生物多样性 Biodiversity

提到tídào保护bǎohù生物多样性shēngwù duōyàngxìng，人们rénmen最先zuìxiān想到xiǎngdào的de往往wǎngwǎng是shì大熊猫dàxióngmāo、老虎lǎohǔ这类zhè lèi形象xíngxiàng鲜明xiānmíng的de动物dòngwù。

When biodiversity protection comes up, what people picture first is usually a vividly recognizable animal such as the giant panda or the tiger.

可kě真正zhēnzhèng支撑zhīchēng起qǐ整个zhěnggè生态系统shēngtài xìtǒng的de，多半duōbàn是shì些xiē其貌不扬qí mào bù yáng的de角色juésè：土壤tǔrǎng里lǐ的de真菌zhēnjùn、河底hé dǐ的de贝类bèilèi、草丛cǎocóng中zhōng的de昆虫kūnchóng。

But what actually holds up a whole ecosystem is mostly a cast of unglamorous players: fungi in the soil, shellfish on the riverbed, insects in the grass.

有yǒu生态学家shēngtài xuéjiā把bǎ物种wùzhǒng比作bǐzuò飞机fēijī机翼jīyì上shàng的de铆钉mǎodīng：掉diào一颗yì kē两颗liǎng kē似乎sìhū无关紧要wúguān jǐnyào，可kě谁shéi也yě说不清shuō bu qīng哪nǎ一颗yì kē是shì最后zuìhòu一颗yì kē。

One ecologist likens species to the rivets on an aircraft wing: losing one or two seems to matter little, yet nobody can say which one will be the last.

上世纪shàng shìjì九十年代jiǔshí niándài，黄石公园Huángshí Gōngyuán重新chóngxīn引入yǐnrù了le狼láng，结果jiéguǒ不仅bùjǐn鹿群lùqún数量shùliàng得到dédào控制kòngzhì，河岸hé'àn的de植被zhíbèi也yě随之suí zhī恢复huīfù，河道hédào形状xíngzhuàng竟然jìngrán发生fāshēng了le改变gǎibiàn。

In the nineties, Yellowstone reintroduced wolves; not only were the deer herds brought under control, but the riverbank vegetation recovered along with them, and the shape of the river channel itself unexpectedly changed.

这个zhège例子lìzi说明shuōmíng，物种wùzhǒng之间zhījiān的de联系liánxì远yuǎn比bǐ我们wǒmen想象xiǎngxiàng的de紧密jǐnmì。

The example shows that the links between species are far closer than we imagine.

然而rán'ér，仅仅jǐnjǐn强调qiángdiào“有用yǒuyòng”，未必wèibì是shì最zuì稳妥wěntuǒ的de辩护biànhù。

And yet stressing "usefulness" alone is not necessarily the safest line of defense.

倘若tǎngruò一个yí gè物种wùzhǒng被bèi证明zhèngmíng毫无háowú经济jīngjì价值jiàzhí，难道nándào就jiù可以kěyǐ任rèn其qí消失xiāoshī吗ma？

If a species were proven to have no economic value whatsoever, would we then be free to let it vanish?

以yǐ人类rénlèi的de用途yòngtú为wéi唯一wéiyī尺度chǐdù，本身běnshēn就jiù是shì一种yì zhǒng傲慢àomàn。

To take human usefulness as the only yardstick is in itself a form of arrogance.

保护bǎohù生物多样性shēngwù duōyàngxìng，与其说yǔqí shuō是shì在zài拯救zhěngjiù别的biéde生命shēngmìng，不如说bùrú shuō是shì在zài为wèi自己zìjǐ保留bǎoliú一条yì tiáo尚未shàngwèi走过zǒuguò的de退路tuìlù。

Protecting biodiversity is less a matter of rescuing other lives than of keeping in reserve, for ourselves, a road of retreat we have not yet had to walk.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

支撑zhīchēngto hold up; to sustain

其貌不扬qí mào bù yángplain-looking; unimpressive in appearance

无关紧要wúguān jǐnyàoof no consequence; insignificant

稳妥wěntuǒsafe and reliable; secure

毫无háowúutterly without; not the slightest

傲慢àomànarrogant; arrogance

Grammar note 语法点

以……为…… — take … as …

A compact literary frame meaning 'take A as B', used for standards, goals and principles: 以质量为标准, 以人为本.

这家公司一向以质量为生命。 — This company has always treated quality as its lifeblood.

难道……吗？ — surely you don't mean…?

A rhetorical question that expects the answer 'no'; the writer uses it to make an objection feel obvious rather than to ask for information.

难道我们要等到损失无法挽回时才行动吗？ — Are we really going to wait until the loss is beyond repair before acting?

不仅……，也…… — not only …, but also …

Adds a second, often more surprising, consequence to the first. In written style 也 may be replaced by 还 or 甚至 for a stronger climb.

这项措施不仅降低了成本，也改善了工作环境。 — The measure not only lowered costs but also improved the working environment.

Check yourself 小测验

1. What does the ecologist in the text compare species to?

2. What followed the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone?

3. Why does the author doubt "usefulness" as a defense of biodiversity?

生物多样性Shēngwù duōyàngxìngBiodiversity

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

More HSK 6 reading practice