植物獵人的技能與素質(zhì)

文/ 伊麗莎白·佩因 譯/索奇?zhèn)?/p>

For British plant hunter John Wood,few endeavors are quite as satisfying as retracing the steps of an 18thcentury explorer.

對英國植物獵人約翰·伍德來說，幾乎沒有哪項事業(yè)能像追尋18 世紀探險家的腳步那樣令人滿足。

2It may seem old-fashioned, but plant collecting is still an important scientific endeavor.“That is the primary way we discover new species,” writes Gerrit Davidse, a researcher and curator of grasses at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St.Louis, Missouri.

2植物采集看似早已過時，實則仍是一項重要的科學事業(yè)。格里特·戴維茲是密蘇里州圣路易斯市密蘇里植物園的研究員兼草本園負責人。他寫道：“這是我們發(fā)現(xiàn)新物種的主要方式。”

3Today, medicines, vehicles, and GPS have made the work of plant collectors safer and a bit easier, but the basic techniques and challenges remain the same.It takes a particular set of skills and personal attributes to do the job.“These individuals are selfmotivated, have the ability to withstand hardship, probably have a great eye and photographic memory,” writes Robert Scotland, a reader1reader（英國僅次于教授的）高級講師。in systematic botany at the University of Oxford in the United K i n g d o m.

3如今，雖然醫(yī)療藥品、交通工具和全球定位系統(tǒng)為植物采集工作者創(chuàng)造了更加安全和較為便利的條件，但植物采集的基本技術(shù)和所面對的挑戰(zhàn)與以往無異。做這項工作需要具備一套特定的技能和個人素質(zhì)。英國牛津大學系統(tǒng)植物學高級講師羅伯特·斯科特蘭表示：“這群人善于自我激勵，能夠承受困難，可能還獨具慧眼，有過目不忘的本領(lǐng)。”

4Such individuals must also have a thirst for adventure and be willing to sacrifice some comfort and job security.Most plant hunters either live on shortterm contracts or take permanent positions with other responsibilities.But for passionate plant collectors, the thrill of the hunt is difficult to match.

4植物獵人還必須渴望冒險，愿意舍棄舒適條件和工作保障。他們中的大多數(shù)人以短期合同為生，或者有其他固定崗位的工作。但對狂熱的植物采集者來說，“狩獵”的刺激感是無可比擬的。

Doing the picking

5At its simplest level, all you need to collect plants is a notebook, a plant press,and some newspapers for drying.What sets professional collectors apart from amateurs is the ability to find new and interesting material.“Good observational skills and knowledge of a local flora are very important,” Davidse writes.

6Then, one needs to know how to harvest scientifically useful material.For traditional taxonomic studies, it is important to harvest specimens that include “fruits and flowers, and the root systems; something that shows what the plant generally looks like,” Wood says.It takes practical expertise to adequately dry and preserve plants—and keep them that way all the way back to the institution, Wood says.

7Just as important is to record complete data, including the date and place of collection, what the plant looked like,the environment in which it was found,and geographical features like altitude,says Mark Watson, a principal scientific officer at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in the United Kingdom.“It’s going to take you quite a long time to get everything together,” including good digital photographs of the plant,so patience is important, he says.

采集植物

5簡單來說，采集植物只需要一個筆記本、一臺植物壓平器和幾張用于干燥的報紙。專業(yè)采集者區(qū)別于業(yè)余采集者的地方在于，他們具備發(fā)現(xiàn)新鮮有趣材料的能力。戴維茲寫道：“良好的觀察能力和對當?shù)刂参锶旱牧私夥浅Ｖ匾！?/p>

6此外，植物獵人需要知道如何獲取可用于科學研究的材料。伍德說，就傳統(tǒng)的分類學研究而言，重點在于獲取包括“果實、花朵、根系的標本，也就是能夠顯示植物大致形態(tài)的東西”。他表示，要想充分干燥和保存植物，再將它們原封不動地一路運回相關(guān)機構(gòu)，需要具備實用的專業(yè)技能。

7英國愛丁堡皇家植物園首席科學官馬克·沃森表示，記錄完整的數(shù)據(jù)同樣重要，包括采集日期和地點、植物形態(tài)、發(fā)現(xiàn)地的環(huán)境以及海拔等地理特征。沃森說：“收集所有的數(shù)據(jù)要花費大把時間。”他表示，其中還包括清晰的植物數(shù)碼照片，所以耐心很重要。

準備實地考察

8如今，大型實地考察活動大多在發(fā)展中國家進行，因為這些國家的植物群通常未得到充分研究。除了一貫的旅行準備工作（接種疫苗、規(guī)劃如何到達目的地等）外，你還需要與當?shù)氐闹参飳W家建立密切聯(lián)系，并獲得植物所在國的各項相關(guān)許可。如果你打算運送活體植物，還要獲得接收國的各項相關(guān)許可。

Preparing for an expedition

8Nowadays, most major expeditions are in developing countries because the flora there tends to be less well-explored.Outside of the obvious logistics of traveling—getting vaccinations, mapping out how to get to your destination, and so on—you need to build strong contacts with local botanists and obtain all the relevant permissions from the host country, as well as from the receiving country if you intend to ship living plants.

9You also need to take care of the logistics of the field trips, from arranging to take along sufficient food and water to hiring people to help.Wood likes to travel light, so he generally limits his treks to 4 days before returning to the base, usually taking a local guide, friend,or collaborator with him.Watson mostly goes on much longer, collaborative expeditions, up to 4 weeks.“To get five botanists on a trek-based expedition in Nepal takes about 40 staff on the trekking side to help you,” including porters, cooking staff, and Sherpa2夏爾巴人，生活在尼泊爾境內(nèi)喜馬拉雅山脈南坡，被稱為“喜馬拉雅山上的挑夫”。guides, he says.

