Who owns the "wilderness"? - Elyse Cox

翻译人员: C Cheng 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

In 1903, the President of the United States

1903 年，美国总统

took a three-day camping trip in California’s Yosemite Valley.

在加利福尼亚的优胜美地谷 经行了历时 3 天的露营旅行。

President Theodore Roosevelt slept in a grove of towering Sequoia trees,

西奥多·罗斯福总统睡在 高耸的红杉树丛里，

camped in a snowstorm, and spent hours talking around the campfire

在暴风雪中露营， 在营火周围

with his host and guide, conservationist John Muir.

与款待他的向导 约翰·缪尔交谈了数小时。

Roosevelt famously loved the outdoors,

罗斯福出了名的热爱户外活动，

but Muir had invited him there for more than just camping:

但是缪尔请他来此， 并不仅仅是为了露营：

Yosemite was in danger.

优胜美地的处境岌岌可危。

Though Yosemite became protected land in 1864,

虽然优胜美地已于 1864 年成为了保护地，

the valley was still at risk for overdevelopment in 1903.

但是山谷在 1903 年仍旧 面临着被过度开发的危险。

It was at the heart of a decades-old struggle to set aside land

几十年来，人们一直在努力 为保护和公共用地留出土地，

for both preservation and public use—

而这里正是这场斗争的核心——

two goals that were much easier said than done.

实现这两个目标， 说起来容易做起来难。

The battle over Yosemite began with the 1849 gold rush,

对优胜美地的争夺始于 1849 年的淘金热。

when miners surged west, seeking gold in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

当时矿工拥入西部，在内华达 山脉的山麓丘陵地带寻找金子。

In 1851, a state-sanctioned militia,

1851 年，一支 获政府批准的民兵组织

drove the Ahwahneechee tribe from Yosemite Valley.

把阿瓦尼契部落 驱赶出了优胜美地谷。

Those who managed to return witnessed white settlers claiming the land,

那些设法回来的人目睹了 白人定居者在此索取土地，

felling giant sequoias, and building hotels and saloons.

砍伐巨型红杉，修建旅馆和酒吧。

In response, a small group of concerned Californians

作为回应，一小群为此 感到忧虑的加利福尼亚人

lobbied senator John Conness to protect the valley from private interests.

向参议员约翰·康尼斯（John Conness）游说， 要求保护山谷免受私人利益的伤害。

In 1864, Congress passed Conness’ bill,

1864 年，国会通过了康尼斯法案，

granting the Yosemite Valley to the State of California,

将优胜美地谷授予了加利福尼亚州，

marking the first time the U.S. government brought land under public protection.

这标志着美国政府首次将土地 置于公共保护之下。

But the management of that land remained an open question,

但是对土地的管理仍然 是一个有待解决的问题。

one that would only become more complicated

随着更多的土地受到此类保护，

as more lands came under similar protection.

这个问题只会变得更加复杂。

Seven years later, geologist Ferdinand Hayden

7 年后，地质学家费迪南德 ·海登 （Ferdinand Hayden）

led an expedition to the Yellowstone Plateau,

带领了一支考察队来到黄石高地，

which many Native American tribes used for ceremonies, hunting, and trade.

许多美国原住部落在此 举行仪式、狩猎和交易。

The expedition’s scientists and artists brought back news

考察队的科学家和艺术家们带回了

of spectacular geysers and hot springs,

关于壮观的间歇泉及温泉的消息，

inspiring widespread support to bring Yellowstone under government protection—

这激发了对黄石进行 政府保护的广泛支持——

and restrict native people’s access to the land.

并且限制原住民进入该地。

However, unlike Yosemite, Yellowstone couldn’t be granted to a state—

但是与优胜美地不同， 黄石无法被授予某个州——

it was part of three U.S. territories that hadn’t become states yet.

它分属美国三个 仍未设立州级建制的区域。

Instead, Congress brought Yellowstone under federal stewardship in 1872,

取而代之，国会于 1872 年 将黄石设置在了联邦政府的管理之下，

creating the world’s first true National Park.

