Charles(查尔斯)Darwin'swholelifewaschangedbyoneluckychance.In1831,beforehewentonthevoyageoftheBeagle贝格尔号的航程,hewasaveryordinaryyoungmanoftwenty-two.NooneinEngland—certainlynotDarwinhimself—hadanyideaofthefuturehehadbeforehim.
HissisterCarolinegavehimhisfirstlessons.Hewasbothlazyandnaughty(nouty顽皮的),andeveryonewasgladthathewentawaytoschoolafterhismother'sdeathwhenhewaseight.
Charlessoonbecameakeencollector.Hecollectedanythingthatcaughthisinterest:insects(昆虫类),seashells(贝壳),coinsandinterestingstones.Hesaidlaterthathiscollectionpreparedhimforhisworkasanaturalist.
Hewasnotaverycleverboy,butCharleswasgoodatdoingthethingsthatinterestedhim.Healsotookpleasureincarryingoutexperiments.ButhecouldnotlearnLatinandGreekwhichinthosedayswasanimportantpartofeducation.Hewasadisappointmenttohisfather,whowassurethathewouldbringnothingbutshametohimselfandhisfamily.
In1825,whenCharleswassixteen,hisfathersenthimtoEdinburgh(爱丁堡re)tostudymedicine,saying：“Asyoulikenaturalhistorysomuch,perhapswecanmakeadoctorofyou.”
ButCharlesfoundthelecturesboring,andthedissections(剥离)frightening.ButatEdinburgh，hewasabletogotonaturalhistorylectures.In1826hereadapaperonsea-worms海船蛀虫totheNaturalHistorySociety.Thispaperwashisfirstknownworkonthissubject.
ThenhisfatherdecidedtosendCharlestoCambridgeUniversitytostudytobecomeapriest.(牧师)Withhardwork,hedidquitewell.And,inthecountrysidearoundCambridge,hewasabletoshoot,fishandcollectinsects.
Heseemedlikelytobecomeacountrypriestlikehundredsofothers,sharinghistimebetweenhisworkandhisinterestinnaturalhistoryandcountrylife.HehadadeepfaithinGodandalastinginterestinreligion.AtthistimehedidnotdoubtthateverywordoftheBible(圣经)wastrue.
ThenaletterfromCaptainRobertFitzroy菲茨罗伊changedhislife.FitzroywasplanningtomakeavoyagearoundtheworldonashipcalledtheBeagle.Hewantedanaturalisttojointheship,andDarwinwasrecommended.ThatvoyagewasthestartofCharlesDarwin'sgreatlifework.
InthosedaysagreatmanypeoplebelievedthateverywordwrittenintheBiblewastrue.DarwinhopedthattheplantsandanimalsthattheyfoundinthecourseoftheirvoyagewouldprovethetruthoftheBiblestoryofthegreatFlood.
Hebegantoobserveeverything.WhentheygottoRiodeJaneiro里约热内卢inSouthAmerica,Charleswasovercomewithjoytoseesomanydifferentcreatures,somuchlifeandcolor.Hisnotebookswerefullofdetailedobservations(观察值).
ThentheyreacheddrylandatPuntaAlta.ThereDarwindiscoveredhisfirstfossils(fosoo化石).Why,hewondered,weretherehorsebonesatPuntaAlta,whentherehadbeennohorsesintheNewWorlduntilCortez科尔特斯broughthisfromSpain(西班牙sban)
TheycametoTierradelFuego火地岛atthetipofSouthAmerica.Itwasastrangeplace,withterriblestorms.Itspeoplegrewnofood,andtheysleptonthewetground.Darwinobservedtheirlooksandhabits.
“Howcanpeoplebesodifferent,ifallaredescended(从一个祖先传下来的)fromAdamandEveintheGardenofEden伊甸园?”Charleswondered.
AtripintothemountainsshowedDarwinseashellsataheightof12,000feet.Lowerdownwerefossiltrees.
“Sothosetreesoncestoodbythesea,”thoughtDarwin.“Theseacameupandcoveredthem.Thenthesea-bedroseup...”ToamanwhohadbeentaughtthateverywordintheBiblewastrue,thiswasverypuzzling(费解的).
InChile(智利,whereDarwinsawearthquakesandvolcanoes火山wokano),hebegantoseewhatmusthavehappened.Thecentreoftheearth,hedecided,wasveryhot.Thesurfaceoftheearthwasthinner稀释剂insomeplaces.Itwasintheseplacesthatearthquakesandvolcanoesdeveloped.
AstheBeaglesailedaroundtheworld,Darwinbegantowonderhowlifehaddevelopedonearth.Hesawvolcanicislandsinthesea,andwonderedhowlivingthingshadgotthere.
ButpeoplewhobelievedeverywordoftheBiblethoughtthatGodhadmadeallcreaturesandMan.But,ifthatwastrue,whydidsomeofthefossilslooklike“mistakes”whichhadfailedtochangeand,forthatreason,diedout?
OnwentBeagle,toTahiti塔西提岛,NewZealandandAustralia.There,Darwinsawcoral珊瑚(callroll)andcoralislandsforthefirsttime.Howhadtheseislandscomeabout?Soon,hehadtheanswer.Coralwasmadeupofthebodiesofmillionsoftinycreatures,piled(paie)up堆积overmillionsofyears—amillionyearsforeachisland.Darwinwroteitalldowninhisnotebooks.
Afterfiveyearshewashome.Hewasneveragainthehealthyyoungmanwhoclimbedmountainsandcarriedheavybagsoffossilsformiles.
Hesettowork,gettinghiscollectioninorder.And,in1839,hemarriedhiscousin,EmmaWedgwood.Itwasahappymarriagewithtenchildren.Hecouldbefoundworkinginhisstudy,withachildbesidehim.
HisfirstgreatworkTheZoology动物学oftheBeaglewaswellreceived,buthewasslowtomakepublichisideasontheoriginsoflife.HewascertainlyveryworriedaboutdisagreeingwiththeacceptedviewsoftheChurch.
Happily,thenaturalistsatCambridgepersuaded说服(pesiwayde)Darwinthathemustmakehisideaspublic.SoDarwinandWallace华莱士,anothernaturalistwhohadthesameopinionsasDarwin,producedapapertogether.Ayearlater，Darwin'sgreatbook,OntheOriginofSpeciesbyMeansofNaturalSelectionappeared.Itattractedastorm.
PeoplethoughtthatDarwinwassayingtheyweredescendedfrommonkeys.Whatashamefulidea!AlthoughmostscientistsagreedthatDarwinwasrightandthatthestoryofAdamandEvewasmerelyastory,theChurchwasstillsostrongthatDarwinneverreceivedanyhonorsforhiswork.
Manyyearslater,hepublishedhisothergreatwork,TheDescent下降ofMan.HegavealectureattheRoyalInstitution习俗,whenthewholeaudiencestoodupandclapped.
Hishealthgrewworse,butstillheworked.“WhenIhavetogiveupobservation,Ishalldie,”hesaid.Hewasstillworkingon17,April,1882.Hewasdeadtwodayslater.