My name's Dan Pearman and I'd like to talk about the work of Pedal Power, a small charity based mainly in the UK.

我的名字叫丹·皮尔曼，我想来谈谈“踏板的力量”的工作，这是一个主要位于英国的小型慈善组织。

I'll be giving our contact details at the end, if anyone would like to find out more about how to support us.

如果有谁想更多地了解怎样支持我们，我会在最后给你们联系方式。

But first, how the charity began.

但首先，这个慈善组织怎样起步的。

I got the idea of exporting bicycles to developing countries while I was in Ecuador.

当我在厄瓜多尔的时候，我有了向发展中国家出口自行车的想法。

I went there in 1993 just after graduating from university.

我在1993年从大学毕业后就直接去了那里。

After three years of studying, I wanted adventure.

在学习了三年后，我想要冒险。

I loved travelling, so I decided to join a voluntary organisation and was sent to Ecuador to carry out land surveys.

我热爱旅游，所以我决定加入一个志愿者组织，然后被派往厄瓜多尔做土地调查。

The project came to an end after five years and when I returned to the UK in 1998, I started planning Pedal Power.

五年后，这个项目进入尾声。而当我1998年回到英国时，我开始计划“踏板的力量”。

Where I lived in Ecuador was a very rural area.

我在厄瓜多尔住的地方是片偏远的乡村地区。

My neighbour had the only bicycle in the village, whereas everyone else walked everywhere.

我的邻居有着村里唯一的自行车，而其他人都走路去各处。

My neighbour's business was unusually successful, and for years I couldn't understand why.

我的邻居的生意不同寻常的成功，好几年，我都不理解为什么。

Then I realised having a bike meant he could get where he wanted to go without much trouble.

之后我意识到有一辆自行车意味着他可以去任何他想去的地方，而不会有太多麻烦。

Other local carpenters could only accept jobs in a three-kilometre radius, so no matter how skilled they were, they could never do as many jobs as my neighbour.

其他当地的木匠只能接受3公里半径以内的工作，所以无论他们技术多娴熟，他们总是没有我的邻居那样有很多活儿。

At Pedal Power, we collect second-hand bikes in the UK and send them to some of the poorest regions in the world.

在“踏板的力量”，我们在英国收集二手自行车，然后把它们送往世界上一些最贫穷的地区。

When we distribute bikes overseas we don't give them away for free.

当我们把自行车发往海外时，我们并不免费送给他们。

We'd like to, but long term that doesn't really help the local economy.

我们想这么做，但是长远来看，这样不能真正的帮助当地的经济。

The demand for bikes is enormous, which makes them very expensive locally.

对于自行车的需求巨大，这就使它们在当地很贵。

So we sell them for 5% of the normal price.

所以我们按正常价格的5%出售。

But in order to continue operating we need to have a constant supply of bikes which we send out every six months.

但是为了能正常运转，我们需要源源不断的自行车供给，再每六个月把它们发出去。

One example of a town that's received bicycles from Pedal Power is Rivas.

一个从“踏板的力量”接受自行车的例子是小镇里瓦斯。

It was the first place I sent a full container of bicycles to.

这是第一个我送了一整集装箱自行车的地方。

Most people there now own a bicycle.

那里大部分人现在都有一辆自行车。

The local economy has developed so much, you wouldn't recognise it as the same place.

当地的经济发生了翻天覆地的变化，你不会认出是同一个地方。

In fact, there are more bikes than on the streets of Amsterdam, if you've ever been there.

事实上，那里街上的自行车比阿姆斯特丹还多，如果你去过阿姆斯特丹的话。

But Pedal Power still needs your help.

但是“踏板的力量”仍然需要你的帮助。

You may have read about some of our recent problems in the British media.

你们可能在英国的媒体上读到了最近有关我们的问题。

In August 2000, we simply ran out of money.

在2000年8月，我们竟然没有钱了。

We had containers of bikes ready to send, but no money to pay the bills.

我们有准备好发货的一箱箱自行车，但是没有钱付账单。

It was a terrible situation.

这真是糟糕的状况。

We managed to ensure the bikes went out on time, but the other problems carried on for several months.

我们最终确保自行车准时发出，但是其他的问题又延续了好几个月。