2月12日是英國生物學(xué)家、進化論奠基人達爾文的誕辰紀(jì)念日，這一天也被定為“達爾文日”。很多地方會在每年的這一天慶祝這個日子，向這位偉大人物致敬，并借此機會讓大眾更加了解進化論、以及演化研究在人類知識上的應(yīng)用。如果你不想在這天和別人聊起這位著名的生物學(xué)家時答不上話，就快來看看以下十件關(guān)于達爾文的事情吧。

1

Darwin was born on the same day as Abraham Lincoln.

達爾文與亞伯拉罕·林肯出生于同一日。

Both Darwin and Lincoln were born on February 12th， 1809， but in much different settings. While Americas 16th president was born in a rude log cabin in the Kentucky wilderness， Darwin was born in a grand house on an estate overlooking the River Severn and the medieval market town of Shrewsbury， England.

達爾文和林肯都出生于1809年2月12日，但他們出生的背景大不相同。美國第16任總統(tǒng)林肯出生于肯塔基州荒原上的一間簡陋木屋，達爾文則出生于一座英國大宅，其所在莊園可以俯瞰塞文河和中世紀(jì)市鎮(zhèn)什魯斯伯里。

2

He waited more than 20 years to publish his groundbreaking theory on evolution.

達爾文等了二十多年才公布他那具有開創(chuàng)意義的進化論。

Darwins five-year voyage around the world on the HMS注1 Beagle， which ended in 1836， provided him with invaluable research that contributed to the development of his theory of evolution and natural selection. However， concerned about how the public and church would react to his new idea， he did not present his theory on evolution until 1858 when he made a joint announcement with British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace， who was about to go public with a similar concept to Darwins. The next year， Darwin published his work， On the Origin of Species.

達爾文乘坐英國皇家海軍艦艇小獵犬號環(huán)游世界，并在1836年結(jié)束了長達五年的旅行。這次旅行為他提供了寶貴的研究素材，助其發(fā)展了進化論和自然選擇理論。然而，由于不知道公眾和教會對這一新思想會做出何種反應(yīng)，達爾文一直沒有公布自己的進化論。直到1858年，他才與即將公布相似理論的英國博物學(xué)家阿爾弗雷德·拉塞爾·華萊士共同發(fā)表了一份聯(lián)合聲明。第二年，達爾文出版了著作《物種起源》。

注1：HMS是Her/His Majestys Ship（英國皇家海軍艦船）的縮寫。

3

Darwin suffered from unknown illnesses.

達爾文患有未知疾病。

For much of his adult life， Darwin repeatedly suffered from stomach pains， vomiting， severe boils， trembling and other symptoms， particularly during times of stress such as attending meetings or making social visits. The cause of Darwins illness remained unknown， and attempts at treatment had little success.

成年以后的大部分時間，達爾文都飽受胃疼、嘔吐、嚴(yán)重的癤子、顫抖以及其他癥狀的反復(fù)折磨，尤其是在壓力大的時候——比如參加會議或是進行社交拜訪。達爾文的病因一直不明，所進行的治療也收效甚微。

4

He listed pros and cons when deciding whether to marry.

達爾文列出婚姻的利弊以決定是否結(jié)婚。

Darwin in 1838 made a list with two columns， separating the upsides and downsides of marriage. In the“Marry” column： “children，” “constant companion（and friend in old age）…better than a dog anyhow” and“someone to take care of house.” In the “Not Marry”column： “freedom to go where one liked，” “conversation of clever men at clubs” and “l(fā)oss of time.” He married his cousin Emma Wedgwood in 1839.

1838年，達爾文列了一張分為兩欄的表，分別寫出結(jié)婚的好處與壞處?！敖Y(jié)婚”那欄寫著：“子女”、“一直有人作伴（及晚年仍有朋友）……怎樣都比一只狗強”以及“有人照料家事”;而“不結(jié)婚”那欄寫著：“喜歡去哪就去哪的自由”、“在俱樂部與才智優(yōu)越的男人聊天”以及“損失時間”。1839年，他娶了表姐愛瑪·韋奇伍德為妻。

5

He dropped out of medical school.

他從醫(yī)學(xué)院輟學(xué)。

Darwins father was a successful doctor who prepared his son to follow in his footsteps. After spending the summer of 1825 serving as an apprentice in his fathers practice， he entered one of Britains top medical schools at the University of Edinburgh. Darwin， however， hated the sight of blood and was bored with the lectures. He left medical school and dashed his fathers dreams.

