TED演讲:达顿解释达尔文主义的美的理论(3)

How can we explain this universality?

我们如何解释这一普世性呢？

The best answer lies in trying to reconstruct a Darwinian evolutionary¹ history of our artistic² and aesthetic³ tastes.

最佳答案存在于对我们艺术和审美品味的达尔文主义进化过程的重新构建的尝试中。

We need to reverse-engineer our present artistic tastes and preferences

我们需要进行逆向组建我们当前的艺术品味和爱好，

and explain how they came to be engraved⁴ in our minds by the actions of both our prehistoric⁵,

并解释它们是如何被铭刻在我们思想中的，通过我们在史前，

largely pleistocene environments, where we became fully⁶ human, but also by the social situations in which we evolved.

很可能是在我们完全进化成人类的“更新世”环境中，以及在我们在进化过程中所处的社会环境中的活动。

This reverse engineering can also enlist⁷ help from the human record preserved in prehistory.

这种逆向重建能从史前的人类记录中有所启发。

I mean fossils, cave paintings and so forth⁸.

我指的是化石、洞穴绘画等等。

And it should take into account what we know of the aesthetic interests of isolated⁹ hunter-gatherer bands that survived into the 19th and the 20th centuries.

并且，应该考虑到生存到十九世纪和二十世纪的与世隔绝的狩猎族群的审美情趣。

Now, I personally have no doubt whatsoever¹⁰ that the experience of beauty,

我个人确信任何强烈而令人愉悦的“美”的体验，

with its emotional intensity¹¹ and pleasure, belongs to our evolved human psychology¹².

都属于我们进化之后的人类心理的一部分。

The experience of beauty is one component¹³ in a whole series of Darwinian adaptations.

美的体验是整个达尔文主义适应过程中的一个成份。

Beauty is an adaptive effect, which we extend and intensify¹⁴ in the creation and enjoyment¹⁵ of works of art and entertainment.

美是一种适应性效果，我们在艺术娱乐的创作与享受中将其延伸并强化。

As many of you will know, evolution operates by two main primary mechanisms¹⁶.

正如大家可能知道的，进化有两个主要的机制。

The first of these is natural selection -- that's random¹⁷ mutation¹⁸ and selective retention¹⁹

第一个是自然选择--这是中是随机的基因突变和选择性保留，

along with our basic anatomy²⁰ and physiology²¹ -- the evolution of the pancreas or the eye or the fingernails.

与我们基本解剖学和生理学结构一起--如胰腺、眼睛或指甲的进化。

Natural selection also explains many basic revulsions, such as the horrid²² smell of rotting meat,

自然选择也解释了许多本能性的恐惧和反感，比如腐肉的可怕的气味，

or fears, such as the fear of snakes or standing²³ close to the edge of a cliff.

比如对蛇的惧怕，或站在悬崖边缘的恐惧。

Natural selection also explains pleasures -- sexual pleasure, our liking²⁴ for sweet, fat and proteins,

自然选择也解释了愉悦--性愉悦，对糖、脂肪和蛋白质的喜爱，

which in turn explains a lot of popular foods, from ripe fruits through chocolate malts and barbecued ribs²⁵.

这反过来解释了许多广受欢迎的食物，从成熟的果实到巧克力糖和烤排骨。

1 evolutionary   

adj.进化的；演化的，演变的；[生]进化论的

参考例句：

• Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。
• These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。

2 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

3 aesthetic   

adj.美学的，审美的，有美感

参考例句：

• My aesthetic standards are quite different from his.我的审美标准与他的大不相同。
• The professor advanced a new aesthetic theory.那位教授提出了新的美学理论。

4 engraved   

v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中）

参考例句：

• The silver cup was engraved with his name. 银杯上刻有他的名字。
• It was prettily engraved with flowers on the back. 此件雕刻精美，背面有花饰图案。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 prehistoric   

adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的

参考例句：

• They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
• It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 enlist   

vt.谋取(支持等)，赢得；征募；vi.入伍

参考例句：

• They come here to enlist men for the army.他们来这儿是为了召兵。
• The conference will make further efforts to enlist the support of the international community for their just struggle. 会议必将进一步动员国际社会，支持他们的正义斗争。

8 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

9 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

10 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

11 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

12 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

13 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

14 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

15 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

16 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

18 mutation   

n.变化，变异，转变

参考例句：

• People who have this mutation need less sleep than others.有这种突变的人需要的睡眠比其他人少。
• So far the discussion has centered entirely around mutation in the strict sense.到目前为止，严格来讲，讨论完全集中于围绕突变问题上。

19 retention   

n.保留，保持，保持力，记忆力

参考例句：

• They advocate the retention of our nuclear power plants.他们主张保留我们的核电厂。
• His retention of energy at this hour is really surprising.人们惊叹他在这个时候还能保持如此旺盛的精力。

20 anatomy   

n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织

参考例句：

• He found out a great deal about the anatomy of animals.在动物解剖学方面，他有过许多发现。
• The hurricane's anatomy was powerful and complex.对飓风的剖析是一项庞大而复杂的工作。

21 physiology   

n.生理学，生理机能

参考例句：

• He bought a book about physiology.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• He was awarded the Nobel Prize for achievements in physiology.他因生理学方面的建树而被授予诺贝尔奖。

22 horrid   

adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的

参考例句：

• I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。
• The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃，她咽不下去。

23 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

24 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

25 ribs   

n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。