(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Well, because we're not monkeys,

嗯，那是因為我們不是猴子

we're fish.

我們是魚

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Now, knowing you're a fish and not a monkey

事實上，得知你是魚而非猴子

is actually really important to understanding where we came from.

其實是了解我們從何而來的重要認知

I teach one of the largest evolutionary biology classes in the US,

我在美國任教其中一個最大的演化生物學課程

and when my students finally understand why I call them fish all the time,

而當我的學生終於了解為什麼我總是稱他們為魚時

then I know I'm getting my job done.

那就是我教書成功的結果了

But I always have to start my classes by dispelling some hardwired myths,

但在課程一開始，我總需要先破解一些根深柢固的迷思

because without really knowing it, many of us were taught evolution wrong.

因為若是保有迷思，我們許多人學到的演化論就都是錯誤的

For instance, we're taught to say "the theory of evolution."

舉個例子，我們被教導稱之為「演化論」

There are actually many theories, and just like the process itself,

但就如同過程本身，理論其實也有很多個

the ones that best fit the data are the ones that survive to this day.

其中最符合已知結果的則存留至今

The one we know best is Darwinian natural selection.

我們最熟知的就是達爾文的物競天擇

That's the process by which organisms that best fit an environment

在那過程，最適應環境的生物機制

survive and get to reproduce,

得以存活並且繁衍

while those that are less fit slowly die off.

而那些不那麼適應的則漸漸滅絕

And that's it.

全部也就這樣了

Evolution is as simple as that, and it's a fact.

演化就是那麼簡單，事實就是如此

Evolution is a fact as much as the "theory of gravity."

演化是個事實，就如同「萬有引力」也是

You can prove it just as easily.

你很簡單就可以證實它

You just need to look at your bellybutton

只需要看看你的肚臍

that you share with other placental mammals,

那是你和其他哺乳動物所共有的

or your backbone that you share with other vertebrates,

或是你和其他脊椎動物共有的脊椎

or your DNA that you share with all other life on earth.

或是你和地球上其他生物共有的基因遺傳分子

Those traits didn't pop up in humans.

這些特質並不是突然出現在人類身上的

They were passed down from different ancestors

它們是自不同祖先傳承下來

to all their descendants, not just us.

到他們所有的後代身上，不只是我們

But that's not really how we learn biology early on, is it?

但那不是我們一開始學習生物學到的，是吧？

We learn plants and bacteria are primitive things,

我們學到植物和細菌是原始的東西

and fish give rise to amphibians followed by reptiles and mammals,

魚類衍生出兩棲類，隨之而來的有爬蟲類和哺乳類

and then you get you,

然後就有了你

this perfectly evolved creature at the end of the line.

在這條線最末端的完美進化生物

But life doesn't evolve in a line,

但是生命並非一直線演進

and it doesn't end with us.

也並非結束於我們

But we're always shown evolution portrayed something like this,

但我們總是會看到演化論如此描繪

a monkey and a chimpanzee,

一隻猴子和一隻猩猩

some extinct humans,

一些絕種的人類

all on a forward and steady march to becoming us.

全部在一個穩定前進的步伐中，最後成為我們

But they don't become us any more than we would become them.

但是他們成為我們或是我們成為他們，兩者其實相距不遠

We're also not the goal of evolution.

我們也並非演化的最終目標

But why does it matter?

但那為什麼重要呢？

Why do we need to understand evolution the right way?

為什麼我們需要有對於演化論的正確認知？

Well, misunderstanding evolution has led to many problems,

那是因為錯誤的演化論認知導致了許多問題

but you can't ask that age-old question,

但你若非知道了正確的演化論

"Where are we from?"

就不能問出那個古老問題：

without understanding evolution the right way.

「我們從何而來？」

Misunderstanding it has led to many convoluted and corrupted views

錯誤的認知招致許多令人費解且敗壞的觀點

of how we should treat other life on earth,

這些有關我們如何對待地球上其他生物

and how we should treat each other

以及我們在種族和性別的前提上

in terms of race and gender.

又該如何對待彼此

So let's go back four billion years.

