When you imagine Greece, Italy, and Iraq, it is likely that you imagine a dry landscape with open views, the way they look today. Historical records indicate, however, that these places were once covered by dense forests.
当你想象希腊、意大利和伊拉克，你很可能会想到一大片开阔的干地,就象你今天所看到的一样。然而历史记载显示，这些地方曾经被茂密的森林覆盖。森林随着人类文明的繁荣而退却了，所以一个地方越早变得“文明”，那么它那儿的森林就会越快被砍伐掉。