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FatherofModernBiology:CharlesDarwinCharles（查尔斯）Darwin'swholelifewaschangedbyoneluckychance.In1831,beforehewentonthevoyageoftheBeagle贝格尔号的航程,hewasaveryordinaryyoungmanoftwenty-two.NooneinEngland—certainlynotDarwinhimself—hadanyideaofthefuturehehadbeforehim.HissisterCarolinegavehimhisfirstlessons.Hewasbothlazyandnaughty（nouty顽皮的）,andeveryonewasgladthathewentawaytoschoolafterhismother'sdeathwhenhewaseight.Charlessoonbecameakeencollector.Hecollectedanythingthatcaughthisinterest:insects（昆虫类）,seashells（贝壳）,coinsandinterestingstones.Hesaidlaterthathiscollectionpreparedhimforhisworkasanaturalist.Hewasnotaverycleverboy,butCharleswasgoodatdoingthethingsthatinterestedhim.Healsotookpleasureincarryingoutexperiments.ButhecouldnotlearnLatinandGreekwhichinthosedayswasanimportantpartofeducation.Hewasadisappointmenttohisfather,whowassurethathewouldbringnothingbutshametohimselfandhisfamily.In1825,whenCharleswassixteen,hisfathersenthimtoEdinburgh（爱丁堡re）tostudymedicine,saying：“Asyoulikenaturalhistorysomuch,perhapswecanmakeadoctorofyou.”ButCharlesfoundthelecturesboring,andthedissections(剥离)frightening.ButatEdinburgh，hewasabletogotonaturalhistorylectures.In1826hereadapaperonsea-worms海船蛀虫totheNaturalHistorySociety.Thispaperwashisfirstknownworkonthissubject.ThenhisfatherdecidedtosendCharlestoCambridgeUniversitytostudytobecomeapriest.(牧师)Withhardwork,hedidquitewell.And,inthecountrysidearoundCambridge,hewasabletoshoot,fishandcollectinsects.Heseemedlikelytobecomeacountrypriestlikehundredsofothers,sharinghistimebetweenhisworkandhisinterestinnaturalhistoryandcountrylife.HehadadeepfaithinGodandalastinginterestinreligion.AtthistimehedidnotdoubtthateverywordoftheBible（圣经）wastrue.ThenaletterfromCaptainRobertFitzroy菲茨罗伊changedhislife.FitzroywasplanningtomakeavoyagearoundtheworldonashipcalledtheBeagle.Hewantedanaturalisttojointheship,andDarwinwasrecommended.ThatvoyagewasthestartofCharlesDarwin'sgreatlifework.InthosedaysagreatmanypeoplebelievedthateverywordwrittenintheBiblewastrue.DarwinhopedthattheplantsandanimalsthattheyfoundinthecourseoftheirvoyagewouldprovethetruthoftheBiblestoryofthegreatFlood.Hebegantoobserveeverything.WhentheygottoRiodeJaneiro里约热内卢inSouthAmerica,Charleswasovercomewithjoytoseesomanydifferentcreatures,somuchlifeandcolor.Hisnotebookswerefullofdetailedobservations（观察值）.ThentheyreacheddrylandatPuntaAlta.ThereDarwindiscoveredhisfirstfossils（fosoo化石）.Why,hewondered,weretherehorsebonesatPuntaAlta,whentherehadbeennohorsesintheNewWorlduntilCortez科尔特斯broughthisfromSpain（西班牙sban）TheycametoTierradelFuego火地岛atthetipofSouthAmerica.Itwasastrangeplace,withterriblestorms.Itspeoplegrewnofood,andtheysleptonthewetground.Darwinobservedtheirlooksandhabits.“Howcanpeoplebesodifferent,ifallaredescended(从一个祖先传下来的)fromAdamandEveintheGardenofEden伊甸园?”Charleswondered.AtripintothemountainsshowedDarwinseashellsataheightof12,000feet.Lowerdownwerefossiltrees.“Sothosetreesoncestoodbythesea,”thoughtDarwin.“Theseacameupandcoveredthem.Thenthesea-bedroseup...”ToamanwhohadbeentaughtthateverywordintheBiblewastrue,thiswasverypuzzling（费解的）.InChile（智利,whereDarwinsawearthquakesandvolcanoes火山wokano）,hebegantoseewhatmusthavehappened.Thecentreoftheearth,hedecided,wasveryhot.Thesurfaceoftheearthwasthinner稀释剂insomeplaces.Itwasintheseplacesthatearthquakesandvolcanoesdeveloped.AstheBeaglesailedaroundtheworld,Darwinbegantowonderhowlifehaddevelopedonearth.Hesawvolcanicislandsinthesea,andwonderedhowlivingthingshadgotthere.ButpeoplewhobelievedeverywordoftheBiblethoughtthatGodhadmadeallcreaturesandMan.But,ifthatwastrue,whydidsomeofthefossilslooklike“mistakes”whichhadfailedtochangeand,forthatreason,diedout?OnwentBeagle,toTahiti塔西提岛,NewZealandandAustralia.There,Darwinsawcoral珊瑚（callroll）andcoralislandsforthefirsttime.Howhadtheseislandscomeabout?Soon,hehadtheanswer.Coralwasmadeupofthebodiesofmillionsoftinycreatures,piled(paie)up堆积overmillionsofyears—amillionyearsforeachisland.Darwinwroteitalldowninhisnotebooks.Afterfiveyearshewashome.Hewasneveragainthehealthyyoungmanwhoclimbedmountainsandcarriedheavybagsoffossilsformiles.Hesettowork,gettinghiscollectioninorder.And,in1839,hemarriedhiscousin,EmmaWedgwood.Itwasahappymarriagewithtenchildren.Hecouldbefoundworkinginhisstudy,withachildbesidehim.HisfirstgreatworkTheZoology动物学oftheBeaglewaswellreceived,buthewasslowtomakepublichisideasontheoriginsoflife.HewascertainlyveryworriedaboutdisagreeingwiththeacceptedviewsoftheChurch.Happily,thenaturalistsatCambridgepersuaded说服(pesiwayde)Darwinthathemustmakehisideaspublic.SoDarwinandWallace华莱士,anothernaturalistwhohadthesameopinionsasDarwin,producedapapertogether.Ayearlater，Darwin'sgreatbook,OntheOriginofSpeciesbyMeansofNaturalSelectionappeared.Itattractedastorm.PeoplethoughtthatDarwinwassayingtheyweredescendedfrommonkeys.Whatashamefulidea!AlthoughmostscientistsagreedthatDarwinwasrightandthatthestoryofAdamandEvewasmerelyastory,theChurchwasstillsostrongthatDarwinneverreceivedanyhonorsforhiswork.Manyyearslater,hepublishedhisothergreatwork,TheDescent下降ofMan.HegavealectureattheRoyalInstitution习俗,whenth