TED2003
Paul MacCready: A flight on solar wings
Paul MacCready 用太陽能之翼翱翔
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Paul MacCready -- 一位飛機設計者、環境保護推廣人員，終其一生喜愛飛行 -- 談論他的長遠事業。
Paul MacCready - Engineer
Paul MacCready, an aircraft designer and environmentalist, is a pioneer of human-powered flight, alternative energy for transportation, and environmentally responsible design. Full bio
Paul MacCready, an aircraft designer and environmentalist, is a pioneer of human-powered flight, alternative energy for transportation, and environmentally responsible design. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:27
I am known best for human-powered flight,
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大部分的人因為人力飛機而認識我，
00:32
but that was just one thing that got me going
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但那只是讓我進行
00:37
in the sort of things that I'm working in now.
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現在這工作的起因而已。
00:41
As a youngster, I was very interested in model airplanes,
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小時候，我很喜歡飛機模型，
00:47
ornithopters, autogyros, helicopters, gliders, power planes,
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撲翼飛機、旋翼機、直昇機、滑翔機、螺旋槳飛機，
00:53
indoor models, outdoor models, everything,
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室內的模型、室外的模型 -- 包含這一切，
00:56
which I just thought was a lot of fun,
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對我來說真的很好玩，
00:59
and wondered why most other people didn't share my same enthusiasm with them.
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但疑惑著為什麼大部分其他人不喜歡和我一起玩這些。
01:07
And then, navy pilot training, and, after college,
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之後接受海軍的飛機駕駛訓練，在大學畢業後，
01:13
I got into sailplane flying, power plane flying,
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我開始駕駛滑翔機和螺旋槳飛機，
01:17
and considered the sailplanes as a sort of hobby and fun,
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滑翔機對我來說只是一種嗜好和娛樂，
01:25
but got tangled up with some great professor types,
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但是我遇到了一些很棒的教授們，
01:29
who convinced me and everybody else in the field
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他們說服我和其他在這領域的人們，
01:34
that this was a good way to get into really deep science.
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關於滑翔機是用來深入了解科學理論的好方法。
01:39
While this was all going on, I was in the field of weather modification,
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與此同時，我正在學習改變天氣的領域，
01:45
although getting a Ph.D. in aeronautics.
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雖然後來在航空學取得博士學位。
01:49
The weather modification subject was getting started,
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起初是學習改變天氣這個題目，
01:53
and as a graduate student,
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當我還是碩士生的時候，
01:55
I could go around to the various talks that were being given,
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我藉由搭便車的方式，
01:59
on a hitchhiker ride to the East Coast,
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在東岸到處去聽演講，
02:01
and so on. And everybody would talk to me,
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藉此和很多人聊天，
02:04
but all the professionals in the field hated each other,
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但是這個領域的每個專家都彼此討厭著對方，
02:07
and they wouldn't communicate. And as a result,
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他們是互不交流的。結果呢，
02:10
I got the absolutely unique background in that field,
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我在這個領域變成獨創一格的背景，
02:15
and started a company, which did more research
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接著成立了一家公司，對於改變天氣的研究，
02:19
in weather modification than anybody,
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做得比任何人都還要多，
02:23
and there are a lot of things that I just can't go into.
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但是有許多方面的東西我無法深入去了解。
02:29
But then, 1971 started AeroVironment, with no employees --
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但之後在1971年成立了AeroVironment這家公司, 從沒有員工開始 --
02:35
then one or two, three,
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之後變為一個、兩個、三個，
02:37
and sort of fumbled along on trying to get interesting projects.
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算是在摸索前進，試著找到有趣的案子。
02:41
We had AirDynamisis,
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我們有一些空氣動力學家，
02:43
who, like I, did not want to work for aerospace companies
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他們和我一樣，不喜歡在飛機製造公司裡工作
02:48
on some big, many year project,
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進行那種歷時許多年的大案子，
02:52
and so we did our small projects, and the company slowly grew.
