谁该为破坏大自然负责

 　　Readers respond to a Sunday Review article, “Leaving Only Footsteps? Think Again.”

　　本文是对《户外运动打破了大自然的宁静》（2015年2月17日）一文的回应。

　　谁该为破坏大自然负责

　　To the Editor:

　　致编辑：

　　“Leaving Only Footsteps? Think Again,” by Christopher Solomon (Sunday Review, Feb. 15), is a reminder¹ that we humans affect the natural world even when we think that we don’t. But two caveats².

　　克里斯托弗·所罗门的《户外运动打破了大自然的宁静》提醒我们：人类在自身没有察觉的情况下也仍可能对自然界产生影响。不过有两点需要说明。

　　First, even if a hiker or a skier³ frightens wildlife more than a passing snow machine, the machine probably still has more effect. Why? Because motor vehicles travel many times farther on an average trip, and thus affect much more habitat compared with those traveling under their own power.

　　首先，即便一位徒步者或滑雪者给野生动物带来的惊吓多过一辆行驶的雪地摩托车，摩托车也仍可能产生更多的影响。为什么呢？摩托车的平均单次活动距离比人多出许多倍。因此，相比于那些仅凭自身力量的人，摩托车会影响更多的动物栖息地。

　　Second, conservationists have rightly focused on the damage caused by mines and logging in the backcountry not only because such projects directly destroy habitat, but also because they inevitably⁴ require new roads. For example, a recently proposed coal mine expansion on national forest in Colorado would require six miles of new road in roadless habitat that is home to black bear, elk⁵ and lynx. Such roads not only slice and dice⁶ habitat, but they also extend human effects, including recreational travel of all kinds, while also creating vectors for invasive species and more frequent wildfires.

　　其次，环保主义者集中关注边远地区开矿和伐木活动造成的破坏，这是合理的。因为这些项目不仅对动物栖息地造成直接破坏，还无法避免地要求修建新的公路。例如，最近一项在科罗拉多国家森林内增开煤矿的计划，要求在原本无路的区域开辟6英里（约9.66千米）的新路。该区域正是黑熊、麋鹿和山猫的栖息地。这样的新路不仅将动物的生存区域分割成小块，还扩大了人类活动的影响，比如各种休闲旅游活动，同时为入侵物种提供了载体，增加了森林野火的发生机率。

　　TED⁷ ZUKOSKI

　　泰德·祖科斯基(TED ZUKOSKI)

　　Boulder⁸, Colo.

　　美国科罗拉多州博尔德

　　The writer is an environmental lawyer for Earthjustice, Rocky Mountain office.

　　作者是“地球正义”(Earthjustice)落基山脉分部的环境事务律师。

　　To the Editor:

　　致编辑：

　　Christopher Solomon describes the results of Kimberly Heinemeyer’s survey of different types of “recreation” on the increasing avoidance of humans by wildlife on public land in the United States in terms of the most benign⁹ recreational activities.

　　克里斯托弗·所罗门描述了金伯利·海因梅耶(Kimberly Heinemeyer)关于最温和的休闲活动的研究成果，在美国的公共土地上，各种各样的“休闲活动”导致野生动物对人类的躲避行为持续增加。

　　Working for the National Park Service two years ago as a biological technician, I noted¹⁰ harassment¹¹ of wildlife in the park, mostly by human noise and mess. But unscrupulous hunters armed with “recreation” permits would wait for wild animals to cross over the National Park border and then blow them away with hunting rifles on National Forest land.

　　两年前，作为一名生物技术人员，我在国家公园管理局(National Park Service)工作。我注意到，公园中野生动物受到的骚扰大多来自人类制造的噪音和混乱。然而，肆无忌惮的猎人携带“休闲”活动的许可，等待野生动物越过国家公园的边界，然后在国家森林的土地上用猎枪射杀它们。

　　Which type of “recreation” do you think causes more avoidance of human beings?

　　你认为哪一种“休闲活动”引起了生物对人类更多的躲避呢？

　　JUSTIN PHILLIPS

　　贾斯汀·菲尔普斯(JUSTIN PHILLIPS)

　　Olympia, Wash.

　　美国华盛顿州奥林匹亚

　　To the Editor:

　　致编辑：

　　Christopher Solomon may be right in arguing that even something so benign as a mere¹² walk in the woods (no camping, no fires, no trash left behind), something that I occasionally do, can be damaging to wildlife, but he will generate absolutely no support so long as parks and shorelines are open to heli-skiing, Sno-Cat skiing, snowmobiles, mountain bikes, dune¹³ buggies and off-road or all-terrain vehicles.

