TEDGlobal 2009
Michael Pritchard: How to make filthy water drinkable
麥可．普立查把骯髒污穢的水變成可供飲用
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世界上有太多地方缺乏飲用水。工程師麥可．普立查作出了行動 ﹣發明了可隨身攜帶的 Lifesaver 濾水瓶。它能在幾秒鐘內將骯髒污穢的水過濾成可飲用的水。TEDGlobal 2009 中非常神奇的示範。
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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大家早安。
00:20
I'd like to talk about a couple of things today.
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我今天想談論兩件事情。
00:22
The first thing is water.
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第一項是水。
00:24
Now I see you've all been enjoying the water
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我注意到這幾天來
00:26
that's been provided for you here at the conference,
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你們都享用著研討會
00:28
over the past couple of days.
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提供的水。
00:30
And I'm sure you'll feel that it's from a safe source.
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我相信你們都認為它的來源是安全的。
00:34
But what if it wasn't?
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但如果它不是呢？
00:36
What if it was from a source like this?
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如果它是來自這種地方呢？
00:41
Then statistics would actually say
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那麼我們能從統計資料推得
00:43
that half of you would now be suffering
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你們之中有一半的人
00:45
with diarrhea.
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將現在患上腹瀉。
00:49
I talked a lot in the past about statistics,
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我在過去談過許多關於統計
00:52
and the provision of safe drinking water for all.
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和提供所有人安全的飲用水，
00:56
But they just don't seem to get through.
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但總是無法將這些訊息傳遞出去。
00:59
And I think I've worked out why.
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我認為我找出原因了。
01:01
It's because, using current thinking,
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因為，以當前的想法，
01:04
the scale of the problem
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這問題的規模
01:06
just seems too huge to contemplate solving.
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大得無法意圖解決。
01:10
So we just switch off:
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所以我們就放棄。
01:12
us, governments and aid agencies.
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我們、政府、和援助機構。
01:17
Well, today, I'd like to show you
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今天，我要來示範
01:20
that through thinking differently,
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經過不一樣的思考後，
01:22
the problem has been solved.
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問題已經被解決。
01:26
By the way, since I've been speaking,
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順道一提，從我開始演講到現在，
01:28
another 13,000 people around the world
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全球各地又有13,000人
01:31
are suffering now with diarrhea.
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正在腹潟，
01:34
And four children have just died.
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而且四個孩子剛剛死去。
01:39
I invented Lifesaver bottle
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我發明了 Lifesaver 濾水瓶
01:41
because I got angry.
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是因為我忿怒。
01:43
I, like most of you, was sitting down, the day after Christmas in 2004,
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我跟你們一樣在2004年聖誕節翌日，
01:47
when I was watching the devastating news
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坐在那裏，看著電視
01:50
of the Asian tsunami as it rolled in,
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不斷報導南亞海嘯摧毀性的新聞，
01:52
playing out on TV.
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在電視上不斷播放。
01:54
The days and weeks that followed,
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在那之後的數週，
01:56
people fleeing to the hills,
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人們逃到山丘上，
01:58
being forced to drink contaminated water
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被迫喝下被污染的水，
02:01
or face death.
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要不然就面對死亡。
02:04
That really stuck with me.
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那一直困擾著我。
02:06
Then, a few months later,
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隨著數月後，
02:09
Hurricane Katrina slammed into the side of America.
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卡崔納颶風往美國衝著而來。
02:13
"Okay," I thought, "here's a First World country, let's see what they can do."
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我想：「好吧，這是第一世界國家，來看看他們如何解決。」
02:17
Day one: nothing.
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第一天：甚麼都沒有做。
02:20
Day two: nothing.
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第二天：甚麼都沒有做。
02:23
Do you know it took five days to get water to the Superdome?
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你知道他們花了五天才將水運到超級巨蛋嗎？
02:28
People were shooting each other on the streets
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人們在街上互相開槍，
02:31
for TV sets and water.
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只為了電視機和水。
02:34
That's when I decided I had to do something.
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我就在那時決定一定要做些事。
02:38
Now I spent a lot of time in my garage, over the next weeks and months,
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接下來的數月，我花了很多時間在我的車庫，
02:41
and also in my kitchen -- much to the dismay of my wife. (Laughter)
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還有在廚房裏面，令我的太太很沮喪。
02:44
However, after a few failed prototypes,
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然而，經過幾次失敗的原型後，
02:49
I finally came up with this, the Lifesaver bottle.
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我最後還是完成了這個 ─ Lifesaver 濾水瓶。
02:54
Okay, now for the science bit.
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好了，現在來談它的科學面。
02:56
Before Lifesaver, the best hand filters were only capable
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在 Lifesaver 濾水瓶之前，最好的手動過濾器
02:58
of filtering down to about 200 nanometers.
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只能過濾小至200奈米。
03:02
The smallest bacteria is about 200 nanometers.
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最小的細菌就差不多200奈米般大。
03:06
So a 200-nanometer bacteria
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所以一個200奈米的細菌
03:08
is going to get through a 200-nanometer hole.
