19世纪英国贵族与环境保护

British Aristocracy and Environmental Protection in the 19^(th)Century

随着工业化和城市化进程,19世纪的英国环境污染日趋严重,无论贵族抑或民众,都难逃环境污染之苦。贵族阶层出于多重动机,以多种方式主导、推动乃至亲身参与环保运动:他们向企业提起诉讼寻求赔偿,维护受害者的利益;他们关注受污染的人、动物、植物及建筑;他们是统治阶层的成员,试图通过改善环境缓和社会矛盾、维护统治秩序。贵族仍有着巨大的政治和经济力量,但又显然不如先辈,而且还面临新崛起的中产阶级之挑战,故他们希望通过主导环保行动增强社会名望,弥补自身正在下降的影响力。

With the process of industrialization and urbanization,the environmental pollution in Britain in the 19^(th) century became increasingly serious,and both nobles and civilians could not escape the suffering of environmental pollution.For multiple motives,the aristocracy led,promoted and even personally participated in the environmental protection movement in many ways:as victims,they took judicial proceedings against the companies for compensation and protected their own interests;as pure environmentalists,they paid attention to people,animals,plants and buildings which were victims of pollution;as members of the ruling class,they tried to ease social contradictions and maintain the ruling order by improving the environment.The aristocracy still had great political and economic power,but obviously inferior to their ancestors,and they also faced the challenge of the emerging middle class,so they hoped to enhance their social reputation and make up their declining influence by leading environmental protection actions.