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所以我們只做自己的小案子，於是公司緩慢成長。
03:01
The thing that is exciting was, in 1976,
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在 1976 年時，出現了一件令人興奮的事情，
03:06
I suddenly got interested in the human-powered airplane
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我突然對人力飛機感到興趣，
03:11
because I'd made a made a loan to a friend of 100,000 dollars,
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因為我貸款10萬美金來借給一個朋友，
03:15
or I guaranteed the money at the bank.
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或該說我在銀行幫他當保人。
03:17
He needed them -- he needed the money for starting a company.
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他需要一筆錢來成立一家公司。
03:21
The company did not succeed, and he couldn't pay the money back,
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那家公司並不賺錢，結果他還不出錢，
03:24
and I was the guarantor of the note. So, I had a $100,000 debt,
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因為我是保證人，所以我背負了10萬美金的債務，
03:29
and I noticed that the Kramer prize for human-powered flight,
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我注意到 Kramer 的人力飛機比賽獎金，
03:35
which had then been around for -- (Laughter) --
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那在當時已經持續進行了 17 年，
03:39
17 years at the time, was 50,000 pounds,
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那筆獎金有 5 萬英鎊，
03:42
which, at the exchange rate, was just about 100,000 dollars.
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換算起來，大概差不多就是 10 萬美金。
03:46
So suddenly, I was interested in human-powered flight --
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於是，我突然被人力飛機給吸引了。
03:49
(Laughter) --
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(笑聲)
03:52
and did not -- the way I approached it, first,
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然而並不如我一開始接觸時所想，
03:58
thinking about ways to make the planes,
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我以為跟製造飛機一樣，
04:01
was just like they'd been doing in England, and not succeeding,
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就像他們在英國做的一樣，結果沒有成功，
04:06
and I gave it up. I figured, nah, there isn't any simple, easy way.
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我放棄了，我發現這並沒有簡單的捷徑，
04:10
But then, got off on a vacation trip, and was studying bird flight,
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接著跑去度個假，順便學習鳥怎麼飛，
04:16
just for the fun of it,
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這純粹只是好玩，
04:18
and you can watch a bird soaring around in circles,
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你看著一隻鳥在天空盤旋飛行，
04:21
and measure the time, and estimate the bank angle,
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然後量時間，估算轉彎的角度，
04:25
and immediately, figure out its speed,
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就立刻可以算出飛行速度，
04:28
and the turning radius, and so on,
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以及迴轉半徑等等，
04:31
which I could do in the car, as we're driving along on a vacation trip --
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這是我度假時，在路上開車時所做的事。
04:36
(Laughter) --
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(笑聲)
04:38
with my three sons, young sons, helping me,
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還有我三個年輕兒子們協助我做這些事，
04:42
but ridiculing the whole thing very much.
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但他們也覺得這件事挺搞笑的。
04:46
But that began thinking about how birds went around,
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但因此開始思考鳥類如何飛行，
04:51
and then how airplanes would, how hang gliders would fly,
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以及飛機 -- 懸式滑翔機如何飛行的，
04:58
and then other planes,
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以及其他的飛機怎麼飛，
05:00
and the idea of the Gossamer-Condor-type airplane quickly emerged,
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於是，戈薩默‧康德爾號的概念很快出現了，
05:06
was so logical, one should have thought of it in the first place,
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相當合乎邏輯，早該想到才對，
05:09
but one didn't. And it was just, keep the weight down --
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不過之前沒想到，另外必須要將重量壓低。
05:13
70 pounds was all it weighed -- but let the size swell up, like a hang glider,
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它的重量是70磅，不過尺寸要放大一點，像是懸式滑翔翼，
05:20
but three times the span, three times the cord.
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長度寬約三倍，繩索用量也多三倍，
05:22
You're down to a third of the speed, a third of the power,
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速度大概會下降到1/3，動力也下降到1/3，
05:25
and a good bicyclist can put out that power, and that worked,
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於是一個好的單車手就可以提供足夠的能量，結果成功了，
05:32
and we won the prize a year later.
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一年之後我們贏得了那筆獎金。
05:37
We didn't -- a lot of flying, a lot of experiments, a lot of things that didn't work,
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我們進行了很多次的飛行實驗，失敗了很多次，
05:43
and ones that did work, and the plane kept getting a little better, a little better.
