ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mark Bezos - Activist, volunteer firefighter
Mark Bezos works at Robin Hood, a poverty-fighting charity in New York City, and the assistant captain of a volunteer fire company in suburban New York.

Why you should listen

Mark Bezos is the SVP, Development, Communications & Events at Robin Hood, the leading poverty-fighting charity in New York City. Bezos joined Robin Hood following the sale of his advertising agency, excited to have found a way to use his powers of persuasion for good.

Bezos is the Assistant Captain of a volunteer fire company in Westchester County, New York, where he lives with his wife and four children. He is continuously amazed and motivated by the everyday acts of heroism--big and small--that surround him.

More profile about the speaker
Mark Bezos | Speaker | TED.com
TED2011

Mark Bezos: A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter

Mark Bezos: Uma lição de vida de um bombeiro voluntário

Filmed:
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O bombeiro voluntário Mark Bezos conta a história de um ato de heroísmo que não aconteceu como esperado, mas que lhe ensinou uma grande lição: Não espere para ser um herói.
- Activist, volunteer firefighter
Mark Bezos works at Robin Hood, a poverty-fighting charity in New York City, and the assistant captain of a volunteer fire company in suburban New York. Full bio

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

00:15
Back in New York, I am the head of development
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Em Nova Iorque, eu sou
chefe de desenvolvimento
00:17
for a non-profit called Robin Hood.
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de uma empresa sem fins lucrativos
chamada Robin Hood.
00:20
When I'm not fighting poverty, I'm fighting fires
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Quando não estou combatendo a pobreza,
estou combatendo incêndios
00:22
as the assistant captain of a volunteer fire company.
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como capitão assistente
de um grupo de bombeiros voluntários.
00:25
Now in our town,
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Em nossa cidade,
00:27
where the volunteers supplement a highly skilled career staff,
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onde os voluntários complementam
bombeiros altamente treinados,
00:30
you have to get to the fire scene pretty early
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temos que chegar ao local
do incêndio muito cedo
00:32
to get in on any action.
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para conseguir participar
de qualquer coisa.
00:34
I remember my first fire.
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Eu me lembro do meu primeiro incêndio.
00:36
I was the second volunteer on the scene,
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Eu era o segundo voluntário no local,
00:38
so there was a pretty good chance I was going to get in.
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então havia uma boa chance
de que eu entraria.
00:41
But still it was a real footrace against the other volunteers
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Mas ainda foi uma corrida
com os outros voluntários
00:43
to get to the captain in charge
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para chegar ao capitão responsável
00:45
to find out what our assignments would be.
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para descobrir quais seriam
nossas tarefas.
00:47
When I found the captain,
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Quando eu encontrei o capitão,
00:49
he was having a very engaging conversation
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ele estava envolvido em uma conversa
00:51
with the homeowner,
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com a proprietária,
00:53
who was surely having one of the worst days of her life.
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que certamente estava tendo
um dos piores dias de sua vida.
00:57
Here it was, the middle of the night,
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Era madrugada,
00:59
she was standing outside in the pouring rain,
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ela estava parada
do lado de fora na chuva,
01:02
under an umbrella, in her pajamas, barefoot,
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sob um guarda-chuva, de pijama, descalça,
01:05
while her house was in flames.
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enquanto sua casa estava em chamas.
01:08
The other volunteer who had arrived just before me --
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O outro voluntário
que havia chegado antes de mim,
01:10
let's call him Lex Luther --
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vamos chamá-lo de Lex Luthor,
01:13
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
01:15
got to the captain first
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chegou primeiro ao capitão
01:17
and was asked to go inside
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e foi chamado para entrar
01:20
and save the homeowner's dog.
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e salvar o cachorro da dona da casa.
01:23
The dog! I was stunned with jealousy.
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O cão! Fui tomado pelo ciúme.
01:26
Here was some lawyer or money manager
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Aqui estava um advogado
ou gerente financeiro
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who, for the rest of his life, gets to tell people
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que, pelo resto da vida, poderia contar
01:30
that he went into a burning building
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que entrou em um prédio em chamas
01:32
to save a living creature,
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para salvar uma criatura viva,
01:34
just because he beat me by five seconds.
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só porque ele chegou cinco segundos antes.
01:37
Well, I was next.
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Bem, eu era o próximo.
01:39
The captain waved me over.
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O capitão me chamou.
01:41
He said, "Bezos, I need you to go into the house.
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Ele disse: "Bezos, eu preciso
que você entre na casa.
01:44
I need you to go upstairs, past the fire,
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Eu preciso que você vá
ao andar de cima, passe pelo fogo,
01:47
and I need you to get this woman a pair of shoes."
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e preciso que você pegue
um par de sapatos para esta mulher."
01:50
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
01:53
I swear.
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Eu juro.
01:55
So, not exactly what I was hoping for,
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Então, não era exatamente
