万物简史 第515期:丰富多彩的生命(11)(在线收听

 The flowers' leaves serve as a bridal bed, which the Creator has so gloriously arranged, 花儿的叶子当做新婚之床,这一切造物主已经作好了极好的安排,

adorned with such noble bed curtains, and perfumed with so many soft scents that the bridegroom with his bride might there celebrate their nuptials with so much the greater solemnity. 挂起了如此高雅的床幔,洒上各种各样淡雅的香水,新郎和他的新娘可以在那里更庄严地庆祝婚礼。
When the bed has thus been made ready, then is the time for the bridegroom to embrace his beloved bride and surrender himself to her. 一旦床铺这样准备停当,接着就到了新郎拥抱新娘,把自己交托给她的时候。
He named one genus of plants Clitoria. 他把一种植物命名为“阴蒂”(即蝶豆属)。
Not surprisingly, many people thought him strange. 许多人认为他很古怪,这是不足为怪的。
But his system of classification was irresistible. 然而,他的分类体系是极富魅力的。
Before Linnaeus, plants were given names that were expansively descriptive. 在林奈之前,植物的名字过分重于描述,长得不可开交。
The common ground cherry was called Physalis amno ramosissime ramis angulosis glabris foliis dentoserratis. 普通的酸浆属植物被叫做Physalis amno ramosissime ramis angulosis glabris foliis dentoserratis。
Linnaeus lopped it back to Physalis angulata, which name it still uses. 林奈把它缩短为Physalis anguulata(灯笼草)。这个名字现在依然沿用。
The plant world was equally disordered by inconsistencies of naming. 由于名称不一,植物界简直一片混乱。
A botanist could not be sure ifKosa sylvestris alba cum rubore, folio glabro was the same plant that others called Rosa sylvestris inodora seu canina. 一位植物学家不知道Rosa sylvestris alba cum rubore,folio glabro是不是就是指别的植物学家称之为Rosa sylvestris inodora seu canina的同一种植物。
Linnaeus solved the puzzlement by calling it simply Rosa canina. 林奈干脆把它叫做Rosa canina(多刺月季),从而解决了这个难题。
To make these excisions useful and agreeable to all required much more than simply being decisive. 这样大刀阔斧地缩短植物名称,使这些名称对大家有用并为大家接受。这需要的不仅是果断,
It required an instinct — a genius, in fact — for spotting the salient qualities of a species. 还需要一种本能——实际上是一种天才,能够发现一个物种的显著特点。
 
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