達爾文的父親是一名成功的醫(yī)生，他打算讓兒子繼承家業(yè)。1825年夏天，達爾文在他父親的診所當(dāng)學(xué)徒，之后入讀愛丁堡大學(xué)內(nèi)的英國頂尖醫(yī)學(xué)院。但達爾文討厭看見血，又覺得課堂枯燥無味，于是離開了醫(yī)學(xué)院，使他父親的夢想破滅。

6

Darwin was a divinity student.

Darwin was a conventional Christian for much of his life. He studied at the University of Cambridge to become an Anglican clergyman， just before the Beagle voyage. Later in life， he described himself as agnostic， not atheist.

在其一生中很長一段時間，達爾文都是一個傳統(tǒng)的基督徒。就在乘坐小獵犬號開始環(huán)球旅行之前，他曾就讀于劍橋大學(xué)，以期成為英國圣公會牧師。后來，他形容自己是一名不可知論者，而不是無神論者。

7

He dined on exotic animals.

珍禽異獸也是達爾文的盤中餐。

Darwin not only studied a variety of animals from around the globe， he ate them as well. As a student at Cambridge， he formed the Gourmet Club for the purpose of dining on “birds and beasts， which were before unknown to human palate.” Darwin ate hawk and bittern but couldnt choke down a brown owl that was served. While circling the globe on the HMS Beagle， Darwin continued his adventurous eating by trying some armadillo， ostrich and puma.

達爾文不僅研究世界各地的各種動物，他還會品嘗它們。在劍橋讀書期間，他曾為了“享用人類味蕾未曾觸及的飛禽走獸”而成立了“美食家俱樂部”。達爾文會吃老鷹和麻鴉，但端上來的棕色貓頭鷹卻令他無法下咽。在乘坐皇家海軍艦艇小獵犬號進行環(huán)球旅行期間，達爾文繼續(xù)他的美食冒險，試吃了犰狳、鴕鳥和美洲獅。

8

He didnt create the phrase “survival of the fittest.”

“適者生存”一語并非達爾文所創(chuàng)。

Although associated with Darwins theory of natural selection， the phrase “survival of the fittest” was actually first used by English philosopher Herbert Spencer in his 1864 Principles of Biology， to connect his economic and sociological theories with Darwins biological concepts. Darwin first adopted the phrase in his fifth edition of On the Origin of Species， published in 1869.

雖然“適者生存”這個詞與達爾文的自然選擇理論有關(guān)，但實際上最早使用這一說法的是英國哲學(xué)家赫伯特·斯賓塞。他在1864年出版的《生物學(xué)原理》中使用該詞把他的經(jīng)濟和社會學(xué)理論與達爾文的生物概念聯(lián)系起來。在1869年出版的第五版《物種起源》中，達爾文才首次使用了“適者生存”一詞。

9

He lost three of his children.

達爾文失去了三個孩子。

Darwin and his wife had ten children， but three of them died at young ages—two as infants and one at age ten. Darwin was known to be quite devoted to his children.

達爾文和他的妻子總共生了十個孩子，但其中三個幼年夭折——兩個是嬰兒，另一個在10歲時去世。據(jù)知達爾文相當(dāng)疼愛他的孩子。

10

Darwin is buried inside Westminster Abbey.

達爾文葬于倫敦威斯敏斯特教堂。

注2：約翰·赫歇爾（1792—1871）英國著名天文學(xué)家、數(shù)學(xué)家、化學(xué)家及攝影師。

After Darwin passed away on April 19th， 1882， his family began preparations to bury him in the village where he had spent the last 40 years of his life. However， Darwins friends and colleagues wanted to give him the high honor of burial inside Londons Westminster Abbey. After newspapers and the public widely agreed， the Dean of Westminster gave his approval. A week after his death， Darwin was laid to rest in Englands most respected church near fellow scientists John Herschel注2 and Isaac Newton.

1882年4月19日達爾文去世后，他的家人開始準(zhǔn)備把他葬于他度過人生最后40年的那個村莊，但他的朋友和同事為了給予他崇高的榮譽，想把他葬于倫敦的威斯敏斯特教堂內(nèi)。在得到報紙和公眾的廣泛認(rèn)可后，威斯敏斯特教堂牧師團長同意了這一請求。在其去世一周后，達爾文被安葬于英國最受尊敬的教堂內(nèi)，與約翰·赫歇爾和艾薩克·牛頓等科學(xué)家為鄰。