In 1971, the Spanish naturalists¹ suggested that we should set up a day to call on people to protect the forest and make the full use of it. Then the representatives of the naturalists from all over the world decided² that March 21 is the world forest day. In some countries, this day is also deemed as the tree-planting day. After 4 decades, the world forest day is more than a day to call on people to protect the forest, making people realize the relations between human being and the forest is also the aim of the forest day.

在1971年，西班牙的自然学家提出人们应该设立一个节日来号召民众保护森林，并尽其所用。然后来自世界各地的自然学家的代表们决定把每年的3月21日定为世界森林日。在某些国家，这一天也被认定为是植树节。40年过去了，世界森林日也不仅仅是号召大家保护森林的节日，它也是帮助人们意识到人类与森林关系的节日。

It’s generally accepted that the forest has the functions of cooling off the global temperature, refreshing³ the air, preserving soil and water, protecting the nature links and so on. The forest is also the key to solve the severe environmental problems. In American Indian’s cultural, the local people believe that the forest raise up the sky. If the forest disappears, the sky will collapse⁴, and the living beings would die out. With the rapid development of human society, the forest coverage⁵ rate is decrease. While the demands of the woods and papers products keep increasing. It can hardly meet the needs of human beings. Everyday, countless⁶ trees are cutting down to make various paper products. In order to make more money, people destroy the forests, and there comes different kinds of problems. For instance, soil erosion, global warming, glaciers⁷ melting, and sea level rising. The forest is so important to this planet. We should do something to protect the forest.

人们普遍认为森林具有降温、净化空气、保护水土和维持自然链等功能。森林也是解决严峻环境问题的关键。在美洲的印第安人文化中，当地人认为树木撑起了天空，如果森林消失，那么天空就会塌陷，世界上的生物就会随之灭亡。随着人类社会的快速发展，森林覆盖率在逐渐下降。而人们对木材及纸制品的需求量日益增长，所砍伐的树木难以满足人们的需求。每一天，不计其数的树木被做成各种各样的纸制品。为了赚更多的钱，人们摧毁了森林，然而问题也随之而来。例如：水土流失、气候变暖、冰川融化、海平面上升等等。森林对我们的地球来说如此的重要，我们应该好好保护它。

First, stop cutting down the forest blindly. If we really have to, plant more trees. Second, the government should do something to enhance the people’s awareness⁸ of forest protection. Last but not least, we can reduce the use of paper, such as avoid using disposable paper goods. Protect the forest is to protect ourselves. Without the forest, we can not live on the earth either.

首先，我们要停止盲目的砍伐森林。如果不得不这样做，那就种植更多的树木。其次，政府宣传森林的重要性，以此提高普通民众保护森林的意识。最后，我们应该减少纸质用品，例如避免使用一次性的纸制品。保护森林就是保护我们自己。没有了森林，我们也不能存活在地球之上。