Darwin: observation before explanation

达尔文是一位重视实地调查的自然学家。

dá ěr wén shì yí wèi zhòng shì shí dì diào chá de zì rán xué jiā。

Darwin was a naturalist who valued field investigation.

他在旅途中记录了许多不同的物种。

tā zài lǚ tú zhōng jì lù le xǔ duō bù tóng de wù zhǒng。

He recorded many different species during his voyage.

长期观察让他注意到动物适应环境的方式。

cháng qī guān chá ràng tā zhù yì dào dòng wù shì yìng huán jìng de fāng shì。

Long-term observation helped him notice how animals adapt to their environments.

科学结论需要能够接受检验的证据。

kē xué jié lùn xū yào néng gòu jiē shòu jiǎn yàn de zhèng jù。

Scientific conclusions require evidence that can be tested.

同类动物之间也会出现细小的差异。

tóng lèi dòng wù zhī jiān yě huì chū xiàn xì xiǎo de chā yì。

Small differences can also appear among animals of the same kind.

有利的特征可能经过许多世代保留下来。

yǒu lì de tè zhēng kě néng jīng guò xǔ duō shì dài bǎo liú xià lai。

Helpful traits may be retained over many generations.

达尔文是英国自然学家，从年轻时起就对动植物充满好奇。

dá ěr wén shì yīng guó zì rán xué jiā， cóng nián qīng shí qǐ jiù duì dòng zhí wù chōng mǎn hào qí。

Darwin is a British naturalist who is curious about plants and animals from youth.

他喜欢观察不同的生物，把形状、生活环境和细小的差别记下来。

tā xǐ huan guān chá bù tóng de shēng wù， bǎ xíng zhuàng、 shēng huó huán jìng hé xì xiǎo de chā bié jì xià lai。

He enjoys observing organisms and recording their forms, habitats and small differences.

参加远航以后，他走过不同地方，收集标本，也积累了大量观察记录。

cān jiā yuǎn háng yǐ hòu， tā zǒu guò bù tóng dì fang， shōu jí biāo běn， yě jī lěi le dà liàng guān chá jì lù。

On a long voyage, he visits different places, collects specimens and accumulates extensive observations.

一份记录写着在哪里看见，另一份写着形状有什么差别，放在一起以后，原来分散的细节才开始有了联系。他也留意与想法不相符的材料，不愿只保留能够支持自己的部分。

yí fèn jì lù xiě zhe zài nǎ lǐ kàn jiàn， lìng yí fèn xiě zhe xíng zhuàng yǒu shén me chā bié， fàng zài yì qǐ yǐ hòu， yuán lái fēn sàn de xì jié cái kāi shǐ yǒu le lián xì。 tā yě liú yì yǔ xiǎng fǎ bù xiāng fú de cái liào， bù yuàn zhǐ bǎo liú néng gòu zhī chí zì jǐ de bù fèn。

Records of locations and differences reveal connections when compared. He also keeps material that challenges his ideas rather than only supporting evidence.

一些看起来相似的动物，在不同环境中又有不同的特征，这让他产生许多问题。

yì xiē kàn qǐ lái xiāng sì de dòng wù， zài bù tóng huán jìng zhōng yòu yǒu bù tóng de tè zhēng， zhè ràng tā chǎn shēng xǔ duō wèn tí。

Similar-looking animals have different features in different environments, raising many questions for him.

回到家中，他继续整理资料，与别人交流，把新发现和已有的说法比较。

huí dào jiā zhōng， tā jì xù zhěng lǐ zī liào， yǔ bié rén jiāo liú， bǎ xīn fā xiàn hé yǐ yǒu de shuō fǎ bǐ jiào。

Back home, he organises his material, discusses it with others and compares discoveries with existing explanations.

他并没有在看见一个现象后立刻得到全部答案，而是经过长期思考，逐渐形成自己的解释。

tā bìng méi yǒu zài kàn jiàn yí ge xiàn xiàng hòu lì kè dé dào quán bù dá àn， ér shì jīng guò cháng qī sī kǎo， zhú jiàn xíng chéng zì jǐ de jiě shì。

He does not obtain every answer from one observation, but gradually develops an explanation through prolonged thought.

许多变化并不是发生在一只动物短短的一生里，而是与许多世代中的遗传和繁殖有关。他试着解释这种长期过程，反复检查用词，不把生物希望改变与实际发生的变化当成同一件事情。

xǔ duō biàn huà bìng bú shì fā shēng zài yì zhī dòng wù duǎn duǎn de yì shēng lǐ， ér shì yǔ xǔ duō shì dài zhōng de yí chuán hé fán zhí yǒu guān。 tā shì zhe jiě shì zhè zhǒng cháng qī guò chéng， fǎn fù jiǎn chá yòng cí， bù bǎ shēng wù xī wàng gǎi biàn yǔ shí jì fā shēng de biàn huà dàng chéng tóng yí jiàn shì qíng。

Change across many generations involves inheritance and reproduction, not simply one animal’s lifetime or desire. He checks his explanation of this long process carefully.

自然选择的理论关注遗传差异，以及环境怎样影响生物存活和繁殖的机会。

zì rán xuǎn zé de lǐ lùn guān zhù yí chuán chā yì， yǐ jí huán jìng zěn yàng yǐng xiǎng shēng wù cún huó hé fán zhí de jī huì。

The theory of natural selection concerns inherited variation and how the environment affects chances of survival and reproduction.

他把研究写成著作，使观察和解释能够被更多人阅读、讨论和继续检验。

tā bǎ yán jiū xiě chéng zhù zuò， shǐ guān chá hé jiě shì néng gòu bèi gèng duō rén yuè dú、 tǎo lùn hé jì xù jiǎn yàn。

He publishes his research so that more people can read, discuss and further examine its observations and explanations.

A 你在花园里看见什么差异？

nǐ zài huā yuán lǐ kàn jiàn shén me chā yì？

What differences did you see in the garden?

B 同一种植物的叶子大小不同。

tóng yī zhǒng zhí wù de yè zi dà xiǎo bù tóng。

Different leaf sizes in plants of the same kind.

A 你已经知道原因了吗？

nǐ yǐ jīng zhī dào yuán yīn le ma？

Do you already know the cause?

B 还没有，我要比较位置和其他条件。

hái méi yǒu， wǒ yào bǐ jiào wèi zhì hé qí tā tiáo jiàn。

Not yet; I need to compare locations and other conditions.

A 一张照片能证明许多世代的变化吗？

yì zhāng zhào piān néng zhèng míng xǔ duō shì dài de biàn huà ma？

Can one photograph prove change across many generations?

B 不能，还需要更多资料和证据。

bù néng， hái xū yào gèng duō zī liào hé zhèng jù。

No; more information and evidence are needed.