Wow, they don't do that in graduate schools, I don't think.

你就可以補註冊，他們就會給你成績了。

But I use that story because they really wanted to help me.

哇，他們研究所並不這樣做。我不這樣覺得

They saw that I was really interested in the environment,

我分享這故事是因為他們真心想幫我

and they really wanted to help me along the way.

他們覺得我真的對環境生態很有興趣

And during that time, I actually taught classes without speaking.

他們想要再這方面給我幫助

I had 13 students when I first walked into the class.

在這段時間，我開始授課了，但依舊沒開口說話

I explained, with a friend who could interpret my sign language,

一開始我有13個學生

that I was John Francis, I was walking around the world,

我請一個朋友來解釋我的手勢

I didn't talk and this was the last time

表示我是約翰法蘭西斯, 我在世界上四處行走

this person's going to be here interpreting for me.

我沒說話，而這位朋友

All the students sat around and they went ...

之後不會在這裡替我解譯手勢

(Laughter)

所有的學生散坐四周並且他們開始...

I could see they were looking for the schedule,

(笑聲)

to see when they could get out.

我知道他們正在看時間表

They had to take that class with me.

看看他們何時可以離開

Two weeks later, everyone was trying to get into our class.

但他們必須和我一起共渡這堂課

And I learned in that class -- because I would do things like this ...

兩週後，大家都想要參與我們的課程

and they were all gathered around, going, "What's he trying to say?"

在這堂課裡我學到了，因為我做了一些這樣的事

"I don't know, I think he's talking about clear cutting." "Yeah, clear cutting."

而讓他們全都聚集在這裡，他即將要說些什麼呢

"No, no, no, that's not clear cutting, that's -- he's using a handsaw."

不知道，我想他或許想要說伐木，是的，伐木

"Well, you can't clearcut with a ..."

不，不是伐木，他剛比了手鋸

"Yes, you can clear cut ..."

不，你不可能用它來伐木

"No, I think he's talking about selective forestry."

你當然可以

Now this was a discussion class and we were having a discussion.

不，我想他是在講選擇性林業

I just backed out of that, you know, and I just kind of kept the fists from flying.

現在這成了一個討論課，並且我們正在談論著

But what I learned was that sometimes I would make a sign

我暫不參與這個，我只是讓我的拳頭停止飛舞

and they said things that I absolutely did not mean,

但我知道有時候我會做個手勢

but I should have.

他們就會開始談起一些我從未想過的事

And so what came to me is, if you were a teacher

而我應該要想到的

and you were teaching, if you weren't learning

因此，我知道了如果你是一個老師

you probably weren't teaching very well.

你在授課，如果你不學習

And so I went on.

你可能沒辦法教的很好

My dad came out to see me graduate

因此我持續著

and, you know, I did the deal,

我父親來參加我的畢業典禮

and my father said, "We're really proud of you son, but ... "

碩士帽的穗也撥了

You know what went on,

我父親說"我們真的很以你為傲，但是..."

he said, "You've got to start riding and driving and start talking.

你知道是怎麼一回事

What are you going to do with a master's degree?"

他說"你必須要開始開車並且與人交談，"

I hunched my shoulder, I got my backpack

不然你拿了碩士學位又有何用?"

and I went on to the University of Wisconsin.

我聳了聳肩，我又拿起我的背包

I spent two years there writing on oil spills.

然後我去了威士康辛大學

No one was interested in oil spills.

我在那裡花了兩年的時間寫有關漏油的議題

But something happened --

但沒人有興趣

Exxon Valdez.

但突然間，發生了一些事

And I was the only one in the United States writing on oil spills.

Exxon Valdez(1989年一艘漏油的油輪名字)

My dad came out again.

那時在美國我是唯一撰寫有關漏油議題的人

He said, "I don't know how you do this, son --

我父親再次造訪

I mean, you don't ride in cars, you don't talk.

他說"兒子，我不知道你是怎麼辦到的"

My sister said maybe I should leave you alone,

我是說你既不開車也不說話

because you seem to be doing a lot better

你姑姑說或許我不該給你太多壓力

when you're not saying anything."

因為當你一句話都不說時

(Laughter)

你愈做愈好了

Well, I put on my backpack again.

(笑聲)

I put my banjo on and I walked all the way to the East Coast,

很好，我又再次背起了背包

put my foot in the Atlantic Ocean --

與我的班卓琴，我走到了東岸

it was seven years and one day it took me to walk across the United States.

讓我的雙腳泡進大西洋

And on Earth Day, 1990 --

七年又一天，我穿越了整個美國

the 20th anniversary of Earth Day -- that's when I began to speak.

在1990年的地球日

And that's why I said, "Thank you for being here."

地球日二十週年紀念日，也就是我決定開口的日子

Because it's sort of like that tree in the forest falling;

這就是為何我說"謝謝你們來到這裡"

and if there's no one there to hear, does it really make a sound?

因為這有點像森林裡砍樹

And I'm thanking you, and I'm thanking my family

如果沒有人在這裡聆聽，它真的會有聲音嗎

because they had come to hear me speak.

所以我謝謝你們，也謝謝我的家人

And that's communication.

因為他們特別到場聽我說話

And they also taught me about listening -- that they listened to me.

這就是交流

And it's one of those things that came out of the silence,

並且他們教會我聆聽，他們傾聽我

the listening to each other.

這是在寂靜中很重要的一件事

Really, very important --

那就是互相傾聽

we need to listen to each other.

真的，很重要

Well, my journey kept going on.

我們必須互相傾聽

My dad said, "That's one,"

我的旅程持續著

and I still didn't let that go.

我父親說"就是這裡了"

I worked for the Coastguard, was made a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador.

但我並不想要到此為止

I wrote regulations for the United States --

我成為海巡隊的聯合國親善大使

I mean, I wrote oil spill regulations.

我替美國寫一些條文

20 years ago, if someone had said to me,

我指，關於漏油方面的條文

"John, do you really want to make a difference?"

我指，20年前如果有人告訴過我

"Yeah, I want to make a difference."

約翰，你真的想要做些什麼嗎？

He said, "You just start walking east;

是的，我想要有所作為

get out of your car and just start walking east."

他說"你只需要開始往東走"

And as I walked off a little bit, they'd say, "Yeah, and shut up, too."

下車然後開始往東走

(Laughter)

然後我要離去時，他們接著說"還有！順便閉嘴"

"You're going to make a difference, buddy."

(笑聲)

How could that be, how could that be?

你將大有作為的，兄弟"

How could doing such a simple thing like walking and not talking

這怎麼可能，怎麼會？

make a difference?

怎麼可能僅僅不說話或者走路這麼簡單的事情

Well, my time at the Coast Guard was a really good time.

就可以大有作為

And after that -- I only worked one year --

我在海岸警衛隊的日子是美好的

I said, "That's enough. One year's enough for me to do that."

之後，我只有工作一年

I got on a sailboat and I sailed down to the Caribbean,

我說"夠了，一年已經夠了"

and walked through all of the islands, and to Venezuela.

我搭乘帆船航向加勒比海

And you know, I forgot the most important thing,

並且造訪每個小島，然後到了委內瑞拉

which is why I started talking, which I have to tell you.

然後，我忘了最重要的事

I started talking because I had studied environment.