2月12日是英國生物学家、进化论奠基人达尔文的诞辰纪念日，这一天也被定为“达尔文日”。很多地方会在每年的这一天庆祝这个日子，向这位伟大人物致敬，并借此机会让大众更加了解进化论、以及演化研究在人类知识上的应用。如果你不想在这天和别人聊起这位著名的生物学家时答不上话，就快来看看以下十件关于达尔文的事情吧。

1

Darwin was born on the same day as Abraham Lincoln.

达尔文与亚伯拉罕·林肯出生于同一日。

Both Darwin and Lincoln were born on February 12th， 1809， but in much different settings. While Americas 16th president was born in a rude log cabin in the Kentucky wilderness， Darwin was born in a grand house on an estate overlooking the River Severn and the medieval market town of Shrewsbury， England.

达尔文和林肯都出生于1809年2月12日，但他们出生的背景大不相同。美国第16任总统林肯出生于肯塔基州荒原上的一间简陋木屋，达尔文则出生于一座英国大宅，其所在庄园可以俯瞰塞文河和中世纪市镇什鲁斯伯里。

2

He waited more than 20 years to publish his groundbreaking theory on evolution.

达尔文等了二十多年才公布他那具有开创意义的进化论。

Darwins five-year voyage around the world on the HMS注1 Beagle， which ended in 1836， provided him with invaluable research that contributed to the development of his theory of evolution and natural selection. However， concerned about how the public and church would react to his new idea， he did not present his theory on evolution until 1858 when he made a joint announcement with British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace， who was about to go public with a similar concept to Darwins. The next year， Darwin published his work， On the Origin of Species.

达尔文乘坐英国皇家海军舰艇小猎犬号环游世界，并在1836年结束了长达五年的旅行。这次旅行为他提供了宝贵的研究素材，助其发展了进化论和自然选择理论。然而，由于不知道公众和教会对这一新思想会做出何种反应，达尔文一直没有公布自己的进化论。直到1858年，他才与即将公布相似理论的英国博物学家阿尔弗雷德·拉塞尔·华莱士共同发表了一份联合声明。第二年，达尔文出版了著作《物种起源》。

注1：HMS是Her/His Majestys Ship（英国皇家海军舰船）的缩写。

3

Darwin suffered from unknown illnesses.

达尔文患有未知疾病。

For much of his adult life， Darwin repeatedly suffered from stomach pains， vomiting， severe boils， trembling and other symptoms， particularly during times of stress such as attending meetings or making social visits. The cause of Darwins illness remained unknown， and attempts at treatment had little success.

成年以后的大部分时间，达尔文都饱受胃疼、呕吐、严重的疖子、颤抖以及其他症状的反复折磨，尤其是在压力大的时候——比如参加会议或是进行社交拜访。达尔文的病因一直不明，所进行的治疗也收效甚微。

4

He listed pros and cons when deciding whether to marry.

达尔文列出婚姻的利弊以决定是否结婚。

Darwin in 1838 made a list with two columns， separating the upsides and downsides of marriage. In the“Marry” column： “children，” “constant companion（and friend in old age）…better than a dog anyhow” and“someone to take care of house.” In the “Not Marry”column： “freedom to go where one liked，” “conversation of clever men at clubs” and “loss of time.” He married his cousin Emma Wedgwood in 1839.

1838年，达尔文列了一张分为两栏的表，分别写出结婚的好处与坏处。“结婚”那栏写着：“子女”、“一直有人作伴（及晚年仍有朋友）……怎样都比一只狗强”以及“有人照料家事”;而“不结婚”那栏写着：“喜欢去哪就去哪的自由”、“在俱乐部与才智优越的男人聊天”以及“损失时间”。1839年，他娶了表姐爱玛·韦奇伍德为妻。

5

He dropped out of medical school.

他从医学院辍学。

Darwins father was a successful doctor who prepared his son to follow in his footsteps. After spending the summer of 1825 serving as an apprentice in his fathers practice， he entered one of Britains top medical schools at the University of Edinburgh. Darwin， however， hated the sight of blood and was bored with the lectures. He left medical school and dashed his fathers dreams.

