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Monkeying Around with Charles Darwin 别闹了，达尔文：人猴一家亲？

课文朗读

课文讲解 

繁體中文譯本

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of famed English naturalist Charles Darwin, who is undoubtedly one of the most important scientific thinkers of all time. With his ground-breaking book, “On the Origin of Species,” which itself will be 150 years old in November, Charles Darwin forever changed the way we view the natural world.

今年是享负盛名的英国博物学家查尔斯．达尔文的200岁诞辰纪念。无庸置疑，达尔文是古今中外最重要的科学家之一。他的创世巨作《物种原始论》今年11月将满150周年，此书永远改变了世人对自然世界的看法。

Darwin first came to prominence after serving as the official naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle for a five-year voyage of exploration. During this time, he investigated a wide range of animal life in places as far-flung as South America, Australia, and Africa. However, it was on the isolated Galapagos Islands that Darwin found the inspiration for the central idea of his famous book. He noticed that on each of the islands lived a different species of finch. Each species also differed from those he’d observed on the mainland. This led him to conclude that the various species had evolved from a single common ancestor. They were different because over time they had each adapted to their own particular environment.

达尔文以官方博物学家的身份登上了英国皇家军舰「小猎犬号」，展开了为期五年的环球考察之旅，之后开始崭露头角。那段期间，他着手调查研究各种不同生物的生态，足迹遍至南美洲、澳洲、与非洲。不过，达尔文是在与世隔绝的加拉帕戈斯群岛（厄瓜多所属）上才找到其成名作之中心思想的灵感。他注意到每一个小岛上都栖息了不同种类的雀鸟。而每个品种都与他在大陆上观察到的雀鸟有所不同。这个发现使他得到了以下的结论：不同种类的生物都是由一个共同祖先演化而来的。而生物之间的差异则是为了适应本身所居住的特殊环境，长期下来变异的结果。

This theory of evolution extended to all species on Earth, including humans, who according to Darwin were directly descended from apes. He also explained how the process of natural selection, or “survival of the fittest,” determined which species thrived and which died out. Needless to say, when Darwin eventually published his ideas in “On the Origin of Species,” he firmly grabbed the world’s attention.

「进化论」适用于地球上所有的生物，包括人类，而达尔文认为人类和猿类是由同一个祖先分支而来的。他也解释了「自然选择」的过程（也就是「适者生存」）是如何决定物种的「繁衍」与「灭绝」。可想而知，当达尔文终于发表《物种原始论》的观点时，全世界的目光都集中在他身上。

Vocabulary

单词发音

ground-breaking [ˋgraʊnd͵brekɪŋ] adj. 开创性的

ancestor [ˋænsɛstɚ] n. 祖宗，祖先

descend [dɪˋsɛnd] v. 为……的后裔[H][（+from）]

thrive [θraɪv] v. 兴旺，繁荣

die out  灭绝, 绝迹

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单词发音

monkey around【口】调皮; 捣蛋 do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly

naturalist [ˋnætʃərəlɪst] n. 博物学家

prominence [ˋprɑmənəns] n. 成名; 崭露头角

beagle [ˋbig!] n. 小猎犬

voyage [ˋvɔɪɪdʒ] n. 航海，航行

far-flung [ˋfɑrˋflʌŋ] adj. 分布广的; 散至远处的

finch [fɪntʃ] n.【鸟】雀科鸣鸟

adapt [əˋdæpt] v. 适应[（+to）]

evolution [͵ɛvəˋluʃən] n.（生物的）进化，演化

ape [ep] n.（无尾）猿，大猩猩，黑猩猩

natural selection【生】自然选择；天择

survival of the fittest  适者生存

课文朗读

课文讲解 

When Darwin introduced his theory of evolution, it provoked a storm of controversy which has still not died down 150 years later. Most of Darwin’s peers initially mocked his ideas, as they contradicted the accepted Christian teachings that humans were created by God in His own image. Many people felt it was both ridiculous and insulting to suggest that man and monkey were actually related to each other.

