给三百年湖南古树“做手术”是为了……

A camphor tree in Xinyuan Village of Hengshan County, central China's Hunan Province, stood strong for three centuries before it began to falter in recent years.

中国湖南省衡山县新源村里，一棵古樟树历经三百年风雨，却在近年逐渐“病弱”。

When Wu Lei, a specialist in ancient tree conservation, arrived in the village, he had a surgical plan and hoped that the giant tree could be returned to its prime.

古树名木保护专家吴磊手握一套“手术方案”来访，希望能让这棵苍天大树重焕生机。

After cordoning off the area around the tree, Wu and another worker ascended into its canopy on a crane. There, they trimmed dead and dying branches with a chainsaw and carefully sealed exposed cuts with a wound-healing paste.

在树周区域进行隔离后，吴磊和另一名工人乘坐吊车升至树冠处，用电锯修剪掉枯枝，并小心在裸露的切面涂抹伤口愈合剂。

Beneath them, other workers drilled through the surrounding concrete and injected nutrients 3 meters deep into the ground every half hour to reach the tree's struggling roots.

树下，其他工人钻开周围的水泥地面，以每半小时1次的频率，向地下3米的深处为古树根系输送肥料和营养剂。

A handful of village locals gathered quietly in a nearby courtyard to watch the tree surgery unfold.

几名村民静静聚集在远处的院子里，注视着这台“手术”的进行。

The tree's decline began in 2021, when the construction of a nearby flood-control embankment compacted much of its root system, straining its ability to absorb water and nutrients.

这棵树的“病弱”始于2021年，当时修建附近的防洪堤坝时压迫到了其大部分根系，导致养分、水分输送严重受阻。

"We see classic symptoms of crown dieback like yellow leaves, early leaf loss and bare skeletal branches," said Wu, deputy director of the ancient tree conservation and research center at the Central South University of Forestry and Technology.

“我们观察到典型的树冠枯萎症状，如叶片发黄、提前落叶和枝干光秃。” 中南林业科技大学古树名木保护工程研究中心副主任吴磊表示。

Without treatment, the camphor tree would likely have died within two to three years, said Deng Shicheng, head of the landscaping team assisting with the restoration efforts.

参与修复工作的绿化团队负责人邓诗成表示，若不进行救治，这棵樟树很可能会在2到3年内死亡。

"To heal an ancient tree, you have to begin with how it 'feels,'" Wu said. "Just like people, trees can suffer from overtreatment or mistreatment."

“救治古树，必须从树的‘感受’出发。它们和人一样，也面临过度治疗和错误治疗的风险与伤害。”吴磊说。

The restoration was initiated by the county's forestry bureau in March and underwent a full review before approval.

此次修复由衡山县林业局于3月发起，经全面评估后获批实施。

Ancient trees can decline due to both human activity and natural causes, such as lightning strikes or insect infestations. Each year, forestry departments across Hunan assess the health of registered ancient trees. Simpler treatment plans are handled locally, while complex or severe cases are referred to provincial experts like Wu.

古树生病既有类似的人为因素，也有雷击或虫害等自然因素。每年，湖南各地林业部门都会记录辖区内在编古树的健康状况，较简单的病情由地方处理，复杂或严重的案例则会交由吴磊等省级专家介入。

Hunan is home to around 240,000 registered ancient or notable trees. As of last year, the province had rescued nearly 4,000 endangered trees and revitalized another 30,000 in decline.

湖南省挂牌登记的古树名木约有24万棵。截至去年，湖南全省已累计抢救濒危古树约4000棵，复壮衰弱古树约30000棵。

This year, officials aim to digitize the records of each tree and organize 200 public education events to raise awareness and encourage broader participation, according to Ou Riming, an official of the provincial forestry department.

湖南省林业局调研员欧日明介绍，湖南省计划今年实现挂牌登记的古树名木信息数字化，并组织科普宣传活动200场，提升保护意识、让更多人参与古树名木的保护。

Hunan's efforts are part of a national campaign to protect ancient and notable trees. The former are defined as those that are over 100 years old, and the latter as those with historical, cultural or ecological importance.

湖南的行动是全国古树名木保护行动的一部分。古树是指树龄超过100年的树木，名木则指具有历史、文化或生态价值的树木。

In Beijing, experts conduct regular checkups of the ancient trees lining the city's UNESCO-listed Central Axis. In Chengdu, southwest China, a team of tree doctors formed in 2014 has assessed thousands of ancient trees citywide.

在北京，专家会定期为列入联合国教科文组织世界遗产的城市中轴线沿线古树进行“体检”；在成都，一支成立于2014年的“古树医生”团队已为全市数千棵古树进行了检测评估。

In January, China introduced its first national-level regulations to protect ancient and notable trees, aligning with the country's broader goals of building an ecological civilization and preserving cultural identity.

今年1月，为推进生态文明建设、传承文化遗产，中国出台了首部国家级古树名木保护条例。

A national survey conducted from 2015 to 2021 identified 5.08 million ancient or notable trees across China.

2015—2021年全国古树名木资源普查结果显示，中国共有508万株古树名木。

The full rehabilitation of the camphor tree in Hunan is expected to take about a year and cost 30,000 yuan (about 4,163 U.S. dollars).

湖南这棵古樟树的整个复壮过程预计持续1年时间，复壮所需花费达3万元（约合4163美元）。

The team will continue providing follow-up care, including fertilization and pruning, while training locals in long-term maintenance.

相关团队将持续提供后续养护，包括施肥、修枝等，同时培训当地村民进行长期维护。