TED演讲:站在救灾前沿(3)

 　　Data. Data is inherently unsexy, but it can jumpstart an area's recovery. 看看数据。数据一向很枯燥，但能极大推动一个地区的重建

　　FEMA and the state will pay 85 percent of the cost of a federally declared disaster, FEMA和所在州会支付联邦宣布的灾害事件85%的损失

　　leaving the town to pay last 15 percent of the bill.  其余15%需要城镇自行承担

　　Now that expense can be huge,  这笔支出数额巨大

　　but if the town can mobilize X amount of volunteers for Y hours,  但如果可以发动X个志愿者服务Y个小时

　　the dollar value of that labor¹ used goes toward the town's contribution. 所创造的美元价值会直接计入城镇开支之中

　　But who knows that?  但有多少人明白呢?

　　Now try to imagine the sinking feeling you get when you've just sent out 2,000 volunteers and you can't prove it. 现在想像一下那会多么崩溃，如果你贡献了2000个志愿者却无法证明

　　These are three problems with a common solution.  这三个问题有一个共同的解决方案

　　If we can get the right tools at the right time 那就是如果我们有恰当的时间和工具

　　to the people who will inevitably² step up and start putting their communities back together, 给那些必须重建家园、重建社区的人们

　　we can create new standards in disaster recovery.  我们就能建立救灾重建的新标准

　　We needed canvasing tools, donations databasing,  我们需要宣传工具，捐赠物品清单

　　needs reporting, remote volunteer access, all in an easy-to-use website. 需要媒体报道，远程志愿者联络，它们被整合在一个易用网站中

　　And we needed help.  我们也需要帮助

　　Alvin, our software engineer and cofounder, has built these tools.  我们的软件工程师和合伙人Alvin设计了这些工具

　　Chris and Bill have volunteered their time to use operations and partnerships³. Chris和Bill贡献了自己的时间去协调企业和合作伙伴

　　And we've been flying into disaster areas since this past January,  从一月开始,我们便不停穿梭于各个灾区

　　setting up software, training residents and licensing⁴ the software to areas that are preparing for disasters. 设置软件，训练居民，并把软件授权给需要预防灾害的地区

　　One of our first launches was after the Dallas tornadoes⁶ this past April.  四月达拉斯的龙卷风是我们最早的行动之一

　　We flew into a town that had a static outdated⁷ website  我们飞到一个镇上,那里的网络不稳定

　　and a frenetic Facebook feed trying to structure the response. Facebook也用不了,很难协调工作

　　And we launched our platform.  于是我们搭建了自己的平台

　　All of the interest came in the first four days,  它的效益持续了四天

　　but by the time they lost the news cycle, that's when the needs came in, 一旦灾害不再是新闻焦点，我们便有其他需要

　　yet they had this massive resource of what people were able to give  好在他们有大批人们提供的物资

　　and they've been able to meet the needs of their residents.  并且这些可以满足人们的需要

　　So it's working, but it could be better.  所以这个系统可以运转,而且可以更好

　　Emergency preparedness is a big deal in disaster recovery  做足准备对于灾后重建很重要

　　because it makes towns safer and more resilient.  因为它可以让城镇更安全,更坚韧

　　Imagine if we could have these systems ready to go in a place before a disaster. 假如我们在灾害发生之前能够做足准备

　　So that's what we're working on.  这就我们的工作

　　We're working on getting the software to places  我们努力把这套系统部署到位

　　so people expect it, so people know how to use it  让人们期待它,了解它的用法

　　and so it can be filled ahead of time with that microinformation that drives recovery. 在灾害发生前做好准备，用琐碎的信息支援重建

　　It's not rocket science.  这不像研究火箭

　　These tools are obvious and people want them.  人们切实需要这些工具

　　In our hometown, we trained a half-dozen residents to run these Web tools on their own. 我们在家乡训练了6个居民，他们可以独立使用这些网络工具

　　Because Caitria and I live here in Boston.  因为Caitria和我住在波士顿

　　They took to it immediately, and now they are forces of nature. 他们很快就用上了，现在已经成了本能

　　There are over three volunteer groups working almost every day,  有三组志愿者几乎每天都在那里工作

　　and have been since June 1st of last year,  从去年6月1号就开始了

　　to make sure that these residents get what they need and get back in their homes.  为了让这些居民得到他们所需,重建家园

　　They have hotlines and spreadsheets and data.  他们有热线,记录单,数据

　　And that makes a difference.  效果十分明显

　　June 1st this year marked the one-year anniversary of the Monson tornado⁵. 今年6月1日是Monson风灾的周年纪念

　　And our community's never been more connected or more empowered.  我们的社区第一次如此团结和强大

　　We've been able to see the same transformation⁸ in Texas and in Alabama. 我们能够看到同样的改变，发生在德克萨斯和亚拉巴马

　　Because it doesn't take Harvard or MIT to fly in and fix problems after a disaster, it takes a local. 因为这用不着哈佛或者MIT飞到灾区解决问题，它动员了当地的力量

　　No matter how good an aid organization is at what they do, they eventually have to go home. 不管一个救援组织多么出色，他们最终还是得回家

　　But if you give locals the tools, if you show them what they can do to recover, they become experts. 但是如果把工具交给当地居民，如果教给他们如何重建家园，他们就成了专家

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

3 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

4 licensing   

v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A large part of state regulation consists of occupational licensing. 大部分州的管理涉及行业的特许批准。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• That licensing procedures for projects would move faster. 这样的工程批准程序一定会加快。 来自辞典例句

5 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

6 tornadoes   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网

7 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

8 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。