Did you ever stopped to wonder why sex and violence so often go hand in hand? How come nobody complains about violence and gardening, say, or sex and bowling?

 

　　There may be a biological basis for this, as we can see when we look at other species. In his book Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, Carl Sagan points to the blue heron when considering this question. The male blue heron will emit a call that attracts females. When one arrives and shows interest in mating, however, the male drives her away and may even attack her.

 

　　Once she is gone he cries out again for her return. This behavior continues until eventually the male is able to mate without fighting. Some of the behaviors appropriate for sex are apparently similar to those for aggression, and the two can become confused.

 

　　Another example is tropical fish, which use their coloration to show sexual receptiveness. The female display for sexual readiness can look a lot like the male display for aggression. The biologist Konrad Lorenz has documented how frequently the male fish will become angered and charge the female, or another nearby male, displaying all the behaviors appropriate to aggression rather than courtship.

 

　　This kind of link between sex and violence is seen through many different species, and we may wonder if human beings don’t share a little in the confusion. If so, it’s up to us to distinguish very carefully between what’s passion and what’s aggression.

 

　　性和暴力为什么常在一起？

 

　　你有没有静下来思考过，为什么性和暴力总是紧密联系在一起的呢？为什么不是暴力和园艺之间有关系，或者性和保龄球存在联系呢？

 

　　当我们观察其他物种的时候，可能会察觉到这其中含有生理因素。在考虑这个问题时，Carl Sagan在他的书“被遗忘祖先的影子”中谈到了蓝鹭。雄性蓝鹭会发出叫声来吸引雌性注意。但当雌性蓝鹭飞来示意交配时，雄性蓝鹭会驱赶它甚至还会发起攻击。

 

　　一旦雌鹭飞走，雄性蓝鹭又会再次发出叫声请求雌鹭回来。这种行为会一直持续直到雄鹭最终停止打斗进行交配为止。动物的一些交配行为显然与暴力行为很像。二者很容易混淆。

 

　　另一个例子是热带鱼，它们通过改变身体颜色来表达交配的意愿。雌性鱼表示有意交配时呈现的颜色和雄性发怒时很像。生物学家Konrad Lorenz记录了雄鱼发怒攻击雌鱼或周围雄鱼的频率，雄鱼所表现出的行为更像是暴力，而非求爱行为。

 

　　很多不同物种间都存在性和暴力的这种联系。我们可能会好奇人类对此是否也会产生混淆。如果是的话，那么我们就应该仔细的区分开什么是激情什么是暴力。