万物简史 第104期:势不两立的科学(5)

 Inspired by the controversy¹, in 1796 Cuvier wrote a landmark² paper, Note on the Species of Living and Fossil Elephants, in which he put forward for the first time a formal theory of extinctions. His belief was that from time to time the Earth experienced global catastrophes³ in which groups of creatures were wiped out.

在那场争论的启发之下，居维叶于1796年写了一篇具有划时代意义的论文《关于活着的象和变成化石的象的说明》。在这篇论文里，他第一次正式提出了绝种的理论。他认为，地球不时经历全球性的灾难；在此过程中，一批批的生物彻底死亡。

For religious people, including Cuvier himself, the idea raised uncomfortable implications since it suggested an unaccountable casualness on the part of Providence⁴. To what end would God create species only to wipe them out later? The notion was contrary to the belief in the Great Chain of Being, which held that the world was carefully ordered and that every living thing within it had a place and purpose, and always had and always would. Jefferson for one couldn't abide⁵ the thought that whole species would ever be permitted to vanish (or, come to that, to evolve).

对于宗教人士来说，包括居维叶本人，这种看法具有令人不快的含义，因为这意味着上帝是捉摸不定的，莫名其妙的。上帝创造了物种，然后又消灭这些物种，他究竟要干什么？这种看法跟“大生物链”的信念绝对相反。那种信念认为，世界是精心安排的，世界上的每种生物都有一定位置，都有一个目的，过去从来就有，将来也总是会有。杰斐逊无法接受这种看法：整个物种有朝一日会消亡（或者会到那种地步，会演变）。

So when it was put to him that there might be scientific and political value in sending a party to explore the interior of America beyond the Mississippi he leapt at the idea, hoping the intrepid⁶ adventurers would find herds⁷ of healthy mastodons and other outsized creatures grazing on the bounteous⁸ plains. Jefferson's personal secretary and trusted friend Meriwether Lewis was chosen co-leader and chief naturalist⁹ for the expedition. The person selected to advise him on what to look out for with regard to animals living and deceased was none other than Caspar Wistar.

因此，当有人问他，派个考察队去密西西比河以里的美国内地进行考察有没有科学和政治价值的时候，他马上肯定了这个建议，希望勇敢的探险家们会发现一群群健康的乳齿象和别的超大动物在富饶的平原上吃草。杰斐逊的私人秘书和知心朋友梅里韦瑟·刘易斯被选定和威廉·克拉克一起担任领队，而且还是这次远征的首席博物学家。被选定来指点他该找什么活的动物和死的动物的不是别人，正是卡斯帕·威斯塔。

1 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

2 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

3 catastrophes   

n.灾祸( catastrophe的名词复数 )；灾难；不幸事件；困难

参考例句：

• Two of history's worst natural catastrophes occurred in 1970. 1970年发生了历史上最严重两次自然灾害。 来自辞典例句
• The Swiss deposits contain evidence of such catastrophes. 瑞士的遗址里还有这种灾难的证据。 来自辞典例句

4 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

5 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

6 intrepid   

adj.无畏的，刚毅的

参考例句：

• He is not really satisfied with his intrepid action.他没有真正满意他的无畏行动。
• John's intrepid personality made him a good choice for team leader.约翰勇敢的个性适合作领导工作。

7 herds   

兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众

参考例句：

• Regularly at daybreak they drive their herds to the pasture. 每天天一亮他们就把牲畜赶到草场上去。
• There we saw herds of cows grazing on the pasture. 我们在那里看到一群群的牛在草地上吃草。

8 bounteous   

adj.丰富的

参考例句：

• Because of the spring rains,the farmers had a bounteous crop.因为下了春雨，农夫获得了丰收。
• He has a bounteous imagination.他有丰富的想象力。

9 naturalist   

n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者)

参考例句：

• He was a printer by trade and naturalist by avocation.他从事印刷业，同时是个博物学爱好者。
• The naturalist told us many stories about birds.博物学家给我们讲述了许多有关鸟儿的故事。