ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Robin Nagle - Trash anthropologist
Robin Nagle is an anthropologist with a very particular focus... garbage.

Why you should listen

Robin Nagle has been the anthropologist-in-residence at the Department of Sanitation in New York City since 2006.

Nagle's fascination with trash stems from her desire to understand the all-too-often invisible infrastructure that guides the flow of garbage through a megalopolis like New York. After all, the city produces 11,000 tons of rubbish each day... and all of that has to be dealt with somewhere and by someone. If not, damaging health problems and consequences for all. So why do sanitation workers experience such stigma, all too often scorned and berated while on the job? Nagle, who is also director of NYU's Draper Interdisciplinary Master's program in humanities and social thought, determined to find out. She got her sanitation worker license and has spent much time with workers on the job, getting an up-close view of the city's garbage and the systems in place to deal with it. 

Her book, Picking Up: On the Streets and Behind the Trucks with the Sanitation Workers of New York City was published in 2013 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. See also the profile of her work -- and a photoessay of her favorite places in New York City.

More profile about the speaker
Robin Nagle | Speaker | TED.com
TEDCity2.0

Robin Nagle: What I discovered in New York City trash

罗宾·内格尔: 我在纽约垃圾中的发现

Filmed:
1,728,898 views

纽约市民每天产出1万1千吨的垃圾。每天!这惊人的统计数据只是罗宾·内格尔之所以开始与纽约环卫局合作研究的原因之一。她自己沿途清理垃圾,操纵机械扫帚,甚至自己开垃圾车。她所能回答的听似简单其实复杂的问题是:谁在清理我们留下的垃圾?
- Trash anthropologist
Robin Nagle is an anthropologist with a very particular focus... garbage. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
I was about 10 years年份 old
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我10岁左右的时候,
00:14
on a camping露营 trip with my dad
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有一次和爸爸一起去
00:16
in the Adirondack阿迪朗达克 Mountains, a wilderness荒野 area
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阿第伦达克山脉露营。那是一片
00:19
in the northern北方 part部分 of New York纽约 State.
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位于纽约州北部的野生地带。
00:22
It was a beautiful美丽 day.
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那天天气特别好。
00:23
The forest森林 was sparkling闪闪发光的.
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森林里处处闪闪发光。
00:25
The sun太阳 made制作 the leaves树叶 glow辉光 like stained染色 glass玻璃,
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阳光照耀下,树叶闪闪地象晶莹的彩色玻璃。
00:28
and if it weren't for the path路径 we were following以下,
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如果没有脚下的小路,
00:32
we could almost几乎 pretend假装 we were
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我们完全可以假装我们是
00:33
the first human人的 beings众生 to ever walk步行 that land土地.
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首批到达这片树林的人类。
00:37
We got to our campsite营地.
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我们最终到达了我们的营地。
00:38
It was a lean-to on a bluff虚张声势
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那是一个在悬崖上的营地,
00:40
looking over a crystal水晶, beautiful美丽 lake,
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可以向下俯瞰一个水晶般晶莹美丽的湖泊。
00:43
when I discovered发现 a horror恐怖.
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后来我却发现了很糟糕的事。
00:46
Behind背后 the lean-to was a dump倾倒,
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就在悬崖营地的后面,
00:49
maybe 40 feet square广场
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有个足足有 40 英尺见方的大垃圾堆。
00:50
with rotting腐烂 apple苹果 cores核心
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里面有烂苹果核、
00:53
and balled-up揉成团行动 aluminum foil挫败,
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用过的铝箔纸、
00:54
and a dead sneaker运动鞋.
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和破旧的运动鞋。
00:56
And I was astonished惊讶,
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我当时非常吃惊,
00:59
I was very angry愤怒, and I was deeply confused困惑.
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非常生气,也非常非常困惑。
01:02
The campers营员们 who were too lazy
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来露营的人实在太懒了,
01:04
to take out what they had brought in,
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连自己带来的垃圾都不肯收拾。
01:06
who did they think would clean清洁 up after them?
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他们觉得谁会替他们清理善后呢?
01:09
That question stayed with me,
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这个问题一直困扰着我。
01:11
and it simplified a little.
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成了一个更精练的问题。
01:13
Who cleans清理 up after us?
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谁来清理我们留下的垃圾?
01:16
