用母語讀達爾文的原著

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.

當年我以博物學家的身分隨皇家海軍「小獵犬號」出海時，南美洲生物的分布情況，以及那片大陸上現存生物與已滅絕生物之間的地質關係，曾深深觸動我。在我看來，這些事實似乎為物種起源投下了一線光亮——這正是我們一位最偉大的哲人所稱的「謎中之謎」。

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.

回到英國後，1837 年我開始想到：只要耐心蒐集並思考一切可能與這個問題相關的事實，或許就能從中理出些頭緒。埋頭工作了五年之後，我才容許自己就這個課題作些推斷，並寫下一些簡短札記；到 1844 年，我把它擴充成一份綱要，記下當時在我看來大致可信的結論。從那時起直到今天，我一直堅定追尋同一個目標。

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.

我談及這些個人經歷，望讀者見諒；我之所以陳述這些，是想表明：我在作出結論之前，並不曾草率從事。