TEDGlobal 2009
Michael Pritchard: How to make filthy water drinkable
麦克‧普理查德: 将脏水净化成可饮用水
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Readability: 3.4
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世界上有太多人无法获取饮用水。工程师麦克‧普理查德为此提供了一些贡献——发明可携带救生瓶过滤层，可以在瞬间解决大多数饮用水的问题。一个来自 TEDGlobla 2009 的美妙示范。
Michael Pritchard - Inventor
With cutting-edge nanotech, Michael Pritchard's Lifesaver water-purification bottle could revolutionize water-delivery systems in disaster-stricken areas around the globe. Full bio
With cutting-edge nanotech, Michael Pritchard's Lifesaver water-purification bottle could revolutionize water-delivery systems in disaster-stricken areas around the globe. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:18
Good morning everybody.
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大家早上好
00:20
I'd like to talk about a couple of things today.
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我今天想谈谈几件事情。
00:22
The first thing is water.
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第一件事是水。
00:24
Now I see you've all been enjoying the water
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我可以看到大家都十分享受
00:26
that's been provided for you here at the conference,
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由大会所提供的饮用水，
00:28
over the past couple of days.
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在过去的几天里。
00:30
And I'm sure you'll feel that it's from a safe source.
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我确定你们都感觉那些水
是出自一个安全的水源。
是出自一个安全的水源。
00:34
But what if it wasn't?
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但是如果不是的呢？
00:36
What if it was from a source like this?
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如果是出自这样的水源呢？
00:41
Then statistics would actually say
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数据会表明
00:43
that half of you would now be suffering
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你们其中的一半现在会
00:45
with diarrhea.
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在拉肚子了。
00:49
I talked a lot in the past about statistics,
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我过去常常谈关于数据，
00:52
and the provision of safe drinking water for all.
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以及为所有的人提供安全的饮用水的问题。
00:56
But they just don't seem to get through.
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但是这似乎得不到重视。
00:59
And I think I've worked out why.
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不过我觉得我搞清楚了这是为什么，
01:01
It's because, using current thinking,
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是因为，用当前的想法，
01:04
the scale of the problem
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问题的程度
01:06
just seems too huge to contemplate solving.
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似乎大得我们难以想象可以解决。
01:10
So we just switch off:
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所以我们干脆不想了。
01:12
us, governments and aid agencies.
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我们，政府，和援助机构，都放弃了。
01:17
Well, today, I'd like to show you
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好吧，今天，我就要给你们看看
01:20
that through thinking differently,
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通过不同的思维方式，
01:22
the problem has been solved.
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把这个问题解决了。
01:26
By the way, since I've been speaking,
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但是，顺便说一声，就在我演讲的同时。
01:28
another 13,000 people around the world
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世界上有13000人
01:31
are suffering now with diarrhea.
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正在遭受腹泻的痛苦。
01:34
And four children have just died.
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而4个孩子刚刚死去了。
01:39
I invented Lifesaver bottle
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我发明了这个救生瓶
01:41
because I got angry.
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因为我真的生气了。
01:43
I, like most of you, was sitting down, the day after Christmas in 2004,
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我，像你们其中的大多数人，在2004年的
圣诞节后的一天在电视机前坐了下来，
圣诞节后的一天在电视机前坐了下来，
01:47
when I was watching the devastating news
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看到了那条灾难性的新闻 -
01:50
of the Asian tsunami as it rolled in,
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电视里正在直播
01:52
playing out on TV.
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亚洲海啸的登录。
01:54
The days and weeks that followed,
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在接下来的几天，几个星期里，
01:56
people fleeing to the hills,
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人们逃难到山上，
01:58
being forced to drink contaminated water
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被迫去喝被污染的水，
02:01
or face death.
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不然就会（因缺水）被死亡威胁。
02:04
That really stuck with me.
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那场景让我久久不能忘怀。
02:06
Then, a few months later,
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接下来，几个月后，
02:09
Hurricane Katrina slammed into the side of America.
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卡特里娜飓风席卷了美国的海岸线。
02:13
"Okay," I thought, "here's a First World country, let's see what they can do."
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“好吧，” 我想，“这里个第一世界国家，
让我们看看他们可以做些什么。”
让我们看看他们可以做些什么。”
02:17
Day one: nothing.