However然而 you configure配置
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但是你可以把这个问题
01:17
or wherever哪里 you place地点 the us,
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放在任何你生活的地方。
01:19
who cleans清理 up after us in Istanbul伊斯坦布尔?
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在伊斯坦布清理我们留下的垃圾?
01:21
Who cleans清理 up after us in Rio里约热内卢
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在里约清理我们留下的垃圾?
01:24
or in Paris巴黎 or in London伦敦?
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在巴黎或伦敦呢?
01:26
Here in New York纽约,
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在纽约,这里,
01:28
the Department of Sanitation卫生 cleans清理 up after us,
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是环卫部门清理我们留下的
01:30
to the tune of 11,000 tons of garbage垃圾
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多达11,000吨的垃圾
01:33
and 2,000 tons of recyclables可回收 every一切 day.
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和每天2000吨的可回收垃圾。
01:37
I wanted to get to know them as individuals个人.
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我个人想去了解这些环卫工人,
01:40
I wanted to understand理解 who takes the job工作.
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我想知道谁在做这样的工作。
01:43
What's it like to wear穿 the uniform制服
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穿上环卫服
01:45
and bear that burden负担?
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承担起这份责任的感觉是什么样?
01:47
So I started开始 a research研究 project项目 with them.
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所以我开始了一项关于环卫工人的研究课题。
01:50
I rode骑着车 in the trucks卡车 and walked the routes路线
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我坐在垃圾车上,沿着收垃圾的路线,
01:52
and interviewed采访 people in offices办事处 and facilities设备
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采访全纽约在办公室和工作现场
01:55
all over the city,
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的环卫人员。
01:56
and I learned学到了 a lot,
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我学到了很多,
01:58
but I was still an outsider局外人.
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但我仍然是个局外人。
02:00
I needed需要 to go deeper更深.
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我需要更深入地了解。
02:02
So I took the job工作 as a sanitation卫生 worker工人.
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于是我真的找了份环卫工人的工作。
02:05
I didn't just ride in the trucks卡车 now. I drove开车 the trucks卡车.
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现在我不仅仅是坐在垃圾车里,我开着垃圾车。
02:08
And I operated操作 the mechanical机械 brooms扫帚 and I plowed the snow.
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我自己操纵着电动扫帚扫大街、在路上铲雪。
02:11
It was a remarkable卓越 privilege特权
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那可是一种非凡的特权,
02:13
and an amazing惊人 education教育.
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也是令人叹服的受教育过程。
02:16
Everyone大家 asks about the smell.
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每个人都会问到垃圾臭味。
02:18
It's there, but it's not as prevalent流行 as you think,
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是有臭味,但它不是你想的那样糟糕。
02:21
and on days when it is really bad,
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有的时候气味确实很臭。
02:22
you get used to it rather quickly很快.
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但你很快就会适应了。
02:25
The weight重量 takes a long time to get used to.
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垃圾的重量却需要很长时间来适应。
02:28
I knew知道 people who were several一些 years年份 on the job工作
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我就知道即使有几年工作经验的熟练工,
02:30
whose谁的 bodies身体 were still adjusting调整 to the burden负担
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他们的身体还试着在
02:33
of bearing轴承 on your body身体
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适应每周
02:35
tons of trash垃圾 every一切 week.
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成吨的垃圾。
02:38
Then there's the danger危险.
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那么这里面就存在着风险。
02:40
According根据 to the Bureau of Labor劳动 Statistics统计,
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跟据劳动统计局的报告,
02:43
sanitation卫生 work is one of the 10 most dangerous危险
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环卫工作是美国
02:45
occupations职业 in the country国家,
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十大最危险工种之一。
02:47
and I learned学到了 why.
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我后来慢慢明白了为什么。
02:49
You're in and out of traffic交通 all day,
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你整天都在路上,
02:50
and it's zooming缩放 around you.
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就身处车流之中。
02:51
It just wants to get past过去 you, so it's often经常
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来往的车辆只想着超过你,
02:53
the motorist司机 is not paying付款 attention注意.