所以，讓我們退回到四十億年前

This is the single-celled organism we all came from.

這是我們一開始的起點，一個單細胞有機體

At first, it gave rise to other single-celled life,

起初，牠造就了其他單細胞生物

but these are still evolving to this day,

不過這些直到現今都還在演化

and some would say the Archaea and Bacteria

有些人會說群體中最大數量的

that make up most of this group

古菌和細菌

is the most successful on the planet.

會是這星球上最成功的一群

They are certainly going to be here well after us.

在我們之後牠們肯定還會繼續在地球上存活

About three billion years ago, multicellularity evolved.

大約三十億年前，演化出了多細胞生物

This includes your fungi and your plants and your animals.

這包含了菌類、植物和動物

The first animals to develop a backbone were fishes.

首先發展出脊椎的動物是魚類

So technically, all vertebrates are fishes,

所以學術上來講，所有脊椎動物都是魚

so technically, you and I are fish.

學術上來講，你和我都是魚

So don't say I didn't warn you.

別說我沒有先說過哦

One fish lineage came onto land

其中一支魚類上到陸地

and gave rise to, among other things, the mammals and reptiles.

帶來了一系列東西，其中有哺乳動物和爬蟲類

Some reptiles become birds, some mammals become primates,

有些爬蟲類變成鳥類，有些哺乳動物變成靈長類

some primates become monkeys with tails,

一些靈長類成為有尾巴的猴子

and others become the great apes, including a variety of human species.

其他則成為大猩猩，包括多種的人類品種

So you see, we didn't evolve from monkeys,

所以你看，我們並非演化自猴子

but we do share a common ancestor with them.

但我們和牠們的確擁有一些共通的祖先

All the while, life around us kept evolving:

在此期間，我們周遭的生命持續演化：

more bacteria, more fungi, lots of fish, fish, fish.

更多的細菌、菌類，許多的魚、魚、魚

If you couldn't tell -- yes, they're my favorite group.

以免你不知道 -- 是的，牠們是我最愛的一類

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

As life evolves, it also goes extinct.

生命演化的同時，也會有生命滅絕

Most species just last for a few million years.

多數物種只延續了幾百萬年

So you see, most life on earth that we see around us today

所以你知道了，多數我們現在在地球上看到的生物

are about the same age as our species.

都和我們品種差不多年老

So it's hubris, it's self-centered to think,

所以這種想法其實是傲慢、自我中心的

"Oh, plants and bacteria are primitive,

認為「植物和細菌都很原始

and we've been here for an evolutionary minute,

我們是才剛演化出來的生物

so we're somehow special."

所以我們自然特殊。」

Think of life as being this book, an unfinished book for sure.

試著把生命想成一本書，一本當然還未完成的書

We're just seeing the last few pages of each chapter.

我們只是看到了每一章節的最後幾頁

If you look out on the eight million species

如果你放眼展望和我們分享這顆星球的

that we share this planet with,

八百萬種生物品種

think of them all being four billion years of evolution.

把牠們視為四十億年演化的存在

They're all the product of that.

牠們全是演化的成品

Think of us all as young leaves on this ancient and gigantic tree of life,

把我們想成是這棵巨大古老生命樹上的年輕嫩葉

all of us connected by invisible branches not just to each other,

隱形的枝幹連接我們全部，不只是我們彼此

but to our extinct relatives and our evolutionary ancestors.

也包含了我們已滅絕的親屬物種和我們演化的祖先

As a biologist, I'm still trying to learn, with others,

作為一個生物學家，我還在試著和其他人學習

how everyone's related to each other, who is related to whom.

每個人和彼此的連接，誰又跟誰有關聯

Perhaps it's better still

或許就把我們想成是

to think of us as a little fish out of water.

出水的小魚還比較好

Yes, one that learned to walk and talk,

沒錯，是一個還在學習走路和說話的個體

but one that still has a lot of learning to do

還有許多有待學習

about who we are and where we came from.

有待釐清我們是誰、我們從何而來

Thank you.

謝謝

(Applause)

(掌聲)