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Now when the Treasure sank in 2000, it was the height of the best breeding season scientists had ever recorded for the African penguin, which at the time, was listed as a threatened species.
而當2000年“寶藏(Treasure)”號發生沉船事故時，正值有史以來科學家所記錄的南非企鵝繁殖最旺盛的一個時期——而南非企鵝在當時已經被列入瀕危物種的名單。
And soon, nearly 20,000 penguins were covered with this toxic oil.
很快的，將近兩萬只企鵝被有毒的油污浸染。
The local seabird rescue center, named SANCCOB, immediately launched a massive rescue operation, and this soon would become the largest animal rescue ever undertaken.
于是當地的海鳥救援中心，即南非濱海鳥類保育基金會(SANCCOB)，迅速發動了一場浩大的救援行動——而不久后這場行動就演變成一場空前壯大的動物拯救行動。
At the time, I was working down the street. I was a penguin aquarist at the New England Aquarium.
那個時候，我在陸地下面工作，當時我是新英格蘭水族館企鵝館的管理員。
And exactly 11 years ago yesterday, the phone rang in the penguin office. And with that call, my life would change forever.
然后就在11年前的昨天，一個電話打進我辦公室。而正是那個電話，改變了我的生活軌跡。
It was Estelle van Der Merwe calling from SANCCOB, saying, "Please come help.
那是來自南非濱海鳥類保育基金會的埃斯特爾·范·德·米爾(Estelle van der Meer)打來的電話，電話里，他說“請來幫幫忙。
We have thousands of oiled penguins and thousands of willing but completely inexperienced volunteers.
我們這兒有上千只被油污浸染的企鵝和數千名興致勃勃，卻毫無企鵝救助經驗的志愿者。
And we need penguin experts to come train and supervise them." So two days later, I was on a plane headed for Cape Town with a team of penguin specialists.
因此我們急需這方面的專家來為志愿者們作培訓指導。”就這樣兩天后，我便與一行企鵝專家坐上了前往開普敦(Capetown)的飛機。
And the scene inside of this building was devastating and surreal. In fact, many people compared it to a war zone.
而當時救援所內的場景簡直不堪入目。事實上，很多人把它比作戰區現場。
Last week, a 10-year-old girl asked me: "What did it feel like when you first walked into that building and saw so many oiled penguins?"
上星期，一個十歲的小女孩問我，“當你一開始踏入那屋子，看到那么多被污染的企鵝是怎樣的一種感覺？”
And this is what happened. I was instantly transported back to that moment in time.
她這么一問，接著就發生了下面的一切。剎那間我仿佛又回到了一開始踏入那屋子的那一刻。
Penguins are very vocal birds and really, really noisy, so I expected to walk into this building and be met with this cacophony of honking and braying and squawking.
企鵝按理說是很喜歡叫喊的，而且的確叫起來會非常、非常吵。所以當時在進入屋子之前，我是做好了心理準備來面對那些刺耳尖叫的，
But instead, when we stepped through those doors and into the building, it was eerily silent.
但出乎意料的是，當我們穿過重重大門，最終進入搶救室時，迎接我們的是一片死寂。
So it was very clear these were stressed, sick, traumatized birds.
據此也可以看出眼前的這些鳥兒還驚魂未定，惶恐而虛弱。
