Preserving Italy’s Famed Wildflower Bloom from Overtourism过度旅游伤环境，意大利野生花海须保护

斯特凡尼娅·迪尼奥蒂　陈丽/译

Once a year， the single gravel road that leads to the tiny Italian village of Castelluccio di Norcia1 becomes a front-row seat to one of Europes most stunning nature shows.

一年一度，通往意大利小村庄卡斯特卢乔唯一的一条石子路会摇身变为最佳席位，此处可观赏欧洲最令人目眩神迷的大自然表演。

Between mid-May and early July， wildflowers paint the Piana Grande2 plains below in shades of gold， crimson， and blue， giving life to fioritura delle lenticchie （Italian for “lentil blossoming”）， or more commonly， la fiorita di Castelluccio.

从5月中旬至7月初，野花将下方的高地大平原渲染成各种色调的金色、红色和蓝色，由此诞生了fioritura delle lenticchie（意大利语，义为“扁豆花海”），更常见的名称是“卡斯特卢乔花海”。

In this verdant landscape of Umbria， a region dubbed Italys “green lung，” the summertime bloom is a point of pride for locals， a bright spot to look forward to each year. After 2016s two catastrophic earthquakes and 2020s coronavirus pandemic， la fiorita has taken on even more importance.

翁布里亚大区被称为意大利的“绿肺”，在这片葱郁的风景线上，每年夏天的野花绽放是当地人的骄傲，是值得年年期待的高光时刻。在经历了2016年的两次灾难性地震和2020年的新冠疫情之后，花海显得更加重要。

“At least the [second] quakes brutality didnt in any way alter the beauty of the landscape that surrounds us， thank God，” says Nicoletta Marziali， who lost her ancestral family home and business in the 6.6-magnitude temblor. “That wouldve meant a collective heartbreak.”

“感谢上帝，（第二次）地震虽然严重，但至少没有改变我们周围地区的漂亮风景。不然的话，我们就要集体心碎了。”尼科莱塔·马尔齐亚利说。她在那次6.6级的地震中失去了祖传的家宅和生意。

But now， as international travel restrictions begin to lift， locals like Marziali worry about a new threat—hordes of tourists trampling the delicate flowers for photos and social media posts， a problem that has plagued other wildflower hotspots， such as California， in recent years.

但是现在，随着国际旅游限制开始解除，以马尔齐亚利为代表的当地人开始担忧起新的威胁——成群结队的游客为了拍照和在社交媒体上发帖而践踏那些娇嫩的花朵。这个问题近年来也困扰着其他热门的野花观赏地，比如美国加利福尼亚。

Last years la fiorita offered a worrying sign of what may come. After Italys strictest lockdown lifted in early May， 20，000 outdoor-starved visitors flocked to Castellucio during a peak weekend in late June. A handful were spotted stepping in the fields and plucking the flowers.

去年的花海显露出令人忧心的苗头，可以预见到未来的情形。意大利于5月初解除了最严格的封锁之后，6月底的一个周末高峰期就有两万渴望户外活动的游客涌至卡斯特卢乔。有几个游客被发现踏入田地、采摘花朵。

“[Visiting] was nearly impossible because of the traffic and the overcrowded trails，” says Claudia Cenci， a Perugia resident who hikes in Castellucio often. “In a few years [enjoying this area] might become unsustainable.”

“因為交通堵塞严重、小径过于拥挤，（观光）几乎难以实现。再过几年，（欣赏这片地区的风景）或许会变得难以为继。”克劳迪娅·琴奇说。她住在佩鲁贾，经常在卡斯特卢乔徒步旅行。

Leave it to nature

让大自然做主

Bordered on one side by the Sibillini Mountains and sheltered in the Monti Sibillini National Park， the Piana Grande is a karstic （limestone） basin cradling lentil farms， Castellucios primary source of revenue.

高地大平原是一个岩溶（石灰岩）盆地，一侧与锡比利尼山脉接壤，托庇于锡比利尼山脉国家公园。大平原是扁豆农场的摇篮，这些扁豆是卡斯特卢乔最主要的收入来源。

Prized for their delicate， nutty flavor， the tiny， brownish-green lentils are not treated with pesticides here because theyre farmed at a high altitude. The below-zero winter temperatures naturally kill predators， such as the legume-munching weevil.

这些小小的、棕绿色的扁豆因具有细腻的坚果风味而倍受欢迎。因为种植的海拔高，它们得以避免喷洒杀虫剂。冬天低于零度的气温天然就能杀灭害虫，比如以豆类为食的象鼻虫。

The absence of chemicals plays a key role in la fiorita; it allows nature to take its course. Lentil plants send out tiny white blossoms that mingle with mustard flowers， poppies， legousia （Venus looking-glass3）， and cornflowers throughout the growing season.

不使用化學药剂——这一点在花海的形成中起到了关键作用：它允许大自然自主发展。整个生长季节，扁豆植株绽放的小小白色花朵间夹杂着芥末花、罂粟花、风铃草（又称“维纳斯镜花”）和矢车菊。

“I like to believe its because we pledged to cultivate [the lentils] with the least environmental impact that nature rewards us every year with one of its most beautiful shows，” says Nello Perla， founder of the 40-year agricultural cooperative of 13 farms that use only organic farming methods in the valley.

