读植物学史,发现早先人不知道候鸟这码事,有时以为鸟与树枝叶间互生互变,或
象大植物学家林奈一直以为的燕子,林奈顽固地相信燕子在冬天不是飞到南方,而
是在湖底过冬,就象燕子长着鱼一样的鳞和鳃。这一则源于民间传说,观察燕子略
水,喜爱田塘水滨,捉虫筑泥巢,二则恐怕是林奈读了太多古书,希腊罗马,中世
纪。那时既使是科学著作中也充满传说,或者巫术星象之类的。但以自然之眼观之,
人们的认识是一步一步地提高的,理性、观察力,最重要的还是交流与共享的能力。
亚里斯多德说:人们都希望认识得更多!要说欧洲人认识力大发展,我点两个形而
下一点的指标,一是活字印刷术,古腾堡搞的那个,另外一个是皇家科学会,此不
止英国那个。
记得早先读奥维德变形记里面提到毕达哥拉斯学派,他们是早先的最智者,开展了
数学。尽管他们只吃素(偏不吃豆子),沉思慈冥有如佛陀,然而观察力毕竟不够。
比如他们说马蜂源于马的尸体:
... ... ... 你們見過陳尸
隨時間或天熱腐爛﹐生養出蛆蟲。
一頭精壯的公牛,屠宰祭神﹔
屍體掩埋以後,誰都知道
腐爛的肚腸中會生出採花的蜜蜂。
蜜蜂與生養它的公牛一樣﹕
喜歡在原野上面游弋;
喜歡工作,喜歡得到一份報酬。
馬像戰士,可一旦埋身地裡,
就會滋生馬蜂。砍斷螃蟹的螯腳,
把殘軀掩埋,地裡會生出蠍子來。
毛蟲在樹葉間織白繭,不久﹐
化變成一隻骷髏紋的飛蛾。
這些,農民在鄉村常常見到。
“爛泥里孕育青蛙的胚卵﹔ 18
青蛙起初沒有腳,後來才長腳--
划游。後腳特別長--跳躍。
初生的熊仔根本不是熊,只是
一個幾乎沒有生命的肉團。
熊母舔它,把它舔成自己的樣子。
蜜蜂的幼蟲藏在六角蜂房內﹐
生出時幾乎什麼都不是﹐
後來才生出腳﹐生出翅膀﹐
朱諾之鳥孔雀,張開星辰萬點的屏﹐
誰能相信,是從鳥卵中孵孕?
日神的鷹,愛神的鴿,所有鳥類。
有人說狹窄墓穴中埋的尸首﹐
當它的脊椎骨腐爛了以後,
骨髓﹐會變成一條毒蛇。
http://www.mayacafe.com/forum/topic1sp.php3?tkey=1147969515
......《变形记》第十五章
此让我想到了《庄子·至乐》最后一节:种有几?得水则为█(繼去丝旁),得水土
之际则为蛙蠙之衣,生于陵屯则为陵舄,陵舄得郁栖则为乌足,乌足之根为蛴螬,其
叶为胡蝶。胡蝶胥也化而为虫,生于灶下,其状若脱,其名为鸲掇。鸲掇千日为鸟,
其名为干余骨。干余骨之沫为斯弥,斯弥为食醯。颐辂生乎食醯,黄軦生乎九犹,
瞀芮生乎腐蠸。羊奚比乎不箰。久竹生青宁,青宁生程,程生马,马生人。人又反
入于机。万物皆出于机,皆入于机。
此段我尝试白话翻译一下,错处肯定有!(看,中国人读自己的文献也不容易),当
然得以原文为据:
种子有妙机,得到水滋润会长出水绵,在水土之间就青苔,在陵屯则为车前,车前
得粪土变为乌足草,乌足草根变蛴螬,其叶变为蝴蝶。蝴蝶不久化为虫,生于灶下,
就象刚兑了皮,名鸲掇。鸲掇千日后化为鸟,名为干余骨。干余骨吐的沫变成斯弥
(一种山海经动物),斯弥变成醋瓮小虫。颐辂虫生于醋瓮小虫,黄軦生于变味的
酒坛,小蚊虫生于死野猪的腐肉。羊奚草生于不长笋的竹根,腐坏的竹子生青宁虫
,青宁生豹,豹生马,马生人,人又复归于自然。万物出于自然,归于自然。
看来东哲西哲的观察都差不多,有多少是听闻附会,但有这份心机!要说,西哲有
对话与历史承续,东哲就成了偶象派,有点不可望津。现在中国文学人把庄子推得
高大莫名,凭这一段进化论来看,也还是很黄口童儿或民间小农席间悟会及。
我写这个贴,还是源于植物学史上英国的一幅植物画,画的是一种枝叶变鸟的植物,
书是Hohn Gerard的Herball:
One of the most amazing botanical myths is that of a tree that had barnacles
that opened to reveal geese. The legend of this tree was of great antiquity,
and although Albert Magnus in the 13th century denounced it as false, the
tales of this tree were popular among herbalists up until the 18th century.