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其中一次成功了，於是那一台飛機被改良得越來越好。
05:48
Got a good pilot, Brian Allen, to operate it,
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然後找了一個好駕駛，Brian Allen，來操縱它，
05:51
and finally, succeeded. But unfortunately,
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最後終於成功了，但是很不幸地，
05:55
about 65,000 dollars was spent on the project.
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大概有6萬5千美元花在這個計畫上。
05:59
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
06:01
And there was only about 30 to help retire the debt.
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大概只有3萬美元用來償還債務。
06:05
But fortunately, Henry Kramer, who put up the prize for --
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不過幸好，Henry Kramer，這位舉辦一英哩飛行比賽的人，
06:09
that was a one-mile flight -- put up a new prize
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他又舉辦了另一個比賽，
06:11
for flying the English Channel, 21 miles.
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是要飛越英吉利海峽，大約21英哩，
06:14
And he thought it would take another 18 years for somebody to win that.
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他認為18年之後才會有人贏得獎金。
06:18
We realized that if you just cleaned up our Gossamer Condor a little bit,
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我們知道，如果把戈薩默‧康德爾號重量壓低一點，
06:24
the power to fly would be decreased a little bit,
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飛行需要的動力就會下降一點，
06:28
and if you decrease the power required a little,
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如果能把動力需求下降一點，
06:31
the pilot can fly a much longer period of time.
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駕駛就可以讓它飛行更久一點的時間。
06:34
And Brian Allen was able, in a miraculous flight,
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於是 Brian Allen成功地進行了一項驚人的飛行，
06:38
to get the Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel,
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將戈薩默‧康德爾號飛越了英吉利海峽，
06:42
and we won the 100,000-pound, 200,000-dollar prize for that.
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於是我們贏得了10萬英鎊，約20萬美金的獎金，
06:49
And when all expenses were paid, the debt was handled, and everything was fine.
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然後扣除花費之後，債務問題就被解決了，一切都很順利。
06:57
It turned out that giving the planes to the museum
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之後我們將這架飛機捐給博物館，
07:00
was worth much more than the debt,
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這比用來償還債務有價值多了，
07:04
so for five years, six years, I only had to pay one third income tax.
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之後5～6年之間，我只需要支付三分之一的所得稅。
07:11
So, there were good economic reasons for the project, but --
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所以這個計畫有個相當好的經濟利益，不過 --
07:16
(Laughter) --
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(笑聲)
07:19
that's not, well, the project was done entirely for economic reasons,
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這並不是 -- 嗯，這個計畫原本只是為了經濟因素才進行的，
07:26
and we have not been involved in any human-powered flight since then --
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在這之後，我們不再進行任何關於人力飛機的飛行。
07:30
(Laughter) --
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(笑聲)
07:32
because the prizes are all over.
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因為沒有任何獎金了，
07:36
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
07:37
But that sure started me thinking about various things,
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不過這確實讓我開始思考一些事情，
07:41
and immediately, we began making a solar-powered plane
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於是，我們開始製造太陽能飛機，
07:46
because we felt solar power was going to be so important
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因為我們覺得太陽能對於我國以及全世界
07:49
for the country and the world,
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將會變得很重要，
07:51
we didn't want the small funding in the government to be decreased,
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我們不希望政府提供的那筆小額資金減少，
07:56
which is what the government was trying to do with it.
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政府一直想減少資助金額，
07:58
And we thought a solar-powered plane wouldn't really make sense,
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我們不認為太陽能飛機會真的有用，
08:03
but you could do it and it would get a lot of publicity for solar power
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但是可以試試看，因為太陽能會替我們打知名度，
08:07
and maybe help that field.
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而且說不定對這個領域有所貢獻。
08:09
And that project continued, did succeed,
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於是這個計畫持續進行，也成功了，
08:13
and we then got into other projects in aviation
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之後我們進行了其它像是飛機製造，
08:19
and mechanical things and ground devices.
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結構問題以及地面儀器的一些計畫。
08:27
But while this was going on,
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但在這些進行的同時，
08:30
in 1982, I got a prize from the Lindbergh Foundation --
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我在 1982 年獲得了Lindbergh基金會的獎 --
08:35
their annual prize --
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他們的年度獎項 --
08:37
and I had to prepare a paper on it,
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我必須準備一篇論文來發表，
08:41
which collected all my varied thoughts
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當我整理我的一些想法，
08:44
and varied interests over the years.
