它们来到

They’ve

这里

been here

已有几万年。

for thousands of years.

你却是

You’re

一个客人。

the visitor:

第一要紧的是，

Avoid

避免

encounters. Think ahead.

与它们遭遇。

Keep clear

躲开

of berry patches

草莓丛

garbage dumps, carcasses.

垃圾堆与野兽的尸骸。

On woods walks bring

在林间小道走

noisemakers, bells.

要带会响的东西，比方说，铃铛。

Clap hands along the trail

一边走一边拍手

or sing

或是唱歌

but in dense bush

可是在浓密的树丛里

or by running water

或是流动的溪水旁

bear may not hear your clatter.

熊可能听不见你的喧闹。

Whatever else

干什么都成

don’t whistle. Whistling

千万别吹口哨。据说

is thought by some to imitate

吹口哨是模仿

the sounds bears make when they mate.

熊交配时发出的声音。

You need to know

你必须知道

there are two kinds:

有两种熊：

ursus arctus horribilis

Ursus arctus horribilis①

or grizzly

也就是灰熊

and ursus americanus

还有ursus americanus②

the smaller black

也就是小黑熊

said to be

据说后面这种

somewhat less likely to attack.

不大会主动攻击人

Alas, a small horribilis

可惜，一只小的horribilis

is difficult to distinguish

和一只大的americanus

from a large americanus.

很难区分。

Although

面对熊的攻击

there is no guaranteed life-saving way

虽然没有

to deal with an aggressive bear

绝对可靠的

some ploys

救生办法

have probed more

但是根据经验

successful than others.

有几种措施

Running’s a poor choice.

还是比较可行。

Bear can outrun a racehorse.

逃跑最要不得。

熊跑起来比赛马还快。

Once you’re face to face

speak softly. Take

一旦与熊面面相对

off your pack

你柔声说话。解下

and set it down

背包

to distract the grizzly,

放在地上

Meanwhile back

以转移熊的注意力。

slowly toward a large

同时慢慢地

sparsely branched tree

倒退着走开

but remember

找一棵枝干稀疏的大树

black bears are agile climbers

不过得记住

in which case

黑熊爬树很灵巧

a tree may not offer escape.

遇到它们

这个办法算是白搭。

As a last resort you can

play dead. Drop

你最后还有一招

to the ground face down.

那就是装死。脸朝地

In this case

直愣愣倒下。

wearing your pack

这种情况下面

may shield your body from attack.

背包不摘

Courage. Lie still. Sometimes

倒可以挡去一些抓挠。

you bear may veer away.

要勇敢。绝对不要动。有时候

If not

你那只熊兴趣说不定会转移。

bears have been known

要是它不走

to inflict only minor injuries

据说

upon the prone.

对平躺的东西

熊施加的伤害

Is death

相对说总比较小。

by bear to be preferred

to death by bomb? Under

死于熊吻

these extenuating circumstances

岂不强似

your mind may make absurd

死于炸弹？有了种种

leaps. The answer’s yes.

缓解的办法

Come on in, Cherish

说不定你会咬一咬牙

your wilderness.

赞同这种看法。

那好，请朝前走。要珍惜

你的大森林天然环境。

译注：①②均为拉丁文，分别是灰熊和小黑熊的学名。