用母语读达尔文的原著

When on board H.M.S. 'Beagle,' as naturalist, I was much struck with certain facts in the distribution of the inhabitants of South America, and in the geological relations of the present to the past inhabitants of that continent. These facts seemed to me to throw some light on the origin of species—that mystery of mysteries, as it has been called by one of our greatest philosophers.

当年我以博物学家的身份随皇家海军「小猎犬号」出海，南美洲生物的分布情况，以及那片大陆上现存生物与已灭绝生物之间的地质关系，曾深深触动我。在我看来，这些事实似乎为物种的起源投下了一线光亮——这正是我们一位最伟大的哲人所称的「谜中之谜」。

On my return home, it occurred to me, in 1837, that something might perhaps be made out on this question by patiently accumulating and reflecting on all sorts of facts which could possibly have any bearing on it. After five years' work I allowed myself to speculate on the subject, and drew up some short notes; these I enlarged in 1844 into a sketch of the conclusions, which then seemed to me probable: from that period to the present day I have steadily pursued the same object.

回到英国后，1837 年我开始想到：只要耐心地搜集并思考一切可能与这一问题相关的事实，或许就能从中理出些头绪。埋头工作了五年之后，我才容许自己就这一课题作些推断，并写下了一些简短的札记；到 1844 年，我把它扩充成一份纲要，记下当时在我看来大致可信的结论。从那时起直到今天，我一直坚定地追寻着同一个目标。

I hope that I may be excused for entering on these personal details, as I give them to show that I have not been hasty in coming to a decision.

我谈及这些个人经历，望读者见谅；我之所以陈述这些，是想表明：我在作出结论之前，并不曾草率从事。