人類與自然:剪不斷的糾葛

We cannot command Nature except by obeying her.

—Francis Bacon (弗蘭西斯·培根)

Graced by beautiful rings and ridges on their shells， diamondbacks1) look like a field of galaxies on the move. They inhabit neither freshwater nor sea， but the brackish2) slurry3) of coastal marshes. Mating in the spring， they need to lay their eggs on land， so in June and July they migrate to the sandy dunes of Jamaica Bay4). The shortest route leads straight across the tarmac5) at Kennedy International Airport.

Never mess with6) a female ready to give birth. On June 29， 2011， more than 150 diamondback terrapins scuttled7) across Runway No. 4， delaying landings， halting takeoffs， foiling8) air traffic controllers， crippling9) timetables and snarling10) traffic for hours. Cold-blooded reptiles they may be， but they are also ardent and single-minded.

Don’t the plucky11) turtles notice the jets? Probably not as monsters. Even with polka-dot necks stretched out， diamondbacks don’t peer up very high. And unlike， say， lions， they don’t have eyes that dart after fast-moving prey. So the jets probably blur into background—more of a blowy weather system than a threat. But planes generate a lot of heat， and the turtles surely find the crossing stressful.

Mounted on the shoreline of Jamaica Bay and a federally protected park， indeed almost surrounded by water， J.F.K. occupies land where wildlife abounds， and it’s no surprise that planes have collided with gulls， hawks， swans， geese， and osprey. Or that every summer there’s another turtle stampede12)， sometimes creating two-hour delays.

People around the world became obsessed with the plight of the quixotic13) turtles， a drama biblical in its proportions (slow， sweater-necked Davids vs. steely Goliaths)14). It defied reason that small reptiles would take on15) whirring leviathans16) whose gentlest tap may crush them and whose breath can blow them to kingdom come.

Many people also felt a quiver of disquiet， of something elemental out of place. Supposedly， in our snug17)， walled-in cities， we’re keeping nature in check， growing docile plants， adopting pets and erecting a buffer18) of steel and cement. If wild turtles can find their way into suburbia， can larger animals be far behind， ones with fangs and teeth， whose red eyes pierce the night?

The answer is yes; it happens more often than one supposes. Chicago is home to hundreds of coyotes， which have been tracked near strip malls19)， in parks， and even in residential neighborhoods. In 2010， New Jersey hosted a six-day black bear hunt. Moose regularly pay house calls in Alaska， stomping20) into yards and onto porches， looking for grub. Giant antlers and all21)， they can leap chain-link fences. On many a golf course in Florida， alligators create an extra water hazard22)， and lakeside settlers know to keep their Chihuahuas indoors. Mountain lions forage23) in Montana cities; cougars stalk joggers in California; elk stroll through housing tracts in Colorado. At least one Brooklyn woman found a 7-foot-long python in her toilet. We forget that the animal kingdom is a circle of neighbors who often drop by unannounced.

The myth of our sprawly， paved-over cities and towns is that we’ve driven native animals out and stolen their habitat. Not entirely true. We may drain the marshes， level forests and replace meadows with malls， exiling some animals. But because we also need nature， we create a new ecology that happens to be very hospitable to wild animals. In some ways， it’s more inviting than wilderness. We install ponds， lawns， groves of edible trees. We leave garbage on the curb and design flowerbeds that are well-watered and well-fed， serving a smorgasbord24) of delicacies25).

We can’t help ourselves; we evolved to feel part of nature’s web. So we erect walls to keep nature out and take pride in scrubbing26) dirt and dust from our homes. Then we fill our houses with bouquets of flowers， adopt pets and scent absolutely everything that touches our lives. We seat windows in our walls， install seasons (air-conditioning and heat) and fasten at least one noonday sun in every room to shower us with light. Confusing， isn’t it?

In my hometown upstate27)， we’re blessed by lots of wild animal visitors， from star-nosed moles and foxes to eagles， otters and skunks. White-tailed deer are so numerous that they qualify as residents. Each year， I line up behind a dozen cars on a busy highway as a caravan28) of Canada goose chicks waddles across in a single line between guardian geese， apparently unfazed29) by motorized honking.

