Are we sexual omnivores? | Christopher Ryan

譯者: Willy Feng 審譯者: Cynthia Lee

I'm going to go off script

我會脫稿演說，

and make Chris quite nervous here

克里斯肯定緊張。

by making this audience participation.

但我想讓觀眾參與。

All right. Are you with me? Yeah. Yeah. All right.

好的，你們有跟上我嗎? 有嗎?有嗎? 好的。

So what I'd like to do is have you raise your hand

我想要你們舉手，

if you've ever heard a heterosexual couple having sex.

如果你們曾經聽過一對異性伴侶做愛，

Could be the neighbors, hotel room,

可能是鄰居，在飯店

your parents. Sorry.

你的父母，抱歉。

Okay. Pretty much everybody.

好的，幾乎每個人都有聽過

Now raise your hand if the man was making

現在舉起你的手，

more noise than the woman.

如果男人比女人發出更多的聲音?

I see one guy there.

我看到有一個男生舉手。

It doesn't count if it was you, sir.

如果是你自己的話，就不算。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

So his hand's down. And one woman. Okay.

那位先生的手放下了，有一位女士舉手，

Sitting next to a loud guy.

她坐在一位很吵的先生旁邊。

Now what does this tell us?

這個告訴我們什麼?

It tells us that human beings

它告訴我們人類，

make noise when they have sex,

在做愛時發出聲音，

and it's generally the woman who makes more noise.

女生一般比男生發出更多聲音。

This is known as female copulatory vocalization

這就是女性的交配發聲。

to the clipboard crowd.

對科學家來說，

I wasn't even going to mention this,

我本來沒有要提到這個，

but somebody told me that Meg Ryan might be here,

但是有人告訴我梅格萊恩或許會在這裡，

and she is the world's most famous

她是世界上最知名的

female copulatory vocalizer.

女性交配發聲器。

So I thought, got to talk about that.

所以我後來想，應該要提到這個

We'll get back to that a little bit later.

我們稍後會再回到這個話題。

Let me start by saying human beings

一開始，我想說人類

are not descended from apes,

並不是來自於大猩猩。

despite what you may have heard. We are apes.

儘管你或許聽到這種說法，我們是大猩猩。

We are more closely related to the chimp and the bonobo

但人類和黑猩猩 還有倭黑猩猩之間的關連，

than the African elephant is to the Indian elephant,

比非洲象和印度象之間更為相近。

as Jared Diamond pointed out in one of his early books.

就像賈德戴蒙在他早期著作中指出的。

We're more closely related to chimps and bonobos

我們和黑猩猩和倭黑猩猩，

than chimps and bonobos are related

比和大猩猩和倭黑猩猩之間的關係更接近，

to any other primate --

比起任何其他靈長類動物。

gorillas, orangutans, what have you.

大猩猩，紅毛猩猩，你想得到的種類，

So we're extremely closely related to them,

所以我們非常接近黑猩猩和倭黑猩猩，

and as you'll see in terms of our behavior,

所以我們的行為，

we've got some relationship as well.

也和牠們有些接近。

So what I'm asking today, the question

所以我今天要問一個問題，

I want to explore with you today is,

我今天想要和你們一起探討的是，

what kind of ape are we in terms of our sexuality?

根據我們的性行為，我們是哪一種猩猩?

Now, since Darwin's day there's been

從達爾文演化論一直以來，

what Cacilda and I have called

卡欣達和我稱之為，

the standard narrative of human sexual evolution,

人類性演化的標準說法。

and you're all familiar with it,

你們對此也很熟悉，

even if you haven't read this stuff.

即使你沒有讀過，

The idea is that, as part of human nature,

這個說法的大意是，人類天性

from the beginning of our species' time,

從人類最初開始，

men have sort of leased women's reproductive potential

男人和女人建立一種契約關係， 女性有生育能力，

by providing them with certain goods and services.

所以男性提供某些物品和服務。

Generally we're talking about meat, shelter, status,

一般來說，我們說的是肉品、住所、地位、

protection, things like that.

保護，等等之類的。

And in exchange, women have offered fidelity,

作為交換，女人提供她們的忠誠，

or at least a promise of fidelity.

或至少忠誠的承諾。

Now this sets men and women up in an oppositional relationship.

這種說法把男性和女性 建立在對立的關係上，

The war between the sexes is built right into our DNA, according to this vision. Right?

根據這個理論，我們的基因 已經決定了兩性之間的對立，是嗎?