The barnacle tree, endowed with a spuriously important tag 'Britannica concha
anatifera' in John Gerard's Herball(1597)
William Turner, a 16th century English herbalist accepted the idea, as did John
Gerard in his Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes, published in 1597, in which
he wrote: "...there is a small llande in Lancashire called the Pile of Foulders...
whereon is found a certaine spume or froth, that in time breedeth unto certaine
shels." These mussel-shaped shells would grow until they split open, revealing
"the legs of the Birde hanging out...til at length it is all come foorth." The bird
would hang by its bill until fully mature, then would drop into the sea "where it
gathereth feathers, and groweth to a foule, bigger than a Mallard, and lesser
than a Goose."
这让我想到chupacabra的传奇,最近还在媒体上闹过一阵子呢。
- Re: 早先人们的眼力也可爱至极posted on 11/12/2010
xw wrote:
比如他们说马蜂源于马的尸体:
... ... ... 腐爛的肚腸中會生出採花的蜜蜂。
蜜蜂與生養它的公牛一樣﹕
我没有这样的穷亲戚。我妈妈说我们蜜家比马家高级。 - Re: 早先人们的眼力也可爱至极posted on 11/15/2010
这华夏马家与默罕默德有不少渊源。但也有古马,三国后期有一个发明家马钧。
能工巧匠啊。
- posted on 11/16/2010
昨晚读了两卷Theophrastus的Enquiry into Plants,第二卷正好讲繁殖:
In fact ther are quite few plants which grow and are brought into being more easily from the upper parts, as the vine is grown from branches; for this, though it cannot be grown from the 'head,' yet can be grown from the branch, as can all similar trees and under-shrubs, for instance, as it appears, rue gilliflower bergamot-mint tufted thyme calamint. So the commonest ways of growth with all plants are from a piece torn off or from seed; for all plants that have seeds grow also from seed. And they say that the bay too grows from a piece torn off, if one takes off the young shoots and plants them; but it is necessary that the piece torn off should have part of the root or stock attched to it. However the pomegranate and 'spring apple' will grow even without this, and a slip of almond grows if it is planted. The olive grows, one may say, in more ways than any other plant; it grows from a piece of the trunk or of the stock, from the root, from a twig, and from a stake, as has been said. Of other plants the myrtle also can be propagated in weveral ways; for this too grows from pieces of wood and also from pieces of the stock. It is necessary however with this, as with the olive, to cut up the wood into pieces not less than a span long and not to strip off the bark.
Theophrastus也是庄子同时候的人啊,按他说,他经历了一整个时代(柏拉图亚
历斯多德亚历山大等),当然他对亚历山大还是很感愧的,因为亚提供他广阔的视
野与样本。这种军事范围是高级学述的基本前提吧。
这样,毕达哥拉斯学派还是显得左一些,但也可爱。就是Ovid明知胡撰,诗人嘛。
也还有维吉尔的农事诗,此前瓦罗与卡图都有农业论,就是卢克莱修也是主客观论
事的。这么说我说西方那个时代的眼力是不对的,文学,不能代表历史!
庄周(约前369-前286),Theophrastus (Greek: c. 370 – c. 285 BCE).
Please paste HTML code and press Enter.
(c) 2010 Maya Chilam Foundation