Fleming Fergus
Leygore Manor, Cheltenham, Glos, United Kingdom.
Ambio. 2004 Nov;Spec No 13:51-5.
In the late 19th century, mountaineer and essayist Sir Leslie Stephen wrote that the Alps were "Europe's Playground." His words were prescient: the Alps are today one of the continent's most valued recreation areas. However, the importance of Stephen's words can only be appreciated when set in historical context. One hundred years earlier, his remark would have been laughed at. Until the late 18th century the Alps were a source of fear to travellers and of mystery to scientists. They were an uncharted wilderness at the heart of the world's most crowded continent. Yet, within a remarkably short space of time, they were mapped, developed and exploited. Their current status as "playground" is bound intrinsically to a shift in imagination, beginning in the 16th century and accelerating dramatically between the years 1800 and 1914, that has transformed them, in popular perception, from a realm of terror and superstition to one of beauty, relaxation and contemplation. Driven by fresh perspectives in the fields of science, music, literature and aesthetics, the metamorphosis has affected our appreciation not only of the Alps but of every mountain range in the world.
19世纪末，登山家兼散文家莱斯利·斯蒂芬爵士写道，阿尔卑斯山是“欧洲的游乐场”。他的话很有先见之明：如今，阿尔卑斯山是欧洲最受珍视的休闲区之一。然而，只有放在历史背景中，斯蒂芬这番话的重要性才能被理解。要是在一百年前，他这话肯定会被人嘲笑。直到18世纪末，阿尔卑斯山对旅行者来说都是恐惧之源，对科学家来说则是神秘之地。在这个世界上最拥挤的大陆的中心，它们曾是一片未被探索的荒野。然而，在相当短的时间内，它们就被测绘、开发和利用了。它们如今作为“游乐场”的地位，本质上与一种想象力的转变紧密相连，这种转变始于16世纪，并在1800年至1914年间急剧加速，在大众认知中，已将它们从一个恐怖和迷信的领域转变为一个美丽、放松和沉思的领域。在科学、音乐、文学和美学领域新观点的推动下，这种转变不仅影响了我们对阿尔卑斯山的欣赏，也影响了我们对世界上每一座山脉的欣赏。
