What do you guys think?

你們覺得怎麼樣？

For those who watched Sir Ken's memorable TED Talk,

看過羅賓森爵士 難忘的 TED 演講的人，

I am a typical example of what he describes

都知道我就是他說的 那種典型的例子，

as "the body as a form of transport for the head,"

「身體只是運送大頭的工具」，

a university professor.

一位大學教授。

You might think it was not fair

你可能會想這實在太不公平，

that I've been lined up to speak after these first two talks

因為我排在這兩位之後

to speak about science.

來講科學的事。

I can't move my body to the beat,

我既不會隨著音樂起舞，

and after a scientist who became a philosopher,

然後又排在一位從科學家 變成哲學家的人之後，

I have to talk about hard science.

我得談論硬科學。

It could be a very dry subject.

真的是很枯燥的題目。

Yet, I feel honored.

但是，我仍感榮幸。

Never in my career,

在我的職業生涯中，

and it's been a long career,

這生涯時間很長，

have I had the opportunity to start a talk

從沒有像這場這樣，

feeling so inspired, like this one.

在演講之前就感覺如此激勵人心。

Usually, talking about science

通常，談科學

is like exercising in a dry place.

就像在乾地上運動一樣。

However, I've had the pleasure

然而，我很榮幸

of being invited to come here to talk about water.

被邀請來這裡談一談水。

The words "water" and "dry" do not match, right?

「水」與「乾」這兩個 字湊不在一起，對吧？

It is even better to talk about water in the Amazon,

談亞馬遜的水更好，

which is the splendid cradle of life. Fresh life.

那是孕育著豐富生命的地方。 新的生命。

So this is what inspired me.

這就是啟發我的東西。

That's why I'm here, although I'm carrying

那就是為什麼我在這裡，

my head over here.

雖然我其實是頂著大頭來的。

I am trying, or will try to convey this inspiration.

我正試著，或者說 我會試著傳達我的感動。

I hope this story will inspire you and that you'll spread the word.

我希望這個故事會啟發你， 因而廣傳我的想法。

We know that there is controversy.

我們都知道有個爭議存在。

The Amazon is the "lung of the world,"

亞馬遜是世界的肺，

because of its massive power to have vital gases exchanged

因為它強大的功能，在森林與大氣間

between the forest and the atmosphere.

交換維生氣體。

We also hear about the storehouse of biodiversity.

我們也聽過它是生物多樣性的寶庫。

While many believe it,

雖然很多人相信這樣的說法，

few know it.

卻很少人真正了解它。

If you go out there, in this marsh,

如果你去那裡，在這片沼澤地，

you'll be amazed at the --

你會很驚異地發現，

You can barely see the animals.

你看不到太多動物。

The Indians say, "The forest has more eyes than leaves."

印地安人說： 「森林裡的眼睛比樹葉還多。」

That is true, and I will try to show you something.

那是真的，我會試著證明給你看。

But today, I'm going to use a different approach,

但是今天，我要從不同的方法來看，

one that is inspired by these two initiatives here,

是被這兩個倡議所啟發的方法，

a harmonic one and a philosophical one.

即「和諧」與「哲學」。

I'll try to use an approach that's slightly materialistic,

我要試著用帶點唯物論的方法，

but it also attempts to convey that, in nature, there is

但也要試著表達出在自然界

extraordinary philosophy and harmony.

的確有非凡的哲學與和諧。

There'll be no music in my presentation,

我的演講裡沒有音樂，

but I hope you'll all notice the music of the reality I'm going to show you.

但我希望你們能注意到 我給你們看的現實裡的音樂。

I'm going to talk about physiology — not about lungs,

我要跟各位談談生理學，不是肺，

but other analogies with human physiology,

而是一些與人類生理相似的推論，

especially the heart.

特別是心。

We'll start

我們首先...

by thinking that water is like blood.

從把水想成血液開始。

The circulation in our body distributes fresh blood,

我們體內的循環分送新鮮的血液，

which feeds, nurtures and supports us,

供養及支持我們，

and brings the used blood back to be renewed.

並把用過的血液帶回去重生。

In the Amazon, things happen similarly.

在亞馬遜，情況也很類似。

We'll start by talking about the power of all these processes.

我們從這些過程的能量開始談。

This is an image

這是降雨情形的影像。

of rain in motion.

你在這看見的是以秒計的多年數據。

What you see there is the years passing in seconds.

