万物简史 第518期:丰富多彩的生命(14)

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Not everyone embraced the system warmly. 然而，不是人人都热情地赞成那种体系。

Many were disturbed by its tendency toward indelicacy, 许多人为这个体系往往比较粗俗而感到不安。

which was slightly ironic¹ as before Linnaeus the common names of many plants and animals had been heartily² vulgar. 这有点儿讽刺意味，因为在林奈之前，许多植物和动物的俗名也是很低级的。

The dandelion was long popularly known as the "pissabed" because of its supposed diuretic properties, 蒲公英被认为具有利尿作用，因此在很长时间里被从们称做“尿壶”。

and other names in everyday use included mare's fart, naked ladies, twitch-ballock, hound's piss, open arse, and bum-towel. 别的常用的名称包括母马之屁、裸体小姐、抽动的睾丸、猎狗之尿、光屁股和大便巾。

One or two of these earthy appellations³ may unwittingly survive in English yet. 一两个这类粗俗的名称也许在无意中还保留在英语里。

The "maidenhair" in maidenhair moss⁴, for instance, does not refer to the hair on the maiden's head. 比如，少女之发苔藓（即铁线苔藓）中的“少女之发”并不是指少女头上的头发。

At all events, it had long been felt that the natural sciences would be appreciably⁵ dignified⁶ by a dose of classical renaming, 总之，长期以来人们觉得，自然科学里有的名称应当以传统的方式来重新命名，使之更加严肃。

so there was a certain dismay in discovering that the self-appointed Prince of Botany had sprinkled his texts with such designations as Cliforia, Fornicata, and Fulva. 因此，当他们发现那位自封的植物王子竟然在他的作品里不时插入阴蒂属、性交属和外阴属这类名称，大家不免觉得有点儿不快。

Over the years many of these were quietly dropped 在随后的年月里，许多这类名称渐渐地被弃之不用

(though not all: the common slipper⁷ limpet still answers on formal occasions to Crepidula fornicata) （虽然不是全部：普通的笠贝在正式场合仍被称做性交履螺属），

and many other refinements⁸ introduced as the needs of the natural sciences grew more specialized⁹. 为了满足自然科学越来越专门化的需要，又引入了许多别的高雅名称。

In particular the system was bolstered¹⁰ by the gradual introduction of additional hierarchies¹¹. 尤其是，那个体系又渐渐采纳了一批等级名称作为基本架构。

 

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