雷切尔·卡森（1907—1964），美国女生物学家，出生于宾夕法尼亚州州立大学。从40年代起，陆续撰写了《在海风下》（1951）、《我们周围的海洋》、《海洋边缘》等有关海洋和海洋生物的著作。《寂静的春天》（1963）描述了滥用杀虫剂的潜在危险。
A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune2 that for most of us that clear-eyed vision3, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring4, is dimmed5 and even lost before we reach adulthood6. If I had influence with the good fairy7 who is supposed to preside over the christening8 of all children I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible9 that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote10 against the boredom and disenchantments11 of later years, the sterile preoccupation12 with things that are artificial, the alienation13 from the sources of our strength.
If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from the fairies, he needs the companionship14 of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery15 of the world we live in. Parents often have a sense of inadequacy16 when confronted17 on the one hand with the eager, sensitive18 mind of a child and on the other19 with a world of complex20 physical nature, inhabited21 by a life so various and unfamiliar that it seems hopeless to reduce it to order and knowledge22. In a mood of self-defeat23, they exclaim24, “How can I possibly teach my child about nature—why, I don't even know one bird from another!”
I sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to know as to feel. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile25 soil in which the seeds must grow. The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil. Once the emotions have been aroused26—a sense of the beautiful, the excitement of the new and the unknown, a feeling of sympathy, pity, admiration27 or love—then we wish for knowledge about the object of our emotional response. Once found, it has lasting meaning. It is more important to pave the way28 for the child to want to know than to put him on a diet of facts29 he is not ready to assimilate30.
儿童世界新奇而又美丽，充满神奇与兴奋。但是，大多数人还未来得及进入成年，那种锐利的眼光，那种热爱美丽的天性，那种热爱天工造物的天性就已经变得迟钝，甚至消失殆尽，这真是我们的不幸。据说有一位好心的仙女专司所有儿童的洗礼——如果我能对她有所影响的话，我只请求她把新奇感作为礼物馈赠给世间所有的儿童，而且这种新奇感是不可摧毁的，可以陪伴人们终生。作为一种万能的解药，在未来的岁月里，这种新奇感足以防止人们对人生产生厌倦感，防止人们毫无结果地专注于人为的事物，防止人们偏离力量的源泉。
一个没有得到仙女馈赠的儿童若要保持他与生俱有的这种新奇感，他至少需要一个能与之分享新奇感的成年人的陪伴，与他一起重新挖掘我们生活着的这个世界的欢乐、激动和神秘。为人父母者常有力不从心之感：一方面，孩子们求知若渴，大脑敏锐；另一方面，面对纷繁复杂的自然世界，面对形形色色、完全陌生的生活，要想将其理清头绪，弄个明白似乎也是奢望。父母们泄气地呼喊道：“我怎么可能教导我的孩子认识大自然啊！我甚至连两只鸟都分辨不清！”
我真诚地相信，对于儿童，对于力求引导儿童的父母而言，知识远不如感觉那么重要。如果把真知比作未来会萌生知识和智慧的种子，那么激情和感观印象就是种子赖以生长的肥沃土壤。童年的岁月正是准备土壤的时期。一旦所有的激情——美感，对新生事物和未知事物的兴奋感，同情与恻隐之心，钦佩感和爱慕之心——被一一唤醒，那么，我们就有望获得引起情感反馈的知识。这些知识一旦获得，就会有深远的意义。与其让孩子们生吞活剥他们消化不了的大量知识，还不如为孩子们的求知欲铺就道路。
1. instinct n．本能
2． misfortune n．不幸，灾祸
3． clear－eyed vision 锐利的目光
4． awe－inspiring adj．使人畏惧的
5． dim [dim] v．使暗淡，使失去光泽
6． adulthood n．成年期
7． fairy n．仙女
8． preside over 负责；主持 christening n．洗礼仪式
9． indestructible adj．不能破坏的，不可毁灭的
10． unfailing adj．无穷无尽的，可靠的 antidote n．矫正方法
11． boredom n．厌倦 disenchantment n．觉醒；清醒
12． sterile adj．贫瘠的，不育的，毫无结果的 preoccupation n．全神贯注
13． alienation n．疏远
14． companionship n．伙伴
15． mystery n．神秘
16． inadequacy n．不充分
17． confront v．面对
18． sensitive adj．复杂的，敏感的
19． on the one hand．．．on the other．．． 一方面……另一方面
20． complex adj． 复杂的，合成的 physical adj．自然的，物理的
21． inhabit v．占据，栖息
22． reduce it to order and knowledge 把它理出头绪，弄个明白
23． self－defeat n．泄气
24． exclaim v．呼喊，惊叫
25． fertile adj．肥沃的，富饶的
26． arouse v．呼醒，呼起
27． admiration n．钦佩，赞美
28． pave the way for．．． 为……铺平道路
29． diet of facts: diet原指饮食。这里将有关事实的种种知识比作定量给儿童的食物。
30． assimilate v．吸收