What Cacilda and I have argued is that no,

我和卡欣達持反對的立場，

this economic relationship,

因為這種利益的關係，

this oppositional relationship,

這種對立的關係，

is actually an artifact of agriculture,

是農業社會的產物。

which only arose about 10,000 years ago at the earliest.

而農業最早出現在1萬年以前，

Anatomically modern human beings

但從解剖學看，現代人類

have been around for about 200,000 years,

卻在20萬年前就出現。

so we're talking about five percent, at most,

所以農業時期只占 人類歷史百分之五的時間，最多。

of our time as a modern, distinct species.

在現代人類史中，

So before agriculture,

所以農業出現以前，

before the agricultural revolution,

農業革命之前，

it's important to understand that human beings

我們必須了解人類

lived in hunter-gatherer groups that are

生活在狩獵採集的群體中。

characterized wherever they're found in the world

獵人盡可能的在各處尋找獵物，

by what anthropologists called fierce egalitarianism.

人類學家稱之為: 競爭激烈的平等主義。

They not only share things,

他們不但共享物品，

they demand that things be shared:

他們要求物品要共享，

meat, shelter, protection, all these things

肉品、住所、保護，所有這些東西，

that were supposedly being traded to women

都應該作為交換女人忠誠的代價，但事實證明，

for their sexual fidelity, it turns out,

都應該作為交換女人忠誠的代價，但事實證明，

are shared widely among these societies.

狩獵採集部落共享所有以上的資源。

Now I'm not saying that our ancestors

我現在不是說我們的祖先，

were noble savages, and I'm not saying

是高貴的野蠻人，我也不是說

modern day hunter-gatherers are noble savages either.

現代的狩獵採集者是高貴的野蠻人。

What I'm saying is that this is simply

我所要表達的是，這僅僅

the best way to mitigate risk

是降低風險的方式。

in a foraging context.

在覓食的環境中，

And there's really no argument about this among anthropologists.

人類學家也同意這種說法。

All Cacilda and I have done is extend this sharing behavior to sexuality.

卡欣達和我一直以來所探討的是， 將這種共享行為延伸到性行為，

So we've argued that human sexuality

所以我們主張人們的性行為

has essentially evolved, until agriculture,

基本上已經演變為，直到農業出現

as a way of establishing and maintaining

建立和維護

the complex, flexible social systems, networks,

這種複雜且靈活的社會網絡系統的方式。

that our ancestors were very good at,

我們的祖先很擅長此方式，

and that's why our species has survived so well.

這也是為什麼人類可以存活下來的原因。

Now, this makes some people uncomfortable,

這個論點會讓一些人感到不舒服，

and so I always need to take a moment in these talks

所以我總需要在演說中， 花個幾分鐘解釋、

to say, listen,

聽著，

I'm saying our ancestors were promiscuous,

我是說我們的祖先是多重性伴侶的，

but I'm not saying they were having sex with strangers.

但我不是說他們和陌生人發生性關係，

There were no strangers. Right?

在他們之間沒有陌生人，對嗎?

In a hunter-gatherer band, there are no strangers.

在狩獵採集部落中，沒有陌生人。

You've known these people your entire life.

你和周圍的人都認識一輩子，

So I'm saying, yes, there were overlapping sexual relationships,

所以我會說， 是的，他們有重疊的性關係，

that our ancestors probably had several different sexual relationships

而且我們的祖先大概有數段不同的性關係，

going on at any given moment in their adult lives.

在他們的整個成年生活進行著。

But I'm not saying they were having sex with strangers.

但我不是說他們和陌生人發生性關係，

I'm not saying that they didn't love the people they were having sex with.

我不是說他們不愛和他們有性行為的人，

And I'm not saying there was no pair-bonding going on.

我不是說他們之間沒有伴侶的關係，

I'm just saying it wasn't sexually exclusive.

我只是說他們不只有一個性伴侶。

And those of us who have chosen to be monogamous --

我們之中，有人選了一夫一妻制，

my parents, for example, have been married

我的父母，舉例來說，已經結婚

for 52 years monogamously,

52年了。

and if it wasn't monogamously, Mom and Dad,

如果他們不是一夫一妻的話，爸爸媽媽

I don't want to hear about it—

我不想要聽。

I'm not criticizing this and I'm not saying

我不是在批評，我也不是在說

there's anything wrong with this.

這樣有什麼不對，

What I'm saying is that to argue

我想要表達的是，

that our ancestors were sexual omnivores

我們的祖先是多重性伴侶。

is no more a criticism of monogamy

我並不是批評一夫一妻制，

than to argue that our ancestors were dietary omnivores

就像我認為我們的祖先是雜食性，

is a criticism of vegetarianism.