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以及這幾年來感興趣的題目。
08:46
This was the one chance that I had to focus on what I, really, was after,
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這是一個機會，讓我專注於我真正應該要追尋的，
08:51
and what was important. And to my surprise,
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這很重要。令我驚訝的是，
08:55
I realized the importance of environmental issues,
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我發覺環境問題的重要性，
09:00
which Charles Lindbergh devoted the last third of his life to,
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這是 Charles Lindbergh 投入最後 1/3 人生進行的事，
09:05
and preparing that paper did me a lot of good.
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所以對我而言，準備這篇論文是件好事。
09:11
I thought back about if I was a space traveler,
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我想著，如果我是一個星際旅者，
09:14
and came and visited Earth every 5,000 years.
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每隔 5 千年會來參訪地球一次，
09:17
And for a few thousand visits, I would see the same thing every time,
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在幾千次的參訪中，我每次看見的都一樣，
09:24
the little differences in the Earth.
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地球幾乎沒什麼改變。
09:26
But this last time, just coming round, right now,
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但是最近這一次，來到地球時，就是現在，
09:30
suddenly, there'd be huge changes in the environment,
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突然環境有了很大的變化，
09:35
in the concentration of people,
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因為人類數量遽增，
09:38
and it was just unbelievable, the amount of -- all the change in it.
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這很不可思議，這個數量 -- 這麼大的變化。
09:50
I wanted to -- well, one of the biggest changes is, 200 years ago,
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我希望 -- 嗯，其中最大的變化是，在 2 百年之前，
09:55
we began using coal from underground, which has a lot of pollution,
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我們開始使用地底下的煤礦，那會帶來大量的污染，
10:01
and 100 years ago, began getting gasoline from underground,
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在 1 百年前，開始使用地底下的汽油，
10:05
with a lot of pollution. And gasoline consumption, or production,
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也帶來大量污染，接著汽油或相關產品的耗用量 --
10:11
will reach its limit in about ten years, and then go down,
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也將在十年內接近極限，然後被用光，
10:16
and we wonder what's going to happen with transportation.
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我們將不知道交通會變成什麼樣。
10:22
I wanted to show the slide --
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我想展示一張投影片 --
10:25
this slide, I think, is the most important one any of you will see, ever, because --
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這張投影片，我想，是你曾看過最重要的一張，因為
10:34
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
10:36
(Applause) --
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(掌聲)
10:39
it shows nature versus humans, and goes from 1850 to 2050.
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這顯示從 1850 到 2050 年間，自然和人類的關係，
10:46
And so, the year 2000, you see there.
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然後，2000 年的時候，看看那邊，
10:49
And this is the weight of all air and land vertebrates.
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這是空中和地上脊椎動物的重量。
10:54
Humans and muskrats and giraffes and birds and so on, are --
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人類、麝鼠、長頸鹿和鳥類等等都是。
10:59
the red line goes up. That's the humans and livestock and pets portion.
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這個向上的紅線，是人類、家畜和寵物的部分。
11:06
The green line goes down. That's the wild nature portion.
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這個向下的綠線，是野生自然的部分。
11:10
Humans, livestock and pets are, now, 98 percent of the total world's mass
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人類、家畜和寵物的重量，現在，佔了地上和空中
11:16
of vertebrates on land and air.
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所有脊椎動物 98% 的比例。
11:19
And you don't know what the future will hold,
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然而你不知道未來會持續多久，
11:22
but it's not going to get a lower percentage.
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但這比例不會往下降。
11:26
Ten thousand years ago, the humans and livestock and pets
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在 1 萬年前，人類、家畜和寵物們
11:30
were not even one tenth of one percent
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甚至佔不到千分之1，
11:32
and wouldn't even have been visible on such a curve.
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在這個曲線上根本看不見，
11:36
Now they are 98 percent, and it, I think, shows human domination of the Earth.