创建了世界上 第一座真正的国家公园。

During his presidency, Teddy Roosevelt was instrumental

在总统任职期间，西奥多·罗斯福

为拓展公共保护土地 发挥了重要的作用。

in expanding the lands under public protection.

By 1916, there were fifteen national parks.

到 1916 年，美国境内 已建立了 15 处国家公园。

But the problem of management remained unsolved,

但是管理问题仍未解决，

and maintenance of the park was handled haphazardly

多个政府部门对公园的维护

over multiple government departments.

十分混乱。

Straightforward tasks like building roads and hiring personnel

诸如修路和雇用人员之类的简单任务

required inefficient bureaucratic maneuvering.

需要受到低效的官僚操控。

None of the departments had set rules for conduct in the park,

没有一个部门为公园制定行为准则，

so hunters killed park wildlife, cattle overgrazed fields,

猎人得以在园内捕杀野生动物， 牲畜过度啃食田野，

and visitors vandalized landmarks.

游客肆意破坏标志性建筑。

The solution came from Canada,

最终的解决方案来自加拿大，

which had a highly effective centralized park service.

那里有着一套高度有效、 集中化的公园服务管理措施。

In 1916, the United States established the National Park Service

基于这一模式， 美国于 1916 年成立了

国家公园管理局。

based on this model.

To this day, the mission for the park service is comprised of two goals

至今，公园管理局的使命仍然是

折衷两个有时相互矛盾的目标：

that sometimes conflict:

to conserve the parks for the future

保护公园以备未来之用，

and to allow the public to enjoy them.

同时让公众得以享受它们。

That’s a delicate balancing act: roads, trails, and other infrastructure

这是一个微妙的寻求平衡的行动： 公路、轨道及其它基础设施

make the parks accessible to visitors, but also alter the landscape,

便利了游客前往公园， 但是也改变了风景地貌。

while visitors themselves can contribute to pollution, erosion,

同时，游客自身也会导致污染、侵蚀，

and damage of delicate ecosystems.

从而对脆弱的生态系统造成破坏。

The very history of preservation can also be at odds with this mission.

公园的维护历史 本身也会与这一使命相悖。

Many parks were not, at the time of their founding,

许多公园在建立时并不是

the uninhabited wilderness that’s become the standard for their preservation.

无人居住的荒野，而这一前提 现在却已成为对其建立保护的准则。

Instead, many were homes or places of worship for native peoples,

相反，很多土地原本是 原住民的家园和宗教场所。

who lost access to these lands in the name of public use.

在公共使用的名义下， 他们失去了对这些土地的使用权。

Only recently has the National Park Service

只是到了最近，国家公园管理局

begun to reckon with this legacy and engage Native Americans

才开始着手解决这个遗留问题， 并让美州原住民参与到

in park management.

公园管理中。

Around the world, indigenous communities play crucial roles

在世界各地，土著社区

in land management and preservation.

在土地管理和保护中起着重要作用。

Today, there are thousands of national parks worldwide,

如今，世界上有上千处国家公园，

and each must balance public use with historical and ecological preservation.

每一处都必须在公共使用和 历史生态保护之间取得平衡。

Parks in New Zealand, Iceland, Australia, and South Africa

在新西兰、冰岛、澳大利亚和南非，

have experienced severe erosion as visitor numbers have skyrocketed.

随着游客数量的猛增， 公园的生态环境遭受到了严重侵蚀。

Some, like Mu Ko Similan National Park in Thailand,

还有一些，比如泰国的 穆科斯米兰国家公园，

have closed sections to tourists entirely to allow the ecosystem to recover.

为了恢复生态系统， 已经对游客关闭了部分区域。

National Parks have preserved irreplaceable landscapes

国家公园为后代

for future generations.

保留了独一无二的景观，

They also force us to reckon with hard questions:

也迫使我们思考一些尖锐的问题：

what are our responsibilities to this planet, and to each other?

我们对这个星球，对彼此， 应该负有怎样的责任？