不代表我批評素食主義，

You can choose to be a vegetarian,

你可以選擇當一位素食者，

but don't think that just because you've made that decision,

但你不應該認為因為你的決定，

bacon suddenly stops smelling good.

培根就突然聞起來不美味了。

Okay? So this is my point.

好嗎? 這就是我的論點。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

That one took a minute to sink in, huh?

這個笑話需要一些時間才能了解，是嗎?

Now, in addition to being a great genius,

除了是偉大的天才，

a wonderful man, a wonderful husband,

一位了不起的人， 一位很棒的丈夫，

a wonderful father, Charles Darwin

一位好父親，查爾斯達爾文

was also a world-class Victorian prude.

也是一位世界知名 維多利亞時期的保守人士。

All right? He was perplexed

好嗎? 達爾文感到困惑，

by the sexual swellings of certain primates,

他不瞭解某些靈長類動物的性器官的腫脹，

including chimps and bonobos,

包括黑猩猩和倭黑猩猩，

because these sexual swellings tend to provoke

因為牠們性器官的腫脹使得

many males to mate with the females.

一個雌性可以和很多雄性交配。

So he couldn't understand why on Earth would the female have developed this thing

達爾文無法理解為什麼性器官的腫脹 可以讓女性有多個性伴侶。

if all they were supposed to be doing is forming their pair bond, right?

如果男女是伴侶的關係，是嗎?

Chimps and bonobos, Darwin didn't really know this,

關於黑猩猩和倭黑猩猩， 達爾文不知道的是

but chimps and bonobos mate

黑猩猩和倭黑猩猩

one to four times per hour

每小時可以交配一到四次，

with up to a dozen males per day

一天可以和高達12個雄性進行交配，

when they have their sexual swellings.

當雌猩猩的性器官開始腫脹。

Interestingly, chimps have sexual swellings

有趣的是，黑猩猩經歷性器官腫脹的時間

through 40 percent, roughly,

大概占百分之四十，大略來說

of their menstrual cycle,

在牠們的月經周期，

bonobos 90 percent,

倭黑猩猩則有百分之九十的時間都是如此。

and humans are among the only species on the planet

而人類是靈長類動物之中，

where the female is available for sex

唯一，女性可以隨時有性行為，

throughout the menstrual cycle,

在整個月經周期，

whether she's menstruating, whether she's post-menopausal,

不管是月經期間，或是經期後，

whether she's already pregnant.

不管是不是懷孕。

This is vanishingly rare among mammals.

這在哺乳類動物中是少見的。

So it's a very interesting aspect of human sexuality.

這是人類性行為中有趣的特點。

Now, Darwin ignored the reflections

但達爾文忽略當時

of the sexual swelling in his own day,

關於性器官腫脹的意見，

as scientists tend to do sometimes.

如同科學家常常如此。

So what we're talking about is sperm competition.

我們談的是精液的競爭，

Now the average human ejaculate has about 300 million sperm cells,

一般男性射精時會有3億個精蟲，

so it's already a competitive environment.

所以這是個競爭的環境。

The question is whether these sperm are competing against other men's sperm

問題是，精蟲需要和 別的男性的精蟲競爭

or just their own.

或只是自己競爭?

There's a lot to talk about in this chart.

在這個圖表上，有很多東西可以討論。

The one thing I'll call your attention to right away

唯一一件事我想要你們注意的是，

is the little musical note above the female chimp and bonobo and human.

投影片上雌性黑猩猩， 倭黑猩猩和人類頭上的小音符，

That indicates female copulatory vocalization.

代表牠們的雌性性交發聲，

Just look at the numbers.

看一下這些數據，

The average human has sex

人類性交的平均次數是

about 1,000 times per birth.

一生一千次。

If that number seems high for some of you,

如果這個數字對一些人來說太多了，

I assure you it seems low for others in the room.

我保證這個數字對 這個房間的另一些人來說太少了。

We share that ratio with chimps and bonobos.

人類和黑猩猩和倭黑猩猩的性交次數相近，

We don't share it with the other three apes,

但和其他三種猩猩不同。

the gorilla, the orangutan and the gibbon,

大猩猩，猩猩和長臂猿

who are more typical of mammals,

這三種都是典型的哺乳類動物。

having sex only about a dozen times per birth.

牠們一生的性交次數大約是12次。

Humans and bonobos are the only animals that have sex face-to-face

再來，人類和倭黑猩猩是 唯一會面對面性交的動物。

when both of them are alive.

