万物简史 第555期:达尔文的非凡见解(4)

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Darwin experienced adventure enough to last a lifetime and accumulated a hoard¹ of specimens² sufficient to make his reputation and keep him occupied for years. 达尔文在远洋航行中所锻炼出来的冒险精神贯穿了他的一生，而在此期间他所收集的数量众多的标本足以供他研究一辈子，并且以此确立了他的声望。

He found a magnificent trove³ of giant ancient fossils, including the finest Megatherium known to date; survived a lethal⁴ earthquake in Chile; 他发现了许多十分珍贵的大型古代化石，其中包括迄今为止最为完好的大地懒属；在智利，他经历了一次险些致命的地震；

discovered a new species of dolphin (which he dutifully named Delphinus fitzroyi; 他还发现了一种新的海豚（他非常恭敬地将它命名为菲茨罗伊海豚）；

conducted diligent⁵ and useful geological investigations⁶ throughout the Andes; 他对整个安第斯山脉作了详尽而有用的地质考察，

and developed a new and much-admired theory for the formation of coral atolls, which suggested, not coincidentally, 并且提出了一种有关珊瑚礁成因的新理论。他在这一备受世人推崇的理论中提出，

that atolls could not form in less than a million years — the first hint of his long-standing attachment⁷ to the extreme antiquity⁸ of earthly processes. 珊瑚礁不可能形成于100万年以内——特别要指出的是，这是他第一次显露出他一贯认为地球上生命的演进过程是极其古老的。

In 1836, aged⁹ twenty-seven, he returned home after being away for five years and two days. He never left England again. 1836年，在离开家乡五年零两天之后，达尔文重新回到了家乡。此时他已27岁，从此他再未离开英格兰。

One thing Darwin didn't do on the voyage was propound¹⁰ the theory (or even a theory) of evolution. 在远洋考察期间，达尔文并没有提出进化论（抑或任何理论）。

For a start, evolution as a concept was already decades old by the 1830s. 进化论作为一个概念到19世纪30年代已经存在了几十年，

Darwin's own grandfather, Erasmus, had paid tribute to evolutionary¹¹ principles in a poem of inspired mediocrity called "The Temple of Nature" years before Charles was even born. 达尔文的祖父伊拉兹马斯在一首水平不高、名为《自然的神殿》的诗中，曾对进化理论发出由衷的赞美，当时达尔文还没有出生。

 

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