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第一天：什么都没有发生。
02:20
Day two: nothing.
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第二天：什么都没有发生。
02:23
Do you know it took five days to get water to the Superdome?
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你们可知道他们花了整整5天时间
才把水弄到新奥尔良体育馆（难民集中处）？
才把水弄到新奥尔良体育馆（难民集中处）？
02:28
People were shooting each other on the streets
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人们为了电视和水在街上
02:31
for TV sets and water.
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用枪火拼。
02:34
That's when I decided I had to do something.
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那时，我就决定我要做些什么了。
02:38
Now I spent a lot of time in my garage, over the next weeks and months,
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在接下来的几个星期和几个月里，
我在我的车库里花费了不少时间。
我在我的车库里花费了不少时间。
02:41
and also in my kitchen -- much to the dismay of my wife. (Laughter)
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也在我的厨房里花了不少时间，
使我的妻子看了摇头。
使我的妻子看了摇头。
02:44
However, after a few failed prototypes,
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然而，就在几个失败的试验模型后，
02:49
I finally came up with this, the Lifesaver bottle.
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我终于做出了这个，救生瓶。
02:54
Okay, now for the science bit.
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好了，现在来讲点科学背景。
02:56
Before Lifesaver, the best hand filters were only capable
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在救生瓶发明前，最佳的手动过滤器只能
02:58
of filtering down to about 200 nanometers.
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过滤200纳米左右的物体。
03:02
The smallest bacteria is about 200 nanometers.
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最小的细菌就有大约200纳米。
03:06
So a 200-nanometer bacteria
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所以一个200纳米的细菌
03:08
is going to get through a 200-nanometer hole.
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可以穿过这个200纳米的网孔。
03:12
The smallest virus, on the other hand,
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另外来说，最小的病毒，
03:14
is about 25 nanometers.
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大概有25纳米。
03:17
So that's definitely going to get through those 200 nanometer holes.
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所以那绝对会穿过那个200纳米的网孔。
03:22
Lifesaver pores are 15 nanometers.
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救生瓶的网孔只有15纳米。
03:27
So nothing is getting through.
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所以没东西可以通过。
03:30
Okay, I'm going to give you a bit of a demonstration.
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好了，我将要给你们一个示范。
03:32
Would you like to see that?
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你们想看吗？
03:34
I spent all the time setting this up, so I guess I should.
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我花了好些时间把这个设置好，
所以我想我应该做个示范。
所以我想我应该做个示范。
03:36
We're in the fine city of Oxford.
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我们在美好的牛津市里。
03:39
So -- someone's done that up.
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哦，有人已经把这放好了。
03:41
Fine city of Oxford, so what I've done is I've gone
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美好的牛津，我所做的是，我从彻韦尔河里
03:43
and got some water from the River Cherwell,
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弄了点水，
03:45
and the River Thames,
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里面还有泰晤士里
03:47
that flow through here. And this is the water.
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流过来的水。这就是我弄来的水了。
03:49
But I got to thinking, you know,
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但是我就想了，你们知道的，
03:51
if we were in the middle of a flood zone
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如果我们在洪水区里
03:53
in Bangladesh, the water wouldn't look like this.
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在孟加拉国里，那水可不像这样。
03:57
So I've gone and got some stuff to add into it.
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所以我弄了这些东西来，把他们加进去。
03:59
And this is from my pond.
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这是从我池塘里弄来的。
04:01
(Sniffs) (Coughs) Have a smell of that, mister cameraman.
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（嗅一下）（咳嗽）闻闻这个，摄影师。
04:05
Okay. (Laughs) Right.
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好了，(笑)可以了。
04:09
We're just going to pour that in there.
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我们就把这些倒入这个里面。
04:12
Audience: Ugh!
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听众：恶！
04:14
Michael Pritchard: Okay. We've got some runoff
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麦克普理查德：好，我们还从污水处理厂
04:17
from a sewage plant farm.
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的水流里弄了点水。
04:19
So I'm just going to put that in there.
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我们把这也放进去。
04:22
(Laughter)
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（笑）
04:23
Put that in there. There we go.
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放进去，好的。
04:26
(Laughter)
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（笑）
04:27
And some other bits and pieces, chuck that in there.
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和这些乱七八糟的东西，一起丢进去。
04:31
And I've got a gift here from a friend of mine's rabbit.