當兩方都是活著的時候。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

And you'll see that the human, chimp and bonobo

而且，人類，黑猩猩和倭黑猩猩

all have external testicles, which in our book

都有外露的睾丸，在我們的著作裡，

we equate to a special fridge you have in the garage

我們把它比喻成你放在車庫的特殊冰箱，

just for beer.

只冰啤酒，

If you're the kind of guy who has a beer fridge

如果你是那種男性， 在車庫裡有專門放啤酒的冰箱。

in the garage, you expect a party to happen

你隨時都可以舉辦派對，

at any moment, and you need to be ready.

所以你需要準備好。

That's what the external testicles are.

這就是外露睪丸的功用。

They keep the sperm cells cool

這使得精蟲細胞能保持涼爽，

so you can have frequent ejaculations.

所以才可以頻繁的射精。

I'm sorry. It's true.

不好意思， 但這是事實。

The human, some of you will be happy to hear,

有些人會很高興地聽到，

has the largest, thickest penis of any primate.

人類在所有靈長類動物中， 擁有最大最粗的陰莖。

Now, this evidence goes way beyond anatomy.

這個證據不僅在解剖學上被證實，

It goes into anthropology as well.

它也在人類學中被證實。

Historical records are full of accounts of people

歷史記載也記錄了

around the world who have sexual practices

世界各地的性行為，

that should be impossible

根據我們原先的推論，

given what we have assumed about human sexual evolution.

在人類性行為的演化中 是不可能發生的。

These women are the Mosuo from southwestern China.

中國西南方的摩梭族女性，

In their society, everyone, men and women,

在他們的社會中， 每個人，男人和女人

are completely sexually autonomous.

都是性自主的。

There's no shame associated with sexual behavior.

性行為從來不是可恥的，

Women have hundreds of partners.

女人可以有數百個性伴侶。

It doesn't matter. Nobody cares. Nobody gossips. It's not an issue.

這並不重要，沒有人在乎 沒有人八卦，這不是個問題。

When the woman becomes pregnant,

當女人懷孕時，

the child is cared for by her, her sisters, and her brothers.

小孩由母親， 母親的姊妹和兄弟照顧。

The biological father is a nonissue.

誰是生父並不重要。

On the other side of the planet, in the Amazon,

在地球的另一端， 在亞馬遜，

we've got many tribes which practice

我們現在得知許多部落有著

what anthropologists call partible paternity.

人類學家稱之為 可分的父權制度，

These people actually believe --

這些人確實相信--

and they have no contact among them,

這些部落之間彼此沒有聯繫，

no common language or anything,

沒有共同語言或任何東西。

so it's not an idea that spread,

所以這個觀念並沒有被傳播，

it's an idea that's arisen around the world --

但這個想法在世界各地都出現。

they believe that a fetus is literally made

人們相信胎兒是

of accumulated semen.

從累積的精液中產生的。

So a woman who wants to have a child

如果一個女人想要一個孩子，

who's smart and funny and strong

既聰明，有趣，又強壯

makes sure she has lots of sex with the smart guy,

她會確認她分別和聰明

the funny guy and the strong guy,

有趣，和強壯的男人有很多次的性行為。

to get the essence of each of these men into the baby,

為了讓她的孩子擁有這些男人的特質。

and then when the child is born,

當小孩出生時，

these different men will come forward

這些男人會上前

and acknowledge their paternity of the child.

去承認他們是孩子的父親。

So paternity is actually sort of a team endeavor

所以父權是團隊努力的結果。

in this society.

在他們的社會中，

So there are all sorts of examples like this

我們可以找到很多類似的例子。

that we go through in the book.

當我們查閱文獻，

Now, why does this matter?

但這有什麼重要的?

Edward Wilson says we need to understand

艾德華威爾森說過: 我們需要了解，

that human sexuality is first a bonding device

人類的性行為首要是形成親密關係的機制，

and only secondarily procreation.

其次才是生育。

I think that's true. This matters because

我想這是事實， 這是重要的。

our evolved sexuality is in direct conflict

因為我們演化的性觀念，

with many aspects of the modern world.

和世界很多地方的觀念衝突。

The contradictions between what we're told

我們被告知，

we should feel and what we actually do feel

我們應該如何感受， 和我們真實的感覺有很大的不同。

generates a huge amount of unnecessary suffering.

