万物简史 第514期:丰富多彩的生命(10)

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He spent much of his leisure time penning long and flattering portraits of himself, 他花了很多业余时间来绘制和美化自己的肖像，

declaring that there had never "been a greater botanist¹ or zoologist," 宣称从来没有出过“一个更伟大的植物学家或动物学家”，

and that his system of classification was "the greatest achievement in the realm of science." 他的分类体系是“科学领域最伟大的成就”。

Modestly he suggested that his gravestone should bear the inscription² Princeps Botanicorum, "Prince of Botanists³." 他还谦虚地提出，他的墓碑上应当写上“植物王子”的墓志铭。

It was never wise to question his generous self-assessments. 对他的赞扬备至的自我评估提出质疑绝对不是一件明智的事。

Those who did so were apt to find they had weeds named after them. 这么做的人往往发现自己的名字被用来命名野草。

Linnaeus's other striking quality was an abiding⁴ — at times, one might say, a feverish⁵ — preoccupation with sex. 林奈的另一个鲜明特点是他持久不变地——有时候可以说是狂热地——对性感兴趣。

He was particularly struck by the similarity between certain bivalves and the female pudenda. 某些双壳类动物和女性外阴的相似性给他留下了尤其深刻的印象。

To the parts of one species of clam⁶ he gave the names vulva, labia, pubes, anus, and hymen. 有一种蛤蜊的一些部位他给起名为“外阴”、“阴唇”、“阴毛”、“肛门”，以及“处女膜”。

He grouped plants by the nature of their reproductive organs and endowed them with an arrestingly anthropomorphic amorousness⁷. 他按照生殖器官来对植物进行分类，把它描述述得会像人那样谈情说爱。

His descriptions of flowers and their behavior are full of references to "promiscuous⁸ intercourse," "barren concubines," and "the bridal bed." 他在描述花朵及其行为时，经常提到“乱交”、“不能生育的情妇”和“新婚之床”。

In spring, he wrote in one oft-quoted passage: 到了春天，他在一段经常被引用的话里写道：

Love comes even to the plants. Males and females ... hold their nuptials⁹ ... showing by their sexual organs which are males, which females. 爱情甚至来到植物中间。男男女女……举行婚礼……以性器官来显示谁是男的，谁是女的。

 

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