　　克里斯托弗·所罗门或许是正确的，他提出，即便是一些很温和的活动，如林间散步（不露营、不生火、不留下垃圾）这种我本人也偶尔参加的活动，也可能对野生动物造成伤害。但只要公园和沿海地区仍对直升机空降滑雪、雪地履带式滑雪、雪地摩托车、山地自行车、沙丘车和越野、多地形车开放，所罗门就不会得到任何支持。

　　Lumping such a wide range of outdoor activities under the same heading makes no sense. And it will only leave Mr. Solomon alone, a voice crying in the wilderness¹⁴.

　　把如此多样的户外运动混淆在一起，置于同一标题下，是没有任何意义的，只留下所罗门先生一人在孤独的荒野中大吼。

　　BILL MARSANO

　　比尔·马萨诺(BILL MARSANO)

　　New York

　　美国纽约

　　To the Editor:

　　致编辑：

　　Christopher Solomon’s intriguing¹⁵, and alarming, article about the adverse¹⁶ effects on wildlife from seemingly benign activities like hiking suggests that we should be prepared to accept restricted access to parks and wildlife areas.

　　克里斯托弗·所罗门的文章引人入胜，引发担忧，它描述了一些看似温和的活动，如徒步等，对野生动物产生的负面影响，这也意味着我们应该准备接受对进入公园和野生保护区的限制了。

　　Unfortunately, we are assaulting our environment in many more ways than wandering forest trails: flooding the oceans with tons of plastic refuse and creating excess greenhouse gases, to name two.

　　不幸的是，我们破坏环境的方式远不止于林间散步，随便举两个例子：向海洋排放上吨的塑料废品和制造超量的温室气体。

　　But Mr. Solomon is correct. Reduced access — particularly when it’s caused by reduced demand — is the answer for the protection of wildlife and the planet.

　　不过所罗门是正确的。限制进入——特别是当需求减少的时候——是保护野生动物和保护地球的良策。

　　Earth resources are fixed¹⁷ but are more than sufficient for a given number of inhabitants. All our environmental concerns can be linked to increasing demands from an expanding population. If there were fewer people, there would be fewer demands for plastic bottles, power plants and, yes, for hiking trails.

　　地球资源是有限的，但对于一定数量的居民来说远远足够。我们所有环境方面的顾虑都可以和人口增长引发的需求增长联系起来。如果人口减少，塑料瓶、发电站，没错，徒步路线的需求也将减少。

　　The arguments against responsible population control are manifold and persuasive¹⁸. Yet in one generation, many of the environmental fears of the last 50 years could be just memories, and a future of rising sea levels, mega-droughts, and food and water shortages postponed¹⁹ indefinitely.

　　反对人口控制的意见是多种多样、具有说服力的。对于一代人而言，过去50年的许多环境担忧恐怕只留存在记忆中，海平面上升、特大旱灾和食物、水资源的短缺也被他们无限地推迟到了遥远的未来。

　　MARK S. BACON

　　马克·S·贝肯(MARK S. BACON)

　　Reno, Nev.

　　美国内华达州里诺

　　To the Editor:

　　致编辑：

　　Footsteps do affect fragile ecosystems²⁰. But as custodians²¹ of open space eagerly pursue tourism, they pursue development.

　　户外活动确实会影响脆弱的生态系统。户外空间的管理人渴望发展旅游业，其实是在追求经济发展。

　　In our mid-Hudson town of New Paltz, the Mohonk Preserve, in a longstanding partnership²² with the for-profit Mohonk Mountain House resort, plans 100-plus car parking, visitor center, boardwalk, bulldozed trails, toilet sheds and outdoor lighting²³, encouraging visitors from far and near to leap into their fossil-fueled vehicles to swarm²⁴ in ever greater numbers into the unspoiled.

　　在我们哈德逊河中部城市新帕尔茨，莫康克保护区(Mohonk Preserve)与营利性的莫康克山豪斯酒店(Mohonk Mountain House)有着长期合作关系，他们规划了100多个停车位和游客中心、浮桥、旅游路线、卫生间棚、户外照明，鼓励远近的游客一跃而上跳到他们的化石燃料供能车里，以前所未有的数量涌向未被破坏的土地。

　　Recreation is a profitable and competitive industry, and green access is a resource that can be exploited as ruthlessly as any other, to the detriment²⁵ of both wild and human habitat. It affects not only the trampled²⁶ green space but also its buffer²⁷, where someone, till now, could stop to help a tortoise cross the highway without setting off half a mile of honking²⁸ cars.