我們因此被這些不必要的矛盾所困擾。

My hope is that a more accurate,

我希望我們能了解更正確，

updated understanding of human sexuality

更現代的人類性行為。

will lead us to have greater tolerance for ourselves,

這會讓我們更包容自己，

for each other,

和包容彼此。

greater respect for unconventional relationship configurations

更能接納非傳統的關係組合。

like same-sex marriage or polyamorous unions,

例如，同性婚姻或是多重伴侶，

and that we'll finally put to rest the idea

然後，我們會摒棄所謂的觀念，

that men have some innate, instinctive right

認為男性擁有與生俱來的權力，

to monitor and control women's sexual behavior.

去監視和控制女性的性行為。

(Applause)

(掌聲)

Thank you.

謝謝。

And we'll see that it's not only gay people

我們會了解不是只有同性戀者，

that have to come out of the closet.

需要出櫃，

We all have closets we have to come out of. Right?

我們都有衣櫃需要出去， 對吧?

And when we do come out of those closets,

當我們走出我們的衣櫃，

we'll recognize that our fight is not with each other,

我們會了解到我們要對抗的不是彼此，

our fight is with an outdated, Victorian sense of human sexuality

而是那些過時， 維多利亞時期的人類性行為的觀念。

that conflates desire with property rights,

那些將慾望和財產合為一體的觀念。

generates shame and confusion

這讓我們感到羞恥和困惑，

in place of understanding and empathy.

而不是了解和同情。

It's time we moved beyond Mars and Venus,

是時候我們要離開火星和金星 (認為男女是對立的關係)。

because the truth is

因為，事實是

that men are from Africa

男人來自非洲，

and women are from Africa.

女人也來自非洲。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

(掌聲)

Chris Anderson: Thank you. Christopher Ryan: Thank you.

克里斯安德森: 謝謝， 克里斯多福瑞德: 謝謝。

CA: So a question.

克里斯安德森: 我有一個問題，

It's so perplexing, trying to use arguments

我覺得這有點讓人難以了解， 因為你嘗試用

about evolutionary history

演化歷史

to turn that into what we ought to do today.

來告訴當今的我們應該如何做。

Someone could give a talk and say,

別人也可以說

look at us, we've got these really sharp teeth

看看我們， 我們有這些尖銳的牙齒，

and muscles and a brain that's really good

肌肉，和頭腦，這些都讓我們

at throwing weapons,

擅長丟擲武器，

and if you look at lots of societies around the world,

然後如果你看看世界各地許多的社會，

you'll see very high rates of violence.

你會看到暴力發生的比率非常高，

Nonviolence is a choice like vegetarianism,

所以非暴力就像素食主義一樣少，

but it's not who you are.

但這不代表你是誰。

How is that different

以上的論述，

from the talk you gave?

和你的演說有什麼不同?

CR: Well first of all, the evidence

克里斯多福瑞德: 首先，

for high levels of violence in prehistory

有關史前 高暴力發生率的證據，

is very debatable.

這還有待商榷，

But that's just an example.

這只是一個例子，

Certainly, you know, lots of people say to me,

當然，很多人和我說，

just because we lived a certain way in the past

不能因為我們以前的某種生活方式，

doesn't mean we should live that way now, and I agree with that.

就表示我們應該也要如此生活。 我同意這種看法。

Everyone has to respond to the modern world.

每個人都需要對現代的世界做出回應。

But the body does have its inherent

但是， 身體確實有其與生俱來的

evolved trajectories.

演變軌跡。

And so you could live on McDonald's and milkshakes,

你可以只吃麥當勞和奶昔，

but your body will rebel against that. We have appetites.

但你的身體會抗議， 我們有慾望，

I think it was Schopenhauer who said,

我想這就是叔本華所說的，

a person can do what they want

一個人可以做任何他們想做的事，

but not want what they want.

但現代的社會規範讓他們無法隨心所欲。

And so what I'm arguing against

所以這就是我反對

is the shame that's associated with desires.

將羞恥和慾望連結在一起。

It's the idea that if you love your husband or wife

也就是說，你愛你的丈夫或妻子，

but you still are attracted to other people,

但你還是會被其他人所吸引，

there's something wrong with you,

所以表示你有問題，

there's something wrong with your marriage,

你的婚姻有問題，

something wrong with your partner.

你的伴侶有問題。

I think a lot of families are fractured

我想很多家庭破碎，

by unrealistic expectations

因為不實際的期待

that are based upon this false vision of human sexuality.

建立在 對人類性行為有錯誤的見解。

That's what I'm trying to get at.

這是我試圖要解釋的。

CA: Thank you. Communicated powerfully. Thanks a lot.

克里斯安德森: 謝謝。 這是很撼動人心的演說， 非常感謝。

CR: Thank you, Chris. (Applause)

克里斯多福瑞德: 謝謝，克里斯 (掌聲)。