消防员Mark Bezos 描述他出乎意料的英雄事迹，以及他从中学到的一件事：成为英雄不需等待。

　　TED演讲文本：

　　0:11

　　Back in New York, I am the head of development for a non-profit called Robin Hood. When I'm not fighting poverty, I'm fighting fires as the assistant captainof a volunteer fire company. Now in our town, where the volunteers supplement a highly skilledcareer staff, you have to get to the fire scene pretty early to get in on any action.

　　0:30

　　I remember my first fire. I was the second volunteer on the scene, so there was a pretty goodchance I was going to get in. But still it was a real footrace against the other volunteers to get tothe captain in charge to find out what our assignments would be. When I found the captain, hewas having a very engaging conversation with the homeowner, who was surely having one of theworst days of her life. Here it was, the middle of the night, she was standing outside in the pouringrain, under an umbrella, in her pajamas, barefoot, while her house was in flames.

　　1:04

　　The other volunteer who had arrived just before me -- let's call him Lex Luther -- (Laughter) got tothe captain first and was asked to go inside and save the homeowner's dog. The dog! I wasstunned with jealousy. Here was some lawyer or money manager who, for the rest of his life, getsto tell people that he went into a burning building to save a living creature, just because he beatme by five seconds. Well, I was next. The captain waved me over. He said, "Bezos, I need you togo into the house. I need you to go upstairs, past the fire, and I need you to get this woman a pairof shoes." (Laughter) I swear. So, not exactly what I was hoping for, but off I went -- up the stairs,down the hall, past the 'real' firefighters, who were pretty much done putting out the fire at thispoint, into the master bedroom to get a pair of shoes.

　　2:05

　　Now I know what you're thinking, but I'm no hero. (Laughter) I carried my payload backdownstairs where I met my nemesis and the precious dog by the front door. We took ourtreasures outside to the homeowner, where, not surprisingly, his received much more attentionthan did mine. A few weeks later, the department received a letter from the homeowner thankingus for the valiant effort displayed in saving her home. The act of kindness she noted above allothers: someone had even gotten her a pair of shoes.

　　2:44

　　(Laughter)

　　2:46

　　In both my vocation at Robin Hood and my avocation as a volunteer firefighter, I am witness toacts of generosity and kindness on a monumental scale, but I'm also witness to acts of grace andcourage on an individual basis. And you know what I've learned? They all matter. So as I lookaround this room at people who either have achieved, or are on their way to achieving, remarkablelevels of success, I would offer this reminder: don't wait. Don't wait until you make your first millionto make a difference in somebody's life. If you have something to give, give it now. Serve food at asoup kitchen. Clean up a neighborhood park. Be a mentor.

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　　Not every day is going to offer us a chance to save somebody's life, but every day offers us anopportunity to affect one. So get in the game. Save the shoes.

　　3:38

　　Thank you.

　　3:40

　　(Applause)

　　3:45

　　Bruno Giussani: Mark, Mark, come back.

　　3:47

　　(Applause)

　　3:54

　　Mark Bezos: Thank you.

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（实习编辑：高奕飞）