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这是我朋友的兔子送给我的“礼物“。
04:35
So we're just going to put that in there as well.
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我们把这个也给放进去。
04:39
(Laughter)
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（笑）
04:40
Okay. (Laughter) Now.
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好了，（笑）现在。
04:44
The Lifesaver bottle works really simply.
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救生瓶的使用十分简单。
04:49
You just scoop the water up.
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你就把水舀起来。
04:51
Today I'm going to use a jug
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今天，我会使用一个罐子
04:53
just to show you all. Let's get a bit of that poo in there.
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就为了给你们瞧瞧，让我们放点粪便进去，
04:57
That's not dirty enough. Let's just stir that up a little bit.
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那还不够脏，让我们搅一下。
05:03
Okay, so I'm going to take this really filthy water,
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好了，我就要把这极脏的水，
05:08
and put it in here. Do you want a drink yet?
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放进这里。你现在想喝这个水吗？
05:12
(Laughter)
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（笑）
05:13
Okay. There we go.
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好了，这样。
05:17
Replace the top.
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换掉顶部。
05:22
Give it a few pumps. Okay?
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抽动几下，好吧？
05:26
That's all that's necessary.
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这就可以了。
05:29
Now as soon as I pop the teat,
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现在一旦我打开这个瓶盖，
05:33
sterile drinking water is going to come out.
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可饮用水就会从这里冒出来。我可得做得快。
05:35
I've got to be quick. Okay, ready?
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好了，准备好了？
05:40
There we go. Mind the electrics.
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这样。注意电器。
05:42
That is safe, sterile drinking water.
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这是安全的，无菌的可饮用水。
05:46
(Applause)
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（掌声）
05:48
Cheers.
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干杯。
05:50
(Applause)
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（掌声）
05:53
There you go Chris.
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你来试试，克里斯。
05:55
(Applause)
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（掌声）
06:00
What's it taste of?
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尝起来怎么样？
06:02
Chris Anderson: Delicious.
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克里斯安德森：美味极了。
06:04
Michael Pritchard: Okay.
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麦克普理查德：好了。
06:07
Let's see Chris's program throughout the rest of the show. Okay?
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让我们看看克里斯接下来节目的表现怎么样。
好嘛？（意味克里斯会拉肚子）
好嘛？（意味克里斯会拉肚子）
06:10
(Laughter)
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（笑）
06:13
Okay. Lifesaver bottle is used by thousands of people around the world.
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好了。救生瓶正在被世界各地上千人所使用。
06:18
It'll last for 6,000 liters.
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它可以净化6000升水。
06:20
And when it's expired, using failsafe technology,
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当它过期后，应用故障自动保全技术，
06:23
the system will shut off, protecting the user.
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这个系统会自动关闭，从而保护了使用者。
06:26
Pop the cartridge out. Pop a new one in.
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把净化盒取出，装进新的一个。
06:28
It's good for another 6,000 liters.
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又可以处理6000升的水。
06:32
So let's look at the applications.
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让我们看看它的使用的范围。
06:34
Traditionally, in a crisis, what do we do?
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以往，在一个危机中，我们怎么做？
06:36
We ship water.
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我们运输饮用水。
06:38
Then, after a few weeks, we set up camps.
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然后，几个星期后，我们架设起难民营。
06:42
And people are forced to come into the camps to get their safe drinking water.
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然后大众会被迫去难民营去取得饮用水。
06:47
What happens when 20,000 people congregate in a camp?
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你们想想，当20000人挤在
一个难民营里会发生些什么？
一个难民营里会发生些什么？
06:52
Diseases spread. More resources are required.
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疾病会传播，更多的资源会被需要（控制疾病）。
06:55
The problem just becomes self-perpetuating.
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这样问题就变成了自我持续的了。
06:59
But by thinking differently,
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但是换一个角度去想问题，
07:01
and shipping these,
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把这些运过去，
07:03
people can stay put.
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群众可以按兵不动，
07:05
They can make their own sterile drinking water,
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他们可以制造他们自己的可饮用水，
07:08
and start to get on with rebuilding their homes and their lives.
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然后开始重建他们的家园和生活。
07:13
Now, it doesn't require a natural disaster
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这不需要一个自然灾害
07:16
for this to work.