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現在已經達到 98%了，我想這表示人類主宰了地球。
11:47
I give a talk to some remarkable high school students each summer,
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我每年都會對一些卓越的高中生進行演講，
11:54
and ask them, after they've asked me questions,
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當他們問完問題之後，我會問他們問題，
11:57
and I give them a talk and so on. Then I ask them questions.
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之後我再進行演講。於是，我問了他們這些問題，
12:01
What's the population of the Earth?
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地球上的人口有多少？
12:03
What's the population of the Earth going to be
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當你為人父母時，
12:05
when you're the age of your parents?
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地球上的人口會變成多少？
12:07
Which I'd never, really -- they had never, really, thought about
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這是我不曾認真 -- 他們不曾認真思考的問題。
12:09
but, now, they think about it.
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不過現在，他們正在想。
12:11
And then, what population of the Earth would be an equilibrium
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接著，地球的人口到何時會到達平衡點？
12:18
that could continue on, and be for 2050, 2100, 2150?
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然後一直持續到2050、2100或2150年？
12:24
And they form little groups, all fighting with each other,
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接著他們組成小組，互相進行辯論，
12:27
and when I leave, two hours later,
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兩個小時後，我要離開時，
12:29
most of them are saying about 2 billion people,
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大部分的人說，大約會有 20 億的人口，
12:33
and they don't have any clue about how to get down to 2 billion,
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他們不知道該如何讓人口少於 20 億，
12:38
nor do I, but I think they're right and this is a serious problem.
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我也不知道，不過我想他們是對的，這是很嚴重的問題。
12:46
Rachel Carson was thinking of these, and came out with "Silent Spring," way back.
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Rachel Carson 曾經想過這些事情，於是有了沈寂的春天(Silent Spring)這本書的出現。
12:53
"Solar Manifesto" by Hermann Scheer, in Germany,
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德國也有 Hermann Scheer 所寫的太陽的宣言(Solar Manifesto)這本書，
12:57
claims all energy on Earth can be derived, for every country,
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宣稱地球上所有國家所需的能源都可以從
13:02
from solar energy and water, and so on.
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太陽能或水力等發電方式來提供，
13:10
You don't need to dig down for these chemicals,
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你不需要再去挖掘這些化學物質(石油、燃煤)，
13:13
and we can do things much more efficiently.
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我們可以做一些更有效率的事情。
13:17
Let's have the next slide.
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接著看下一張投影片。
13:19
So this just summarizes it. "Over billions of years,
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這張是總結，「經歷了數十億年，
13:22
on a unique sphere, chance has painted a thin covering of life --
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在這個獨特的星球上，偶然間畫上了淡淡的生命色彩，
13:25
complex and probable, wonderful and fragile.
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各種複雜的、可能的、奇妙的和精細的生命。
13:28
Suddenly, we humans, a recently arrived species,
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突然之間，我們人類，最近才出現的物種，
13:31
no longer subject to the checks and balances inherent in nature,
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不再隸屬於被自然間原生物種所抑制或制衡的物種，
13:35
have grown in population, technology and intelligence
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開始在人口、技術與智慧上發展，
13:38
to a position of terrible power. We, now, wield the paintbrush."
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到達具有可怕力量的地位。現在我們正掌握著那把畫筆。」
13:42
We're in charge. It's frightening.
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我們是主宰者。這是很可怕的事情。
13:46
And I do a painting every 20 or 25 years. This is the last one.
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我每隔 20 或 25 年會畫一次畫。這是最後一次了，
13:51
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
13:53
And [it] shows the Earth in a time flag: on the right,
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這是地球，在右邊用三葉蟲、恐龍以及其他生物
13:57
in trilobites and dinosaurs and so on;
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作為一種時間的標示，
14:00
and over the triangle, we now get to civilization and TV
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而在這三角形之上，我們有著現代文明，以及電視，
14:05
and traffic jams and so on.
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還有塞車之類的東西。
14:07
I have no idea of what comes next,
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我不知道在這之後會有什麼出現，
14:10
so I just used robotic and natural cockroaches as the future,
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所以我用機械蟑螂和自然的蟑螂代表未來，
14:15
as a little warning.
