AttheEdgeoftheSea

　　Theshoreisanancientworld,foraslongastherehasbeenanearthandseatherehasbeenthisplaceofthemeetingoflandandwater.Yetitisaworldthatkeepsalivethesenseofcontinuingcreationandoftherelentlessdriveoflife.EachtimethatIenterit,Igainsomenewawarenessofitsbeautyanditsdeepermeanings,sensingthatintricatefabricoflifebywhichonecreatureislinkedwithanother,andeachwithitssurroundings.

　　Inmythoughtsoftheshore,oneplacestandsapartforitsrevelationofexquisitebeauty.Itisapoolhiddenwithinacavethatonecanvisitonlyrarelyandbrieflywhenthelowestoftheyear'slowtidesfallbelowit,andperhapsfromthatveryfactitacquiressomeofitsspecialbeauty.Choosingsuchatide,Ihopedforaglimpseofthepool.Theebbwastofallearlyinthemorning.Iknewthatifthewindheldfromthenorthwestandnointerferingswellraninfromadistantstormtheleveloftheseashoulddropbelowtheentrancetothepool.Therehadbeensuddenominousshowersinthenight,withrainlikehandfulsofgravelflungontheroof.WhenIlookedoutintotheearlymorningtheskywasfullofagraydawnlightbutthesunhadnotyetrisen.Waterandairwerepallid.Acrossthebaythemoonwasaluminousdiscinthewesternsky,suspendedabovethedimlineofdistantshore—thefullAugustmoon,drawingthetidetothelow,lowlevelsofthethresholdofthealienseaworld.AsIwatched,agullflewby,abovethespruces.Itsbreastwasrosywiththelightoftheunrisensun.Thedaywas,afterall,tobefair.

　　Later,asIstoodabovethetideneartheentrancetothepool,thepromiseofthatrosylightwassustained.FromthebaseofthesteepwallofrockonwhichIstood,amosscoveredledgejuttedseawardintodeepwater.Inthesurgeattherimoftheledgethedarkfrondsofoarweedsswayedsmoothandgleamingasleather.Theprojectingledgewasthepathtothesmallhiddencaveanditspool.Occasionallyaswell,strongerthantherest,rolledsmoothlyovertherimandbrokeinfoamagainstthecliff.Buttheintervalsbetweensuchswellswerelongenoughtoadmitmetotheledgeandlongenoughforaglimpseofthatfairypool,soseldomandsobrieflyexposed.

　　AndsoIkneltonthewetcarpetofseamossandlookedbackintothedarkcavernthatheldthepoolinashallowbasin.Thefloorofthecavewasonlyafewinchesbelowtheroof,andamirrorhadbeencreatedinwhichallthatgrewontheceilingwasreflectedinthestillwaterbelow.

　　Underwaterthatwasclearasglassthepoolwascarpetedwithgreensponge.Graypatchesofseasquirtsglistenedontheceilingandcoloniesofraftcoralwereapaleapricotcolor.InthemomentwhenIlookedintothecavealittleelfinstarfishhungdown,suspendedbythemerestthread,perhapsbyonlyasingletubefoot.Itreacheddowntotouchitsownreflection,soperfectlydelineatedthattheremighthavebeen,notonestarfish,buttwo.Thebeautyofthereflectedimagesandofthelimpidpoolitselfwasthepoignantbeautyofthingsthatareephemeral,existingonlyuntiltheseashouldreturntofillthelittlecave.

　　ByRachelCarson

　　在海边

　　海岸是一个古老的世界.自从有地球和大海以来,就有这个水陆相接的地方.但人们却感觉它是一个总在进行创造、生命力顽强而又充沛的世界.每当我踏入这个世界,感觉到生物彼此之间以及每一生物与它周围环境之间,通过错综复杂的生命结构彼此相连的时候,我对它的美,对它的深层意蕴,都产生某种新的认识.

　　每当我想起海岸,就有一个地方因为它所表现出的独特美妙而占有突出的地位.那就是一个隐匿于洞中的水潭.平时,这个洞被海水所淹没,一年当中只有海潮降落到最低,以至低于水潭时,人们才能在这难得的短时间内看见它.也许正应如此,它获得了某种特殊的美.我选好这样一个低潮的时机,希望能