canterbury pieces-第2部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


with　such　compelling　force。



DARWIN　ON　THE　ORIGIN　OF　SPECIES：　　A　Dialogue
＇From　the　Press；　20　December；　1862。＇



F。　　So　you　have　finished　Darwin？　　Well；　how　did　you　like　him？

C。　　You　cannot　expect　me　to　like　him。　　He　is　so　hard　and　logical；　and
he　treats　his　subject　with　such　an　intensity　of　dry　reasoning　without
giving　himself　the　loose　rein　for　a　single　moment　from　one　end　of　the
book　to　the　other；　that　I　must　confess　I　have　found　it　a　great　effort
to　read　him　through。

F。　　But　I　fancy　that；　if　you　are　to　be　candid；　you　will　admit　that
the　fault　lies　rather　with　yourself　than　with　the　book。　　Your
knowledge　of　natural　history　is　so　superficial　that　you　are
constantly　baffled　by　terms　of　which　you　do　not　understand　the
meaning；　and　in　which　you　consequently　lose　all　interest。　　I　admit；
however；　that　the　book　is　hard　and　laborious　reading；　and；　moreover；
that　the　writer　appears　to　have　predetermined　from　the　commencement
to　reject　all　ornament；　and　simply　to　argue　from　beginning　to　end；
from　point　to　point；　till　he　conceived　that　he　had　made　his　case
sufficiently　clear。

C。　　I　agree　with　you；　and　I　do　not　like　his　book　partly　on　that　very
account。　　He　seems　to　have　no　eye　but　for　the　single　point　at　which
he　is　aiming。

F。　　But　is　not　that　a　great　virtue　in　a　writer？

C。　　A　great　virtue；　but　a　cold　and　hard　one。

F。　　In　my　opinion　it　is　a　grave　and　wise　one。　　Moreover；　I　conceive
that　the　judicial　calmness　which　so　strongly　characterises　the　whole
book；　the　absence　of　all　passion；　the　air　of　extreme　and　anxious
caution　which　pervades　it　throughout；　are　rather　the　result　of
training　and　artificially　acquired　self…restraint　than　symptoms　of　a
cold　and　unimpassioned　nature；　at　any　rate；　whether　the　lawyer…like
faculty　of　swearing　both　sides　of　a　question　and　attaching　the　full
value　to　both　is　acquired　or　natural　in　Darwin's　case；　you　will　admit
that　such　a　habit　of　mind　is　essential　for　any　really　valuable　and
scientific　investigation。

C。　　I　admit　it。　　Science　is　all　headshe　has　no　heart　at　all。

F。　　You　are　right。　　But　a　man　of　science　may　be　a　man　of　other　things
besides　science；　and　though　he　may　have；　and　ought　to　have　no　heart
during　a　scientific　investigation；　yet　when　he　has　once　come　to　a
conclusion　he　may　be　hearty　enough　in　support　of　it；　and　in　his　other
capacities　may　be　of　as　warm　a　temperament　as　even　you　can　desire。

C。　　I　tell　you　I　do　not　like　the　book。

F。　　May　I　catechise　you　a　little　upon　it？

C。　　To　your　heart's　content。

F。　　Firstly；　then；　I　will　ask　you　what　is　the　one　great　impression
that　you　have　derived　from　reading　it；　or；　rather；　what　do　you　think
to　be　the　main　impression　that　Darwin　wanted　you　to　derive？

C。　　Why；　I　should　say　some　such　thing　as　the　followingthat　men　are
descended　from　monkeys；　and　monkeys　from　something　else；　and　so　on
back　to　dogs　and　horses　and　hedge…sparrows　and　pigeons　and　cinipedes
（what　is　a　cinipede？）　and　cheesemites；　and　then　through　the　plants
down　to　duckweed。

F。　　You　express　the　prevalent　idea　concerning　the　book；　which　as　you
express　it　appears　nonsensical　enough。

C。　　How；　then；　should　you　express　it　yourself？

F。　　Hand　me　the　book　and　I　will　read　it　to　you　through　from　beginning
to　end；　for　to　express　it　more　briefly　than　Darwin　himself　has　done
is　almost　impossible。

