Sy Montgomery: The Soul of an Octopus
Sy Montgomery is an author, naturalist, and explorer of human-creature connections
Mmerikani’s Substack consists of sourced, edifying quotes in a dual-language format (Swahili & English). I am a Quaker, runner, and was formally trained in Swahili.
KISWAHILI
"Pweza wanawakilisha fumbo kuu la Nyingine. Wanaonekana kuwa wa kigeni kabisa, na bado ulimwengu wao—bahari kuu—unajumuisha zaidi ya Dunia (asilimia 70 ya eneo lake la uso; zaidi ya asilimia 90 ya nafasi yake ya kukalika) kuliko ardhi. Wanyama karibu wote kwenye sayari hii wanaishi baharini. Na wengi wao ni wanyama wasio na uti wa mgongo.
"Nilitaka kukutana na pweza."
- Sy Montgomery ni mwandishi, mtafiti wa mambo ya asili, na mgunduzi. Yeye anayeandika juu ya mwingiliano kati ya wanyama na binadamu.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
“Octopuses represent the great mystery of the Other. They seem completely alien, and yet their world—the ocean—comprises far more of the Earth (70 percent of its surface area; more than 90 percent of its habitable space) than does land. Most animals on this planet live in the ocean. And most of them are invertebrates.
“I wanted to meet an octopus.”
- Sy Montgomery is an author, naturalist researcher, explorer, and documentarian of human-creature interactions.
Chanzo (source): Montgomery, Sy. The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness. New York: Atria Paperback, 2015, page 2.