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开车的人往往不够小心。
02:55
That's really bad for the worker工人.
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对环卫工人来说,这实在太糟糕了。
02:57
And then the garbage垃圾 itself本身 is full充分 of hazards危害
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还有呢,垃圾本身就充满了毒害,
02:59
that often经常 fly back out of the truck卡车
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这些毒物经常会从垃圾车里飘出,
03:01
and do terrible可怕 harm危害.
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造成可怕的伤害。
03:03
I also learned学到了 about the relentlessness义无反顾 of trash垃圾.
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我还了解到垃圾的残酷和可怕。
03:06
When you step off the curb抑制
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当你走下路沿,
03:07
and you see a city from behind背后 a truck卡车,
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在环卫车旁观察一个城市,
03:10
you come to understand理解 that trash垃圾
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你会慢慢认识到垃圾
03:12
is like a force of nature性质 unto itself本身.
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真的就像大自然本身的力量。
03:14
It never stops停止 coming未来.
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它从来都是源源而来的。
03:17
It's also like a form形成 of respiration呼吸 or circulation循环.
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它也像呼吸或循环的一种形式。
03:20
It must必须 always be in motion运动.
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它总是在动态中。
03:23
And then there's the stigma柱头.
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最后一点,环卫工人被污名化。
03:25
You put on the uniform制服, and you become成为 invisible无形
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当你穿上环卫制服,你被视而不见了。
03:28
until直到 someone有人 is upset烦乱 with you for whatever随你 reason原因
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直到有人找到什么理由难为你,
03:31
like you've blocked受阻 traffic交通 with your truck卡车,
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嫌你的环卫车阻碍交通呀,
03:33
or you're taking服用 a break打破 too close to their home,
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嫌你在离他们家很近的地方休息呀,
03:36
or you're drinking coffee咖啡 in their diner餐车,
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嫌你在他们的小餐馆喝咖啡呀。
03:39
and they will come and scorn轻蔑 you,
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他们会走过来嘲笑你,
03:41
and tell you that they don't want you anywhere随地 near them.
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告诉你离他们远点。
03:44
I find the stigma柱头 especially特别 ironic具有讽刺意味,
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我觉得这样的污名化非常地可笑,
03:47
because I strongly非常 believe that sanitation卫生 workers工人
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因为我坚信环卫工人们
03:50
are the most important重要 labor劳动 force
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是城市街道上的
03:52
on the streets街道 of the city, for three reasons原因.
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最重要的劳动力。 原因有三点。
03:55
They are the first guardians监护人 of public上市 health健康.
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他们是公共卫生的第一道屏障。
03:58
If they're not taking服用 away trash垃圾
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如果他们每天不
04:00
efficiently有效率的 and effectively有效 every一切 day,
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高效迅速地清理垃圾的话,
04:02
it starts启动 to spill out of its containments安全壳,
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垃圾会从容器中泄露,
04:05
and the dangers危险 inherent固有 to it threaten威胁 us
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它本身的毒害会以一种非常真实的方式
04:09
in very real真实 ways方法.
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威胁到我们的生活。
04:10
Diseases疾病 we've我们已经 had in check for decades几十年 and centuries百年
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我们经过数个世纪和数十年攻克的疾病
04:13
burst爆裂 forth向前 again and start开始 to harm危害 us.
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会再次爆发,开始威胁我们的健康。
04:16
The economy经济 needs需求 them.
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(第二)国民经济需要环卫工人。
04:17
If we can't throw out the old stuff东东,
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如果我们不丢掉旧的东西,
04:20
we have no room房间 for the new stuff东东,
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我们就没有空间装新的东西。
04:22
so then the engines引擎 of the economy经济
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那样的话,经济的引擎
04:24
start开始 to sputter溅射 when consumption消费 is compromised妥协.
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就会停歇,因为人们的消费减少了。
04:27
I'm not advocating主张 capitalism资本主义, I'm just pointing指点 out their relationship关系.
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我不主张资本主义,我在这里只是指出它们的关系。
04:31
And then there's what I call
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(第三个原因)就是我称之为
04:33
our average平均, necessary必要 quotidian瘴气 velocity速度.
