Human, All Too Human

《Nature's Way》　　Michael Blumenthal

Condensed from New York Times Michael Blumenthal 　　The Reader's Digest Association, 1990

Nature’s Way

Part 1　　Seven travelers and I, with our guide, were making our way along the white-sand beach of one of the Galapagos Islands. We were searching for the large nests in which the eggs of Pacific green sea turtles are laid and hatched.　　Most of the baby turtles, which may grow to 330 pounds, come out in April and May. Then they have to run to the sea before the birds flying above can eat them.　　It was close to dusk, the time at which ― if the young turtles are to escape ― one turtle must go out into the open air to test whether it is safe for its dozens of brothers and sisters.

Part 2　　I came to a large, bowl-shaped nest in which I saw the head of a tiny sea turtle above the sand. As my companions joined me, we heard a sound in the brush behind us. A mockingbird approached.　　“Just be quiet and watch,” our young guide advised as the mockingbird moved to within inches of the turtle’s head. “He’s going to attack.”　　The mockingbird came closer to the nest and began pecking at the turtle’s head, trying to pull it onto the beach.　　My companions were shocked. “Aren’t you going to do something?” a voice said.　　Our guide held his fingers to his lips. “This is the way nature works,” he said.　　“I’m not going to sit here and watch this happen,” a woman from Los Angeles objected.　　“Why don’t you listen to him?” I asked. “We shouldn’t get in the way.”　　“If it weren’t for humans, they wouldn’t be in danger to begin with. I’ll do something if you won’t,” one member of our group said to our guide.　　The noise of people talking scared the bird away from its meal. Reluctantly, our guide pulled the baby turtle out of the hole to help it on its way to the sea.

Part 3　　What happened next, however, caught everyone by surprise. As soon as the rescued turtle began running to the safety of the ocean, dozens upon dozens of other baby turtles ― having received a false signal that it was safe ― poured from the nest and began running toward high tide.　　The foolishness of our group’s interference became clear. Not only had the turtles come out under the mistaken impression that it was safe to do so, but their rush to the sea was taking place too early. It was still light and there was no hiding from the hungry birds.　　Within seconds, the air was filled with delighted sea birds. A pair of Galapagos hawks landed on the beach, and a growing number of mockingbirds eagerly followed their evening meal hurrying down the beach.　　“Oh, God,” I heard a voice behind me, “look what we’ve done!”　　There on the beach, the killing of the baby turtles had already begun. Our young guide, trying to make up for having acted against his own better judgment, took off his baseball cap and filled it with baby turtles. Stepping into the ocean, he let them go, then wildly waved his cap to frighten off the huge number of sea birds.

Part 4　　When it was over, the happy cries of dozens of birds filled the air. Two hawks stood silently on the beach hoping to catch a final turtle. All that could be heard was the sound of the tide beating against the white-sand beach.　　Heads down, my companions walked slowly along the beach. There seemed to me to be a perfect silence among the all-too-human group.　　Something, I think, very much like the sound of humility.

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譯者：鄭儀

『噢！老天』，我聽到身後的聲音，『看看我們做了些什麼！』

故事發生的地點是在加拉巴哥群島的依斯班諾拉島。

如果說通往地獄的道路，是由許多出於良善的意念所鋪設而成的，也許我可以用自己最近的一段經歷，來見證導致物種滅絕的因素。

當我們一群人在加拉巴哥群島最南端的小島，一個名叫Gardner Bay的白色沙灘登陸之後，嚮導帶領我們沿著沙灘前進，尋找太平洋綠海龜（Pacific green sea turtles）的巢。

這種海龜通常可以長至330英磅，當幼龜在四、五月間孵化後，面對著大自然嚴格的生死挑戰，牠們必須在飽受空中掠食者威脅的陰影之下，奮不顧身地投入海洋，以免成了鳥兒們腹中的點心。