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用來當作一種警訊，
14:17
And two weeks after this drawing was done,
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在畫完這張圖兩週後，
14:20
we actually had our first project contract, at AeroVironment,
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我們公司 AeroVironment 確實收到了我們第一個案子的合約書，
14:24
on robotic cockroaches, which was very frightening to me.
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製作機械蟑螂，這倒是嚇了我一跳。
14:29
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
14:31
(Paper rustling)
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(紙張摩擦聲)
14:34
Well, that'll be all the slides.
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好了，這是所有的投影片了，我們 --
14:41
As time went on, we stopped our environmental programs.
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隨著時間經過，我們停止了我們環保的計畫，
14:44
We focused more on the really serious energy problems
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我們更加針對關於未來真正嚴重的能源問題，
14:49
of the future, and we produced products for the company.
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我們開始替這家公司製造一些產品，
14:56
And we developed the impact car that General Motors made,
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我們開發出撞擊測試車，
15:01
the EV1, out of --
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這讓通用汽車製造出 EV1 --
15:04
and got the Air Resources Board to have the regulations
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並且讓空氣資源局制訂出規範，
15:11
that stimulated the electric cars, but they've since come apart.
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這刺激了電動車的發展，不過這些測試車後來都被拆掉了，
15:15
And we've done a lot of things, small drone airplanes and so on.
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之後我們作了許多測試，例如小型無人飛機之類的。
15:22
I have a Helios. We have the first video.
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我做了一架太陽神號 -- 我們來看今天的第一段影片 --
15:29
(Video) Narrator: With a wingspan of 247 feet, this makes her larger than a Boeing 747.
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解說員：它的翅膀長達247英尺，這比波音747還要更長。
15:34
(Music)
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(音樂聲)
15:43
Her designers' attention to detail and her construction
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它的細部與架構設計，
15:46
gives Helios' structure the flexibility and strength
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讓它擁有足夠的彈性與韌性
15:49
to deal with the turbulence encountered in the atmosphere.
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去面對大氣層中的亂流。
15:52
This enables her to easily ride through the air currents
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這讓它在海洋上空飛行時
15:55
as if she's sliding along on the ocean waves.
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可以輕易乘著氣流滑行。
15:58
Paul MacCready: The wings could touch together on top and not break. We think.
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Paul Macready：那對翅膀即使在上方接觸都不會斷，我們覺得啦。
16:03
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
16:06
Narrator: And Helios now begins the process of turning her back to the sun,
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解說員：太陽神號現在正在將它的背部轉向太陽，
16:09
to maximize the power from her solar array.
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讓太陽能板能夠產生最大的能量。
16:12
(Music)
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(音樂聲)
16:20
As the sky gets darker, and the outside air temperatures drop
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當夜晚來臨時，
16:24
below minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit,
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氣溫下降至華氏零下100度，
16:27
the most environmentally hostile segment of Helios's journey
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太陽神號的旅程
16:30
has gone by without notice,
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並不會因為環境改變有任何影響，
16:32
except for being recorded by specially designed data acquisition systems
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只有特殊設計的資料紀錄系統與輔助感應器
16:36
and their associated sensors.
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所記錄的資料會改變。
16:39
Approaching a peak radar altitude of 96,863 feet,
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抵達海拔96863英尺高度，
16:44
at 4:12 p.m., Helios is standing on top of 98 percent of the Earth's atmosphere.
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在下午4:12，太陽神號正站在大氣層上緣98%的高度位置。
16:49
This is more than 10,000 feet higher
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這已經比之前
16:52
than the previous world's altitude record held by the SR-71 Blackbird.
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SR-71黑鳥所創下的世界紀錄還要高出10000英尺高。
16:57
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
17:06
PM: That plane has many purposes, but it's aimed for communications,
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PM：這架飛機有許多的功用，不過它主要用於通訊，
17:11
and it can fly so slowly that it'll just stay up at 65,000 feet.
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它可以保持在65000英尺高空慢慢飛行，
17:18
Eventually, it will be able to have to stay up day, night, day, night,
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它可以連續六個月不分晝夜的飛行，
17:21
for six months at a time, acting like the synchronous satellite,
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就像是一個同步衛星一樣，
17:25
but only ten miles above the Earth.