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我们平均、 必要、经常性的活动速度。
04:37
By that I simply只是 mean
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我的意思是说
04:39
how fast快速 we're used to moving移动
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在如今的年代和日子里,我们是如此地
04:41
in the contemporary现代的 day and age年龄.
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习惯于奔忙。
04:43
We usually平时 don't care关心 for, repair修理, clean清洁, carry携带 around
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我们通常不会在意、修理、 清洁、 随身携带
04:48
our coffee咖啡 cup杯子, our shopping购物 bag,
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我们的咖啡杯,购物袋
04:51
our bottle瓶子 of water.
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和水瓶。
04:52
We use them, we throw them out, we forget忘记 about them,
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我们使用它们,然后扔掉它们,然后忘掉他们,
04:55
because we know there's a workforce劳动力
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因为我们知道会有一支工作队伍
04:57
on the other side that's going to take it all away.
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在一旁把这些东西清理掉。
05:00
So I want to suggest建议 today今天 a couple一对 of ways方法
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所以今天我想建议大家去
05:02
to think about sanitation卫生 that will perhaps也许 help
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想想环卫工人的处境,
05:07
ameliorate改善 the stigma柱头
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也许能够帮助他们正名。
05:09
and bring带来 them into this conversation会话
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把他们请来参与谈论
05:12
of how to craft手艺 a city that is sustainable可持续发展 and humane人道.
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如何建设一个可持续的人道的城市。
05:17
Their work, I think, is kind of liturgical礼拜式的.
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我认为他们的工作是很崇高的,
05:21
They're on the streets街道 every一切 day, rhythmically节奏.
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他们每天按时地辛勤地在街上工作。
05:24
They wear穿 a uniform制服 in many许多 cities城市.
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在很多城市他们穿着环卫服不停工作。
05:26
You know when to expect期望 them.
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你知道他们会准时来清理垃圾。
05:28
And their work lets让我们 us do our work.
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是他们使我们可以安心于自己的工作。
05:32
They are almost几乎 a form形成 of reassurance放心.
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他们几乎成了安心工作的保证。
05:34
The flow that they maintain保持
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他们所保持的工作流量
05:36
keeps保持 us safe安全 from ourselves我们自己,
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让我们自身安全无忧,
05:38
from our own拥有 dross浮渣, our cast-offs投取舍,
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而不必担心我们剩下的糟粕和垃圾。
05:41
and that flow must必须 be maintained保持 always
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这样的工作流量不管怎样
05:44
no matter what.
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都需要保持稳定性。
05:46
On the day after September九月 11 in 2001,
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2001年9月11日的第二天,
05:49
I heard听说 the growl吠声 of a sanitation卫生 truck卡车 on the street,
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我听着街上环卫卡车咆哮而来,
05:53
and I grabbed抓起 my infant婴儿 son儿子 and I ran downstairs楼下
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我拉着年幼的儿子跑下楼。
05:55
and there was a man doing his paper recycling回收 route路线
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有个回收报纸的工人
05:58
like he did every一切 Wednesday星期三.
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正在做他每周三都做的工作。
06:00
And I tried试着 to thank him for doing his work
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我要感谢他做的这些工作
06:02
on that day of all days,
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在那么特殊的日子里,
06:05
but I started开始 to cry.
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但我忍不住哭了起来。
06:07
And he looked看着 at me,
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他望着我,
06:09
and he just nodded点头, and he said,
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只是点点头,然后说,
06:12
"We're going to be okay.
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"我们会没事的。
06:15
We're going to be okay."
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我们会没事的。“
06:18
It was a little while later后来 that I started开始
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后来在我刚刚开始
06:19
my research研究 with sanitation卫生,
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研究环卫工作的时候,
06:20
and I met会见 that man again.
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我再次遇见了那个人。
06:22
His name名称 is Paulie保利, and we worked工作 together一起 many许多 times,
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他的名字叫保利,我们多次一起工作过,
06:25
and we became成为 good friends朋友.
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还成为了好朋友。
