The intimacy between man and Nature began with the birth of man on the earth, and becomes each century more intelligent and far-reaching. To Nature, therefore, we turn as to the oldest aim most influential teacher of our race; from one point of view once our task-master, now our servant; from another point of view, our constant friend, instructor and inspirer. The very intimacy of this relation robs it of a certain mystery and richness which it would have for all minds if it were the reward of the few instead of being the privilege of the many. To the few it is, in every age, full of wonder and beauty; to the many it is a matter of course. The heavens shine for all, but they have a changing splendor to those only who see in every midnight sky a majesty of creative energy and resource which no repetition of the spectacle can dim. If the stars shone but once in a thousand years, men would gaze, awe-struck and worshipful, on a vision which is not less but more wonderful because it shines nightly above the whole earth. In like manner, and for the same reason, we become indifferent to that delicately beautiful or sublimely impressive sky scenery which the clouds form and reform, compose and dissipate, a thousand times on a summer day. The mystery, the terror, and the music of the sea; the secret and subduing charm of the woods, so full of healing for the spent mind or the restless spirit; the majesty of the hills, holding in their recesses the secrets of light and atmosphere; the infinite variety of landscape, never imitative or repetitious, but always appealing to the imagination with some fresh and unsuspected loveliness; who feels the full power of these marvelous resources for the enrichment of life, or takes from them all the health, delight, and enrichment they have to bestow?
从地球上出现人类开始，人与自然之间的亲密关系就随之诞生，而且被不断地发扬光大，这种关系每一世纪都比以前变得更为明智而深远。所以，我们求助于自然，并把自然视为人类最年长和最有影响力的老师。从某一个观点来看，自然曾是我们的监工，现在却成为我们的奴仆。但从另一个观点来看，自然一直是我们最忠实的朋友、教导者和启发者。这种和谐紧密的关系，如果仅仅是少数人的特权，而大多数人并不能享有，那便会在人们心目中引发一种神秘感和情趣。但是事实上，这种亲密关系是被天下所有的人共享的，这就使那种和谐紧密的关系失去神秘感和情趣。对于少数人来说，这种关系在每个时代都充满了奇妙和美好；对于多数人来说，这种关系只是理所当然的一件事。
天空照耀着每一个人，但是只在少数人的心目中具有一种变化多端的壮丽，他们在每一个午夜的天空都能看出一种蕴o着创造能力和源泉的庄严肃穆之美，不论那种景象重复多少次，都不会使那种美模糊不清。如果星辰千年才照耀一次大地，人们将怀着敬畏之情凝视着那种美景，而那种美景如果夜夜在全世界的上空出现，不但不会减损，反而更会增加它的奇妙。同样，基于相同的?因，我们对于夏日天空的那种由浮云聚散飘忽所形成的一日之间千变万化的纤巧秀丽或壮丽动人的景色，也都漠然置之。海洋的神秘感、恐怖感和节奏感，以及林的神秘感与魔幻力有助于医治心灵的疲惫或者精神的烦躁；雄伟的山峦在其幽深之处拥有光与大气之奥秘；变幻、无穷的风景从不模仿或重复，永远以一种出人意料的新鲜美丽来冲击人类的想象——能感受到这些奇异景物的全部力量，或者能从它们那里得到它们所赐予的健康、快乐和充实呢？
我们生长在自然的天与地之间，欣赏她的绚丽多姿，从她那里获得智慧，也在不断地索取与伤害??“可持续发展”也就成为人与自然和谐发展的双赢智慧，我们应当拥有这种智慧。
一撮黏土
A Handful of Clay
[美国]亨利·凡·戴克/Henry Van Dyke
There was a handful of clay in the bank of a river. It was only common clay, coarse and heavy; but it had high thoughts of its own value, and wonderful dreams of the great place which it was to fill in the world when the time came for its virtues to be discovered.
Overhead, in the spring sunshine, the trees whispered together of the glory which descended upon them when the delicate blossoms and leaves began to expand, and the forest glowed the fair, clear colors, as if the dust of thousands of rubies and emeralds were hanging, in soft clouds, above the earth.
The flowers, surprised with the joy of beauty, bent their heads to one another, as the wind caressed them, and said, "Sisters, how lovely you have become. You make the day bright."
The river, glad of new strength and rejoicing in the unison of all its waters, murmured to the shores in music, telling of its release from icy fetters, its swift flight from the snow-clad mountains, and the mighty work to which it was hurrying the wheels of many mills to be turned, and great ships to be floated to the sea.
Waiting blindly in its bed, the clay comforted itself with lofty hopes. "My time will come," it said. "I was not made to be hidden forever. Glory and beauty and honor are coming to me in due season."
One day the clay felt itself taken from the place where it had waited so long. A flat blade of iron passed beneath it, and lifted it, and tossed it into a cart with other lumps of clay, and it was carried far away, as it seemed, over a rough and stony road. But it was not afraid, nor discouraged, for it said to itself:"This is necessary. The path to glory is always rugged. Now I am on my way to play a great part in the world."
But the hard journey was nothing, compared with the tribulation and distress that came after it. The clay was put into a trough and mixed and beaten and stirred and trampled. It seemed almost unbearable. But there was consolation in the thought that something very fine and noble was certainly coming out of all this trouble. The clay felt sure that, if it could only wait long enough, a wonderful reward was in store for it.
Then it was put upon a swiftly turning wheel, and whirled around until it seemed as if it must fly into a thousand pieces. A strange power pressed it and moulded it, as it revolved, and through all the dizziness and pain it felt that it was taking a new form.
Then an unknown hand put it into an oven, and fires were kindled about it fierce and penetrating hotter than all the heats of summer that had ever brooded upon the bank of the river. But through all, the clay held itself together and endured its trials, in the confidence of a great future. "Surely , " it thought, "I am intended for something very splendid, since such pains are taken with me. Perhaps I am fashioned for the ornament of a temple, or a precious vase for the table of a king."
At last the baking was finished. The clay was taken from the furnace and set down upon a board, in the cool air, under the blue sky. The tribulation was passed. The reward was at hand.