I just returned from the event “Science for Peace”, which was held in Milan from the 20th to the 21stNovember. The conference was sponsored and organised by the Fondazione Veronesi. Overall: a very interesting mix of voices and perspectives. I left the conference with the unpleasant feeling that if only words were truly matched with action, we would live in a fabulous world. This is evidently not the case. Although the upcoming climate negotiations in Copenhagen were not the main focus of the conference, many references were made in that sense by the various speakers. Indeed, it was argued, Copenhagen represents the venue where to link science and peace.
我刚刚从11月20号和21号在米兰召开的“和平科学”大会上回来。大会是由Fondazione Veronesi组织赞助的。这里汇集了许多有趣的声音和观点。我离开大会的时候感觉却不那么愉快:如果人们言行都能够一致,这个世界该有多美好!但很明显,事实并非如此。尽管即将到来的哥本哈根气候大会并不是这次会议的重点,但许多演讲者都提到了一点。事实上,正如他们争论过的,哥本哈根就是那个连接科学与和平的地方。
Among all the interventions and speeches I heard in Milan, there are two that had profound impact on me (to the extent I can remember the speakers’ words without even consulting my notes!): Harold Walter Kroto, Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1996, and Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Prize for Peace in 2003.
在所有我在米兰听到的争论和演说中,有两个人的声音深深地打动了我(以至于我不用翻看笔记都能记得他们说过的话):Harold Walter Kroto, 1996年诺贝尔化学奖获得者, 和 Shirin Ebadi, 2003年诺贝尔和平奖获得者。
Have you ever seen a picture of Albert Einstein? I would imagine so. And let me guess: you saw the picture of the crazy scientist, with his white hair and glasses, looking amazingly genial, almost an alien. Instead, Harold Walter Kroto showed us a different picture: it portrayed a young and handsome Albert Einstein, who could have been any of the students that were sitting in the conference hall, smiling at the speaker: Albert’s hair was still black, his eyes sparkling with excitement, hope, ideas. We are constantly told these men and women made history. It is true, but we forget that they have been young adults like us. They had ideals, they had the right initiative, the right knowledge, and they used all these elements to change the world. If they did it, we can do it as well.
你见过阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦的照片吗?我想那是肯定的。让我猜猜你看到了什么:一个疯子科学家,留着白胡子,戴着眼镜,看上去令人惊异地亲切,就像个外星人!相反,Harold Walter Kroto展示给我们的是另外一幅面孔:他就像个年轻英俊的爱因斯坦,和任何一个坐在会议厅里的学生一样,微笑着看着演讲者:“爱因斯坦”的头发还是黑的,他的眼睛闪耀着兴奋、希望和想法。我们一直被教导这些人创造过历史,那确实没错,但我们忘了他们也曾经和我们一样年轻。他们也有过想法,有过正确的动机和知识,他们用了他们所有的力量来改变这个世界。如果他们可以,那我们也可以。
Then, Shirin Ebadi: this fantastic woman who won a Nobel Peace Prize, had to fight against the regime in her country, is currently threatened for what she says and does, and has to continuously move and stay away from her home and the people she loves. She was asked by a student how and where she finds the strength to keep on fighting, especially in a world that does only worsen and never improves. She answered that your life only makes sense once you find the way to direct it towards realising your dreams. If you dream of a better world, you should act for improving the world you live in. If you dream of a place in which women can fully enjoy their rights, then you should act for promoting women’s rights. If you dream of a planet in which nature is respected, you should start by respecting nature yourself, and then work for ensuring other people do the same. It may sound utopian, you may think you are too small and insignificant for realising your dreams in this world, in which, anyway, there are too many problems that need to be fought against. But do you see any other way?
然后是SAhirin Ebadi: 这个获得诺贝尔和平奖的奇异女人,曾经和她的国家的政权抗争,现在却因为她的言行而遭到威胁。她被迫流亡,远离她的国家和她深爱的人民。曾经有她的学生问她,你是如何,又从哪里找到不断抗争的力量。她说你的生命只有在你找到实现你梦想的方向时才有意义。如果你梦想一个更美好的世界,你就应该行动起来改进你所生活的世界。如果你梦想一个妇女可以充分享有她们权益的国家,你就应该行动起来去提高妇女的地位。如果你梦想一个尊重自然的星球,那么你就应该开始行动起来,尊重自然,从自己做起,并且保证其他人也这么做。这听起来有点乌托邦,你可能觉得在这个世界上,你太渺小太微不足道,不足以实现你的梦想。不管怎样,这个世界总有太多的问题需要我们去解决。但是,我们还有其他选择吗?
Ask yourself what is your dream now, and do the best you can for making it true.
This is the message that was written at the front of my mind when I left Milan at the end of that amazing weekend of November. This is the message I hope you will all keep in mind during and after Copenhagen.
问问你自己你的梦想是什么,然后尽你所能去让它实现。
这就是当我在那个令人惊异的11月的周末离开米兰时写进我脑海里的信息;这就是我希望你们所有人,在哥本哈根,以及从那以后,都可以记在脑子里的话。
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注–本文作者为G-1Billion特别记者 Beatrice Mosello,
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