全世界的降雨情形。 你觀察到什麼？

Rains all over the world. What do you see?

赤道一帶，一般而言，

The equatorial region, in general,

尤其是亞馬遜，

and the Amazon specifically,

對全球氣候極為重要。

is extremely important for the world's climate.

這是個強有力的引擎。

It's a powerful engine.

超多的蒸發作用在那裡發生。

There is a frantic evaporation taking place here.

如果我們看一下這張圖，

If we take a look at this other image,

上面顯出水蒸氣的流向，

which shows the water vapor flow,

黑的是乾空氣，溼氣以灰表示，

you have dry air in black, moist air in gray,

白色的是雲。

and clouds in white.

你在上面看到的是 亞馬遜地區超大的餘湧。

What you see there is an extraordinary resurgence in the Amazon.

如果這不是沙漠，

What phenomenon -- if it's not a desert,

是什麼現象能讓水從地面湧向大氣，

what phenomenon makes water gush from the ground into the atmosphere

如此大的力量，太空中都看的到？

with such power that it can be seen from space?

這是什麼現象？

What phenomenon is this?

可能是間歇泉。

It could be a geyser.

間歇泉是地底下的水被岩漿加熱，

A geyser is underground water heated by magma,

噴到大氣中，

exploding into the atmosphere

並將水轉移至大氣。

and transferring this water into the atmosphere.

亞馬遜裡沒有間歇泉， 除非我搞錯了，

There are no geysers in the Amazon, unless I am wrong.

據我所知沒有。

I don't know of any.

但我們有種東西扮演很類似的角色，

But we have something that plays the same role,

更優雅就是了：

with much more elegance though:

樹，我們認識已久的好朋友，

the trees, our good old friends

就像間歇泉般，

that, like geysers,

可以從地面轉移巨量的水到大氣中。

can transfer an enormous amount of water from the ground into the atmosphere.

亞馬遜森林裡有六千億棵樹，

There are 600 billion trees in the Amazon forest, 600 billion geysers.

也就是六千億個間歇泉，

That is done with an extraordinary sophistication.

非常複雜的機制在操控著。

They don't need the heat of magma.

它們不需要岩漿的熱氣。

They use sunlight to do this process.

它們用日光來完成這個過程。

So, in a typical sunny day in the Amazon,

所以，在亞馬遜， 在一個平常陽光燦爛的日子，

a big tree manages to transfer 1,000 liters of water

一棵大樹能透過它的蒸散作用，

through its transpiration --

轉移一千公升的水——

1,000 liters.

一千公升。

If we take all the Amazon,

如果我們把整個亞馬遜，

which is a very large area,

那是很大的一塊地方，

and add it up to all that water that is released by transpiration,

所有蒸散作用的水都加起來，

which is the sweat of the forest,

也就是森林流出的汗水，

we'll get to an incredible number:

我們會得到一個嚇死人的數字：

20 billion metric tons of water.

二百億公噸的水。

In one day.

這是一天的量。

Do you know how much that is?

你知道這到底有多大量嗎？

The Amazon River, the largest river on Earth,

亞馬遜河，地球上最大的河，

one fifth of all the fresh water

佔了五分之一的全球淡水，

that leaves the continents of the whole world and ends up in the oceans,

就是從各個大陸流入海的淡水，

dumps 17 billion metric tons of water a day in the Atlantic Ocean.

每天要倒十七億公噸的水進大西洋。

This river of vapor

而這條水氣之河，

that comes up from the forest and goes into the atmosphere

源自森林排入大氣，

is greater than the Amazon River.

比亞馬遜河還大。

Just to give you an idea.

給你一點概念。

If we could take a gigantic kettle,

假設我們拿一個巨大的水壺，

the kind you could plug into a power socket, an electric one,

你能直接插電的那種電熱瓶，

and put those 20 billion metric tons of water in it,

把那二百億公噸的水倒進去，

how much power would you need to have this water evaporated?

你要花多少電力才能讓這些水蒸發？

Any idea? A really big kettle.

有概念嗎？一個很大的水壺。

A gigantic kettle, right?

超大的水壺，對吧？

50 thousand Itaipus.

五萬座伊泰普。

Itaipu is still the largest hydroelectric plant in the world.

伊泰普仍是世上最大的水力發電廠。

and Brazil is very proud of it

巴西非常引以為傲，

because it provides more than 30 percent of the power

因為它提供的電力

that is consumed in Brazil.

超過巴西總用電量的 30%。

And the Amazon is here, doing this for free.