Like the turtles at J.F.K.， they remind us that， even with egos of steel and concrete plans， we’re easily humbled by nature in the shape of snowflakes， goslings or turtles—all able to stop traffic. They also remind us how conflicted we really are about nature.

鉆紋龜?shù)谋臣咨祥L(zhǎng)著漂亮的圓圈和棱脊，它們一起爬動(dòng)的時(shí)候呈現(xiàn)出一片璀璨，非常奪目。鉆紋龜既不生活在淡水里，也不生活在海中，而是棲息于海濱沼澤地那微咸的泥漿里。春天交配的季節(jié)過(guò)后，它們要去陸地產(chǎn)卵。所以，在六七月份的時(shí)候，它們會(huì)遷徙到牙買加灣的沙丘地，而遷徙的最短路線就是橫穿肯尼迪國(guó)際機(jī)場(chǎng)的柏油跑道。

永遠(yuǎn)都別招惹準(zhǔn)備產(chǎn)仔的雌性動(dòng)物。2011年6月29日這天，150多只鉆紋龜從機(jī)場(chǎng)的4號(hào)跑道匆匆爬過(guò)，造成飛機(jī)落地晚點(diǎn)，起飛中斷，空中交通管制員們束手無(wú)策，飛機(jī)時(shí)刻表亂成一團(tuán)，交通癱瘓長(zhǎng)達(dá)數(shù)小時(shí)。雖然鉆紋龜不過(guò)是冷血的爬行動(dòng)物，但是它們也滿懷熱情，一門心思地只想著一件事情。

難道這些勇往直前的烏龜沒(méi)有注意到周圍的噴氣式飛機(jī)嗎？估計(jì)它們沒(méi)把這些飛機(jī)當(dāng)成什么龐然大物。即便鉆紋龜把滿是圓點(diǎn)花紋的脖子使勁朝前伸，它們能看到的高度仍然有限。而且，與獅子之類的動(dòng)物不同，它們的眼睛無(wú)法跟蹤快速移動(dòng)的獵物。所以，在它們眼里，噴氣式飛機(jī)可能只是背景中模糊的一團(tuán)，更像是大風(fēng)類的天氣現(xiàn)象，而不是一個(gè)危險(xiǎn)事物。不過(guò)，飛機(jī)會(huì)產(chǎn)生大量熱量，所以從機(jī)場(chǎng)穿行的烏龜一定不輕松。

肯尼迪國(guó)際機(jī)場(chǎng)坐落于牙買加灣的海岸線上，那里有一個(gè)受聯(lián)邦政府保護(hù)的公園。機(jī)場(chǎng)幾乎四面環(huán)水，其所占據(jù)的這塊地方野生動(dòng)物資源非常豐富，所以，飛機(jī)撞上海鷗、老鷹、天鵝、野鵝和魚鷹這樣的事都不足為怪。同樣不足為怪的是，每年夏天烏龜一窩蜂地遷徙都會(huì)造成交通癱瘓，有時(shí)會(huì)導(dǎo)致長(zhǎng)達(dá)兩小時(shí)的交通延誤。

這些具有堂吉訶德精神的烏龜們所處的困境讓全世界的人都感到困惑。從力量對(duì)比的懸殊程度來(lái)看，這簡(jiǎn)直是一出圣經(jīng)故事(一邊是行動(dòng)遲緩、穿著龜領(lǐng)毛衣的大衛(wèi)們，一邊是鋼筋鐵骨的巨人歌利亞們)。這些轟隆作響的龐然大物只消輕輕一碰就能讓小烏龜粉身碎骨，吹一口氣就能把它們送上西天，但這些小小的爬行動(dòng)物卻毫無(wú)畏懼地跟大飛機(jī)叫上了板，這真是匪夷所思。