06:27
I want to believe that Paulie保利 was right.
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我愿意相信保利的话是对的。
06:29
We are going to be okay.
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我们会没事的。
06:32
But in our effort功夫 to reconfigure重新配置
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但我们作为这个星球的一份子,
06:34
how we as a species种类 exist存在 on this planet行星,
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我们需要努力地进行重建。
06:37
we must必须 include包括 and take account帐户 of
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我们必须考虑到
06:40
all the costs成本, including包含 the very real真实 human人的 cost成本
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所有的消耗,包括非常现实的劳动力
06:44
of the labor劳动.
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消耗。
06:45
And we also would be well informed通知
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而且我们需要更好地了解情况,
06:48
to reach达到 out to the people who do that work
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和各行业的
06:50
and get their expertise专门知识
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专家交流
06:52
on how do we think about,
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我们自己的看法,
06:54
how do we create创建 systems系统 around sustainability可持续性
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关于如何建立一个可持续发展体系的看法。
06:57
that perhaps也许 take us from curbside路边 recycling回收,
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这或许把我们从街道垃圾回收,
07:01
which哪一个 is a remarkable卓越 success成功 across横过 40 years年份,
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这个成功地走过了40年历史,
07:03
across横过 the United联合的 States状态 and countries国家 around the world世界,
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跨越了美国在内的无数国家的工作,
07:06
and lift电梯 us up to a broader更广泛 horizon地平线
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引领到一个更大的范畴里。
07:09
where we're looking at other forms形式 of waste浪费
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我们可以考虑如何
07:12
that could be lessened减少
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减少
07:14
from manufacturing制造业 and industrial产业 sources来源.
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来自制造业和其他工业来源的垃圾。
07:16
Municipal市政 waste浪费, what we think of when we talk about garbage垃圾,
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城市垃圾,我们通常认识中的垃圾
07:20
accounts账户 for three percent百分 of the nation's国家 waste浪费 stream.
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其实只占国内垃圾总量的3%。
07:24
It's a remarkable卓越 statistic统计.
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这是个惊人的数据。
07:27
So in the flow of your days,
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所以在你的生活的每一天,
07:29
in the flow of your lives生活,
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在你生命之河里,
07:31
next下一个 time you see someone有人 whose谁的 job工作 is
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下一次当你看到有人在
07:34
to clean清洁 up after you,
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清理你留下的垃圾时,
07:37
take a moment时刻 to acknowledge确认 them.
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请找个时间向他们致意,
07:39
Take a moment时刻 to say thank you.
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找个时间说声谢谢。
07:44
(Applause掌声)
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(掌声)
Translated by Lin Piao
Reviewed by Shi Dan

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Robin Nagle - Trash anthropologist
Robin Nagle is an anthropologist with a very particular focus... garbage.

Why you should listen

Robin Nagle has been the anthropologist-in-residence at the Department of Sanitation in New York City since 2006.

Nagle's fascination with trash stems from her desire to understand the all-too-often invisible infrastructure that guides the flow of garbage through a megalopolis like New York. After all, the city produces 11,000 tons of rubbish each day... and all of that has to be dealt with somewhere and by someone. If not, damaging health problems and consequences for all. So why do sanitation workers experience such stigma, all too often scorned and berated while on the job? Nagle, who is also director of NYU's Draper Interdisciplinary Master's program in humanities and social thought, determined to find out. She got her sanitation worker license and has spent much time with workers on the job, getting an up-close view of the city's garbage and the systems in place to deal with it. 

Her book, Picking Up: On the Streets and Behind the Trucks with the Sanitation Workers of New York City was published in 2013 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. See also the profile of her work -- and a photoessay of her favorite places in New York City.

More profile about the speaker
Robin Nagle | Speaker | TED.com