Nature is speaking. | 《大自然在说话》（三
如今，大火、病毒、蝗虫、地震、海啸种种灾难频发，这不就是大自然在给我们警示吗？让我们一起听听大自然到底跟我们说了些什么。倾听大自然的所知所见，更重要的是，倾听大自然给予人类的建议。与此同时，希望可以带你感受到语言的魅力。
I am the rainforest. I watch them grow up here. They’d left, but they always come back, yes, they always come back for my trees, their wood, my plants, their medicines, for my beauty, their escape. I’ve always been there for them. And I have been more than generous. Sometimes Igave it all to them, now, gone forever.
我是雨林，我曾看着人类在我的怀抱成长，后来，他们离开了我，但他们还会回来。是的，他们不断地回来，为了获取我的树木作为木材，为了采集我的植物充当药材，我的美景是他们的世外桃源。我有求必应，我慷慨大方，甚至可以付出全部。现在，这一切一去不返。
But humans, they’re so smart, so smart, such big brains and opposable thumbs. They know how to make things, amazing things. Now why would they need an old forest like me anymore, jungles, and trees? Well, they do breathe air and I make air. Have they thought about that? Humans, so smart, they’ll figure it out. Humans, making air, that’ll be fun to watch.
人类啊，他们很聪明，真的很聪明。智慧的大脑，灵巧的双手，他们善于创造，了不起的创造，那他们还需要我做什么？是需要我的丛林还是树木，到底为什么？嗯，我想想，对了，他们总得呼吸吧，而我呢？我制造氧气，他们意识到这件事了吗？人类那么聪明，他们总有一天会想明白的。人类制造氧气，那可太有意思了。
金句赏析：
They'd left, but they always come back, yes, they always come back for my trees, their wood, my plants, their medicines, for my beauty, their escape.
后来，他们离开了我，但是他们还会回来。是的，他们不断地回来，为了获取我的树木作为木材，为了采集我的植物充当药材，我的美景是他们的世外桃源。
这个句子中最突出的一个特点是用了“省略”的技巧，让句子表意清晰的同时还能简洁不拖沓。本来一字一句说清楚应该是They always come back for my trees as their wood; they come back for my plants as their medicines; they come back for my beauty as their escape. 但是由于后面的句子都共享了一样的主语和谓语动词且形式一致，所以可以承前省略。
Well, they do breathe air and I make air.
我想想，对了，他们总得呼吸吧，而我呢？我制造氧气。
他们呼吸不是用they breathe表示就好了吗？为什么要加个do呢？对的，在谓语动词前加对应的助动词是英语中表示“强调”的一种手段，中文翻译成“他们总得呼吸吧”也非常符合这篇小短文的调性，很妙。