亞馬遜就在這裡免費做這個。

It's a vivid and extremely powerful plant, providing environmental services.

這是個活生生又極強大的電廠， 提供著環境服務。

Related to this subject,

與這個主題有關，

we are going to talk about what I call the paradox of chance,

我們要來談談機會的謬論，

which is curious.

這很奇特。

If you look at the world map --

如果你看這幅世界地圖，

it's easy to see this --

你很容易看見

you'll see that there are forests in the equatorial zone,

在赤道帶有森林，

and deserts are organized at 30 degrees north latitude,

沙漠則聚在北緯 30 度

30 degrees south latitude, aligned.

及南緯 30 度，排成一直線。

Look over there, in the southern hemisphere, the Atacama;

看這裡，在南半球，亞他加馬沙漠；

Namibia and Kalahari in Africa; the Australian desert.

非洲的納米比亞及喀拉哈里； 澳洲的沙漠。

In the northern hemisphere, the Sahara, Sonoran, etc.

在北半球，撒哈拉、 索諾蘭沙漠等等。

There is an exception, and it's curious:

只有一個例外，而這很奇特：

It's the quadrangle that ranges from Cuiabá to Buenos Aires,

這是個四邊形， 從庫亞巴到布宜諾斯艾利斯，

and from São Paulo to the Andes.

從聖保羅到安地斯。

This quadrangle was supposed to be a desert.

這個四邊形應該是座沙漠。

It's on the line of deserts.

它就位在沙漠帶上。

Why isn't it? That's why I call it the paradox of chance.

但為什麼不是？這就是為什麼 我稱它為機會的謬論。

What do we have in South America that is different?

我們在南美有什麼不一樣的東西？

If we could use the analogy

如果我們能拿

of the blood circulating in our bodies,

我們體內的血液循環，

like the water circulating in the landscape,

就像水在大地的循環，

we see that rivers are veins,

我們就能視河流為靜脈，

they drain the landscape, they drain the tissue of nature.

它們耗盡大地， 它們耗盡自然的組織。

Where are the arteries?

那麼動脈在哪裡？

Any guess?

猜到了嗎？

What takes --

要拿什麼—

How does water get to irrigate the tissues of nature

水如何灌溉大自然的組織

and bring everything back through rivers?

然後把所有東西再經河流帶回去？

There is a new type of river,

有一種新型的河流，

which originates in the blue sea,

從藍藍大海發源，

which flows through the green ocean --

流過綠色的樹海，

it not only flows, but it is also pumped by the green ocean --

不只是流過而已， 綠色的樹海還抽取它，

and then it falls on our land.

然後掉落在我們的土地上。

All our economy, that quadrangle,

我們所有的經濟，那片四邊形，

70 percent of South America's GDP comes from that area.

70% 的南美國內生產毛額 都從那個地區來。

It depends on this river.

它仰賴這條河。

This river flows invisibly above us.

這條河在我們頭上無形地流過。

We are floating here on this floating hotel,

我們就漂在一條河上面， 這個旅館也漂在上面，

on one of the largest rivers on Earth, the Negro River.

漂在地球上最大的河流之一， 尼格羅河之上。

It's a bit dry and rough, but we are floating here,

現在是有一點乾， 但我們是在其上漂浮，

and there is this invisible river running above us.

而且還有這條看不見的河 在我們頭上流過。

This river has a pulse.

這條河有脈博。

Here it is, pulsing.

就在這裡，跳動著。

That's why we also talk about the heart.

這就是為什麼我們也要談談心。

You can see the different seasons there.

你可以看見那裡有不同的季節。

There's the rainy season. In the Amazon, we used to have two seasons,

這裡有雨季。在亞馬遜， 我們很習慣兩種季節，

the humid season and the even more humid season.

濕季及更濕的濕季。

Now we have a dry season.

現在我們居然有乾季。

You can see the river covering that region

你可以看見流經那個區域的河流，

which, otherwise, would be a desert. And it is not.

那區本應是個沙漠，卻沒有。

We, scientists -- You see that I'm struggling here

我們科學家... 你看我在這裡掙扎著

to move my head from one side to the other.

要把頭從這邊轉到那邊。 （注：羅賓森爵士的演講）

Scientists study how it works, why, etc.

