内容简介
Thisclassicworkofscientificliterature,presentingthetheoryofevolutionbymeansofnaturalselection,isstillbothrelevantandcontroversialinthetwenty-firstcentury.THISENRICHEDCLASSICEDITIONINCLUDES:AconciseintroductionthatgivesthereaderimportantbackgroundinformationAchronologyoftheauthor'slifeandworkAtimelineofsignificanteventsthatprovidesthebook'shistoricalcontextAnoutlineofkeythemestoguidethereader'sowninterpretationsDetailedexplanatorynotesCriticalanalysis,includingcontemporaryandmodernperspectivesontheworkDiscussionquestionstopromotelivelyclassroomandbookgroupinteractionAlistofrecommendedrelatedThefamousclassiconevolutionthatrevolutionizedthecourseofscience.Darwin'stheorythatspeciesderivefromotherspeciesbyagradualevolutionaryprocessandthattheaverageagelevelofeachspeciesisheightenedbythe"survivalofthefittest"stirredpopulardebateofhistimetoafeverpitch."NexttotheBible,noworkhasbeenquiteasinfluential."--AshleyMontagu.
作者简介
CharlesDarwinScientistCharlesDarwinonceassertedthat"ascientificmanoughttohavenowishes,noaffections--amereheartofstone."Indeed,hisobjectivetakeonevolutionassertedinTheOriginofSpeciesshookthefoundationsoftraditionalreligiontoitscore.BiographyRobertCharlesDarwinwasborninShrewsbury,England,onFebruary12,1809,intoawealthyandhighlyrespectedfamily.Hisgrandfather,ErasmusDarwin,wasadoctorandtheauthorofmanyworks,includinghiswell-knownZoonomia,ortheLawsofOrganicLife,whichsuggestedatheoryofevolution.Charles'sfather,RobertWaringDarwin,wasalsoaprosperousdoctor;hismother,Susannah,wasthedaughterofJosiahWedgwood,founderoftherenownedWedgwoodpotteries.TheDarwinsandtheWedgwoodshadcloseandlong-standingrelations,andCharleswastomarryhiscousin,EmmaWedgwood.In1825atagesixteen,DarwinmatriculatedatEdinburghUniversitytostudymedicine.There,hisearlyinterestinnaturalhistorydeveloped,andhestudiedparticularlycrustaceans,seacreatures,andbeetles.Nauseatedbythesightofblood,however,hedecidedthatmedicinewasnothisvocation,leftEdinburghin1827andenteredChrist'sCollege,CambridgeUniversity,withnoclearsenseofpossiblevocation,theologyitselfbeinganoption.AtCambridgehebecamefriendswithJ.S.Henslow,aclergymanwhowasalsoprofessorofbotany.AlthoughDarwinwastograduatefromCambridgewithaB.A.intheology,hespentmuchtimewithHenslow,developinghisinterestinnaturalscience.ItwasHenslowwhosecuredapositionforDarwinonanexploratoryexpeditionaboardtheHMSBeagle.InDecember1831,theyearhegraduatedfromCambridge,Darwinembarkeduponafive-yearvoyagetoAfricaandSouthAmerica,actingasacompaniontothecaptain,RobertFitzroy.Darwinspentmoretimeinlandexpeditionsthanatsea,wherehewasalwaysseasick,butduringthelongvoyageshecontinuedhiscollectingand,crampedinhistinycabin,meticulouslywroteuphisideas.Severalyearsafterhisreturn,atthetimeofthebirthofhisfirstson,William,Darwinfellill.ItisconjecturedthatwhileinSouthAmericahehadcontractedChagas'sdisease,butwhateverthecause,theeffectsweredebilitatingfortherestofDarwin'slife.BythetimehereturnedtoLondonin1835,manyofhisletters,sometoscientistslikeCharlesLyellandAdamSedgwick,hadbeenreadbeforescientificsocieties,andhewasalreadyawellknownandrespectednaturalist.Hisfirstpublishedbook,anaccountofhisvoyageaboardtheBeagle,entitledJournalofResearches,appearedin1839andwaswidelypopular.Hemarriedthesameyear;soonafter,thefamilymovedfromLondontoasecludedhouseatDown,inKent,whereDarwinwroteinitialsketchesofhistheoryandthenpreparinghimselfforthefullexposition,spenteightyearswritingadetailedsetofdefinitivemonographsonbarnacles.In1858,whenDarwinwashalfwaythroughwritinghisbook,"NaturalSelection,"A.R.Wallacesenthimapapercalled,"OntheTendencyofVarietiestoDepartIndefinitelyfromtheOriginalType."InlanguagesimilartoDarwin'sown,Wallacelaidouttheargumentfornaturalselection.WallaceaskedDarwintohelpgetthepaperpublished--obviouslyanalarmingdevelopmentforamanwhohadgiventwentyyearsofhislifetogettingtheargumentfornaturalselectionright.Darwin'sscientificfriendsadvisedhimtogathermaterialsgivingevidenceofhisprioritybuttohavetheWallacepaperreadbeforetheLinnaeanSociety,alongwithabriefaccountofhisownideas.Immediatelyafterthereading,Darwinbeganworkonhis"abstract"of"NaturalSelection."TheresultwasOntheOriginofSpeciesbyMeansofNaturalSelection,publishedin1859.Despitethecontroversyitgenerated,itwasanimmensesuccessandwentthroughfivemoreeditionsinDarwin'slifetime.Darwindevotedtherestofhislifetoresearchingandwritingscientifictreatises,drawingonhisnotebooksandcorrespondingwithscientistsallovertheworld,andthusdevelopingandmodifyingpartsofhislargerargument.Darwinnevertraveledagainandmuchofhisscientificworkwasdoneinhisowngardenandstudyathome.Others,particularlyhis"bulldog,"T.H.Huxley,foughtthebattleforevolutionpublicly,andasDarwinremainedquietlyailingathome,hisfamilygrew--hehadtenchildren--andsodidhisreputation.Althoughhewasalwaysillwithsymptomsthatmadeitimpossibleforhimtoworkfulldays,heproducedanenormousvolumeofwork.Hisdeath,onApril19,1882,wasanationalevent.Despitethepietyofhiswife,Emma,Darwinhadfallenawayfromreligionashereflectedbothonthewaynatureworkedandonthewayhisfavoritedaughter,Annie,diedpainfullyfromanunknownfeverishillness,whenshewasten.Nevertheless,ironically,hewasburiedinWestminsterAbbey.AuthorbiographyfromtheBarnes&NobleClassicseditionofTheOriginofSpecies.GoodToKnowDarwinwasbornonthesamedayasU.S.presidentAbrahamLincoln.Hebrokehislongtimesnuffhabitbykeepinghissnuffboxinthebasementandthekeytoitintheattic.DateofBirth:二月12,1809PlaceofBirth:Shrewsbury,EnglandDateofDeath:四月19,1882PlaceofDeath:London,EnglandEducation:B.A.inTheology,Christ’sCollege,CambridgeUniversity,1831