C。　　That　is　nonsense；　as　you　asked　me　what　impression　I　derived　from
the　book；　so　now　I　ask　you；　and　I　charge　you　to　answer　me。

F。　　Well；　I　assent　to　the　justice　of　your　demand；　but　I　shall　comply
with　it　by　requiring　your　assent　to　a　few　principal　statements
deducible　from　the　work。

C。　　So　be　it。

F。　　You　will　grant　then；　firstly；　that　all　plants　and　animals
increase　very　rapidly；　and　that　unless　they　were　in　some　manner
checked；　the　world　would　soon　be　overstocked。　　Take　cats；　for
instance；　see　with　what　rapidity　they　breed　on　the　different　runs　in
this　province　where　there　is　little　or　nothing　to　check　them；　or　even
take　the　more　slowly　breeding　sheep；　and　see　how　soon　500　ewes　become
5000　sheep　under　favourable　circumstances。　　Suppose　this　sort　of
thing　to　go　on　for　a　hundred　million　years　or　so；　and　where　would　be
the　standing　room　for　all　the　different　plants　and　animals　that　would
be　now　existing；　did　they　not　materially　check　each　other's　increase；
or　were　they　not　liable　in　some　way　to　be　checked　by　other　causes？
Remember　the　quail；　how　plentiful　they　were　until　the　cats　came　with
the　settlers　from　Europe。　　Why　were　they　so　abundant？　　Simply　because
they　had　plenty　to　eat；　and　could　get　sufficient　shelter　from　the
hawks　to　multiply　freely。　　The　cats　came；　and　tussocks　stood　the　poor
little　creatures　in　but　poor　stead。　　The　cats　increased　and
multiplied　because　they　had　plenty　of　food　and　no　natural　enemy　to
check　them。　　Let　them　wait　a　year　or　two；　till　they　have　materially
reduced　the　larks　also；　as　they　have　long　since　reduced　the　quail；
and　let　them　have　to　depend　solely　upon　occasional　dead　lambs　and
sheep；　and　they　will　find　a　certain　rather　formidable　natural　enemy
called　Famine　rise　slowly　but　inexorably　against　them　and　slaughter
them　wholesale。　　The　first　proposition　then　to　which　I　demand　your
assent　is　that　all　plants　and　animals　tend　to　increase　in　a　high
geometrical　ratio；　that　they　all　endeavour　to　get　that　which　is
necessary　for　their　own　welfare；　that；　as　unfortunately　there　are
conflicting　interests　in　Nature；　collisions　constantly　occur　between
different　animals　and　plants；　whereby　the　rate　of　increase　of　each
species　is　very　materially　checked。　　Do　you　admit　this？

C。　　Of　course；　it　is　obvious。

F。　　You　admit　then　that　there　is　in　Nature　a　perpetual　warfare　of
plant；　of　bird；　of　beast；　of　fish；　of　reptile；　that　each　is　striving
selfishly　for　its　own　advantage；　and　will　get　what　it　wants　if　it
can。

C。　　If　what？

F。　　If　it　can。　　How　comes　it　then　that　sometimes　it　cannot？　　Simply
because　all　are　not　of　equal　strength；　and　the　weaker　must　go　to　the
wall。

C。　　You　seem　to　gloat　over　your　devilish　statement。

F。　　Gloat　or　no　gloat；　is　it　true　or　no？　　I　am　not　one　of　those


〃Who　would　unnaturally　better　Nature
By　making　out　that　that　which　is；　is　not。〃


If　the　law　of　Nature　is　〃struggle；〃　it　is　better　to　look　the　matter
in　the　face　and　adapt　yourself　to　the　conditions　of　your　existence。
Nature　will　not　bow　to　you；　neither　will　you　mend　matters　by　patting
her　on　the　back　and　telling　her　that　she　is　not　so　black　as　she　is
painted。　　My　dear　fellow；　my　dear　sentimental　friend；　do　you　eat
roast　beef　or　roast　mutton？