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让这来工作。
07:19
Using the old thinking, of national infrastructure
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用老眼光来看待问题，使用一个国家的基础设施，
07:23
and pipe work, is too expensive.
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以及管道系统，这（提供饮用水）太昂贵了。
07:26
When you run the numbers on a calculator,
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你用计算器来算算看，
07:28
you run out of noughts.
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怎么算都不够。
07:30
So here is the "thinking different" bit.
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所以，这里可以用不同的角度来看待问题。
07:33
Instead of shipping water,
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我们不要运输饮用水，
07:35
and using man-made processes to do it,
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而要用人工的方法去制造饮用水，
07:38
let's use Mother Nature. She's got a fantastic system.
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让我们依靠起大自然母亲。她有一个神奇的系统，
07:41
She picks the water up from there,
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她把水从这里拿起来，
07:44
desalinates it, for free, transports it over there,
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免费过滤，免费运输到另一个地方，
07:48
and dumps it onto the mountains, rivers, and streams.
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然后在那边的山上，
河里和小溪里放下它（雨水）。
河里和小溪里放下它（雨水）。
07:50
And where do people live? Near water.
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人类大多在那里居住？靠近水源的地方。
07:53
All we've go to do
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我们只要
07:55
is make it sterile. How do we do that?
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把水杀菌，变成可引用水。
07:57
Well, we could use the Lifesaver bottle.
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为此，我们可以使用救生瓶。
08:00
Or we could use one of these.
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或者我们可以用这个东西。
08:02
The same technology, in a jerry can.
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它使用同样的技术，只是用在这种罐子上。
08:05
This will process 25,000 liters of water;
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这可以处理25,000升水。
08:10
that's good enough for a family of four,
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这可足够维持一个4口之家，
08:14
for three years.
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用上3年。
08:17
And how much does it cost?
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那这需要多少钱？
08:19
About half a cent a day to run.
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大概每天半美分。
08:21
Thank you.
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谢谢。
08:23
(Applause)
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（掌声）
08:26
So, by thinking differently, and processing water
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所以，从不同的角度考虑问题，
08:29
at the point of use,
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在水源处处理水，
08:31
mothers and children no longer have to walk four hours a day
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这样母亲和孩子们每天不必走上4小时
08:35
to collect their water.
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去采集他们的水。
08:37
They can get it from a source nearby.
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他们可以在附近的水源地取得。
08:41
So with just eight billion dollars,
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这样可用仅仅80亿美元，
08:44
we can hit the millennium goal's target
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让我们达成这个千年的发展目标，
08:47
of halving the number of people
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使没有安全引用水
08:49
without access to safe drinking water.
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的人口减半。
08:52
To put that into context,
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比较起来，
08:54
The U.K. government spends about 12 billion pounds
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英国政府一年所提供的外援资助
08:58
a year on foreign aid.
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达到120亿磅。
09:01
But why stop there?
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但是为什么就此止步？
09:04
With 20 billion dollars, everyone can have access to safe drinking water.
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我们可以用20亿磅，使每个人
都能有安全的可饮用水。
都能有安全的可饮用水。
09:10
So the three-and-a-half billion people
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这样每年3亿半
09:12
that suffer every year as a result,
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受苦受难的人民，以及，
09:15
and the two million kids that die every year,
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每年死亡的两百万的儿童，
09:19
will live.
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会继续生存下去。
09:23
Thank you.
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谢谢。
09:25
(Applause)
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（掌声）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Michael Pritchard - InventorWith cutting-edge nanotech, Michael Pritchard's Lifesaver water-purification bottle could revolutionize water-delivery systems in disaster-stricken areas around the globe.
Why you should listen
During the twin tragedies of the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, Ipswich water-treatment expert Michael Pritchard winced helplessly at televised coverage of throngs of refugees waiting for days for a simple drink of clean water. Stricken by the chronic failure of aid agencies to surmount this basic challenge, Pritchard decided to do something about it.
Using a non-chemical nano-filtration hollow fiber membrane with 15 nanometer pores (it is designed to block viruses), the Lifesaver bottle can make the most revolting swamp water drinkable in seconds. Better still, a single long-lasting filter can clean 6,000 liters of water. Given the astronomical cost of shipping water to disaster areas, Pritchard's Lifesaver bottle could turn traditional aid models on their heads.
Michael Pritchard | Speaker | TED.com