　　休闲是一个盈利、具有竞争力的产业，而自然是一种可以像任何其他资源一样被残酷掠夺的资源，可以对野生动物和人类的生存空间造成破坏。它不仅影响了被侵入的自然空间，还影响了缓冲区，在那些地方，人们以前还可以停下来让一只龟穿过公路，而不必担心阻断车流，引致半英里的汽车鸣笛。

　　C. A. RODRIGUEZ

　　C·A·罗德里格斯(C. A. RODRIGUEZ)

　　New Paltz, N.Y.

　　美国纽约州新帕尔茨

　　To the Editor:

　　致编辑：

　　Christopher Solomon’s article is sad but not surprising. For animals that live in wilderness, the sound, sight or scent²⁹ of humans is a threat. The more of us there are, the fewer of them there will be.

　　克里斯托弗·所罗门的文章令人悲伤但并不令人惊讶。对于生活在野外的动物来说，人类的声音、景象和气味都是威胁。我们越多，它们越少。

　　As Mr. Solomon wrote, “A century ago, nature had elbow room.” Perhaps the best solution is to wake up to the fact that a century later, there are simply too many humans for this planet to support.

　　正如所罗门所写：“一个世纪前，大自然还有一些自己的空间。”或许问题最好的解决办法是意识到这样一个事实：一个世纪之后的今天，对于这个星球来说，需要养活的人实在太多了。

　　LAURIE HAMMOND

　　劳瑞·海蒙德(LAURIE HAMMOND)

　　Los Altos, Calif.

　　美国加利福尼亚州洛思阿图斯

1 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

2 caveats   

警告

参考例句：

• I would offer a caveat for those who want to join me in the dual calling. 为防止发生误解，我想对那些想要步我后尘的人提出警告。 来自辞典例句
• As I have written before, that's quite a caveat. 正如我以前所写，那确实是个警告。 来自互联网

3 skier   

n.滑雪运动员

参考例句：

• She is a skier who is unafraid of danger.她是一名敢于冒险的滑雪者。
• The skier skimmed across the snow.滑雪者飞快地滑过雪地。

4 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

5 elk   

n.麋鹿

参考例句：

• I was close enough to the elk to hear its labored breathing.我离那头麋鹿非常近，能听见它吃力的呼吸声。
• The refuge contains the largest wintering population of elk in the world.这座庇护所有着世界上数量最大的冬季麋鹿群。

6 dice   

n.骰子；vt.把（食物）切成小方块，冒险

参考例句：

• They were playing dice.他们在玩掷骰子游戏。
• A dice is a cube.骰子是立方体。

7 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

8 boulder   

n.巨砾；卵石，圆石

参考例句：

• We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲，把大石头搬开了。
• He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。

9 benign   

adj.善良的，慈祥的；良性的，无危险的

参考例句：

• The benign weather brought North America a bumper crop.温和的气候给北美带来大丰收。
• Martha is a benign old lady.玛莎是个仁慈的老妇人。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

12 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

13 dune   

n.(由风吹积而成的)沙丘

参考例句：

• The sand massed to form a dune.沙积集起来成了沙丘。
• Cute Jim sat on the dune eating a prune in June.可爱的吉姆在六月天坐在沙丘上吃着话梅。

14 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

15 intriguing   

adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心

参考例句：

• These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。
• It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 adverse   

adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的

参考例句：

• He is adverse to going abroad.他反对出国。
• The improper use of medicine could lead to severe adverse reactions.用药不当会产生严重的不良反应。

17 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

18 persuasive   

adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的

参考例句：

• His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。
• The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。

19 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

20 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

21 custodians   

n.看守人，保管人( custodian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• If we aren't good custodians for our planet, what right do we have to be here? 如果我们作为自己星球的管理者不称职我们还有什么理由留在这里？ 来自电影对白
• Custodians primarily responsible for the inspection of vehicles, access, custody. 保管员主要负责车辆的验收、出入、保管。 来自互联网

22 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

23 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

24 swarm   

n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入

参考例句：

• There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。
• A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。

25 detriment   

n.损害；损害物，造成损害的根源

参考例句：

• Smoking is a detriment to one's health.吸烟危害健康。
• His lack of education is a serious detriment to his career.他的未受教育对他的事业是一种严重的妨碍。

26 trampled   

踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯

参考例句：

• He gripped his brother's arm lest he be trampled by the mob. 他紧抓着他兄弟的胳膊，怕他让暴民踩着。
• People were trampled underfoot in the rush for the exit. 有人在拼命涌向出口时被踩在脚下。

27 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。

28 honking   

v.（使）发出雁叫似的声音，鸣（喇叭），按（喇叭）( honk的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Cars zoomed helter-skelter, honking belligerently. 大街上来往车辆穿梭不停，喇叭声刺耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Flocks of honking geese flew past. 雁群嗷嗷地飞过。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

29 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。