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將穿過一個200奈米大的洞。
03:12
The smallest virus, on the other hand,
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另一方面，最小的病毒
03:14
is about 25 nanometers.
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大約是25奈米。
03:17
So that's definitely going to get through those 200 nanometer holes.
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所以它一定會穿過那些200奈米大的洞。
03:22
Lifesaver pores are 15 nanometers.
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Lifesaver 濾水瓶的孔隙只有15奈米大小。
03:27
So nothing is getting through.
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所以任何東西都穿不過。
03:30
Okay, I'm going to give you a bit of a demonstration.
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好了，我要來示範一下給你們看。
03:32
Would you like to see that?
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你們想看看嗎？
03:34
I spent all the time setting this up, so I guess I should.
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我花了不少時間作出裝設，我想應該示範一下。
03:36
We're in the fine city of Oxford.
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我們正在美好的牛津城裡。
03:39
So -- someone's done that up.
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有人已經將它準備好了。
03:41
Fine city of Oxford, so what I've done is I've gone
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美好的牛津城，我做的是從
03:43
and got some water from the River Cherwell,
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流過牛津的查韋爾河
03:45
and the River Thames,
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和泰晤士河
03:47
that flow through here. And this is the water.
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取了一些水。就是這些水。
03:49
But I got to thinking, you know,
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不過我想了一下，你知道嗎，
03:51
if we were in the middle of a flood zone
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如果我們身在發生水災的
03:53
in Bangladesh, the water wouldn't look like this.
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災區孟加拉，那麼水不會像這樣。
03:57
So I've gone and got some stuff to add into it.
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所以我拿了一些東西來加進去。
03:59
And this is from my pond.
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這是從我家裡池塘拿來的。
04:01
(Sniffs) (Coughs) Have a smell of that, mister cameraman.
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(嗅嗅)(咳嗽) 聞一下吧，攝影師先生。
04:05
Okay. (Laughs) Right.
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可以了。(笑聲) 好的。
04:09
We're just going to pour that in there.
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我們來把它倒進去。
04:12
Audience: Ugh!
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觀眾：啊！
04:14
Michael Pritchard: Okay. We've got some runoff
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麥可．普立查：好的，我們還有一些
04:17
from a sewage plant farm.
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從污水處理場流出物取得的。
04:19
So I'm just going to put that in there.
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那我也把它倒進去。
04:22
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
04:23
Put that in there. There we go.
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將它放進去。可以了。
04:26
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
04:27
And some other bits and pieces, chuck that in there.
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還有其他零碎物，把它丟進去。
04:31
And I've got a gift here from a friend of mine's rabbit.
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我這邊還有一位朋友的兔子送的小禮物。
04:35
So we're just going to put that in there as well.
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所以我們也把它放進去。
04:39
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
04:40
Okay. (Laughter) Now.
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好了。(笑聲) 現在，
04:44
The Lifesaver bottle works really simply.
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Lifesaver 濾水瓶的用法非常簡單。
04:49
You just scoop the water up.
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你只要將水勺起來。
04:51
Today I'm going to use a jug
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今天我要用一個水壺
04:53
just to show you all. Let's get a bit of that poo in there.
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來展示給你們看。把那一些大便弄進去。
04:57
That's not dirty enough. Let's just stir that up a little bit.
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這樣還不夠髒。我們來稍微攪拌一下。
05:03
Okay, so I'm going to take this really filthy water,
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好的，現我要將這些非常骯髒的水，
05:08
and put it in here. Do you want a drink yet?
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放進這裏來。你們想喝了嗎？
05:12
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
05:13
Okay. There we go.
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好的，可以了。
05:17
Replace the top.
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把蓋子蓋回去。
05:22
Give it a few pumps. Okay?
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稍微抽壓幾次，好嗎？
05:26
That's all that's necessary.
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就是只需要這樣做。
05:29
Now as soon as I pop the teat,
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當我拉開它的瓶蓋，
05:33
sterile drinking water is going to come out.
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無菌的飲用水將會流出來。我動作要快。
05:35
I've got to be quick. Okay, ready?
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準備好了嗎？
05:40
There we go. Mind the electrics.
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可以了。小心電器。
05:42
That is safe, sterile drinking water.
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這是安全、無菌的飲用水。
05:46
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
05:48
Cheers.
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乾杯。
05:50
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
05:53
There you go Chris.
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拿去吧克里斯。
05:55
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
06:00
What's it taste of?
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喝起來如何？
06:02
Chris Anderson: Delicious.
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克里斯．安德森：非常好喝。
06:04
Michael Pritchard: Okay.
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麥可．普立查：好的。
06:07
Let's see Chris's program throughout the rest of the show. Okay?
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我們來看看克里斯在接下來節目中的表現。好嗎？
06:10
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
06:13
Okay. Lifesaver bottle is used by thousands of people around the world.
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好的。世界各地有上千人正在使用 Lifesaver 濾水瓶。
06:18
It'll last for 6,000 liters.
