布封是18世紀法國著名的博物學(xué)家和作家。他堅持以唯物主義的思想看待地球與生物的起源和發(fā)展,被譽為“和大自然一樣偉大的天才”。
《自然史》是一部博物志,書中以大量的科學(xué)觀察為基礎(chǔ),從唯物主義的角度對自然界的各種現(xiàn)象做了詳細的描述。書中提到的“物種可變”和“進化”的思想對當(dāng)時的社會具有積極的啟蒙作用,也對后來達爾文提出“物種起源”與“進化論”產(chǎn)生了深遠影響。
《自然史》原著為法文,共44卷。本版為英國學(xué)者James Smith Barr在1797-1807年翻譯出版的10卷冊,是原著中*精華的部分,主要包括地球的理論、動物史、人類史、家畜馴養(yǎng)史,并簡單介紹了礦物和植物等內(nèi)容。
《Natural History(5 自然史第5卷)》可供生物學(xué)、生態(tài)學(xué)、地質(zhì)學(xué)等專業(yè)的高校師生和相關(guān)科研人員以及博物愛好者閱讀。
在已探知的星球中,唯地球有人類。人類社會和自然界構(gòu)成了這顆星球的整個世界。人類來源于自然,依賴于自然,不斷地探索自然,了解自己從何而來,向何而去?為什么在這萬物共生的自然界脫穎而出,成為這個世界的主宰?又怎樣與這個世界大家庭和睦相處,適應(yīng)客觀發(fā)展?……只有了解過去,才能更好地認識現(xiàn)在;懂得了過去和現(xiàn)在,才能主動地面對未來。歷史是最好的教科書,在《地球簡史》《人類簡史》《時間簡史》等紛紛面世的當(dāng)代,人們不由地把目光又投向260多年前就誕生了的《自然史》,這部洋洋數(shù)百萬字的曠世巨著,開辟了科學(xué)史作的先河,它從行星到地球,從空氣到海洋,從動物到人類,……天、地、生、人,無所不包,海、陸、空,面面俱到,是一部記述自然的百科全書。
書中全面論述了地球理論和地球歷史,展現(xiàn)了風(fēng)、火、水、潮、雷、震(地震)、光、熱等各種自然現(xiàn)象;對人和生物的論述更是生動形象,豐富多彩。從生命的起源、器官的發(fā)育、青春期的特點,到機能的退化,直至死亡,把人類生息繁衍的過程講得有聲有色。對生物,特別是動物的描繪投下了重重筆墨,占據(jù)了大量篇幅,天上飛的,地上長的,野生的,馴養(yǎng)的,食肉的,食草的,大到熊、馬,小至鼠、兔,畜、禽,鳥、獸,花、草、樹、木,樣樣俱全,活靈活現(xiàn),既有理性,又有情趣,好像無論哪種野性的動物都可以成為人類的寵物和朋友。法國著名思想家盧梭是這樣評價的:“布封以異常平靜而又悠然自得的語言歌頌了自然界中所有的重要物品,呈現(xiàn)出造物者的尊嚴與靈性。他具有那個世紀最美的文筆。”
萬物皆有道,自然最奇妙。幾乎所有涉及自然的事物都可以從《自然史》汲取營養(yǎng),得到啟示。讀這類名著,既能增長知識,豐富閱歷,又能賞心悅目,閑情逸致。即使歷史已過去了幾百年,社會發(fā)生了巨變,也未失去這部歷史巨著的價值和魅力。這就是一部不朽之作的歷史地位。布封在書中提出“物種可變”和“進化”的思想,被生物進化論創(chuàng)始人達爾文稱為“以現(xiàn)代科學(xué)眼光對待這個問題的第一人”。
哲語說,文如其人!蹲匀皇贰返淖髡卟挤,全名喬治,路易,勒克萊爾.布封(Georges-Louis Leclerc,Comtede Buffon,1707-1788),如同他的不朽著作一樣,也有一部不尋常的經(jīng)歷。他生于法國,自幼喜好自然科學(xué),特別是數(shù)學(xué)。1728年法律專業(yè)畢業(yè)后,又學(xué)了兩年醫(yī)學(xué)。20歲時就先于牛頓發(fā)現(xiàn)了二項式定理;26歲成為法蘭西科學(xué)院機械部的助理研究員,翻譯并出版了英國博物學(xué)者海爾斯的著作《植物生理與空氣分析》和牛頓的《微積分術(shù)》;1739年,32歲的他轉(zhuǎn)為法蘭西科學(xué)院數(shù)學(xué)部的副研究員,并被任命為“巴黎皇家植物園及御書房”的總管;1753年成為法蘭西科學(xué)院院士。他用40年的時間寫出了長達36卷的《自然史》,后又由他的學(xué)生整理出版了8卷,共44卷。此書一出版,就轟動了歐洲的學(xué)術(shù)界,各國很快有了譯本。1777年,法國政府給布封建了一座銅像,上面寫著:“獻給和大自然一樣偉大的天才!边@是對布封的崇高評價。
《自然史》原著為法文,這里出版的是英國學(xué)者James Smith Barr在1797-1807年翻譯的英文版10卷冊,選取的是原著中最精華的部分。發(fā)行這樣的英文版高級作品、高級讀物,就像外文書籍、外文刊物一樣,自然面對的也是高水平的讀者和館藏者,希望他們既可以接近原汁原味地欣賞原著,感受自然的魅力,受到自然科學(xué)和文學(xué)藝術(shù)的熏陶,同時又能自然而然地提高英文素養(yǎng)和寫作水平。在廣大知識分子外語水平普遍提高的今天,這樣的科學(xué)傳播形式也許會受到越來越多讀者的青睞。
History of the Brute Creation
Chap.I.Of the Nature of Animals
Homo duplex
Chap.II.Of Domestic Animals
The Horse
The Ass
The Ox
The Sheep
The Goat
The Swine, the Hog of Siam,and the Wild Boar
The Dog
《Natural History(5 自然史第5卷)》:
THE interior man is double, being composed of two principles different in their nature, and contrary in their action. The soul, that principle of all knowledge, is perpetually opposed by another purely material principle. The former is a pure light, accompanied with serenity and peace, a salutary source, whence flow science, reason, and wisdom; the latter is a false light, which never shines but in the midst of darkness and hurricane, an impetuous torrent fraught with error and passion.
The animal principle is first developed. As it is altogether material, and consists in the duration of vibrations, and the renovation of impressions formed in the internal material sense, by objects analogous, or contrary to our appetites, it begins to act as soon as the body is capable of feeling pain or pleasure. The spiritual principle manifests itself much later, and is developed and perfected by means of education; it is by the communication of the thoughts of others that the infant becomes a thinking, a rational being; and without this communication it would be fantastic or stupid, according to the degree of activity or inactivity of its internal material sense.
