國家寶藏

Brian S. McGrath 梁小明

For Kari Cobb， hiking in the Grand Canyon is a journey through history. At the bottom， the Colorado River flows as it has for 6 million years. Cobb gazes up at the cliff face. She thinks of the indigenous1， or native， people who lived in and around the canyon long before the arrival of non-native explorers.

The Grand Canyon stretches across 277 miles of Northern Arizona. “It is massive，” says Cobb. She is a park ranger. “You cannot see all of it. Thats what makes this place so intriguing2.”

In 2019， Grand Canyon National Park celebrated its 100th anniversary. Special events took place at the park throughout 2019. Vanessa Ceja-Cervantes was the anniversary outreach3 coordinator. “We hope visitors will connect with the park and learn to be stewards4 of the land，” she said.

But the Grand Canyons popularity makes it hard to protect. In 2017， the park had more than 6 million visitors. Balancing tourism and conservation5 is a challenge.

Money Matters

Tourism brings much-needed money to American Indians in the area. For example， the Hualapai tribe runs helicopter tours in the park. But the tribes main attraction is the Grand Canyon Skywalk. It is a glass-floored walkway that juts6 out over a cliffs edge. It draws more than 1 million tourists each year.

Critics say Skywalk spoils7 the canyons beauty. Helicopter noise shatters8 its silence. In 2017， tribal chairman Damon Clarke defended the attractions. “They provide fund services for our elders， children， and others in need of support，” he said. He added that any development was done “with respect for the canyon in mind.”

Tough Choices

To the east of the national park lies the Navajo Nation. Developers wanted to build a tramway， hotels， and restaurants in the area. The issue divided the Navajo community. Some wanted the economic benefits. Others saw the plan as damaging to their culture. They also worried about how it would affect the environment. In February 2018， the Navajo voted against the plan.

Sarana Riggs is a member of the Navajo Nation. “There is always a need for development，” she says. “The question is： How can the Navajo tap into tourism in a sustainable9 way？”

Millions of tourists visit the Grand Canyon each year. They are bound10 to have an impact. But Cobb believes they will be inspired to protect the parks history and beauty. “People who visit national parks love them，” she says.

對卡麗·科布來說，在大峽谷徒步旅行是一段穿越歷史的旅程。在峽谷底部，科羅拉多河六百萬年以來一直在流淌?？撇寄曋鴳已碌谋砻?。她想到的是，在非本土探險家到來很久之前就生活在峽谷內(nèi)外的土著居民。

大峽谷橫跨亞利桑那州北部的277英里?！八浅４??！笨撇颊f。她是公園管理員?！澳銦o法一覽全貌。這就是這個地方如此吸引人的原因。”

2019年，大峽谷國家公園迎來了它的一百周年。整個2019年，公園舉行了特別活動。凡妮莎·采婭·塞萬提斯是周年的推廣協(xié)調(diào)員。她說：“我們希望游客們能與公園多聯(lián)系，學(xué)習(xí)如何管理這片土地?！?/p>

但是大峽谷的受歡迎程度導(dǎo)致它難以保護(hù)。2017年，該公園有600多萬游客。平衡旅游業(yè)和自然保護(hù)是一項挑戰(zhàn)。

錢很重要

旅游業(yè)給該地區(qū)的美國印第安人帶來了急需的資金。例如，瓦拉派部落在公園里經(jīng)營直升機(jī)旅游。但是這個部落最吸引人的地方是大峽谷天空步道。這是一條從懸崖邊延伸出的玻璃步道，它每年吸引了一百多萬游客。

批評者說，天空步道破壞了峽谷的美麗。直升機(jī)的噪音打破了它的寧靜。2017年，部落主席達(dá)蒙·克拉克為這些景點辯護(hù)。他說：“它們?yōu)槲覀兊睦先?、兒童和其他需要幫助的人提供資金服務(wù)。”他補(bǔ)充說：任何開發(fā)都是在“尊重峽谷”的前提下進(jìn)行的。

艱難的抉擇

納瓦霍人居住在國家公園的東面。開發(fā)商想在該地區(qū)修建一條電車軌道，以及酒店和餐廳。這個問題使納瓦霍人產(chǎn)生了分岐。有些人想要經(jīng)濟(jì)利益，其他人認(rèn)為這項計劃對他們的文化有害。他們還擔(dān)心這會對環(huán)境造成不良影響。2018年2月，納瓦霍人投票反對該計劃。

薩拉納·里格斯是納瓦霍人的一員?！鞍l(fā)展總是需要的?！彼f，“問題是，納瓦霍人怎樣以可持續(xù)的方式開發(fā)旅游業(yè)？”

每年有數(shù)百萬游客參觀大峽谷。他們必然會產(chǎn)生影響。但科布相信，他們會受到鼓舞，來保護(hù)公園的歷史和美景。“參觀國家公園的人都喜歡國家公園?！彼f。

（英語原文選自：www.timeforkids.com）

Discussion議一議：

1. What do you think of tourism development？ 你對旅游開發(fā)有什么看法？

2. What do you think is the best way to balance tourism and conservation？ 你認(rèn)為平衡旅游業(yè)和自然保護(hù)的最好的方法是什么？