火烈鳥的啟示

Some of the greatest problems we face today are concerned with the gradual destruction of our environment through over-use and abuse2) of our resources. Unsightly brown clouds; wildlife extinctions; water that can't be consumed; the disappearance of ancient glaciers3). These problems all seem so huge.

So my family does what we can. We take cloth bags to the grocery store instead of using paper or plastic grocery sacks. We buy organic foods when possible. We walk where we don't have to drive. Our home， like many of yours， is filled with fluorescent4) bulbs and we use water saving faucets5).

But does it do any good? When I am the only one in line at the grocery store with cloth bags， am I doing any good? Does my walking to the store or shivering under the drizzle of my anaemic6) shower head make any real difference to the world?

I recently learned something about flamingos—which probably behave like many migrating birds. These exquisite7) birds flock in huge groups of a thousand or more. Every year， when the time comes for migration， a few flamingos start the process by taking off from the lake. But none of the others seem to notice， so the tiny group returns.

However， the next day they try again. This time a few more struggle along with them， but the vast majority still pay no attention， so these pioneers come back.

The trend continues for several more days. Every time a few more birds join in but， since the thousands of others still take no notice， the great migration plan is once more aborted8).

Then one day something changes. The same small group of birds once again takes wing and a tiny number more join in， just as before. And this time their total number， though still quite small， is enough to tip the balance9). As one， the whole flock takes flight and the migration begins. What a spectacular sight it must be—thousands of flamingos taking to the sky at once!

A few CAN make a difference. It's true that all of the great problems of the world have been solved because of the persistent efforts of a few.

Anthropologist10) Margaret Mead put it like this: \"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful， committed11) citizens can change the world. Indeed， it is the only thing that ever has.\"

If you believe in a cause12)， don't give up! Others will someday take notice and together we will solve even our greatest problems.

當今我們所面臨的一些重大問題中，有些是由于過度使用以及濫用資源而造成的環境不斷惡化。大煞風景的褐色云團，野生動物的滅絕，無法飲用的水資源，古冰川的消失。這些問題似乎全都是那么嚴峻。

于是，我們一家人做了些力所能及的事。去雜貨店購物，我們帶著布袋，而不使用雜貨店的紙袋或是塑料袋。我們盡可能購買有機食品。我們步行前往那些不是非得開車才能去的地方。和很多家庭一樣，我們家里裝的都是熒光燈，水龍頭也是節水型的。

可我們這樣做到底有沒有效果？在雜貨店排隊的長龍中，我是唯一一個用布袋的人，我的努力有效果嗎？我步行去商店，我在淋浴頭下的“毛毛細雨”中瑟瑟發抖，我這樣做真的能改變世界嗎？

最近，我從火烈鳥的身上得到了一些啟示?；鹆银B和其他很多候鳥的做法或許都是一樣的。這些外形高雅的鳥兒會以上千甚至更多的數量聚集成群。每年到了遷徙的時候，總有少數火烈鳥率先飛離湖面，拉開遷徙的序幕。然而，其他的火烈鳥好像并沒注意到，于是這一小群火烈鳥又飛回到湖面上。

可是第二天，這少數的先行者會繼續進行嘗試。這一次，更多的火烈鳥和它們一道奮飛，然而絕大多數的火烈鳥依然是毫不在意。所以，這些先驅者們又飛了回來。

這樣的嘗試要持續好多天。每次都有更多的火烈鳥加入飛行的大軍，可終因成千上萬的火烈鳥依然沒有注意，大遷徙的計劃一再擱淺。

但有一天，情況終于改變了。和以前一樣，那些少數的火烈鳥再次扇動翅膀，有一小部分火烈鳥加入它們的行列。這一次飛起來的火烈鳥還是很少，但它們的數量已經足以起到決定性的作用。整群的火烈鳥都飛了起來，大遷徙開始了。那是多么壯觀的一幕啊——數千只火烈鳥一道騰空而起！

少數人的確能夠改變世界。世界上所有重大的難題都是因為少數人堅持不懈的努力而最終得到解決的。

人類學家瑪格麗特·米德是這樣說的：“毋庸置疑，極富思想而又信念堅定的少數人可以改變這個世界。是的，這正是唯一可以改變世界的方法。”

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