【国家地理】月度精美墙纸选 - 2009年10月（图） - 珍珠湾ART

高大伟岸的红杉树真可谓树中王者，是地球上现存的最古老的生物，两千年的大树依然洒洒脱脱，枝繁叶茂。成年树高350英呎（百米）开外，可谓至高无上。听上去象神话，红杉树只生长在北加州海岸线边一块狭长地带，别处绝无仅有，比生长在加州内陆更为粗壮庞大的水杉（Sequoia）树还要挺拔伟岸。这里的狭长地带不能从字面上理解。一旦驾车驶入“北加州国州合营红杉林公园”（the National and State Redwood Parks in Northern California），那车甚或百余车厢的载重火车也会一下子变成小鱼儿一条在林海里任君畅游。遮天蔽地的大森林啊，不仅使人和车变得微不足道，连一座座山也变矮了。矗天的大树个个端庄优雅，给这里的红土裸石海雾凉风凭添了无限的温文尔雅和勃勃生机。一个人如果对这些巨大的生命敞开心怀，就会体验到这里的庄严肃穆，才能体会真正意义上的心旷神怡。太平洋常年送来凉爽的风，植物因此生长缓慢，那红杉树便从容不迫，慢条斯理地用千年的时间来完成宇间的佳作。多少年了，眼看着王朝一个个走向灭亡，不可一世的发现者船来船往，原住部落被逐个屠城洗劫，哭喊呻吟已暂时沉默，有些动物灭绝了，有人发明了塑料，一代文明也蜕化成肥胖和慵懒…唉，千年一叹，几声叹息里，大树依然高矗，优雅安娴，任阳光时强时弱，迎偶尔风雷闪电，在时间的长廊里信步，默默无语却又气定神闲。双道高速横插而过，昔日的单道公路如今被改成风景专线，取名巨人大道（Avenue of the Giants），令人如双雷灌耳。在我眼里，那风景专线是一座大教堂，是崇拜者的长廊。假如允许的话，我选择崇拜优雅，镇静，谦逊，当然还有爱。只有爱才能使生命感受真正意义上的自由自在。这当然不包括猎奇者的占有欲。在这里爱比想象中更是触手可摸，那些参天大树就是这样告诉游客的。要感觉这些，一个人必须到那里并向巨人们敞开心怀。

[原文]Redwoods the magnificent trees are the royalty among trees, the oldest living things on earth as they say, simply because some 2000 years old trees keep going with grace. Those are the tallest trees on the surface of the earth, reaching over 350 feet. It is magical that the redwoods only thrive on a narrow strip along the coast of Northern California. Redwoods are more graceful in my eyes than the massive but slightly shorter and stouter sequoias in the inland of California. Do not take narrow strip literally here. Once you drive into the National and State Redwood Parks in Northern California, the car or even a freight train becomes a miniature fish swimming in a vast sea of redwood forests. The ever-expansive forest dwarfs people, automobiles and even mountains. Yet, the giant trees of wonderful balance and posture exhibit a grace of gentleness to the land of rock, red earth, fog and sea breezes. The sight can be both solemn and exhilarating if one could make the connection with such a great life. The cool temperature along the Pacific slows the down the growth of the giants so the trees could build itself up deliberately and masterfully on a solid foundation through the millennia. Dynasties may have fallen; pompous discoverers may have come and gone; native tribes may have been slaughtered; human cries and moans may have been temporarily silenced nearby; species may have become extinct; plastic may have been invented; civilization may have deteriorated into obesity and laziness ... but through them all the graceful giants stand its ground to greet the daily dim or fierce sunlight, occasional thunder and lightning, and marching through the long corridor of time with calm and confidence. Yes, they call the long stretches of the old single lane highway or the scenic bypass the Avenue of the Giants. To me this avenue was a cathedral, the corridor of worship. If I am allowed my choices, I choose to worship grace, calm, humility, and of course love. Only love can put a living thing at ease. I don't mean false love for things grotesque. Love is more palpable than one thinks it's possible, a reminder by the gigantic and also silent redwoods, if one cares to travel there and opens one's heart to those trees.