The rapidity of change follows the impetuous pace of man rather than the deliberate pace of nature. Radiation is now the unnatural creation of mans tampering with the atom. The chemicals are the synthetic creations of mans inventive mind,having no counterparts in nature.
To adjust to these chemicals would require not merely the years of a mans life but the life of generations. And even this,were it by some miracle possible,would be futile,for the new chemicals come from our laboratories in an endless stream; almost five hundred annually find their way into actual use in the United States alone. Among them are many that are used in mans war against nature. Since the mid 1940s over 200 basic chemicals have been created for use in killing insects,weeds,and other organisms described as pests.
译文:
地球上生命的历史一直就是一部生物与其环境相互作用的历史。在很大程度上,地球上动植物的形态以及习性都是由外部环境所塑造的。考虑到地球上生命存在的整个时间,相反作用,即生命对其周围环境的实际改变作用,却相对很小。只有在当前这个世纪(指20世纪)才有一个物种人类,获得了强大的力量,改变了其所生存的世界的自然状态。
在过去的1/4世纪中,这种力量不仅日趋强大,而且其性质也发生了变化。在人类破坏环境的种种行为中,最令人担忧的是人类向大气、土壤、河流以及海洋中排放危险甚至致命物质,而当今这种污染在很大程度上是无法挽救的。在当今这种对环境的普遍污染中,化学制品与辐射狼狈为奸,改变着地球的自然状态,也就是改变着地球上生命的自然状态。喷洒到农田、森林或者花园里的化学物质长期滞留于土壤中,渗入有机体内,并彼此相传,形成了一个中毒与死亡的链条。化学物质还神秘地通过地下水传递,最终以新的形式出现并结合,使植物毒死,牲畜害病,并使饮用一度纯净的井水的人遭受了不明之害。正如一位科学家所言:人类甚至对自己创造的恶魔都不认识。
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