自然是我們的母親

Nature Is Our Mother自然是我們的母親

By Tan Ying(譚英 湖南大學(xué))

專(zhuān)家點(diǎn)評(píng):文章開(kāi)頭較有新意，全文貫穿環(huán)保意識(shí)，主題鮮明、有強(qiáng)烈的時(shí)代感。

Let me begin my speech with a replay of scenes familiar to most, if not all, of those present here today.

請(qǐng)?jiān)试S我用一個(gè)我們今天在座的大部分人，就算不是全部，都很熟悉的場(chǎng)景來(lái)展開(kāi)我的演講。

"Mum, I'm sorry, but I need 3,000 yuan for my tuition this year."

“媽媽?zhuān)缓靡馑?，今年的學(xué)費(fèi)要三千元。”

"Mum, it is my friend's birthday tomorrow, I must buy her a present."

“媽媽?zhuān)魈焓俏遗笥训纳?，我要給她買(mǎi)份禮物。”

"Mum, this jacket was out of fashion long ago, would you do me a favor? "

“媽媽?zhuān)@件衣服早過(guò)時(shí)了，幫我買(mǎi)件新的，好嗎?”

Take. Take. Take. The relationship between a mother and a child always seems to follow such a pattern. I know my mother is always there for me, providing me with everything I need; from food to clothing, from tuition to pocket money. I never thought twice about all she did until one day she said, "Will there be a time that you'll say you have taken enough from me? "

索取，索取，再索取。母親和孩子的關(guān)系似乎永遠(yuǎn)都是這一種形式。我知道母親總是我的靠山，給我一切需要的東西，從食物到衣服，從學(xué)費(fèi)到零用錢(qián)。我覺(jué)得她所做的一切都是理所當(dāng)然的，直到有一天，她說(shuō):“會(huì)不會(huì)有這么一天你對(duì)我說(shuō)我已經(jīng)索取夠了?’

Like a child endlessly asking, we humans, throughout history, have been continually demanding what we desire from nature. We enjoy the comfort and beauty of our furniture, yet we never bother to think about the serious soil erosion caused by deforestation. We take it for granted that we must warm ourselves in winter times, yet we seldom realize the burning away of precious natural resources. We appreciate all the prosperity from the development of modern industry, yet few would give the slightest consideration to the global air and water pollution caused by industrial wastes. Our ruthless exploitation has permanently impaired our mother earth. As we tragically learned from last summer's floods. we cannot continue our carelessness.就像孩子無(wú)止境的要求一樣，我們?nèi)祟?lèi)，從古到今，也一直在向自然索求以滿(mǎn)足欲望。我們享受家具的美麗與舒適，但我們從來(lái)就不愿去想一想由于采伐樹(shù)林而引起的嚴(yán)重的土壤侵蝕問(wèn)題。我們認(rèn)為冬天要取暖是理所當(dāng)然的事情，卻未曾意識(shí)到寶貴的自然資源就這樣被燒掉。我們高興地看到現(xiàn)代工業(yè)發(fā)展帶來(lái)了繁榮，但很少人會(huì)對(duì)由于工業(yè)廢物導(dǎo)致的全球空氣和水質(zhì)污染問(wèn)題稍加考慮。我們無(wú)情的剝削已經(jīng)永遠(yuǎn)地傷害了地球母親。我們從去年夏天的洪災(zāi)悲劇中已經(jīng)認(rèn)識(shí)到，我們不能再繼續(xù)漠不關(guān)心下去了。

Finally, standing here at the threshold of the 21st century, we cannot help thinking of our posterity. Nature is not only the mother of the present generation, but also the mother of the generations to come. How severely our descendents will criticize us if we leave them a barren and lifeless mother? How much more they will appreciate us if we give them a world of harmony to inherit? Let us start respecting and caring for nature from now on. Let us start the campaign of creating a mutually beneficial relationship between people and nature right from this moment. With this new start, I firmly believe, that our children, and our children's children will live in a brand new age of green trees, clean air, crystal water, blue sky and an even more promising world!

最后，站在21世紀(jì)的門(mén)檻上，我們不禁展望著繁榮昌盛。自然不僅是現(xiàn)在這一代人的母親，更是未來(lái)一代人的母親。如果我們留給他們的是一位貧瘩、毫無(wú)生氣的母親，那么我們會(huì)受到子孫們何等嚴(yán)厲的批評(píng)?如果我們留給他們的遺產(chǎn)是一個(gè)和諧的世界，他們會(huì)對(duì)我們作出何等的稱(chēng)贊?讓我們從現(xiàn)在開(kāi)始尊重、關(guān)愛(ài)自然。讓我們立刻開(kāi)展一場(chǎng)建立人類(lèi)與自然互惠互利關(guān)系的運(yùn)動(dòng)。我堅(jiān)信，有了這個(gè)新的開(kāi)始，我們的孩子、孩子的孩子必將生活在一個(gè)綠樹(shù)青蔥、空氣清新、水碧天藍(lán)的嶄新世紀(jì)，一個(gè)前景更加燦爛的世界!