Topic of Happy Home Club, April 22, 2009:
Speech on Science Popularization Activity on the 40th World Earth Day
在第40个世界地球日广场科普活动上的演讲
Ladies and Gentlemen, Citizens of Suzhou, Good afternoon!
女士们、先生们，苏州的市民朋友们，下午好！
Today is the 40thWorld Earth Day, I am very glad to be invited by Suzhou Association of Science and Technology to participate in the science popularization activity.
今天是第40个世界地球日。 我十分荣幸地受苏州市科协的邀请参加今天的科普活动。
First of all, please allow me, on behalf of all the foreign friends in Suzhou, to express a warm congratulation to the successful opening of the activity!
首先，请允许我代表在苏州的所有外国人对活动的成功举办表示热烈的祝贺！
World Earth Day is an international day launched forty years ago and it marks the beginning of environmental protection in modern history of mankind. Since then, World Earth Day has been playing a very important role in the stipulation of environmental law, in the foundation of government institution of environmental protection, in the establishment of international organizations such as International Green Peace Organization and Environmental Planning Department of the United Nations.
世界地球日一个国际性的节日，它开始于40年前，地球日的出现标志着人类现代历史上对环境保护的开始。 从那以后，地球日在许多方面都起着非常重要的作用，比如：在各国环保法律的制定、在政府环保部门的建立、在国际绿色和平组织以及联合国环境规划署等国际组织的成立等等。
Today, around the globe we are well aware of the environmental problems such as the deterioration of ecosystem, the extinction of bio-species, damage to the ozone layer, the “green-house effect”, acid rain and desertification, which have posed a serious threat to mankind as well as to other creatures.
当今世界，环境保护已成为全球人们共同关注的话题。生态恶化、物种灭绝、臭氧层破坏、“温室效应”、酸雨、土地沙漠化等一系列环境问题已经严重影响到人类和其他物种的生存环境。
Knowing all these problems can we still remain passive and let things continue as before?? No way! It is time for immediate actions!
在知道了人们所面临的这些环境问题之后，我们还能袖手旁观、对这些环境问题听之任之吗？ 绝对不能！我们应该马上行动起来！
I believe we need to focus on the following two major areas of activities:
- Grass-root actions
- International cooperation
Today, I would like to mainly talk about Grass-root actions.
我认为我们应当主要在以下两个方面采取行动： 一是基础性的行动；二是国际性的合作。今天我主要谈谈基础性的行动。
Grass root actions mean that environmental issues are a matter of attitude; therefore we need to create the right attitude in each individual. The corner stone in building the right attitude is to create love and caring among all the people of the world. “One world, one Family”. Beijing Olympics was a wonderful example to raise awareness that we are all like one Family!! Now we need to cultivate this thought in every one’s heart and once this is done we can be sure that because of that love our conscious will not allow us to do harm to others by destroying our environment.
基础性的行动所指的是对人们环境问题所持有的态度。我们地球上的每个人都应当树立对环境问题的正确态度，而在这过程中最重要的就是营造一个充满爱心和温暖的良好氛围。“同一个世界、同一个梦想”，北京奥运会让我们更加清晰地认识到世界就是一个大家庭。我们现在要做的就是把这种世界是一个大家庭的观念根植到每个人的心里。只要这种观念深入人心，我们就肯定不会去破坏环境而给别人带来伤害，因为我们内心有爱，有良知。
Environmental problems are mainly due to mankind’s self-centeredness, which is caused by lack of love and care for others and for future generation!
环境问题大多都由于人们过于以自我为中心所致。而过于以自我为中心则是因为缺乏对他人和对子孙后代的爱心和责任感。
How can we cultivate love?? Through material competition and strive for excessive wealth and power?? Or through moral education and character building??
那么，我们怎样才能培养爱心呢？ 是通过对物质财富和权力的追求还是通过对良好道德的培养和品格的塑造呢？
Moral education starts in the family when the baby is born and continues all throughout the educational institutions and the media. Therefore, parents carry the highest responsibilities in this respect!
一个人从诞生之日起就开始接受家庭对他的道德教育，而教育机构和媒介对他的道德教育也贯彻始终，因此家长对孩子的言传身教至为重要！
The challenge of dealing with Environmental problems is today more than ever before a global challenge and it needs immediate actions for sustainable development both at local and global level. According to the International Chamber of Commerce ICC “sustainable development involves meeting the needs of present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their needs…”
正确应对环境问题比以往任何时候都显得更为迫切。我们要当机立断，采取积极措施，确保当地和全球的可持续发展。按照国际商会的说法，可持续发展意味着“在不牺牲子孙后代的利益的前提下满足当代人的发展需求”。
Our Earth is the greatest gift from our creator to us!! Could we destroy the gift, which someone has given to us?
我们的地球是造物主赐给我们的最大的礼物，我们忍心伤害这个上天赐给我们的礼物吗？
Dear friends, let’s work together as one family to protect our Earth and to show our appreciation for this wonderful gift!! Xie Xie!!
亲爱的朋友们，让我们象一个大家庭一样共同行动起来，保护我们的地球，珍爱这个美妙的礼物！谢谢！
Zekro Alfatuni
艾哲罗
Famous Foreign Friend
著名国际友人
Image Representative of Suzhou
苏州形象大使
Visiting Professor of Suzhou University
苏州大学客座教授
Quality Expert
品质专家