Two years ago， when on holiday with my family in America， we took a trip to what is perhaps the country’s most wellknown nature reserve： the Yellow Stone National Park1. With a rented car we slowly drove through the immensity of the place， in constant wonder and awe at the wildlife—the elks， the black bears， the bison and wolves， roaming freely around us.2 From time to time， travellers could also be seen sitting on the grass， as quiet as the animals themselves， watching elk from 20 meters away， or taking pictures of antelopes3 on the other side of a river. Ahead of us a silent line of cars had formed， waiting patiently for herds of bison to cross the road. There was no shouting. No screaming. Just this quiet observing. A respect， an understanding between man and nature.
　　It was then that I first came to understand the importance that distance plays in our appreciation of nature and beauty. Animals were enjoying their lives， and people were having a visual feast.4
　　Imagine my horror then， when I travelled to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park where， overwhelmed by the same spectacular mountains， tall trees， and clean streams， I was met with excited and over-zealous travelers queuing for the man-made skyscraping sightseeing lift.5 Imagine my sadness at having to pick my way through the littered pathways， or my disappointment when watching fellow tourists throwing sticks at monkeys.

想尋觅一方清净，人声车声却在耳间呼啸而过；想重温儿时的星辰与绿野，眼中却仅有霓虹和水泥森林。古人敬天畏地，我们却欲“近”天“违”地——不断地接近自然，并征服自然。殊不知，亲密而有距，才是我们重塑人与自然和谐关系的准则。

　　We are approaching the nature， but how close should we stay in connection with it？ Today， I want to ask you all a question. A simple question， but an urgent one： “What is the proper distance between man and nature？”
　　A long time ago， by human standards， our ancestors lived in fear of nature’s destructive forces. The winds， the floods， the earthquakes， and droughts. A fear that drove them to fight， to struggle， to innovate and thereby shorten the gap between man and nature.6 In the process of conquering it， we began to realize that nature was not so hostile7 after all， and so we sought further benefits from it. We encaged birds to hear their sweet singing. We slaughtered elephants to decorate our tables with the white gloss of ivory. In the name of educating our children， we built zoos and circuses； we whipped and beat the wildest of animals until they wilted to our command.8 In the name of civilization， we deforested9 the land； filled up the lakes and rivers to make way for cities， shopping centers and expressways. Our avenues are becoming wider and wider； our buildings are becoming higher and higher. Our cities are growing so fast that we are digging underground. 　　But my friends， don’t you realize that we are getting too close to nature？ That this kind of intimacy can be dangerous？
　　Yes！ Our mother， Mother Nature is now crying because of our fast development， excessive exploitation and aggressive intrusions.10 She is exhausted from lack of resources， contaminated by synthetic products，11 and troubled by ecological imbalance. Nature always strikes back. Forests keep disappearing， rivers dry up， wild life’s become extinct， the climate’s ruined and the land grows poorer and uglier every day. See？ The fast and unrestrained development owes the ecology an apology.
　　The relationship between environment and development is basically the relationship between man and nature. Development is to construct not to destroy. It doesn’t mean cornering nature to nowhere. It doesn’t mean stripping nature to bareness.12 Development is built upon our care and love for nature because only by respecting it， will it reward us. A happy relationship definitely doesn’t rise from violent collision with nature but from peaceful reconciliation with it.13
　　As， John Milton， the author of Paradise Lost， once wrote： Accuse not nature， she hath done her part； Do thou but thine.14
　　My dear friends， it is distance that brings about beauty.“Harmony” doesn’t lie in intimacy， but in moderate distance.15 Leave a space between man and nature， a space for humans to observe the beauty， to show respect and awe. Keep a distance between man and nature， a distance for our Mother Nature to breathe peacefully， to restore her energy， and to live long and prosperous， just like the well-preserved Yellowstone Park.
　　1. Yellow Stone National Park： 黃石国家公园，位于美国西部北落基山和中落基山之间的熔岩高原上，公园绝大部分处在怀俄明州（Wyoming）的北部。
　　2. 我们租了辆车在这无垠之地驰骋，一路上，我们连连惊叹于眼前的野生景象：麋鹿、黑熊、野牛和群狼在我们近周自由漫步。immensity：无限，广大；awe： 敬畏，惊叹；elk：麋鹿；bison： 野牛；roam： 漫游，漫步。
　　3. antelope： 羚羊。
　　4. 动物们怡然自乐，人们则尽享视觉盛宴。feast： 宴会，盛会。
　　5. 在张家界国家公园旅游时，我深深折服于壮美的山川河流。然而，高耸入云的人造天梯旁，游客排着黑压压的长队，兴奋而狂热，你可想见我的震惊！overwhelm：压倒，折服于；spectacular： 惊人的，壮观的；over-zealous： 过度热情的；man-made skyscraping sightseeing lift： 人造天梯。
　　6. 这种畏惧催他们不断抗争、奋斗、创新，以缩小人与自然的距离。thereby： 由此，从而。
　　7. hostile： 怀有敌意的，敌对的。
　　8. 我们打着教育子女的旗号，建造了动物园和马戏团；我们鞭笞毒打野兽，直至将它们驯服在我们的指令之下。whip： 鞭打，抽打；wilt： 使凋谢，使畏缩。
　　9. deforest： 砍伐森林。
　　10. 我们的母亲，大自然母亲正在哭泣，因为我们的超速发展、过度开发和过分入侵。exploitation： 开发，剥削；intrusion： 侵犯，干涉。
　　11. exhaust： 用尽，耗尽；contaminate：弄脏，污染；synthetic product： 合成产品。
　　12. 发展并不意味着将自然逼到无处可逃，也不意味着将自然剥削殆尽。strip： 剥光，剥除。
　　13. collision： 碰撞，冲突；reconciliation：协调，和谐一致。
　　14. 莫指责自然，她已尽其所能，你们也须做好己责。John Milton： 约翰·弥尔顿（1608—1674），英国诗人、政论家，著有《失乐园》（Paradise Lost）等；thou：（古英语）你；thine： 你的。
　　15. “和谐”并非亲密无间，而是适当的距离感。moderate： 适度的，中等的。
　　魏钟毓，女，湖北武汉人，清华大学人文学院外国语言文学系在读本科生，研究方向：英美文学与文化。