So, can Easter Island serve as a model for the future of our planet?
那么,复活节岛能否成为地球未来的模型吗?
Does what happened on the island represent what could happen to us?
岛上发生的事情是否代表了可能会发生在我们身上的事情呢?
Many situations on Earth today are similar to the situations on Easter Island.
今天地球上的许多情况与复活节岛上的情况相似。
For example, the earth’s population is rising.
例如,地球上的人口数量正在增加。
Some of the earth’s resources are starting to disappear.
地球上的一些资源正开始消失。
Many of the earth’s animals are dying out.
地球上的许多动物正在灭绝。
Too many people in the world do not have enough food to eat.
世界上有太多的人没有足够的食物吃。
And war threatens to destroy many societies.
战争威胁要摧毁许多社会。
Will we soon start to lose whole cultures?
我们会很快开始失去整个文化吗?
Scientists believe that people should think seriously about the events on Easter Island.
科学家认为,人们应该认真考虑复活节岛上发生的事件。
Jared Diamond, a scientist, has studied the history of Easter Island. He said,
科学家贾里德·戴蒙德研究了复活节岛的历史。他说,
“Thanks to globalization, international trade, airplanes, and the Internet, all countries on Earth today share resources.
“由于全球化、国际贸易、飞机和互联网,今天地球上的所有国家都共享资源。
We affect each other, just like Easter Island’s 11 tribes.
我们相互影响,就像复活节岛的11个部落一样。
Polynesian Easter Island was as lonely in the Pacific Ocean as the Earth is today in space.
波利尼西亚复活节岛在太平洋上就像今天的地球在太空中一样孤独。
When the Easter Islanders got into difficult times, there was nowhere they could go, or nowhere they could turn for help.
当复活节岛民陷入困境时,他们无处可去,也无处求助。
Nor will we modern people on Earth have a place to go for help.
我们地球上的现代人也没有地方可以去寻求帮助。
Those are the reasons why people see the fall of Easter Island society as a model, a worst-case situation for what may lie ahead of us in our own future on Earth.”
这就是人们把复活节岛社会的衰落视为模型的原因,这是地球未来可能会面临的最坏情况。”
Jared Diamond believes people today may experience something similar to Easter Island.
贾里德·戴蒙德认为,今天的人们可能会经历类似复活节岛上发生的事情。
That is, unless we can learn from the Rapanui people.
也就是说,除非我们能从拉帕努伊人身上汲取教训(否则我们会有相似的经历)。
It is important to remember that the Earth cannot be replaced.
重要的是要记住,地球是不可替代的。
It is important to take care of its resources.
照顾好它的资源是很重要的。
And, it is important that we, as people, take care of each other.
而且,重要的是,我们人类要相互照顾。