許多人為此還感到心中一顫，他們體會(huì)到一絲不安，覺(jué)得有什么事從根子上出了問(wèn)題。我們一直相信，在溫暖舒適、高墻圍守的城市里，我們將自然掌控在自己手中：種植溫順的植物，豢養(yǎng)寵物，建起一個(gè)用鋼筋和水泥鑄就的緩沖地帶?？墒侨绻吧斈軌蚺肋M(jìn)市郊，那些爪尖牙利、眼睛在夜里閃著紅光的大型動(dòng)物們離城市還會(huì)遠(yuǎn)嗎？

答案是它們一樣會(huì)闖進(jìn)市郊。這種情況發(fā)生的頻率比人們想象的要高。芝加哥是數(shù)百只叢林狼的大本營(yíng)，在商業(yè)街、公園甚至居民區(qū)附近都曾發(fā)現(xiàn)過(guò)它們的蹤跡。2010年，新澤西州組織了一次為期六天的獵捕黑熊行動(dòng)。在阿拉斯加，駝鹿是上門常客，經(jīng)常闖進(jìn)院落，踏入門廊，到處尋找食物。它們盡管頂著巨大的鹿角，有著諸多不便，居然也能躍過(guò)鐵鏈連接的柵欄。在佛羅里達(dá)的許多高爾夫球場(chǎng)上，短吻鱷為水障礙區(qū)增添了新的挑戰(zhàn)。而住在湖邊的人們都明白，他們得把自己的吉娃娃狗關(guān)在屋子里。在蒙大拿州，北美山獅覓食的足跡遍布州內(nèi)各個(gè)城市；在加利福尼亞州，美洲豹常尾隨慢跑者；在科羅拉多州，美洲大角鹿常出沒(méi)于居民區(qū)。在布魯克林，至少有一位女士在衛(wèi)生間發(fā)現(xiàn)過(guò)一條七英尺長(zhǎng)的蟒蛇。我們忘記了一個(gè)事實(shí)：動(dòng)物王國(guó)是一群常常不請(qǐng)自來(lái)的鄰居。

關(guān)于規(guī)模恣意擴(kuò)張和道路整飭有序的城鎮(zhèn)，我們抱有這樣一個(gè)謬見(jiàn)：我們已經(jīng)趕走了原本在當(dāng)?shù)赝辽灵L(zhǎng)的動(dòng)物，盜走了它們的棲息地。但這并不完全符合事實(shí)。我們也許排干了沼澤地的淤水，將森林夷為了平地，用購(gòu)物中心代替了草地，將某些動(dòng)物驅(qū)逐了出去。但是，因?yàn)槲覀円残枰匀?，我們?chuàng)造了一個(gè)新的生態(tài)環(huán)境，而這一新環(huán)境卻碰巧非常適合野生動(dòng)物生存。從某些方面來(lái)講，它比荒野更有吸引力。我們?cè)谶@個(gè)新的生態(tài)環(huán)境中“安置”了池塘、草坪以及小樹(shù)林，林中的樹(shù)木就是某些動(dòng)物的食物。我們把垃圾扔在路邊，還設(shè)計(jì)了花圃，殷勤灌溉，精心施肥，這無(wú)異于為動(dòng)物們布下了什錦盛宴。

我們這么做也是情非得已。我們已漸漸習(xí)慣將自己看做是大自然網(wǎng)絡(luò)中的一部分。所以，我們一方面豎起高墻把自然關(guān)在門外，以把家里打掃得一塵不染為榮；又在家里擺滿鮮花，養(yǎng)上寵物，再想方設(shè)法把與我們生活密切相關(guān)的所有一切弄得芳香撲鼻。我們?cè)趬ι祥_(kāi)了窗戶，在房間里裝上了季節(jié)(空調(diào)和暖氣)，并且每個(gè)房間至少裝一盞正午的太陽(yáng)，使我們永沐光明。挺自相矛盾的，不是嗎？

