Who is Alexander von Humboldt? - George Mehler

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

翻译人员: Minji Seo 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

I would like to introduce you

容我向你们介绍

to one of the most amazing scientists

这世界上最令人赞叹的

who have ever lived.

科学家之一。

So famous, that more places on Earth

他名扬四海，以致于世界各地

have been named after him than any human being.

以他的名字命名的地名多于任何人。

So famous, that President Thomas Jefferson

甚至连美国前总统托马斯．杰斐逊

said he was the most important scientist he ever met.

都曾说他是自己见过的 最有名望的科学家。

And Simon Bolivar called him the true discoverer of South America.

西蒙．玻利瓦格（译注：南美独立革命先驱） 称他为真正发现南美洲的人。

On the 100th anniversary of his birth,

他百年诞辰时，

every story on the front page of <i>The New York Times</i>

纽约时报头版上

was written about him.

每一则都是关于他的报导，

Who is this scientist

这位科学家是谁，

and what did he do that was so extraordinary?

他到底有什么丰功伟绩？

His name is Alexander Von Humboldt.

他的名字是亚历山大·冯·洪堡。 (Alexander Van Humboldt)

Never heard of him?

没听过他的名字?

Most people haven't.

大部分的人都没听过。

His name has been lost in history,

他的名字已淹没在历史长河中，

but here is what he did.

以下就是他的生平。

Alexander Von Humboldt started as a practicing geologist,

洪堡一开始是位地质学家，

but when an inheritance allowed him the freedom to travel,

当他继承了一笔遗产， 能够到处旅行时，

he began an incredible, five-year scientific journey

他踏上了一个长达五年的科学之旅，

through South America,

探险南美大陆，

Mexico,

墨西哥，

and Cuba.

以及古巴。

From 1799 to 1804,

自1799年至1804年，

Von Humboldt and his botonist partner, Aime Bonpland,

洪堡和他的伙伴， 植物学家埃梅．邦普兰

traveled through the jungles of Venezuela,

踏遍委内瑞拉的丛林，

made detailed drawings of Inca ruins

在秘鲁的山区中

while exploring the mountains of Peru,

详细绘图纪录了古印加遗迹，

and traversed the breadth of Mexico and Cuba.

并横越了墨西哥及古巴。

He explored the length of the Orinoco River in Venezuela.

他全程探索了委内瑞拉的俄里诺柯河。

This 1700 mile portion of the trip

这段长达 1700 英里的冒险

was filled with danger, disease, and fantastic new discoveries.

充满着危机、疾病和 令人惊奇的新发现。

For example, Von Humboldt was the first explorer

例如，洪堡是第一位目睹了原住民

to witness the preparation of the curare plant for poison arrows.

利用箭毒马鞍子植物 准备毒箭的探险家。

He recognized the importance of the cinchona tree,

他发现了金鸡纳树的重要用途，

whose bark contains quinine,

其树皮含有奎宁，

which is a malaria cure,

能够治疗疟疾，

and discovered the ocean current,

他还发现了限制秘鲁

which limits rainfall on the coast of Peru,

沿岸雨量的洋流，

later named the Humboldt Current.

之后被命名为洪堡洋流。

He discovered and described many new species of plants and animals,

他发现并描述了许多新物种，

including the electric eel.

包括电鳗。

In Ecuador, he climbed the one of the highest volcanoes, Chimborazo,

在厄瓜多尔，他攀登了 最高的火山之一，钦伯拉索山，

so that he could record air pressure,

以测量大气压力，

something no one had ever done at this altitude.

当时从未有人在如此高海拔测量气压。

The entire journey covered over 24,000 miles,

他的整趟旅程长达两万四千英里，

the same distance as the circumference of the Earth.

等同于绕地球一圈的距离。

Along the way, he took measurements

途中，他测量并记录了

about the shape of the land,

地形的变化，

its temperature,

温度，

the air pressure,

气压，

and the strength of magnetic fields.

和地球磁场强度。

By connecting places of identical temperatures,

他将拥有相同温度的地点 在地图上连接起来，

he created contour maps with lines of similar temperatures,

创造了世界上第一幅 标注了相似温度曲线的地图。

which he called "isotherms".

他将之命名为 " 等温线 "。

Because Humboldt invented these maps,

多亏洪堡发明了这种地图，

scientists began to see patterns

科学家开始发现

in the life

生物的分布模式，

and the types of life

世界上各种生物

present in certain places,

都出现在特定的区域，

and he became a pioneer

洪堡成为了

in the visual presentation of scientific data.

将科学数据进行 视觉表现的先驱。

These discoveries and measurements were critical

他的发明和测绘的数据

to what made him such an important scientist.

证明了为何他是如此重要的科学家。

Until Humboldt, scientists who described new plants and animals

在洪堡之前的时代， 发现新物种的科学家们

did not clearly see the crucial connection

并不了解各种生物

between living things

以及其所栖息的地带，

and the places in which they lived,

也就是所谓的“栖息地”

called habitats.

之间重要的关连性。

They did not appreciate the role of the environment

他们并未重视环境对于

on the diversity of life.

生物多样性的影响。

Humboldt discovered and understood the importance

洪堡发现并了解了

of these connections.

这些关联的重要性。

Because of this,

he is considered the founder of biogeography.

因此，

他被视为生物地里学之父。

He also developed a theory called the "Unity of Nature,"

他还提出了名为 "自然统一性 "的理论，

which shows the interconnectedness of all nature.

描述了自然界万物如何环环相扣。

This knowledge plays a vital role

这个理论大大影响了

in the preservation and protection of our habitat.

现今我们对栖息地的保护工作。

His book, <i>Cosmos</i>, describes this theory

他所著的《宇宙》阐述了这个理论，

and is still in print today.

如今仍旧在出版发行中。

As celebrated a scientist as he was,

虽然是位有名的科学家，

Von Humboldt was also generous,

洪堡仍然非常慷慨地

thus serving another role in the world.

乐于扮演其他角色。

He was the mentor and teacher to younger scientists.

他指导了许多年轻科学家。

In fact, just recently it was discovered

事实上，最近更有人发现，

the crucial role that Humboldt played in the work

洪堡的思想大大影响了

of his most famous pen-pal,

他最有名的笔友：

Charles Darwin.

查尔斯．达尔文。

A young Darwin read Humboldt extensively

达尔文年轻时大量 阅读了洪堡德的著作，

and wrote in his diary while on the Beagle,

他曾在小猎犬号上的日记中写道，

"I am at present fit only to read Humboldt.

" 我现在只能研读洪堡的著作。

He, like another sun, illuminates everything I behold."

他如太阳一般照亮了我眼前的道路。"

Today, although Humboldt is known and revered

现今，虽然洪堡仍在

by a small community of scientists,

小的科学社群中被景仰，

he is almost totally forgotten by many of us.

但却已被多数大众所遗忘。

Alexander Von Humboldt's influence is apparent

洪堡的影响无处不在，

everywhere and in every scientific discipline.

贯穿了所有的科学领域。

He is, perhaps, the most important forgotten man of science.

他也许是被遗忘的科学家中最重要的。

But he doesn't have to be,

但他并不需始终如此，

because if you remember him,

因为如果你记得他，

perhaps his influence will be celebrated.

也许他的贡献就会被赞颂。