John Muir

John Muir. Written by Kira Fried. Focus question. What impact did John Muir have on wilderness areas in the United States?

约翰·缪尔。 作者：基拉·弗里德。 思考问题。 约翰·缪尔对美国的荒野地区有什么影响？

A Passion for Nature Long ago when people in the United States were settling the West, many people spoke about conquering nature. They cleared land and used it however they wished for houses, food, and clothing. John Muir instead spoke of honoring nature. Muir was a champion of wild places, a gifted writer and speaker, and the founder of an important organization. His words inspired many people to make an effort to protect wilderness. They also helped bring about the protection of many nature areas, including Yosemite Valley.

热爱自然 很久以前美国人开发西部的时候，很多人都想着要征服自然。 他们砍树开荒，为了建房子、种粮食、做衣物随心所欲使用土地。 但约翰·缪尔却呼吁大家尊重自然。 缪尔是荒野的守护者，是才华横溢的作家和演说家，还是重要环保组织的创立者。 他的话语激励了很多人努力保护荒野。 他的理念也推动了包括优胜美地谷在内的许多自然区域得到保护。

early life. John Muir was born on April 21, 1838 in Scotland. John was the oldest son in a family with eight children. When John was 11, the family moved to Wisconsin, in the United States, so his father could start a farm. John's father was very strict and forced his children to work long hours doing farm labor. He only allowed them one small meal a day. The children's health suffered as a result.

早年生活。 约翰·缪尔1838年4月21日出生在苏格兰。 约翰是这个八个孩子家庭的长子。 约翰11岁那年，全家搬到了美国的威斯康星州，因为父亲想要在这里开办农场。 约翰的父亲非常严厉，逼迫孩子们长时间干农活。 他一天只允许孩子们吃一顿少量的饭。 结果孩子们的健康都受到了损害。

John did not attend school during those years, but he loved to learn. His father allowed him to wake up early to have time to read. John rose at 1 a .m. each morning. He studied many different subjects on his own. If he had any free time during the day, he explored the woods and fields around the family farm. During John's teen years, he spent part of his early morning time working on inventions. One of his inventions, a special alarm clock, pushed him out of bed at a set time.

那些年约翰没能上学，但他十分热爱学习。 父亲只允许他早起挤出时间读书。 约翰每天凌晨一点就起床。 每个早晨都这样。 他自学了许多不同的科目。 白天只要一有空，他就去探索农场周围的森林和田野。 约翰十几岁的时候，会把清晨的时间用来做发明。 他有一项发明，是一个特别的闹钟，能到点就叫他起床。

Freedom and Wild Places. By the time Muir was a young adult, he was restless to follow his passions. When he was 22, he showed his inventions at a state fair in Madison. The inventions, especially Muir's alarm clock, were a huge hit. A judge awarded him a cash prize that gave him some independence for the first time. Instead of going home, he stayed in Madison. He started college that fall.

自由与荒野。 缪尔长大成年后，迫不及待想要追寻自己热爱的事业。 22岁那年，他在麦迪逊的州博览会上展出了自己的发明。 这些发明大受欢迎，尤其是缪尔的闹钟，反响格外好。 一位评委给他颁发了奖金，这让他第一次获得了经济独立。 他没有回家，而是留在了麦迪逊。 那年秋天，他进入大学学习。

Muir mainly studied math and science, including the science of plants. In 1863, he left Madison to attend what he called the University of the Wilderness. Muir traveled on foot around parts of Canada and the Midwest. He took odd jobs to pay his way. In 1866, Muir took a job as a mechanic. The next year, a work accident briefly blinded him. Though he feared he would lose his sight for good, it returned a month later. Muir suddenly realized he wasn't doing what he loved most. He left his job to spend the rest of his life in nature.

缪尔主要学习数学和科学，包括植物学。 1863年，他离开麦迪逊，去上他口中的“荒野大学”。 缪尔徒步走遍了加拿大部分地区和美国中西部。 他靠打零工赚取旅费。 1866年，缪尔找到了一份机修工的工作。 第二年，一场工伤事故让他短暂失明。 尽管他担心自己会永远失明，但一个月后视力就恢复了。 这件事让缪尔突然明白，他现在做的不是自己最热爱的事。 于是他辞掉工作，把余生都献给了自然。