2.Insects Are Earth's Most Important Animals, Humans Included
Because so many people, if not most, really don't know insects all that well and casually write them off as "pests" to be exterminated for numerous reasons, I'm thrilled that Steve Nicholls could answer a few questions about his easy-to-read, fascinating, beautifully illustrated landmark new book Alien Worlds: How Insects Conquered the Earth, and Why Their Fate Will Determine Our Future.
因为很多人，如果不是大多数人，真的不太了解昆虫，并随意地把它们当作“害虫”，有很多理由要消灭它们，我很高兴史蒂夫·尼科尔斯能回答一些问题，关于他易于阅读，引人入胜，插图精美的里程碑式的新书《异形世界:昆虫如何征服地球，以及为什么它们的命运将决定我们的未来》
Marc Bekoff: Why did you write Alien Worlds?
Marc Bekoff:你为什么要写《异形世界》?
Steve Nicholls: I’m a flag-waving enthusiast for insect-kind, yet so many people that I meet just dismiss them as nothing but pests or a nuisance or see them as something to be frightened of, if they even notice them at all. Very few people recognize the vital role that insects play in keeping our planet ticking along. However, whenever I give talks or lead field trips, and shine a light on the intimate details of insect lives, people soon become fascinated. Back in 1968, at an International Union for the Conservation of Nature conference, a Senegalese forester, Baba Dioum, pointed out that "in the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught." In writing Alien Worlds, I hope to bring a deeper understanding of the insect world and, who knows, maybe even a bit of love.
史蒂夫·尼科尔斯:我是昆虫类的狂热支持者，但我遇到的很多人只是把它们当作害虫或讨厌的东西，或者把它们看作是可怕的东西，如果他们注意到它们的话。很少有人认识到昆虫在维持地球运转中所起的重要作用。然而，每当我发表演讲或带领实地考察，揭示昆虫生活的私密细节时，人们很快就会着迷。早在1968年，在国际自然保护联盟的一次会议上，塞内加尔护林员巴巴·迪乌姆(Baba Dioum)指出:“最终，我们只会保护我们所爱的;我们只会爱我们所理解的;我们只会理解我们被教导的东西。”在写《异形世界》的过程中，我希望能给昆虫世界带来更深刻的理解，谁知道呢，也许还能带来一点爱
MB: Who is your intended audience?
你的目标受众是谁?
SN: Although the book delves into the latest science in many areas of entomology, it’s intended for a broad and general audience. Working as a wildlife and science filmmaker for such a long time has taught me that even complex ideas can be made easily accessible if they are turned into a well-told story.
SN:虽然这本书深入研究了昆虫学许多领域的最新科学，但它是面向广大普通读者的。长期从事野生动物和科学电影制作人的工作教会了我，即使是复杂的想法，如果变成一个讲得好的故事，也可以很容易地实现。
