人類和環境Man and His Environment

Throughout history man has changed his physical environment in order to improve his way of life. With the tools of technology he has altered many physical features of the earth.

縱觀歷史，改善自己的生活方式，人類已經改變了自然環境。人類藉助技術工具改變了地球上的許多自然特徵。

He has transformed woodlands and prairies into farms and made lakes and reserviors out of rivers for irrigation purposes or hydroelectric power. Man has also modified the face of the earth by draining marshes and cutting through mountains to build roads and railways. However, man's changes to the physical environment have not always had beneficial results. Today, pollution of the air and water is an increasing danger to the health of the planet. Each day thousands of tons of gases come out of the exhausts of motor vehicles. Smoke from factories pollutes the air of industrialized areas and the surrounding areas of the countryside. The pollution of water is equally harmful. The whole ecological balance of the sea is being changed and industrial wastes have already made many rivers lifeless. Now environmental protection is more pressing than ever before. As we know, massive destruction of environment has brought about negative effects and even poses a great threat to man's existence.

人類將林地和草原改造成農田，河流湖泊和水庫裏面的水用於灌溉和水力發電。人類還通過排幹沼澤和開山修建公路和鐵路來改變地球的面貌。但是人類對自然環境的改變並不總是帶來有益的結果。 今天，空氣污染和水污染越來越威脅到地球的健康。每天，成千上萬噸廢氣從車輛的排氣管排出。工廠釋放的煙霧污染了工業區的空氣和周圍鄉村。水污染也是同樣的有害。整個海洋生態平衡正在改變，工業廢水已使許多河流死氣沉沉。現在，環境保護比以往任何時候都更緊迫。我們都知道，環境的巨大破壞已帶來負面影響，甚至對人類生存帶來巨大的威脅。

Indifference to these problems will mean committing suicide. Therefore, effective measures should be taken and laws passed to conserve environment. Otherwise,man is certain to suffer from the serious consequences caused by this lack of care for his living surroundings.

對這些問題漠不關心意味着是自殺行爲。因此，應採取有效措施並通過法律來保護環境。否則，人類一定會遭受因爲不關心自己所居住的生活環境而造成的嚴重後果。