達尔文的父亲是一名成功的医生，他打算让儿子继承家业。1825年夏天，达尔文在他父亲的诊所当学徒，之后入读爱丁堡大学内的英国顶尖医学院。但达尔文讨厌看见血，又觉得课堂枯燥无味，于是离开了医学院，使他父亲的梦想破灭。

6

Darwin was a divinity student.

Darwin was a conventional Christian for much of his life. He studied at the University of Cambridge to become an Anglican clergyman， just before the Beagle voyage. Later in life， he described himself as agnostic， not atheist.

在其一生中很长一段时间，达尔文都是一个传统的基督徒。就在乘坐小猎犬号开始环球旅行之前，他曾就读于剑桥大学，以期成为英国圣公会牧师。后来，他形容自己是一名不可知论者，而不是无神论者。

7

He dined on exotic animals.

珍禽异兽也是达尔文的盘中餐。

Darwin not only studied a variety of animals from around the globe， he ate them as well. As a student at Cambridge， he formed the Gourmet Club for the purpose of dining on “birds and beasts， which were before unknown to human palate.” Darwin ate hawk and bittern but couldnt choke down a brown owl that was served. While circling the globe on the HMS Beagle， Darwin continued his adventurous eating by trying some armadillo， ostrich and puma.

达尔文不仅研究世界各地的各种动物，他还会品尝它们。在剑桥读书期间，他曾为了“享用人类味蕾未曾触及的飞禽走兽”而成立了“美食家俱乐部”。达尔文会吃老鹰和麻鸦，但端上来的棕色猫头鹰却令他无法下咽。在乘坐皇家海军舰艇小猎犬号进行环球旅行期间，达尔文继续他的美食冒险，试吃了犰狳、鸵鸟和美洲狮。

8

He didnt create the phrase “survival of the fittest.”

“适者生存”一语并非达尔文所创。

Although associated with Darwins theory of natural selection， the phrase “survival of the fittest” was actually first used by English philosopher Herbert Spencer in his 1864 Principles of Biology， to connect his economic and sociological theories with Darwins biological concepts. Darwin first adopted the phrase in his fifth edition of On the Origin of Species， published in 1869.

虽然“适者生存”这个词与达尔文的自然选择理论有关，但实际上最早使用这一说法的是英国哲学家赫伯特·斯宾塞。他在1864年出版的《生物学原理》中使用该词把他的经济和社会学理论与达尔文的生物概念联系起来。在1869年出版的第五版《物种起源》中，达尔文才首次使用了“适者生存”一词。

9

He lost three of his children.

达尔文失去了三个孩子。

Darwin and his wife had ten children， but three of them died at young ages—two as infants and one at age ten. Darwin was known to be quite devoted to his children.

达尔文和他的妻子总共生了十个孩子，但其中三个幼年夭折——两个是婴儿，另一个在10岁时去世。据知达尔文相当疼爱他的孩子。

10

Darwin is buried inside Westminster Abbey.

达尔文葬于伦敦威斯敏斯特教堂。

注2：约翰·赫歇尔（1792—1871）英国著名天文学家、数学家、化学家及摄影师。

After Darwin passed away on April 19th， 1882， his family began preparations to bury him in the village where he had spent the last 40 years of his life. However， Darwins friends and colleagues wanted to give him the high honor of burial inside Londons Westminster Abbey. After newspapers and the public widely agreed， the Dean of Westminster gave his approval. A week after his death， Darwin was laid to rest in Englands most respected church near fellow scientists John Herschel注2 and Isaac Newton.

1882年4月19日達尔文去世后，他的家人开始准备把他葬于他度过人生最后40年的那个村庄，但他的朋友和同事为了给予他崇高的荣誉，想把他葬于伦敦的威斯敏斯特教堂内。在得到报纸和公众的广泛认可后，威斯敏斯特教堂牧师团长同意了这一请求。在其去世一周后，达尔文被安葬于英国最受尊敬的教堂内，与约翰·赫歇尔和艾萨克·牛顿等科学家为邻。