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1、EvolutionandEthicsandTianYanLunHuxley,EvolutionandEthics,1894Itmaybesafelyassumedthat,twothousandyearsago,beforeCaesarsetfootinsouthernBritain,thewholecountry-sidevisiblefromthewindowsoftheroominwhichIwrite,wasinwhatiscalled"thestateofnature."Except,itmaybe,byraisingafews
2、epulchralmounds,suchasthosewhichstill,hereandthere,breaktheflowingcontoursofthedowns,man'shandshadmadenomarkuponit;andthethinveilofvegetationwhichoverspreadthebroad-backedheightsandtheshelvingsidesofthecoombswasunaffectedbyhisindustry.Thenativegrassesandweeds,thescattered
3、patchesofgorse,contendedwithoneanotherforthepossessionofthescantysurfacesoil;theyfoughtagainstthedroughtsofsummer,thefrostsofwinter,andthefuriousgaleswhichswept,withunbrokenforce,nowfromtheAtlantic,andnowfromtheNorthSea,atalltimesoftheyear;theyfilledup,astheybestmight,the
4、gapsmadeintheirranksbyallsortsofundergroundandovergroundanimalravagers.Oneyearwithanother,anaveragepopulation,thefloatingbalanceoftheunceasingstruggleforexistenceamongtheindigenousplants,maintaineditself.Itisaslittletobedoubted,thatanessentiallysimilarstateofnatureprevail
5、ed,inthisregion,formanythousandyearsbeforethecomingofCaesar;andthereisnoassignablereasonfordenyingthatitmightcontinuetoexistthroughanequallyprolongedfuturity,exceptfortheinterventionofman.《进化论与伦理学》(1971)科学出版社白话译本可以有把握地想象,二千年前,当凯撒到达不列颠南部之前,从我正在写作的这间屋子的窗口可以看到整个原野是一种所谓“自然状态”
6、。也许除了若干突起的坟墓已在几处破坏了连绵的丘陵的轮廓以外,此地未经人工修葺整治。薄薄的植被笼罩着广阔的高地和峡谷的斜坡,还没有受到人的劳动的影响。本地的牧草和杂草,分散在一小块一小块土地上的金雀花,为了占据贫乏的表面土壤而互相竞争着;它们同夏季的烈日斗争,同冬季的严霜斗争,同一年四季从大西洋或北海不断吹来的狂风斗争;它们尽其最大可能来弥补为各种地上和地下动物所造成的破坏。年复一年,在本地植物中不停的生存竞争,在不平衡的状态下,维持了它们自己的通常种群数量。无可怀疑,凯撒到来之前的几千年,在这个地区主要的是类似的自然状态占优势;除非由于人
7、的干预,也没有可以申明的理由来否定它能够经过同样长的将来继续生存下去。严复,《天演论》(1898)商务出版社文言译本赫胥黎独处一室之中,在英伦之南,背山而面野。槛外诸境,历历如在几下。乃悬想二千年前,当罗马列大将恺彻未到时,此间有何景物。计惟有天造草昧,人功未施,其借征人境者,不过几处荒坟,散见坡陀起伏间。而灌木丛林,蒙茸山麓,未经删治如今日者,则无疑也。怒生之草,交加之藤,势如争长相雄,各据一抔壤土。夏与畏日争,冬与严霜争,四时之内,飘风怒吹,或西发西洋,或东起北海,旁午交扇,无时而息。上有鸟兽之践啄,下有蚁蝝之啮伤。憔悴孤虚,旋生旋灭
8、。菀枯顷刻,莫可究详。是离离者亦各尽天能,以自存种族而已。数亩之内,战事炽然,强者后亡,弱者先绝。年年岁岁,偏有留遗。未知始自何年,更不知止于何代。苟人事不施于其间,则莽莽榛榛,长此互相吞并,