Let us consider a child, when at liberty, and far from the eye of his master. By his exterior actions we may judge of what passes within him. A stranger to thought or reflection, he acts without reason; treads with indifference through all the paths of pleasure; obeys all the impressions of exterior objects; amuses himself like a young animal, in running and bodily exercise; all his actions and motions are without order, or design. Called on by the person who has taught him to think, he composes himself, directs his actions, and proves that he has retained the thoughts which have been communicated to him. In infancy, the material principle is predominant, and would so continue, were not education to develop the spiritual principle and to put it in motion.
The existence of these two principles is easily discovered. In life there are moments, nay, hours and days, in which we may not only determine of the certainty of their existence, but also of the contrariety of their action. I allude to those periods of languor, indolence, or disgust, in which we are incapable of any determination, when we wish one thing and do another; I mean that state, or distemper, called vapours; a state to which idle persons are so peculiarly subject. If in this situation we observe ourselves, we shall appear as divided into two distinct beings, of which the first, or the rational faculty, blames every thing done by the second, but has not strength sufficient effectually to subdue it; the second, on the contrary, being formed of all the illusions of sense and imagination, constrains, and often overwhelms the first, and makes us either act contrary to our judgment, or remain inactive, though disposed to action by our will.
While the rational faculties reign, we are calmly occupied with ourselves, our friends, and affairs. But when the material principle prevails, we devote ourselves with ardour to dissipation, to all the pursuits and passions it creates; and are hardly capable of reflecting upon the very objects by which we are so engrossed. In both these states we are happy; in the former we command with satisfaction, and in the latter, we are still more pleased to obey. As only one of these principles is then in action, and acts without opposition from the other, we feel no internal contrariety; our self appears to be simple, because we experience but one impulse. In this unity of action consists our happiness; for, whenever our reason condemns our passions, or, from the violence of our passions, we attempt to discard reason, from that minute we cease to be happy; the unity of our existence, in which consists our tranquillity, is destroyed; the internal contrariety commences, and the two contending principles are manifested by doubts, inquietude and remorse. Of all states, that is the most unhappy in which these two sovereign powers of human nature are both in full motion, and produce an equilibrium. Then it is man feels that horrible disgust which leaves no desire but that of ceasing to exist, no power but to effect his own destruction, by coolly plunging into himself the weapons of despair and madness. What a state of horror! in its blackest colours it is here presented; but by how many gloomy shades must it be preceded?
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