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Nearly half of the 180 or so major insect enemies of plants in the United States are accidental imports from abroad, and most of them have come as hitchhikers on plants.
在美国，大约180种主要害虫中，几乎一半是偶然从国外带进来的，而它们中的大多数都是搭植物这个便车。
In new territory, out of reach of the restraining hand of the natural enemies that kept down its numbers in its native land, an invading plant or animal is able to become enormously abundant. Thus it is no accident that our most troublesome insects are introduced species.
We are faced, according to Dr. Elton, “with a life-and –death need not just to find new technological means of suppressing this plant or that animal”; instead we need the basic knowledge of animal populations and their relations to their surroundings that will promote an even balance and damp down the explosive power of outbreaks and new invasions.
埃尔顿博士说，我们正面临着“一种需要，这种需要关系着我们的生死存亡，这不仅指要找到新的技术手段来控制这种植物或是那种动物。”相反，我们需要的是关于动物数量和它们与环境关系的最基本的知识，这将“促进一种稳定的平衡，并控制虫灾爆炸性地发作和新的入侵。”
It is not my contention that chemical insecticides must never be used. I do contend that we have put poisonous and biologically potent chemicals indiscriminately into the hands of persons largely or wholly ignorant of their potentials for harm. We have subjected enormous numbers of people to contact with these poisons, without their consent and often without their knowledge. I contend, furthermore, that we have allowed these chemicals to be used with little or no advance investigation of their effect on soil, water, wildlife, and man himself. Future generations are unlikely to forgive our lack of concern for the integrity of the natural world that supports all life.
我的观点并不是说绝对不使用杀虫剂。我只是要强调：我们现在已经不加区别地把有毒的和有生化杀伤力的化学物质交到了对他们的潜在危害一无所知的人类手里。我们让大量的人不得不与毒药接触，却未曾征得他们的同意，甚至是在他们不知情的情况下。还有，我还要强调，我们允许使用这些化学物质，却很少或几乎不就他们对土壤、水分、野生动物以及人类造成的影响进行更深入的调查。自然界支撑着所有的生命，我们对它的和谐与统一毫不关心，我们的后代是不会原谅我们的。