天色漸漸的暗了，此時如果小海龜們想要離巢，其中便會有一名先鋒出去探望是否有掠食者出現，以及是否能讓其他的弟兄姐妹們安全跟進。

我們經過了幾個大的、碗狀的巢穴，並沒有發現任何活動的跡象，當我們走近其中一個巢，發現了一個剛孵出的小海龜的頭。我趕緊向同伴們招了招手，目不轉睛地注視著，小海龜的頭約有半英寸露出沙上，一動也不動。

當其他的人走近時，前方灌叢突然傳來窸窸窣窣的聲音，一隻小嘲鶇（hood mockingbird）受到我們的吸引而正向我們接近，也許牠知道可能會有一頓豐盛的晚餐。

『大家安靜的看，』年輕的厄瓜多爾嚮導在小嘲鶇移動到只距離小海龜數英寸近時警告著。『牠正準備攻擊！』

慢慢地，小嘲鶇更加的接近並且以喙啄著小海龜的頭，試圖將牠拉出沙灘。『難道你不去救牠嗎？』我的同伴心急的要求嚮導。而他只是將食指抵著嘴叫大家安靜，『這是自然的法則，』他再次的提醒，『我們能做的只是安靜的看著。』

『我不會坐在這兒，眼睜睜地讓這一切發生！』一位來自洛杉磯的素食主義者抗議著。『為什麼你不聽他的話呢？』我辯護著說，『自然界的現象必然是有道理的，我們不應該干涉。』

一位國家地理雜誌的同行者對我說道：『如果不是因為人為的干擾，這種海龜根本就不會瀕臨絕種！』

『如果你再無動於衷，我就要自己採取行動了！』他們對嚮導下了最後通牒。

這些人道主義的爭執及喧嚷將小嘲鶇給嚇走了，嚮導不情願地將小海龜自沙中取出，幫助牠爬向海洋。

接下來發生的事，令在場的每一個人，包括嚮導在內都驚訝不已。我們看到除了我們幫助的那一隻小海龜在爬向海洋，成打上百的小海龜接受了錯誤的訊息，瞬間傾巢而出，拍足前進衝向潮水，就向大軍在瘋狂的撤退一般。

我們的介入，毫無疑問是愚昧的，也是最嚴重的破壞。我們使小海龜誤以為外在的環境是安全的，更使他們提前在天色仍十分明亮的黃昏開始行動。對於那些飢餓的掠食者而言，我們的干涉，無異是上帝賜予的禮物。

不到數秒鐘，天空聚滿了等待佳餚的鳥兒們：軍艦鳥（frigate birds）、塘鵝（boobies）、燕尾鷗（Swailow-tailed gulls），一對加拉巴哥鷹（Galapagos hawks）睜大了眼虎視眈眈地注視著，數量不斷增加的小嘲鶇飢餓地跟隨著沙灘上不顧一切前進的小海龜。

『噢！老天』，我聽到身後的聲音，『看看我們做了些什麼！』

『我知道我不應該聽你們的話而干涉的。』嚮導沒有堅持他最初的明智，後悔也已經太遲了。

現在，不論地上或海中，小海龜的捕食者們早已大開殺戮。年輕的嚮導為了彌補違背自己的本意所導致的災難，隨手抓起一頂鴨舌帽，裝滿了小海龜，將牠們放到海裡，並舉起帽子猛向空中揮舞，企圖驅散追逐食物的鳥群。

當一切結束後，滿足的鳥叫聲充斥著整個天空，好像是為了慶祝一場盛宴。兩隻鷹仍靜靜地期待能捕到最後一隻掙扎的小生命，空氣中的氣氛愈來愈凝重，耳中所能聽見的只是拍打在白色沙灘上的浪濤聲。

我們一行人準備離開了，大家低著頭感到舉步維艱，每個人都陷入各自的沈思中，默默地沿著海岸走著。天色幾乎完全暗了下來，倘若小海龜不受到這些恩人們的干擾，一天中的此時此刻才是小海龜們設法投入海洋，追求生命的時機吧！

我突然注意到，這群充滿人性善良的人是多麼的安靜。

我想，這也許就是面對大自然時的謙卑之聲吧！