第1849期:Americans Ideas About Their Lawns Are Changing

A green area of grass called a lawn has been popular in American yards for a long time. But a growing number of gardeners and homeowners now consider the lawn as something that belongs in the past.Dennis Liu of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation in Durham, North Carolina, said “America is unique in its fixation on the monoculture lawn.” Monoculture is a term that means growing only one species. Now, drought, falling insect populations and other environmental issues could show the need for more kinds of plants in spaces large and small. Some cities are taking steps against lawns. Las Vegas, for example, is banning all grass lawns and requiring their removal.

很长一段时间以来，美国院子里流行一种叫做草坪的绿地。但现在越来越多的园丁和房主认为草坪已成为过去。E.O. 的 Dennis Liu。北卡罗来纳州达勒姆的威尔逊生物多样性基金会表示，“美国在单一栽培草坪上的执着是独一无二的。”单一栽培是一个术语，意思是只种植一个物种。现在，干旱、昆虫数量下降和其他环境问题可能表明需要在大大小小的空间中种植更多种类的植物。一些城市正在对草坪采取措施。例如，拉斯维加斯禁止所有草坪并要求将其拆除。

The city has struggled with water scarcity, an issue that is likely to become worse in the coming years. Other cities are handing out lawn signs with “healthy yard” written on them. The idea is to encourage homeowners who do not use lawn chemicals or cut their grass less often. Many towns are making rules about common tools like gas-powered leaf blowers and mowers, mostly because of noise. In parts of the U.S., people are experimenting with more “eco-friendly” lawns. They are planting seed mixes with native grasses that do not need as much water.

这座城市一直在与水资源短缺作斗争，这个问题在未来几年可能会变得更糟。其他城市正在分发写有“健康庭院”的草坪标志。这个想法是为了鼓励不使用草坪化学品或不经常割草的房主。许多城镇正在制定关于气动吹叶机和割草机等常用工具的规定，主要是因为噪音。在美国部分地区，人们正在试验更“环保”的草坪。他们正在种植不需要那么多水的本地草的混合种子。

Others are cutting the grass in their lawns less and letting old plant enemies such as dandelions and clover grow. Still others are trying to replace lawns, completely or bit by bit, with garden beds that are friendly for important insects such as bees.These measures can lead to a more natural-looking yard. The pandemic has sped up the move away from lawns. Gardening has grown as a hobby, and many non-gardeners spent more time at home. They are paying more attention to the natural world around them. Alicia Holloway is a University of Georgia Extension agent in Barrow County. She believes that many people realized that their yards cannot just be decorative – something that looks nice but has no use. Holloway said “It has to serve some other purpose, whether food, habitat … pack in as many uses as you can.” She described the change as “a shift in thought.”

其他人正在减少草坪上的草，让蒲公英和三叶草等老植物敌人生长。还有一些人正在尝试用对蜜蜂等重要昆虫友好的花园床完全或一点一点地取代草坪。这些措施可以使庭院看起来更自然。大流行加快了人们离开草坪的速度。园艺已经成为一种爱好，许多非园艺爱好者在家里度过了更多的时间。他们更加关注周围的自然世界。 Alicia Holloway 是佐治亚大学巴罗县的推广代理人。她相信很多人都意识到他们的院子不能只是装饰——看起来不错但没有用的东西。 Holloway 说：“它必须有其他用途，无论是食物、栖息地……尽可能多地使用。”她将这种变化描述为“思想的转变”。

The American lawn is not disappearing anytime soon. Many homeowner groups still have rules about keeping yards cleanly cut. And lawn service companies offer work aimed at keeping up large grassy areas. Andrew Bray, vice president of government relations for the National Association of Landscape Professionals, a trade group, says lawns are still the most popular choice in the United States. People want neat outdoor spaces for relaxing, playing and entertaining. He says his group supports the goal of making lawn care more environmentally friendly. But, he added, he believes some recent laws, like those against gas-powered blowers and mowers, have created a “fraught political environment.” Fraught is a term that means having a lot of stress or worry.

美国草坪不会很快消失。许多房主团体仍然有关于保持院子干净整洁的规定。草坪服务公司提供旨在维护大片草地的工作。行业组织全国景观专业协会政府关系副总裁安德鲁·布雷说，草坪仍然是美国最受欢迎的选择。人们想要整洁的户外空间来放松、玩耍和娱乐。他说他的团队支持使草坪护理更加环保的目标。但是，他补充说，他认为最近的一些法律，例如针对燃气动力鼓风机和割草机的法律，已经造成了“令人担忧的政治环境”。 Fraught 是一个术语，意思是有很多压力或担心。

Liu said it is hard to overcome tradition and expectations of neighbors. He added that a lawn looks clean, “and it’s easy to keep doing what you’re doing.” But Liu added: “Once you’ve established a new equilibrium, it’s easier,” and there are good results.

刘说，很难克服邻居的传统和期望。他补充说，草坪看起来很干净，“而且很容易继续做你正在做的事情。”但刘补充说：“一旦你建立了新的平衡，就容易多了，”而且有很好的效果。