C。　　Drop　that　chaff　and　go　back　to　the　matter　in　hand。

F。　　To　continue　then　with　the　cats。　　Famine　comes　and　tests　them；　so
to　speak；　the　weaker；　the　less　active；　the　less　cunning；　and　the　less
enduring　cats　get　killed　off；　and　only　the　strongest　and　smartest
cats　survive；　there　will　be　no　favouritism　shown　to　animals　in　a
state　of　Nature；　they　will　be　weighed　in　the　balance；　and　the　weight
of　a　hair　will　sometimes　decide　whether　they　shall　be　found　wanting
or　no。　　This　being　the　case；　the　cats　having　been　thus　naturally
culled　and　the　stronger　having　been　preserved；　there　will　be　a
gradual　tendency　to　improve　manifested　among　the　cats；　even　as　among
our　own　mobs　of　sheep　careful　culling　tends　to　improve　the　flock。

C。　　This；　too；　is　obvious。

F。　　Extend　this　to　all　animals　and　plants；　and　the　same　thing　will
hold　good　concerning　them　all。　　I　shall　now　change　the　ground　and
demand　assent　to　another　statement。　　You　know　that　though　the
offspring　of　all　plants　and　animals　is　in　the　main　like　the　parent；
yet　that　in　almost　every　instance　slight　deviations　occur；　and　that
sometimes　there　is　even　considerable　divergence　from　the　parent　type。
It　must　also　be　admitted　that　these　slight　variations　are　often；　or
at　least　sometimes；　capable　of　being　perpetuated　by　inheritance。
Indeed；　it　is　only　in　consequence　of　this　fact　that　our　sheep　and
cattle　have　been　capable　of　so　much　improvement。

C。　　I　admit　this。

F。　　Then　the　whole　matter　lies　in　a　nutshell。　　Suppose　that　hundreds
of　millions　of　years　ago　there　existed　upon　this　earth　a　single
primordial　form　of　the　very　lowest　life；　or　suppose　that　three　or
four　such　primordial　forms　existed。　　Change　of　climate；　of　food；　of
any　of　the　circumstances　which　surrounded　any　member　of　this　first
and　lowest　class　of　life　would　tend　to　alter　it　in　some　slight
manner；　and　the　alteration　would　have　a　tendency　to　perpetuate　itself
by　inheritance。　　Many　failures　would　doubtless　occur；　but　with　the
lapse　of　time　slight　deviations　would　undoubtedly　become　permanent
and　inheritable；　those　alone　being　perpetuated　which　were　beneficial
to　individuals　in　whom　they　appeared。　　Repeat　the　process　with　each
deviation　and　we　shall　again　obtain　divergences　（in　the　course　of
ages）　differing　more　strongly　from　the　ancestral　form；　and　again
those　that　enable　their　possessor　to　struggle　for　existence　most
efficiently　will　be　preserved。　　Repeat　this　process　for　millions　and
millions　of　years；　and；　as　it　is　impossible　to　assign　any　limit　to
variability；　it　would　seem　as　though　the　present　diversities　of
species　must　certainly　have　come　about　sooner　or　later；　and　that
other　divergences　will　continue　to　come　about　to　the　end　of　time。
The　great　agent　in　this　development　of　life　has　been　competition。
This　has　culled　species　after　species；　and　secured　that　those　alone
should　survive　which　were　best　fitted　for　the　conditions　by　which
they　found　themselves　surrounded。　　Endeavour　to　take　a　bird's…eye
view　of　the　whole　matter。　　See　battle　after　battle；　first　in　one　part
of　the　world；　then　in　another；　sometimes　raging　more　fiercely　and
sometimes　less；　even　as　in　human　affairs　war　has　always　existed　in
some　part　of　the　world　from　the　earliest　known　periods；　and　probably
always　will　exist。　　While　a　species　is　conquering　in　one　part　of　the
world　it　is　being　subdued　in　another；　and　while　its　conquerors　are
indulging　in　their　triumph　down　comes　the　fiat　for　their　being　culled
and　drafted　out；　some　to　life　and　some　to　death；　and　so　forth　ad
infinitum。

C。　　It　is　very　horrid。

F。　　No　more　horrid　than　that　you　should　eat　roast　mutton　or　boiled
beef。

C。　　But　it　is　utterly　subver