How one scientist took on the chemical industry - Mark Lytle

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

In 1958, Rachel Carson received a letter

1958 年，瑞秋·卡森收到一封信，

describing songbirds suddenly dropping from tree branches.

描述有些鳴鳥突然從枝頭上落下。

The writer blamed their deaths on a pesticide called DDT

寫信的人把這些鳥兒的死亡 歸咎於叫做 DDT 的殺蟲劑，

that exterminators had sprayed on a nearby marsh.

因為消滅害蟲的人員 在附近的濕地噴灑 DDT。

The letter was the push Carson needed to investigate DDT.

有了這封信推一把， 卡森便開始調查 DDT。

She had already heard from scientists and conservationists who were worried

她先前就聽科學家和自然環境 保護主義者說過，他們擔心

that rampant use of the pesticide posed a threat to fish, birds,

殺蟲劑的猖獗使用會威脅到

魚類、鳥類，連人類都有可能。

and possibly humans.

She began to make inquiries through government contacts

她在美國魚類和漁業 委員會工作多年，

from her years working in the United States Bureau of Fisheries.

她開始透過這些政府人脈做探詢。

She asked: “what has already silenced the voices of spring?”

她問：「是什麼讓 春天的聲音沈寂了下來？」

In 1962, Carson published her findings in "Silent Spring."

卡森把她的發現寫成出版於 1962 年的《寂靜的春天》一書。

Her book documented the misuse of chemicals

書中記錄了化學物質的誤用，

and their toll on nature and human health.

及它們對大自然 和人類健康造成的傷害。

"Silent Spring" immediately drew both applause and impassioned dissent—

《寂靜的春天》馬上就引發了 喝采和激烈的異議——

along with vicious personal attacks on the author.

還有對作者的惡意人身攻擊。

How did this mild-mannered biologist and writer ignite such controversy?

這位舉止溫和的生物學家及作家 怎麼會點燃如此的爭議？

Carson began her career as a hardworking graduate student,

卡森剛進入職場時， 是個很辛勤的研究生，

balancing her studies in biology at John Hopkins University

她在約翰霍普金斯大學研讀生物，

也要兼顧她的工讀工作。

with part time jobs.

Still, she had to leave school before completing her doctorate

但，她仍然得在完成 博士學位之前就離開學校，

to provide for her ailing father and sister.

扶養生病的父親和姐姐。

Carson found part time work with the Bureau of Fisheries

卡森在魚類和漁業委員會 找到工讀的工作，

writing for a radio program on marine biology.

為一個海洋生物廣播節目寫作。

Her ability to write materials that could hold the general public’s attention

她有能力寫出吸引一般大眾的素材，

impressed her superiors, and in 1936,

讓她的主管印象深刻， 於是在 1936 年，

she became the second woman to be hired at the Bureau full time.

她成了第二位被該委員會 僱用為全職的女性。

In 1941, she published the first of three books on the ocean,

1941 年，她出版了三本 關於海洋的書籍中的第一本，

combining science with lyrical meditations on underwater worlds.

將科學和水底世界的 抒情冥想結合。

These explorations resonated with a wide audience.

這些探索和廣大的觀眾群產生共鳴。

In "Silent Spring," Carson turned her attention

在《寂靜的春天》中， 卡森將她的注意力

to the ways human actions threaten the balance of nature.

轉向人類行為 對大自然平衡的威脅。

DDT was originally used during World War II to shield crops from insects

DDT 的原始用途是在二次大戰中

保護作物不受昆蟲侵害，

and protect soldiers from insect-borne diseases.

並保護士兵不會得到 昆蟲傳染的疾病。

After the war, it was routinely sprayed in wide swaths to fight pests,

戰後，定期會將 DDT 噴灑在大片的草地上，

以對付害蟲，通常都會 產生未預見的結果。

often with unforeseen results.

One attempt to eradicate fire ants in the southern U.S.

在美國南部有人嘗試 用這種方式消滅火蟻，

killed wildlife indiscriminately, but did little to eliminate the ants.

