英语翻译InOur"Rurban"AgeToknowthecountryside,youmustliveinthecityInhisbookBadgers,thenaturalistMichaelClarkdescribessurveyingtheanimalbackinthe1960s.Callingatafarmcottage,heaskedanoldcountrymanwhetherheknewofa

　　英语翻译

　　InOur"Rurban"Age

　　Toknowthecountryside,youmustliveinthecity

　　InhisbookBadgers,thenaturalistMichaelClarkdescribessurveyingtheanimalbackinthe1960s.Callingatafarmcottage,heaskedanoldcountrymanwhetherheknewofanybadgerslivingnearby."Whatarebadgers?"camethereply.Thecountryman,Clarkwrites,"genuinelydidnotknowofthespecies".

　　Youcanbeacountryman,itseems,andknowlittleofthecountry.Buttraditional,countryfolksareregardedasbeingintunewiththeland.Theylivethere,don'tthey?Whatcantowniesknowofthe"wayofnature"?

　　Thisassumptioninfectsmuchofourculture.Itpredicatestheexistenceofacleardivisionbetweentownandcountry.Itenablestherurallobbytocharacterizeitselfasanindigenousculture,its"native"traditionsandpastimes(huntingandfishing)threatenedbyanoppressiveurbanmajority.Theunderlyingmessageliesinthatthecountrysideisbestmanagedbycountrypeople.Afterall,theyknowaboutsuchthings...

　　Unfortunately,toooften,theydon't.AsthehistorianKeithThomasshowedinhisstudyManandtheNaturalWorld,thegrowthofourknowledgeaboutnaturehascomebycorrectingthe"vulgarerrors"ofcountrypeople.AndalthoughThomaswaswritingabouttheperiodbetween1500and1800,thatprocesscontinuestoday—whatcountrydwellerstakeforgrantedisstillbeingconfoundedbythecarefulobservationofreality.

　　Astudy,fromYorkUnivesity,hascaststrangenewlightonthefarmers'enemy—foxes.Themorefoxesafarmerkills,themorelambsheappearstolosetofoxes.Thatisbecause:newfoxeswillalmostcertainlyoccupytheslainanimals'territory,andnewanimals,unusedtotheterrain,maythenchoosemoreobviousprey—suchaslambs.

　　Themessageofstudiessuchasthisisthatnaturalsystemsarecomplex,unpredictable:understandingthemrequirespatientobservationandcarefulanalysis.Thelackoftheseconditionsexplainswhy,intheearlymodernera,grasssnakeswerekilledasvenomous,andgardenerswormsbecuasetheywerethoughttognawplantroots.

　　Theassumptionthatcountrypeople"ought"toknowaboutsuchthingsisbasedonanurbanruraldividethatopenedupinthe18thcentury.Foracoupleofcenturie