达尔文一提出「进化论」，便引起了激烈的争议，150年后仍旧没有平息。他的理论一开始就受到大多数人的嘲讽，因其论点与「神照着自己的形象创造世人」的基督教义相悖。许多人觉得他提出「人类和猿猴是近亲」的理论，根本就是荒诞不经且侮辱人类的行为。

Nowadays, Darwin’s ideas are widely accepted among the scientific community and the majority of people. However, there remains a significant minority, particularly strict Christians, who refuse to acknowledge evolution as scientific fact. This movement, called Creationism, has a strong following in many parts of the U.S., where there has been a long-running debate about whether or not evolution should be taught in schools. Earlier this year, though, Creationists received a blow to their cause when the Vatican released a statement declaring that evolution and the Christian view of creation were compatible after all.

今日，达尔文的思想广为科学界与多数人所接受。然而，仍有相当多的少数族群，特别是笃信圣经的基督徒，不愿意承认「进化论」为科学事实。这起名为「创世论」的运动在美国许多地区都有忠实的拥护者；长久以来，美国对于「进化论是否应列入学校教学课程」之议题，一直争论不休。不过，今年稍早梵蒂冈发表了一则新闻稿，表示进化论与基督教的观点其实是互相兼容、没有抵触的，创世论主义者因而受到打击。

Away from his controversial theories, Darwin’s private life contained many interesting details. For example, he delayed publishing his theories about evolution for a number of years for fear of offending his deeply religious wife. He made his own children his research assistants, and even enlisted his wife’s help in playing the piano to a jar of earthworm to test their response to music. To find out more on the man himself and his far-reaching ideas, why not visit the Darwin Now Exhibition, currently making its way around Taiwan?

撇开达尔文备受争议的理论不谈，达尔文私底下的生活充满了不少有趣的事。举例来说，他因为怕伤害到信仰虔诚的妻子，于是把论文压箱了好几年后才出版。他让自己的孩子全成为他的研究助理，甚至请妻子帮忙弹琴给一罐蚯蚓听，以观察它们对音乐的反应。如果你想进一步了解达尔文这个人与其影响世界深远的思想，不妨去参观目前正在全台巡回展出的《永远的达尔文Darwin Now》特展。

−by David Vickers

Vocabulary

单词发音

controversy [ˋkɑntrə͵vɝsɪ] n. 争论，辩论；争议

mock [mɑk] v. 嘲弄，嘲笑

contradict [͵kɑntrəˋdɪkt] v. 与……矛盾；与……抵触

acknowledge [əkˋnɑlɪdʒ] v. 承认[（+as）]

declare [dɪˋklɛr] v. 宣布，宣告

More Information

单词发音

provoke [prəˋvok] v. 煽动；激起

die down  减弱; 平息 to lose strength; subside

Creationism [krɪˋeʃənɪzəm] n. 上帝创造人类灵魂说

following [ˋfɑləwɪŋ] n. 一批追随者

blow [blo] n.（用拳，武器等的）一击; 打击

Vatican [ˋvætɪkən] n. 梵蒂冈〔罗马教廷所在地〕

compatible [kəmˋpætəb!] adj. 能共处的；可并立的

offend [əˋfɛnd] v. 冒犯；触怒

enlist [ɪnˋlɪst] v. 获得（支持，帮助等）[（+in/for）]

jar [dʒɑr] n. 罐，坛

earthworm [ˋɝθ͵wɝm] n. 蚯蚓

far-reaching [ˋfɑrˋritʃɪŋ] adj. 影响深远的；远大的

Reading Questions

1. What can we say about Charles Darwin based on the article?

A. He wasn’t very well-known during his lifetime.

B. He discovered many new animal species.

C. He owned a boat named HMB Beagle.

D. He published a famous book 150 years ago.

2. Which of the following is NOT an idea contained in Darwin’s theory of evolution?

A. Humans and monkeys are directly related.

B. While some animals evolved naturally, most were created by God.

C. Variation of a single species share a common ancestor.

D. Animals evolve by adapting to their environment.

3. Why did many people refuse to accept Darwin’s theory?

A. They thought he was making fun of them.

B. It went against their religious beliefs.

C. They found it too difficult to understand.

D. They were jealous of his discovery.

4. What would be another suitable title for the article?

A. The Private Life of Charles Darwin

B. Top Wildlife Travel Destination

C. The Father of Evolution

D. Creationism: Fact or Fiction?

Traveling to the Galápagos Islands - Travel Beyond, Inc.

Darwin's Struggle: The Evolution of the Origin of Species - BBC

Answer