結果不分青紅皂白地殺死野生動物， 反而火蟻沒受什麼影響。

In spite of this and other mishaps, the US Department of Agriculture

儘管有這事件及其他不幸的事故，

美國農業部以及化學公司 讚揚 DDT 的益處。

and chemical companies extolled the benefits of DDT.

There was little regulation or public awareness about its potential harm.

相關的規制很少，大眾也沒怎麼 意識到 DDT 的潛在傷害。

But Carson showed how the overuse of chemicals

但卡森證明了過度使用化學物質

led to the evolution of resistant species—

會導致抗藥性物種的演化——

which, in turn, encouraged the development of deadlier chemicals.

這個結果就會鼓勵開發 更致命的化學物質。

Since DDT does not dissolve in water,

因為 DDT 不會溶於水，

she asserted that over time it would accumulate in the environment,

她主張 DDT 會隨時間 不斷累積在環境中、

the bodies of insects, the tissues of animals who consume those insects,

昆蟲的身體中、 食用這些昆蟲的動物組織中，

and eventually humans.

最終也會到人體中。

She suggested that exposure to DDT might alter the structure of genes,

她指出，暴露在 DDT 下 可能會改變基因結構，

with unknown consequences for future generations.

不知道會對未來世代造成什麼後果。

The response to "Silent Spring" was explosive.

《寂靜的春天》造成了 爆炸性的反應。

For many people the book was a call to regulate substances

對許多人而言，該書是在呼籲

要管制可能造成災難性傷害的物質。

capable of catastrophic harm.

Others objected that Carson hadn’t mentioned DDT’s role

其他人則持反對意見，認為 卡森沒有提到 DDT 的角色：

controlling the threat insects posed to human health.

控制昆蟲對人類健康造成的威脅。

Former Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson demanded to know

前農業部長以斯拉·塔夫脫·本森質問：

“why a spinster with no children was so concerned about genetics?”

「為什麼一個沒有孩子的老處女

會如此關心遺傳學？」

and dismissed Carson as “probably a Communist.”

還以「可能是共產黨」 為理由辭退了卡森。

A lawyer for a pesticide manufacturer alluded to Carson and her supporters

一間殺蟲劑製造商的律師 暗示卡森及她的支持者

as “sinister influences” aiming to paint businesses as “immoral.”

是「惡意的影響」，

目的在將這些事業 描繪為「不道德的」。

In reality, Carson had focused on the dangers of chemicals

在現實中，卡森把焦點 放在化學物質的危險上，

because they weren’t widely understood, while the merits were well publicized.

因為這些危險尚未廣為人知， 但優點卻被大肆宣傳。

She rejected the prevailing belief that humans

她反對認為人類應該／能夠控制

should and could control nature.

大自然的這個普遍信念。

Instead, she challenged people to cultivate

反之，她挑戰大家能否

“maturity and mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves.”

「掌控好自己，而不是掌控大自然。」

Carson died of cancer in 1964,

卡森於 1964 年因為癌症過世，

only two years after the publication of "Silent Spring."

那是《寂靜的春天》出版後兩年。

Her work galvanized a generation of environmental activists.

她的著作激勵了 一個世代的環境活動家。

In 1969, under pressure from environmentalists,

1969 年，在環保人士的壓力之下，

Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act

國會通過了國家環境政策法，

that required federal agencies to evaluate environmental impacts of their actions.

要求聯邦機關要評估 其行為對環境帶來的衝擊。

To enforce the act,

為了執行該法案，尼克森總統

President Richard Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency.

成立了國家環境保護局。

And in 1972, the EPA issued a partial ban on the use of DDT.

1972 年，

國家環境保護局針對 DDT 的使用頒佈了部分禁令。

Long after her death, Rachel Carson continued to advocate for nature

即使在死後很長一段時間，

瑞秋·卡森繼續通過 寫作的持久影響力擁護自然。

through the lingering impact of her writing.