现代大学英语精读3-Lesson-11-Silent-Spring

Lesson11SilentSpring1.AbouttheAuthorThemoreclearlywecanfocusourattentiononthewondersandrealitiesoftheuniverseaboutus,thelesstasteweshallhavefordestruction.--RachelCarson©1954RachelCarsonBIRTHDATE:May27,1907BIRTHPLACE:Springdale,PAEDUCATION:1925-enteredPennsylvaniaCollegeforWomen(nowChathamCollege)1929-graduatedwithhonors,earningascholarshiptocontinueherstudiesatJohnsHopkinsUniversityinBaltimore,MD.1932-M.A.inZoologyfromJohnHopkinsUniversity.FAMILYBACKGROUND:Theyoungestofthreechildren,RachelCarsonhadaruggedupbringinginasimplefarmhouseoutsidethewesternPennsylvaniarivertownofSpringdale.Shecreditedhermotherwithintroducinghertotheworldofnaturethatbecameherlifelongpassion.DESCRIPTIONOFACCOMPLISHMENTS:Aftercompletinghereducation,CarsonjoinedtheU.S.BureauofFisheriesasthewriterofaradioshowentitledRomanceUndertheWaters,inwhichshewasabletoexplorelifeundertheseasandbringittolisteners.In1936,afterbeingthefirstwomantotakeandpassthecivilservicetest,theBureauofFisherieshiredherasafull-timejuniorbiologist,andoverthenext15years,sheroseintheranksuntilshewasthechiefeditorofallpublicationsfortheU.S.FishandWildlifeService.Duringthe1940s,Carsonbegantowritebooksonherobservationsoflifeunderthesea,aworldasyetunknowntothemajorityofpeople.Sheresignedfromhergovernmentpositionin1952inordertodevoteallhertimetowriting.Theideaforhermostfamousbook,SilentSpring,emerged,andshebeganwritingitin1957.Itwaspublishedin1962,andinfluencedPresidentKennedy,whohadreadit,tocallfortestingofthechemicalsmentionedinthebook.Carsonhasbeencalledthemotherofthemodernenvironmentalmovement.DATEOFDEATH:April14,1964PLACEOFDEATH:HerhomeinSilverSpring,MDPORTRAYEDBY:CelesteEarhartWEBSITES:RachelCarsonHomesteadRachelCarsonCouncilRachelCarsonNationalWildlifeRefugeRachelCarsonForum-acenterfornewideasandopinionsaboutenvironmentalissuesfacingPennsylvania.FormerVice-PresidentAlGore'sIntroductiontothe1994reissueofSilentSpringRachelCarsonisacharterinducteeintotheEcologyHallofFameBIBLIOGRAPHY:1941-UndertheSeaWind1943-FoodFromtheSea:FishandShellfishofNewEngland1944-FoodFromtheSea:FishandShellfishoftheSouthAtlantic1951-TheSeaAroundUs1955-TheEdgeoftheSea1962-SilentSpring1965-TheSenseofWonder(posthumous)RachelCarson,writer,scientist,andecologist,grewupsimplyintheruralrivertownofSpringdale,Pennsylvania.Hermotherbequeathedtoheralife-longloveofnatureandthelivingworldthatRachelexpressedfirstasawriterandlaterasastudentofmarinebiology.CarsongraduatedfromPennsylvaniaCollegeforWomen(nowChathamCollege)in1929,studiedattheWoodsHoleMarineBiologicalLaboratory,andreceivedherMAinzoologyfromJohnsHopkinsUniversityin1932.ShewashiredbytheU.S.BureauofFisheriestowriteradioscriptsduringtheDepressionandsupplementedherincomewritingfeaturearticlesonnaturalhistoryfortheBaltimoreSun.Shebeganafifteen-yearcareerinthefederalserviceasascientistandeditorin1936androsetobecomeEditor-in-ChiefofallpublicationsfortheU.S.FishandWildlifeService.Shewrotepamphletsonconservationandnaturalresourcesandeditedscientificarticles,butinherfreetimeturnedhergovernmentresearchintolyricprose,firstasanarticleUndersea(1937,fortheAtlanticMonthly),andtheninabook,UndertheSea-Wind(1941).In1952shepublishedherprize-winningstudyoftheocean,TheSeaAroundUs,whichwasfollowedbyTheEdgeoftheSeain1955.ThesebooksconstitutedabiographyoftheoceanandmadeCarsonfamousasanaturalistandsciencewriterforthepublic.Carsonresignedfromgovernmentservicein1952todevoteherselftoherwriting.Shewroteseveralotherarticlesdesignedtoteachpeopleaboutthewonderandbeautyofthelivingworld,includingHelpYourChildtoWonder,(1956)andOurEver-ChangingShore(1957),andplannedanotherbookontheecologyoflife.EmbeddedwithinallofCarson'swritingwastheviewthathumanbeingswerebutonepartofnaturedistinguishedprimarilybytheirpowertoalterit,insomecasesirreversibly.DisturbedbytheprofligateuseofsyntheticchemicalpesticidesafterWorldWarII,Carsonreluctantlychangedherfocusinordertowarnthepublicaboutthelongtermeffectsofmisusingpesticides.InSilentSpring(1962)shechallengedthepracticesofagriculturalscientistsandthegovernment,andcalledforachangeinthewayhumankindviewedthenaturalworld.Carsonwasattackedbythechemicalindustryandsomeingovernmentasanalarmist,butcourageouslyspokeouttoremindusthatweareavulnerablepartofthenaturalworldsubjecttothesamedamageastherestoftheecosystem.TestifyingbeforeCongressin1963,Carsoncalledfornewpoliciestoprotecthumanhealthandtheenvironment.RachelCarsondiedin1964afteralongbattleagainstbreastcancer.Herwitnessforthebeautyandintegrityoflifecontinuestoinspirenewgenerationstoprotectthelivingworldandallitscreatures.2.AboutthetextSilentSpringbyRachelCarsonSketchesfromoneoftheTwentiethCentury'smostimportantworksAFableforTomorrowTherewasonceatownintheheartofAmericawherealllifeseemedtoliveinharmonywithitssurroundings...apastoralEdenofhardwoodforestsandbountifulwildlife...strangeblightcreptovertheareaandeverythingbegantochange...Everywherewasashadowofdeath...Itwasaspringwithoutvoices.Onthemorningsthathadoncethrobbedwiththedawnchorusofrobins,catbirds,doves,jays,wrens,andscoresofotherbir