9你還應(yīng)該關(guān)注實地考察過程中的后勤保障，比如備足隨身攜帶的口糧和水、雇用幫手。伍德喜歡輕裝上陣，一般將徒步考察時間限制在4 天，然后返回基地。其間，他通常會帶上一名當?shù)叵驅(qū)А⒁晃慌笥眩蛘咭粋€合作伙伴。沃森主要進行長期的協(xié)作考察，最長可達四周。沃森說：“要組織5 位植物學家在尼泊爾進行一次徒步考察，途中需要大約40 名工作人員幫忙。”他表示，其中包括搬運工、廚師和夏爾巴人向?qū)А?/p>

10While planning is important, you must be prepared to improvise3improvise 臨時應(yīng)對。.Also difficult to know in advance is exactly how you are going to operate once you are there, so make sure you take sufficient equipment along with you or ship things ahead of time so that you can improvise solutions.

10計劃固然重要，但也要做好隨機應(yīng)變的準備。同樣難預(yù)料的是抵達考察地點后如何開展工作，所以要確保隨身攜帶充足的裝備，或者提前將所需物資運抵現(xiàn)場，以便靈活應(yīng)對。

Working and living in the wild

11Often, the most interesting places to collect plants are the most difficult to access and live in.

12Be prepared to spend days trekking,cutting through forests using a machete,and climbing up and down cliffs and trees.You also need to be able to tolerate nuisances such as plants that can provoke allergic reactions, ticks that get inside your clothes, and bees that attack if you disturb their nests.Weather conditions can be inconvenient, Watson says.Roads can be so muddy that you get stuck, adds Wood.

13Staying well and safe is especially important in the field.Dangers include close encounters with wild animals like snakes, getting lost, and being caught in the middle of conflicts.Many of the more interesting areas for plants are politically difficult, Wood says.“I’ve had bullets going over my head in Yemen,not aimed at me, but getting caught in between two groups fighting each other.”

野外工作和生活

11采集植物的絕妙之地通常在最難以到達、最不宜居住的地方。

12準備好花費數(shù)日跋山涉水，揮舞砍刀在林中劈出道路，上下攀爬懸崖和樹木。你還得學會忍受各種煩人的東西，比如引起過敏的植物、鉆進衣服的壁虱，還有因為你打擾其巢穴而叮咬你的蜜蜂。沃森說，天氣條件也可能帶來不便。伍德補充說，道路可能非常泥濘，讓你舉步維艱。

13在野外，保證健康和安全尤為重要。危險多種多樣，諸如近距離接觸毒蛇等野生動物、迷失方向、陷入各種沖突等。正如伍德所說，植物生長的奇趣之地有許多位于政治動蕩區(qū)域。“在也門，有子彈從我頭上飛過，不是沖我來的，而是我困在了交戰(zhàn)雙方的戰(zhàn)火之中。”

Career prospects

14A common way to get started is on your own, by walking around your local countryside armed with a flora and a glossary of terms.

職業(yè)前景

14成為植物獵人的一種常用方法是，親自帶著植物志和術(shù)語表到你所在地的鄉(xiāng)村走一走。

15But the best way to learn is to do fieldwork with experienced collectors.You can find such opportunities by associating with a botanical institute, a natural history society, or a research team.

15但最好的學習方法是與有經(jīng)驗的采集者一起實地考察。你可以與植物研究所、博物學會或研究團隊聯(lián)系，找到相關(guān)機會。

16The difficulty comes when you are trying to make a career out of it.Most plant collectors live off a series of shortterm grants, and often, plant collecting is only part of their work, Scotland says.If you’re lucky, you may be able to land4land 成功得到，贏得，撈到（尤指許多人想得到的工作）。one of the few short-term positions on offer at botanical gardens, museums,government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and environmental protection and conservation programs, Davidse says.

16如果你試圖以此為生，困難就會隨之而來。斯科特蘭表示，大多數(shù)植物采集者靠連續(xù)的短期補助維持生活，而且采集植物通常只是他們工作的一部分。戴維茲說，幸運的話，你可能會在植物園、博物館、政府機構(gòu)、非政府組織，或者環(huán)保項目組，從為數(shù)不多的短期崗位中謀得一職。

17The other approach is to seek a permanent position at a university or a research institution—but these stable jobs are usually much broader.“Plant collecting, although vital, difficult and demanding, is not particularly recognized academically and therefore is often an adjunct to other activities,” Scotland writes.

17另一種方法是在大學或研究所尋求一個固定崗位，但通常這類穩(wěn)定工作的研究范圍要廣得多。斯科特蘭寫道：“雖然植物采集工作至關(guān)重要，而且難度大、要求高，但學界并不是特別認可，因此往往作為其他活動的輔助活動而展開。”

18Nowadays, “If anyone comes to you and says, ‘I want a career in plant collecting,’ the honest answer is saying ‘forget it,’” says Wood, who started collecting plants as a volunteer while working as an English teacher in developing countries.Over the years, and without formal training, Wood has been able to build up an extensive publication record and collect more than a hundred new species.“Certainly, contributing to research which enables botany or science to advance is satisfying,” he says.■

18如今，“如果有人對你說‘我想從事植物采集工作’，那么最真誠的答復(fù)便是‘算了吧’。” 伍德表示。在發(fā)展中國家當英語老師期間，伍德作為志愿者開始采集植物。多年來，盡管從未接受過正規(guī)培訓，他卻已經(jīng)擁有可觀的出版記錄，并采集了100 多個新物種。他表示：“當然，能夠為推動植物學或科學進步的研究作出貢獻，我心滿意足。” □