在我位于北部的家鄉(xiāng)，我們常常有幸碰到許多野生動(dòng)物來(lái)訪，從星鼻鼴和狐貍到老鷹、水獺和臭鼬。這里的白尾鹿數(shù)量非常多，簡(jiǎn)直有資格取得那里的常住居民身份。每一年，我的車都會(huì)困在一溜堵在繁忙高速公路的汽車后面，因?yàn)楣飞嫌幸蝗杭幽么蠛谘阌揍陶懦梢涣?，從?fù)責(zé)守衛(wèi)的黑雁中間搖搖擺擺地穿過(guò)，完全無(wú)視旁邊震天響的汽車?yán)嚷暋?/p>

像肯尼迪國(guó)際機(jī)場(chǎng)的烏龜一樣，它們提醒著我們，就算我們心高氣傲，滿腦子都是使用鋼筋混凝土的規(guī)劃，但大自然輕而易舉地就能讓我們威風(fēng)掃地——即使它只是以雪、黑雁幼崽或是烏龜?shù)男问匠霈F(xiàn)都能讓我們的交通陷于停滯。同時(shí)，它們也在提醒我們，人類對(duì)自然的態(tài)度是多么自相矛盾。

1.diamondback [#712;da#618;#601;m#601;nd#716;baelig;k] n. 鉆紋龜。鉆紋龜棲息于近?；蚝雍＝唤缣幍恼訚傻兀臣咨嫌型膱A年輪和溝痕。

2.brackish [#712;braelig;k#618;#643;] adj. 含鹽的，有鹽味的

3.slurry [#712;sl#652;ri] n. 泥漿，漿

4.Jamaica Bay：牙買加灣，大西洋岸的淺水灣，位于紐約的東南方向。

5.tarmac [#712;tɑ#720;(r)maelig;k] n. 用柏油碎石鋪的停機(jī)坪

6.mess with：〈美俗〉與(危險(xiǎn)或有害的東西)打交道

7.scuttle [#712;sk#652;t(#601;)l] vi. 急速奔跑

8.foil [f#596;#618;l] vt. 阻止，妨礙

9.cripple [#712;kr#618;p(#601;)l] vt. 使……喪失功能

10.snarl [snɑ#720;(r)l] vt. 使混亂

11.plucky [#712;pl#652;ki] adj. 有勇氣的

12.stampede [staelig;m#712;pi#720;d] n. (畜群的)亂竄；(人群的)蜂擁

13.quixotic [kw#618;k#712;s#594;t#618;k] adj. 堂吉訶德式的

14.這里指的是《圣經(jīng)》里一個(gè)以弱勝?gòu)?qiáng)的故事。大衛(wèi)(David)，即后來(lái)統(tǒng)一了以色列的大衛(wèi)王，是以色列的一個(gè)牧童，而歌利亞(Goliath)是中東古國(guó)腓力士的巨人勇士。未披戰(zhàn)衣的大衛(wèi)用彈弓和石頭將頭戴銅盔、身穿鎧甲的巨人歌利亞打死了。

15.take on：接受……的挑戰(zhàn)，同……較量

16.leviathan [l#601;#712;va#618;#601;θ#601;n] n. 龐然大物

17.snug [sn#652;ɡ] adj. 建筑牢固的，溫暖舒適的

18.buffer [#712;b#652;f#601;(r)] n. 緩沖地帶

19.strip mall：?jiǎn)闻派虡I(yè)區(qū)，沿公路商業(yè)區(qū)

20.stomp [st#594;mp] vi. 跺腳，重踩

21.and all：其他，等等

22.water hazard：水障礙區(qū)，指高爾夫球場(chǎng)中有水的區(qū)域。

23.forage [#712;f#594;r#618;d#658;] vi. 尋食

24.smorgasbord [#712;sm#596;#720;(r)ɡ#601;s#716;b#596;#720;(r)d] n. 大雜燴

25.delicacy [#712;del#618;k#601;si] n. 美味佳肴

26.scrub [skr#652;b] vt. 擦凈

27.upstate [#652;p#712;ste#618;t] adv. 在州的北部地區(qū)(或邊遠(yuǎn)地區(qū))

28.caravan [#712;kaelig;r#601;vaelig;n] n. 旅行隊(duì)

29.unfazed [#652;n#712;fe#618;zd] adj. 不被打擾的，不被折磨的