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只是高度只在地表10英哩處。
17:27
Let's have the next video. This shows the other end of the spectrum.
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接著看下一段影片，這是另一類飛機。
17:30
(Video) Narrator: A tiny airplane, the AV Pointer serves for surveillance.
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解說員：一架小型飛機，AV Pointer，正在進行監視任務，
17:33
In effect a pair of roving eyeglasses,
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事實上，是用那一對巡迴的眼鏡，
17:35
a cutting-edge example of where miniaturization can lead
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讓操作員在車輛上遙控時，
17:38
if the operator is remote from the vehicle.
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能夠用這小東西去看見前線的狀況。
17:41
It is convenient to carry, assemble, and launch by hand.
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攜帶方便，容易組裝，手動升空。
17:44
Battery-powered, it is silent and rarely noticed.
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因為用電池動力，所以很安靜，不容易被發現。
17:48
It sends high-resolution video pictures back to the operator.
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它可以傳回高解析度的影像照片給操作員。
17:51
With on-board GPS, it can navigate autonomously,
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只要加裝GPS，它就可以自動巡航，
17:55
and it is rugged enough to self-land without damage.
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它的結構強韌，即使掉落也不會損壞。
17:59
PM: Okay, and let's have the next.
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PM：好了，我們看看下一段 --
18:01
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
18:05
That plane is widely used by the military, now, in all their operations.
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這架飛機現在很廣泛的被陸軍用於任務之中。
18:10
Let's have the next video.
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我們接著看下一段影片。
18:14
(Video) (Music)
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(音樂聲)
18:28
Alan Alda: He's got it, he's got it, he's got it on his head.
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Alan Alda：他辦到了，他辦到了，他讓它保持在頭上。
18:30
(Music)
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(音樂聲)
18:32
We're going to end our visit with Paul MacCready's flying circus
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最後 Paul MacCready 的兒子 Tyler，
18:35
by meeting his son, Tyler, who, with his two brothers,
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他在25年前曾經和兩個兄弟協助製造戈薩默‧康德爾號，
18:38
helped build the Gossamer Condor, 25 years ago.
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他的飛行表演將作為今晚的總結。
18:42
Tyler MacCready: You can chase it, like this, for hours.
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Tyler Macready：你可以追著它跑幾個小時，像這樣。
18:44
AA: When they got bored with their father's project,
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AA：當他們對老爸的案子厭倦時，
18:47
they invented an extraordinary little plane of their own.
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他們靠自己發明了一架特別的飛機。
18:49
TM: And I can control it by putting the lift on one side of the wing, or on the other.
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TM：我可以藉由對某一邊或另一邊的翅膀施以上升氣流，來控制它。
18:54
AA: They called it their Walkalong Glider.
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AA：他們稱這個叫陪你散步的滑翔機。
18:56
(Music)
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(音樂聲)
18:58
I've never seen anything like that.
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我從來都沒看過任何類似的東西。
18:59
How old were you when you invented that?
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你幾歲時發明這個的？
19:01
TM: Oh, 10, 11. (AA: Oh my God.)
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TM：喔，10、11 -- ( AA：我的天啊。)
19:04
TM: 12, something like that. (AA: That's amazing.)
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TM：12歲左右吧。( AA：真是不可思議。)
19:06
PM: And Tyler's here to show you the Walkalong.
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PM：今天 Tyler 來到現場為大家示範它的玩法。
19:09
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
19:14
TM: All right. You all got a couple of these in your gift bags,
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TM：好的。你們的贈品袋裡應該都有一架這個，
19:18
and one of the first things,
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首先呢 --
19:21
the production version seemed to dive a little bit,
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量產的版本這邊有點朝下，
19:23
and so I would just suggest you bend the wing tips up a little bit
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所以我建議大家在試飛之前
19:26
before you try flying it.
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先把翅膀兩端往上折一點點。
19:28
I'll give you a demonstration of how it works.
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我示範一下要怎麼玩，
19:30
The idea is that it soars on the lift over your body, like a seagull soaring on a cliff.