科學家研究這如何運作， 為什麼發生等等，

and these studies are generating a series of discoveries,

而這些研究會產生一系列

which are absolutely fabulous,

美妙絕倫的發現，

to raise our awareness of the wealth,

提高我們對財富、複雜度

the complexity, and the wonder that we have,

及我們所擁有的奇蹟的意識，

the symphony we have in this process.

我們在這過程中所擁有的和諧上。

One of them is: How is rain formed?

其中之一的研究是： 雨是如何形成的？

Above the Amazon, there is clean air,

在亞馬遜之上是乾淨的空氣，

as there is clean air above the ocean.

就像海洋上有乾淨的空氣一樣。

The blue sea has clean air above it and forms pretty few clouds;

蔚藍的海上方有乾淨的空氣， 很少有雲形成；

there's almost no rain there.

那裡幾乎沒有雨。

The green ocean has the same clean air, but forms a lot of rain.

綠色的樹海一樣有乾淨的空氣， 但是會形成很多的雨。

What is happening here that is different?

是什麼產生不一樣的結果？

The forest emits smells,

森林排放氣味，

and these smells are condensation nuclei,

這些氣味是雲凝結核，

which form drops in the atmosphere.

在大氣中形成雨滴。

Then, clouds are formed and there is torrential rain.

雲因此形成，產生大豪雨。

The sprinkler of the Garden of Eden.

伊甸園的灑水器。

This relation between a living thing, which is the forest,

生物，即森林，

and a nonliving thing, which is the atmosphere,

與無生物，即大氣，之間的關係，

is ingenious in the Amazon,

在亞馬遜是巧妙無比的。

because the forest provides water and seeds,

因為森林提供水與種子，

and the atmosphere forms the rain and gives water back,

而大氣形成雨，再把水還回來，

guaranteeing the forest's survival.

保障了森林的存活。

There are other factors as well.

還有其它的因素。

We've talked a little about the heart,

我們談了一點心，

and let's now talk about another function: the liver!

現在讓我們談談另一個官能：肝！

When humid air, high humidity and radiation are combined

當濕空氣、高溼度及輻射

with these organic compounds,

與這些有機化合物結合在一起，

which I call exogenous vitamin C, generous vitamin C in the form of gas,

我稱這些為外生的維他命 C， 大量的維他命 C 以氣體存在，

the plants release antioxidants

植物就釋放抗氧化劑

which react with pollutants.

與汙染物相互作用。

You can rest assured

你可以大大放心，

that you are breathing the purest air on Earth, here in the Amazon,

你在亞馬遜這裡吸進的 是地球上最純的空氣，

because the plants take care of this characteristic as well.

因為植物也照顧了這個特性。

This benefits the very way plants work,

這對植物本身的工作也非常有益，

which is another ingenious cycle.

而這又是另一個巧妙的循環。

Speaking of fractals,

要講碎形理論，

and their relation with the way we work,

及它們與身體運作方式的關聯，

we can establish other comparisons.

我們還能作出其它的比較。

As in the upper airways of our lungs,

就像我們肺部的上呼吸道，

the air in the Amazon gets cleaned up from the excess of dust.

亞馬遜也要清除空氣中過量的粉塵。

The dust in the air that we breathe is cleaned by our airways.

我們的氣道會清除吸進的空氣粉塵。

This keeps the excess of dust from affecting the rainfall.

如此，過量的粉塵才不會影響降雨。

When there are fires in the Amazon,

亞馬遜有火災的時候，

the smoke stops the rain, it stops raining,

煙霧會阻擋降雨，就不下雨了，

the forest dries up and catches fire.

森林會乾枯，著火。

There is another fractal analogy.

還有一個碎形類比。

Like in the veins and arteries,

就像靜脈與動脈，

the rain water is a feedback.

雨水也是一種反饋。

It returns to the atmosphere.

它回歸到大氣。

Like endocrinal glands and hormones,

就像內分泌腺與荷爾蒙，

there are those gases which I told you about before,

有一些氣體，我剛剛提過的，

that are formed and released into the atmosphere, like hormones,

會在大氣中形成、釋放， 就像荷爾蒙，

which help in the formation of rain.

它們會幫助形成雨。

Like the liver and the kidneys, as I've said, cleaning the air.

又好比肝與腎，我之前說了， 會清淨空氣。

And, finally, like the heart:

而最後，就像心臟：

pumping water from outside, from the sea,

從外面泵水，從海洋，

into the forest.

進入森林。

We call it the biotic moisture pump,

我們稱它為生物性水氣泵，

a new theory that is explained in a very simple way.