“我愿意相信，正是因为我们致力于用最不影响环境的方式来培育（扁豆），大自然才每年回馈给我们一场最美的表演。”当地农业合作社的创建人内洛·佩拉说。该合作社已有40年历史，由13家农场组成，坚持在这片山谷只使用有机耕作方式。

Because the farmers plant their crops at different locations and on different dates， the flowers sprout at different times. Thats the secret to the alternating pattern that has made this landscape famous worldwide， says Perla.

农民栽种作物的地点不同、时间不同，所以花朵出芽的时间也不同。佩拉说，此地风景因轮流交替的花期闻名世界，秘密就在于此。

Each wildflowers appearance indicates a ripening phase in the lentils life cycle， alerting farmers to the best time to harvest， explains Nunzio Testa， secretary of Pro Loco Castelluccio4， a tourism organization founded in 1982. “This is Castelluccios unique way of communicating with nature，” he says， with a laugh. “We just look out of the window and the colors tell us what to do.”

农西奥·泰斯塔解释道，每种野花的出现都表明扁豆生长周期的一个成熟阶段，并提醒农民什么时候采摘最为合适。他是成立于1982年的一家旅游组织“卡斯特卢乔发展促进会”的秘书长。“这是卡斯特卢乔与大自然交流的独特方式。”他笑着说，“我们只要向窗外看一看，花朵的颜色就会告诉我们该做什么。”

A hikers paradise

徒步旅行者的天堂

While the area is an important agricultural zone， its also an outdoor lovers dream. Hiking trails overlook the valleys and mountains， stretching as far as the eye can see. In recent years， Castelluccio has become a sought-after weekend escape from the bustle of urban life for many Italians.

尽管这一地区是重要的农耕带，它也是户外爱好者的梦想之地。徒步旅行的步行道可以远眺山谷和山脉，在目力所及的范围内延伸。近年来，卡斯特卢乔已经成为许多意大利人周末逃离城市喧嚣的胜地。

Hiking guide Simone Gatto credits the popularity of these trails to their level of accessibility; they can accommodate all types of hikers， from inexperienced to well-seasoned， from individuals to families. “Theyre good to explore by bike or on horseback，” he says. “This place can make any kind of hiker happy.”

徒步旅行向導西莫内·加托认为，这些步行道之所以受欢迎是因为它们具有很高的适用性。它们适合所有类型的徒步旅行者，从没有经验的新手到经验丰富的老手，从单人到家庭，全都可以来。“它们很适合骑自行车或骑马探索。”他说，“这里能令各类远足者心满意足。”

Cenci has long explored these trails and had been looking forward to visiting after quarantine. “I traveled all over the world before the pandemic， but I feel lucky because the most beautiful landscape of all is just a few kilometers away from home.” she says.

琴奇很早以前就开始探索这些步行道，并且一直期待封锁结束后再次来访。她表示：“疫情暴发前我旅行去过全球各地，而最漂亮的风景距离我家就几公里，我为此感到非常幸运。”

But seeing more visitors discovering the areas natural beauty has Castelluccio residents thinking of ways to stem the effects of mass tourism. Californias Lake Elsinore， where “poppy mania” has threatened the local ecosystem， is one source of inspiration. There， volunteers are limiting cars into the area and pedestrian access to the fields. To help reduce pollution， theyre providing shuttle service for a small fee.

但是，眼见越来越多的游客发现了卡斯特卢乔的美，当地居民开始考虑采取措施来遏制大规模旅游造成的不良影响。美国加利福尼亚的埃尔西诺湖提供了一个灵感来源：那里的罂粟花海引发的狂热已经威胁到当地的生态系统，于是志愿者们限制汽车驶入该区域，并限制进入田野的步行者人数；为了减少污染，他们还提供往返大巴服务，只向游客收取少许车费。

But for residents like Marziali， the most effective path is education. If monitoring traffic proves to be insufficient in reducing the negative impacts， Marziali says citizens of Castelluccio are considering other options， such as free workshops. In the coming years， these informal classes could teach tourists how to enjoy the view responsibly.

但是，对于马尔齐亚利等居民而言，最有效的途径是教育。假如监管交通不能有效降低负面影响，马尔齐亚利说，卡斯特卢乔的居民将考虑其他选择，比如开办免费讲习班。以后，这些非正式的课堂将教导游客如何带着保护环境的责任心来欣赏风景。

“We are eager to share the emotional benefits of this uplifting view with the rest of the world， especially now that we have all gone through hard times” because of the coronavirus， says Marziali. “But we also want visitors to soak up our principles of respect towards the environment， so that tourism can also become as sustainable as our harvesting methods.”

“我们渴望与世界各地的人分享这片令人振奋的风景带来的情感慰藉，尤其考虑到我们都经历了疫情肆虐的艰难时期。”马尔齐亚利说，“但我们仍然希望游客们能够充分理解我们尊重环境的原则，使旅游业也可以像我们的农耕方式一样可持续发展。＂

（译者单位：北京外国语大学英语学院）