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它的原理是靠你身體旁邊的上升氣流來飛行，就像海鷗在懸崖邊飛行一樣。
19:36
As the wind comes up, it has to go over the cliff, so
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當風靠近懸崖時，它會往上吹，
19:39
as you walk through the air, it goes around your body, some has to go over you.
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所以當你走路時，空氣會在你身旁流過，有些會從你上方流過。
19:44
And so you just keep the glider positioned in that up current.
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所以你只是要讓滑翔機的位置保持在這些向上的氣流中。
19:47
The launch is the difficult part: you've got to hold it high up, over your head,
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起飛是比較困難的部分，你要把它放在高過頭頂的位置，
19:50
and you start walking forward, and just let go of it, and you can control it like that.
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然後你開始往前走，放開手，接著你就可以這樣控制它。
19:56
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
19:58
And then also, like it said in the video,
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另外，像影片中所說，
20:01
you can turn it left or right
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你可以讓它左轉或右轉，
20:03
just by putting the lift under one wing or another.
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只要在一邊或另一邊翅膀下面稍微提高一點，
20:05
So I can do it -- oops, that was going to be a right turn.
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所以我可以這樣 -- 唉啊，我本來要右轉的。
20:10
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
20:11
Okay, this one will be a left turn.
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好，接下來是左轉。
20:15
Here, but --
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像這樣，不過 ...
20:17
(Applause) --
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(掌聲)
20:18
anyway.
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無論如何 --
20:20
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
20:23
And that's it, so you can just control it, wherever you want,
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就這樣，你可以隨心所欲去控制它，
20:26
and it's just hours of fun. And these are no longer in production,
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可以玩上幾個小時，另外這些已經停止量產了，
20:30
so you have real collector's items.
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所以你們拿到的是珍藏版。
20:32
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
20:34
And this, we just wanted to show you --
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還有，我們想讓大家看看這個 --
20:39
if we can get the video running on this, yeah --
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如果上面裝一台攝影機的話，
20:41
just an example of a little video surveillance.
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只是一個示範影片 -- 一個小型攝影監視器。
20:47
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
20:49
This was flying around in the party last night, and --
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這東西昨晚在舞會上飛來飛去 --
20:53
(Laughter) --
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(笑聲)
20:55
you can see how it just can fly around,
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如你所見它可以到處飛，
20:58
and you can spy on anybody you want.
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你可以偷看任何人。
21:00
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
21:06
And that's it. I was going to bring an airplane,
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就是這樣。我本來打算帶一台飛機來，
21:08
but I was worried about hitting people in here,
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不過我擔心會撞到人，
21:10
so I thought this would be a little bit more gentle.
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所以我想這個可能會比較安全一點。
21:14
And that's it, yeah, just a few inventions.
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就是這樣，嗯，一些新發明。
21:17
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
21:25
All right.
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謝謝。
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Paul MacCready - EngineerPaul MacCready, an aircraft designer and environmentalist, is a pioneer of human-powered flight, alternative energy for transportation, and environmentally responsible design.
Why you should listen
Through his life, Paul MacCready turned his mind, energy and heart toward his two passions: flight and the Earth. His early training as a fighter and glider pilot (glider pilots still use the "MacCready speed ring" he developed after World War II) led him to explore nontraditional flight and nontraditional energy sources.
In the 1970s, he and his company, AeroVironment, designed and built two record-breaking human-powered planes: the Gossamer Condor, the first human-powered aircraft to complete a one-mile course set by the Kremer Prize, and the Gossamer Albatross, the first to cross the English Channel. The planes' avian names reveal the deep insight that MacCready brought to the challenge -- that large birds, in their wing shape and flying style, possess an elegant secret of flight.
He then turned his wide-ranging mind toward environmentally responsible design, informed by his belief that human expansion poses a grave threat to the natural world. His team at AeroVironment prototyped an electric car that became General Motors' pioneering EV-1. They explored alternative energy sources, including building-top wind turbines. And they developed a fleet of fascinating aircraft -- including his Helios solar-powered glider, built to fly in the very top 2 percent of Earth's atmosphere, and the 2005 Global Observer, the first unmanned plane powered by hydrogen cells.
Paul MacCready | Speaker | TED.com