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它能轉換6,000公升的水。
06:20
And when it's expired, using failsafe technology,
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它過期時，利用故障自動保險技術，
06:23
the system will shut off, protecting the user.
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系統會自行關閉以保護使用者。
06:26
Pop the cartridge out. Pop a new one in.
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將內筒取出，換一個新的進去，
06:28
It's good for another 6,000 liters.
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就能夠再過濾6,000公升。
06:32
So let's look at the applications.
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我們來看看它的應用。
06:34
Traditionally, in a crisis, what do we do?
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災難發生時，傳統的做法是什麼？
06:36
We ship water.
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我們運送水。
06:38
Then, after a few weeks, we set up camps.
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幾個禮拜過後，我們建立營地。
06:42
And people are forced to come into the camps to get their safe drinking water.
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人們被迫來到營地取用安全的飲用水。
06:47
What happens when 20,000 people congregate in a camp?
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同時有20,000人聚集在營地會發生什麼事？
06:52
Diseases spread. More resources are required.
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病毒會傳染。會需要更多的資源。
06:55
The problem just becomes self-perpetuating.
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問題會一直自行延續下去。
06:59
But by thinking differently,
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但經過不一樣的思考，
07:01
and shipping these,
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以及運送這些水瓶，
07:03
people can stay put.
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人們就可以留在原地。
07:05
They can make their own sterile drinking water,
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他們可以自行製造無菌飲用水，
07:08
and start to get on with rebuilding their homes and their lives.
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並開始重建他們的家園和生計。
07:13
Now, it doesn't require a natural disaster
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其實，這些發明並不需要天然災害
07:16
for this to work.
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才可做到。
07:19
Using the old thinking, of national infrastructure
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以舊的想法，國家基礎建設
07:23
and pipe work, is too expensive.
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和管道工程的費用實太昂貴了。
07:26
When you run the numbers on a calculator,
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如用計算機計算費用，
07:28
you run out of noughts.
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算也算不完。
07:30
So here is the "thinking different" bit.
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這就是「用不同想法」看待問題的時候了。
07:33
Instead of shipping water,
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與其運送水
07:35
and using man-made processes to do it,
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和使用人造過程去解決，
07:38
let's use Mother Nature. She's got a fantastic system.
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我們應該利用大自然。她有一個很棒的系統。
07:41
She picks the water up from there,
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她從這裏提水，
07:44
desalinates it, for free, transports it over there,
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免費除去水中鹽分，運送到那裏，
07:48
and dumps it onto the mountains, rivers, and streams.
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傾倒在山地、河川、以及溪流中。
07:50
And where do people live? Near water.
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而人們住在哪裏呢？鄰近水源的地方。
07:53
All we've go to do
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我們需要做的
07:55
is make it sterile. How do we do that?
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只是將它消毒而已。
07:57
Well, we could use the Lifesaver bottle.
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那麼，我們可以使用 Lifesaver 濾水瓶。
08:00
Or we could use one of these.
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或是使用這種。
08:02
The same technology, in a jerry can.
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利用一樣的技術，裝在五加侖裝的油罐裡。
08:05
This will process 25,000 liters of water;
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它能夠過濾25,000公升的水。
08:10
that's good enough for a family of four,
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這足夠一個四人家庭
08:14
for three years.
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使用三年。
08:17
And how much does it cost?
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那它花費多少呢？
08:19
About half a cent a day to run.
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每天大約只需半分錢。
08:21
Thank you.
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謝謝。
08:23
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
08:26
So, by thinking differently, and processing water
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所以，以不同思考模式，在需要用水時
08:29
at the point of use,
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即時過濾，
08:31
mothers and children no longer have to walk four hours a day
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媽媽和孩子不必再每天跋涉四小時
08:35
to collect their water.
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來取得他們的水。
08:37
They can get it from a source nearby.
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他們可以取用附近的水源。
08:41
So with just eight billion dollars,
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那只需要八十億美元，
08:44
we can hit the millennium goal's target
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我們便能達到千禧目標的目的，
08:47
of halving the number of people
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讓無法取得安全飲用水
08:49
without access to safe drinking water.
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的人數減半。
08:52
To put that into context,
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將上述套入此情況，
08:54
The U.K. government spends about 12 billion pounds
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英國政府每年花約120億英鎊
08:58
a year on foreign aid.
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於國際援助。
09:01
But why stop there?
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但為何只做到這樣？
09:04
With 20 billion dollars, everyone can have access to safe drinking water.
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有了200億元，每個人都能取得安全的飲用水。
09:10
So the three-and-a-half billion people
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所以結果是
09:12
that suffer every year as a result,
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每年因此受苦的三十五億人
09:15
and the two million kids that die every year,
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和死去的兩百萬個兒童
09:19
will live.
181
541000
4000
都會活下來。
09:23
Thank you.
182
545000
2000
謝謝。
09:25
(Applause)
183
547000
2000
(掌聲)
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