内容简介
'Agraininthebalancewilldeterminewhichindividualshallliveandwhichshalldie...'.Darwin'stheoryofnaturalselectionissuedaprofoundchallengetoorthodoxthoughtandbelief:nobeingorspecieshasbeenspecificallycreated;allarelockedintoapitilessstruggleforexistence,withextinctionloomingforthosenotfittedforthetask.Yet'TheOriginoftheSpecies'(1859)isalsoahumaneandinspirationalvisionofecologicalinterrelatedness,revealingthecomplexmutualinterdependenciesbetweenanimalandplantlife,climateandphysicalenvironment,and-byimplication-withinthehumanworld.Writtenforthegeneralreader,inastylewhichcombinestherigourofsciencewiththesubtletyofliterature,'TheOriginoftheSpecies'remainsoneofthefoundingdocumentsofthemodernage.
作者简介
CharlesDarwinwasborninShrewsbury,England,onFebruary12,1809intoaprominentmiddle-classfamily.Hismother,whodiedwhenDarwinwaseight,wasthedaughterofthefamouspotterJosiahWedgwood.Hisfatherwasawealthydoctor,andhisgrandfatherErasmusDarwinhadbeenacelebratedphysicianandwriterwhosebooksaboutnature,writteninheroiccouplets,areoftenreadasharbingersofhisgrandson'sviews.Yetforsomeonewhoserevolutionarywritingswouldturnthescientificworldupsidedown,Darwin'sownyouthwasunmarkedbytheslightesttraceofgenius.'IbelievethatIwasconsideredbyallmymastersandbymyFatherasaveryordinaryboy,ratherbelowthecommonstandardofintellect,'helatersaid.DarwinwasanindifferentstudentandabandonedhismedicalstudiesatEdinburghUniversity.In1831DarwingraduatedwithaB.A.fromChrist'sCollege,Cambridge,seeminglydestinedtopursuetheonecareerhisfatherhaddeemedappropriate--thatofcountryparson.Butaquirkoffatesoonintervened.JohnHenslow,aCambridgebotanist,recommendedDarwinforanappointment(withoutpay)asnaturalistaboardtheH.M.S.Beagle,ascientificvesselcommissionedbytheAdmiraltytosurveytheeastandwestcoastsofSouthAmerica.AmongthefewbelongingsDarwincarriedwithhimweretwobooksthathadgreatlyinfluencedhimatCambridge:CharlesLyell'sPrinciplesofGeology,whichpositedradicalchangesinthepossibleestimatesoftheearth'sage,andaneditionofthetravelwritingsoftheearlynineteenth-centurynaturalistAlexandervonHumboldt.TheBeaglesailedfromPlymouthonDecember27,1831,andreturnedtoEnglandonOctober2,1836;thearound-the-worldvoyagewastheformativeexperienceofDarwin'slifeandconsolidatedtheyoungman's'burningzealtoaddeventhemosthumblecontributiontothenoblestructureofNaturalScience.'Darwindevotedthenextfewyearstopreparinghis'TransmutationNotebooks'andwritingJournalofResearchesintotheGeologyandNaturalHistoryoftheVariousCountriesVisitedbytheH.M.S.Beagle,1832-1836(1839)inwhichhisbeliefsaboutevolutionandnaturalselectionfirstbegantotakeshape.In1839hemarriedhisfirstcousin,EmmaWedgwood.TheylivedinLondonuntil1842,whenDarwin'schronicillhealthforcedthecoupletomovetoDownHouseinSussex,wherehewouldspendvirtuallytherestofhislifeworkinginseclusion.Therehesooncompletedthefive-volumeworkZoologyoftheVoyageoftheBeagle(1840-1843)andoutlinedfromhishoardofnotesanearlydraftofwhatwaseventuallytobecomeTheOriginofSpecies.In1856SirCharlesLyellpersuadedDarwintowriteouthistheoryofevolutionbynaturalselection,whichhehadrecentlybuttressedwithingeniousexperimentsinbreedingpigeons.Halfwaythroughtheproject,DarwinreceivedanessayfromnaturalistAlfredRusselWallacethatpresentedanidenticaltheory,thoughoneunsupportedbyanythingcomparabletoDarwin'smassiveaccumulationofdata.Wrackedbydoubtsandindecision,andfearfulofthecontroversyhistheoriesmightunleash,DarwinneverthelesspushedforwardtofinishTheOriginofSpecies.PublishedonNovember24,1859,thebookforeverdemolishedthepremisethatGodhadcreatedtheearthpreciselyat9:00A.M.onOctober23,4004B.C.--andthatallspeciesoflivingcreatureshadbeenimmutablyproducedduringthefollowingsixdays--asseventeenth-centurychurchmenhadsocarefullyformulated.Althoughhedidwriteonesequelandamplificationofhistheoryofevolution,TheDescentofMan(1871),Darwindedicatedmostofhisremainingyearstobotanicalstudies.CharlesDarwindiedonApril19,1882,followingaseriesofheartattacks.HeisburiedinWestminsterAbbey,afewfeetawayfromthegraveofIsaacNewton.
