A project established for the public to report issues with trees in their local council has taken a curious turn, after every tree in the city was given its own email address. The Urban Forest Strategy in Melbourne began in 2013, with the intention restore the city's connection with its natural side.
2013年，墨爾本市發起了“城市森林戰略”，旨在讓城市更具自然氣息。通過該項目，公眾可以反映其所在市政區的樹木問題。自從城中所有樹木都有了專屬郵箱地址后，事情就發生了奇妙的轉變。

Thousands of trees were given ID numbers and email addresses so locals could report any problems, but soon love letters to the trees began to pour in from around the world. From Melbournians thanking the trees for providing air, to a child asking what it feels like when leaves fall off, the trees have received over 3000 emails. Coming from as far as Russia, Germany, the US, the UK, Hungary, Moldova, Singapore, Brazil, Denmark and Hong Kong, the letters often ask questions of the trees.
幾千棵樹均有自己的標識號和電子郵箱地址，當地人可以反映任何問題。然而不久之后，寫給樹的情書鋪天蓋地，從全世界各個角落寄了過來。從墨爾本人感謝樹木所提供的清新空氣，到兒童問當樹葉飄落時樹是什么感覺，這些樹收到了3000多封電子郵件。它們來自遙遠的俄羅斯、德國、美國、英國、匈牙利、摩爾多瓦、新加坡、巴西、丹麥和香港等地，郵件里經常出現對樹的問尋。

'How old are you?' is one commonly asked , while other writers request photos of the trees they are conversing with. The most emailed tree is a Golden Elm on busy Punt Road, who was described by one person as The Magic Faraway Tree, from Enid Blyton's childhood classic.
最常見的問題是：“今年多大啦？”一些人會向自己正在交流的樹木索要樹照。位于繁忙的普特路的金葉榆收到的郵件最多，有人將它描述為安迪?布萊頓兒童經典作品中的“遠方的魔法樹”。

'You are my favorite tree in all of Melbourne! Even if you do need a little bit of help under that great leafy canopy', wrote one nature enthusiast.
一位自然愛好者寫道：“你的樹冠太濃密了，確實需要那么一丟丟幫助，不過，你還是墨爾本城中我最愛的樹！”

'Do you remember when I used to drive by you?' asked L in their letter.
L在信中問：“還記得我過去常常開車從你身旁駛過嗎？”

'You are my favorite tree, even though you make me stoop over during my morning run when you grow too big', emailed another to the Golden Elm.
還有一封給金葉榆的信寫道：“每天晨跑時，我不得不從你龐大的身軀下彎腰而過，盡管如此，你卻是我最愛的樹。”

Sometimes if people are so lucky, the trees respond to questions asked in emails. 'So lovely to be appreciated. I am lucky to be well looked after', the Golden Elm wrote in response to one letter.
如果你足夠幸運，這些樹還會給你回信答疑呢。金葉榆回信道：“被欣賞的感覺如此妙不可言。我很幸運能被照顧得無微不至。”

Chair of the City of Melbourne's Environment Portfolio Cr Arron Wood said the initiative was launched in an effort to save hundreds of trees lost to droughts. 'Melbourne has long been regarded as Australia's 'garden city', but 13 years of drought in tandem with severe water restrictions left the City's urban forest in a state of unprecedented decline,' he said. 'By 2009, 40 per cent of our significant trees were declining or dying.'
墨爾本環境投資主席亞綸·伍德議員表示，此計劃旨在拯救成百棵因干旱而消失的樹木。“墨爾本一直被視為澳大利亞的‘花園城市’，但是長達13年的干旱加上水資源嚴重匱乏，導致墨爾本城市森林處于空前的下滑狀態。截止到2009年，40%的貴重樹木已衰退或死亡。”

Vocabulary
faraway: 遙遠的
canopy: 天篷；樹冠
elm: 榆樹
in tandem with: 與…一同；與…合作

英文來源：每日郵報
譯者：實習生馮佳佳
審校&編輯：許晶晶