o que eu estava esperando,
01:58
but off I went --
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mas eu fui.
Subi as escadas, corredor,
passei pelos bombeiros 'de verdade',
02:00
up the stairs, down the hall, past the 'real' firefighters,
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02:03
who were pretty much done putting out the fire at this point,
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que haviam praticamente terminado
de apagar o fogo a essa altura,
02:06
into the master bedroom to get a pair of shoes.
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entrei no quarto para pegar
um par de sapatos.
02:09
Now I know what you're thinking,
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Agora, sei o que estão pensando,
02:12
but I'm no hero.
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mas eu não sou um herói.
02:14
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
02:19
I carried my payload back downstairs
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Eu carreguei a minha carga para baixo
02:22
where I met my nemesis
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onde eu encontrei o meu inimigo
02:24
and the precious dog by the front door.
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e o precioso cão na porta da frente.
02:26
We took our treasures outside to the homeowner,
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Levamos nossos tesouros
para a proprietária,
02:29
where, not surprisingly,
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e, sem dúvida alguma,
02:31
his received much more attention than did mine.
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o tesouro dele recebeu
muito mais atenção do que o meu.
02:34
A few weeks later,
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Algumas semanas depois,
02:36
the department received a letter from the homeowner
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o departamento recebeu
uma carta da proprietária
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thanking us for the valiant effort displayed
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agradecendo a coragem exercida
02:40
in saving her home.
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ao salvar sua casa.
02:42
The act of kindness she noted above all others:
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O ato de bondade que mencionou
acima de todos os outros:
02:45
someone had even gotten her a pair of shoes.
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alguém até havia pego um par de sapatos.
02:48
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
02:50
In both my vocation at Robin Hood
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Tanto em minha vocação na Robin Hood
02:52
and my avocation as a volunteer firefighter,
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quanto na minha ocupação
como um bombeiro voluntário,
02:54
I am witness to acts of generosity and kindness
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sou testemunha de atos
de generosidade e bondade
02:57
on a monumental scale,
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em uma escala monumental,
02:59
but I'm also witness to acts of grace and courage
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mas também sou testemunha
de atos de graça e coragem
03:01
on an individual basis.
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a nível individual.
03:03
And you know what I've learned?
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E sabem o que eu aprendi?
03:05
They all matter.
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Todos eles são importantes.
03:07
So as I look around this room
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Então, ao olhar para este auditório
03:09
at people who either have achieved,
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para pessoas que já atingiram
03:11
or are on their way to achieving,
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ou que irão atingir
níveis notáveis ​​de sucesso,
03:13
remarkable levels of success,
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03:15
I would offer this reminder:
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eu ofereço um lembrete:
03:17
don't wait.
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não espere.
03:19
Don't wait until you make your first million
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Não espere até fazer o seu primeiro milhão
03:21
to make a difference in somebody's life.
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para fazer a diferença na vida de alguém.
03:23
If you have something to give,
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Se você tem algo para dar,
03:25
give it now.
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dê agora.
03:27
Serve food at a soup kitchen. Clean up a neighborhood park.
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Sirva comida aos desprovidos,
limpe um parque local,
03:30
Be a mentor.
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seja um mentor.
03:32
Not every day is going to offer us a chance
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Não é todo dia que temos a chance
03:34
to save somebody's life,
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para salvar a vida de alguém,
03:36
but every day offers us an opportunity to affect one.
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mas cada dia nos oferece
uma oportunidade de afetar uma vida.
03:39
So get in the game. Save the shoes.
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Assim, entre no jogo. Salve os sapatos.
03:42
Thank you.
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Obrigado.
03:44
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
03:49
Bruno Giussani: Mark, Mark, come back.
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Bruno Giussani: Mark, Mark, volte.
03:51
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
03:58
Mark Bezos: Thank you.
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Mark Bezos: Obrigado.
Translated by Fers Gruendling
Reviewed by Eduardo Fernandes

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mark Bezos - Activist, volunteer firefighter
Mark Bezos works at Robin Hood, a poverty-fighting charity in New York City, and the assistant captain of a volunteer fire company in suburban New York.

Why you should listen

Mark Bezos is the SVP, Development, Communications & Events at Robin Hood, the leading poverty-fighting charity in New York City. Bezos joined Robin Hood following the sale of his advertising agency, excited to have found a way to use his powers of persuasion for good.

Bezos is the Assistant Captain of a volunteer fire company in Westchester County, New York, where he lives with his wife and four children. He is continuously amazed and motivated by the everyday acts of heroism--big and small--that surround him.

More profile about the speaker
Mark Bezos | Speaker | TED.com

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