評論
打印
One basic weakness in a conservation system based wholly on economic motives is that most members of the land community have no economic value.
一個完全基于經濟動機的環境保護制度的基本缺陷是，土地群落的絕大多數成員都沒有經濟價值。
Yet these creatures are members of the biotic community and, if its stability depends on its integrity, they are entitled to continuance.
然而這些生物都是生物群落中的成員，如果這個群落的穩定依賴于它自身的完整的話，那么這些動物就有權繼續生存下去。
When one of these non-economic categories is threatened and, if we happen to love it, we invert excuses to give it economic importance.
當某一類沒有經濟價值的物種受到威脅時，如果我們恰巧喜愛他，就會編一些借口來賦予它經濟重要性。
At the beginning of century songbirds were supposed to be disappearing.
本世紀初，人們普遍認為百靈鳥正在逐漸消失。
Scientists jumped to the rescue with some distinctly shaky evidence to the effect that insects would eat us up if birds failed to control them.
科學家們急忙介入，但提出的證據顯然站不住腳，其大意是，如果鳥類不能控制昆蟲的數量，昆蟲便會吞噬我們人類。
The evidence had to be economic in order to be valid.
證據必須是有經濟價值，才能站得住腳。
It is painful to read these round about accounts today.
現在要理解這些拐彎抹角的陳述是痛苦的。
We have no land ethic yet, but we have at least drawn near the point of admitting that birds should continue as a matter of intrinsic right, regardless of the presence or absence of economic advantage to us.
雖然我們還沒有土地倫理，但是我們至少都承認，無論鳥類是否來給我們經濟價值，他們都有生存下去的權利。
A parallel situation exists in respect of predatory mammals and fish-eating birds.
關于肉食哺乳動物和食魚鳥類，也存在類似的情形。
Time was when biologists somewhat over worded the evidence that these creatures preserve the health of game by killing the physically weak, or that they prey only on "worthless" species.
有證據表明：這些食物捕食體弱者，保持種群的健康。或者說它們僅僅捕食"沒有價值"的物種。
Here again, the evidence had to be economic in order to be valid.
這再次證明，證據必須是經濟價值，才能站得住腳。
It is only in recent years that we hear the more honest argument that predators are members of the community, and that no special interest has the right to exterminate them for the sake of benefit, real or fancied, to itself.
直到最近幾年，我們才聽到一種比較誠實的論點：肉食動物是土地群落的成員，任何群體都不能因為特殊利益，有權消滅它們。無論該利益是真的還是虛構的。
Some species of tree have been read out of the party by economics-minded foresters because they grow too slowly, or have too low a sale vale to pay as timber crops.
某些樹種已被重視經濟利益的林務官"驅逐出境"了。因為它們生長速度過慢，或作為木材收入價值太低。
In Europe, where forestry is ecologically more advanced, the non-commercial tree species are recognized as members of native forest community, to be preserved as such, within reason.
在林業生態更為發達的歐洲，沒有商業價值的樹種被合理地看成是當地森林群落的成員，并得到相應的保護。
Moreover some have been found to have a valuable function in building up soil fertility.
此外，有些樹種在增強土壤肥沃性方面具有重要作用。
That interdependence of the forest and its constituent tree species, ground flora, and fauna is taken for granted.
森林、樹種、地面植物、動物這些組成森林的因素之間相互依賴，是理所當然。
To sum up: a system of conservation based solely on economic self-interest is hopelessly lopsided.
總而言之： 一個只基于經濟利己主義的環境保護制度是百分之百不公平的。
It tends to ignore, and thus eventually to eliminate, many elements in the land community that lack commercial value, but that are essential to its healthy functioning.
這種保護體系往往忽視群落中諸多缺乏商業價值但對其健康運作至關重要的物種，從而最終導致他們的滅絕。
It assumes, falsely, I think, that the economic parts of the biotic clock will function without the uneconomic parts.
我認為他錯誤地假定，即使沒有非經濟的部分，生物中的經濟部分也一樣可以正常運行。
