the story of mankind-第3节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



them。



In　the　beginning；　the　planet　upon　which　we　live　was　（as　far

as　we　now　know）　a　large　ball　of　flaming　matter；　a　tiny　cloud　of

smoke　in　the　endless　ocean　of　space。　Gradually；　in　the　course

of　millions　of　years；　the　surface　burned　itself　out；　and　was　covered

with　a　thin　layer　of　rocks。　Upon　these　lifeless　rocks　the

rain　descended　in　endless　torrents；　wearing　out　the　hard

granite　and　carrying　the　dust　to　the　valleys　that　lay　hidden　between

the　high　cliffs　of　the　steaming　earth。



Finally　the　hour　came　when　the　sun　broke　through　the

clouds　and　saw　how　this　little　planet　was　covered　with　a　few

small　puddles　which　were　to　develop　into　the　mighty　oceans　of

the　eastern　and　western　hemispheres。



Then　one　day　the　great　wonder　happened。　What　had　been

dead；　gave　birth　to　life。



The　first　living　cell　floated　upon　the　waters　of　the　sea。



For　millions　of　years　it　drifted　aimlessly　with　the　currents。

But　during　all　that　time　it　was　developing　certain　habits　that

it　might　survive　more　easily　upon　the　inhospitable　earth。　Some

of　these　cells　were　happiest　in　the　dark　depths　of　the　lakes　and

the　pools。　They　took　root　in　the　slimy　sediments　which　had

been　carried　down　from　the　tops　of　the　hills　and　they　became

plants。　Others　preferred　to　move　about　and　they　grew

strange　jointed　legs；　like　scorpions　and　began　to　crawl　along

the　bottom　of　the　sea　amidst　the　plants　and　the　pale　green　things

that　looked　like　jelly…fishes。　Still　others　（covered　with　scales）

depended　upon　a　swimming　motion　to　go　from　place　to　place

in　their　search　for　food；　and　gradually　they　populated　the　ocean

with　myriads　of　fishes。



Meanwhile　the　plants　had　increased　in　number　and　they　had

to　search　for　new　dwelling　places。　There　was　no　more　room

for　them　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea。　Reluctantly　they　left　the

water　and　made　a　new　home　in　the　marshes　and　on　the　mud…

banks　that　lay　at　the　foot　of　the　mountains。　Twice　a　day　the

tides　of　the　ocean　covered　them　with　their　brine。　For　the　rest

of　the　time；　the　plants　made　the　best　of　their　uncomfortable

situation　and　tried　to　survive　in　the　thin　air　which　surrounded

the　surface　of　the　planet。　After　centuries　of　training；　they

learned　how　to　live　as　comfortably　in　the　air　as　they　had　done　in

the　water。　They　increased　in　size　and　became　shrubs　and　trees

and　at　last　they　learned　how　to　grow　lovely　flowers　which

attracted　the　attention　of　the　busy　big　bumble…bees　and　the

birds　who　carried　the　seeds　far　and　wide　until　the　whole　earth

had　become　covered　with　green　pastures；　or　lay　dark　under　the

shadow　of　the　big　trees。　But　some　of　the　fishes　too

had　begun　to　leave　the　sea；　and　they　had　learned　how　to　breathe

with　lungs　as　well　as　with　gills。　We　call　such　creatures　amphibious；

which　means　that　they　are　able　to　live　with　equal　ease　on　the　land

and　in　the　water。　The　first　frog　who　crosses　your　path　can　tell　you

all　about　the　pleasures　of　the　double　existence　of　the　amphibian。



Once　outside　of　the　water；　these　animals　gradually　adapted

themselves　more　and　more　to　life　on　land。　Some　became　reptiles

（creatures　who　crawl　like　lizards）　and　they　shared　the

silence　of　the　forests　with　the　insects。　That　they　might　move

faster　through　the　soft　soil；　they　improved　upon　their　legs

and　their　size　increased　until　the　world　was　populated　with

gigantic　forms　（which　the　hand…books　of　biology　list　under

the　names　of　Ichthyosaurus　and　Megalosaurus　and　Brontosaurus）

who　grew　to　be　thirty　to　forty　feet　long　and　who　could　have

played　with　elephants　as　a　full　grown　cat　plays　with　her　kittens。



Some　of　the　members　of　this　reptilian　family　began　to　live　in

the　tops　of　the　trees；　which　were　then　often　more　than　a　hundred

feet　high。　They　no　longer　needed　their　legs　for　the　purpose

of　walking；　but　it　was　necessary　for　them　to　move　quickly　from

branch　to　branch。　And　so　they　changed　a　part　of　their　skin

into　a　sort　of　parachute；　which　stretched　between　the　sides　of

their　bodies　and　the　small　toes　of　their　fore…feet；　and　gradually

they　covered　this　skinny　parachute　with　feathers　and　made

their　tails　into　a　steering　gear　and　flew　from　tree　to　tree　and

developed　into　true　birds。



Then　a　strange　thing　happened。　All　the　gigantic　reptiles

died　within　a　short　time。　We　do　not　know　the　reason。　Perhaps

it　was　due　to　a　sudden　change　in　climate。　Perhaps　they

had　grown　so　large　that　they　could　neither　swim　nor　walk　nor

crawl；　and　they　starved　to　death　within　sight　but　not　within

reach　of　the　big　ferns　and　trees。　Whatever　the　cause；　the

million　year　old　world…empire　of　the　big　reptiles　was　over。



The　world　now　began　to　be　occupied　by　very　different

creatures。　They　were　the　descendants　of　the　reptiles　but　they

were　quite　unlike　these　because　they　fed　their　young　from　the

‘‘mammae''　or　the　breasts　of　the　mother。　Wherefore　modern

science　calls　these　animals　‘‘mammals。''　They　had　shed　the

scales　of　the　fish。　They　did　not　adopt　the　feathers　of　the　bird；

but　they　covered　their　bodies　with　hair。　The　mammals　however

developed　other　habits　which　gave　their　race　a　great　advantage

over　the　other　animals。　The　female　of　the　species

carried　the　eggs　of　the　young　inside　her　body　until　they　were

hatched　and　while　all　other　living　beings；　up　to　that　time；　had

left　their　children　exposed　to　the　dangers　of　cold　and　heat；

and　the　attacks　of　wild　beasts；　the　mammals　kept　their　young

with　them　for　a　long　time　and　sheltered　them　while　they　were

still　too　weak　to　fight　their　enemies。　In　this　way　the　young

mammals　were　given　a　much　better　chance　to　survive；　because

they　learned　many　things　from　their　mothers；　as　you　will　know

if　you　have　ever　watched　a　cat　teaching　her　kittens　to　take

care　of　themselves　and　how　to　wash　their　faces　and　how　to

catch　mice。



But　of　these　mammals　I　need　not　tell　you　much　for　you

know　them　well。　They　surround　you　on　all　sides。　They　are

your　daily　companions　in　the　streets　and　in　your　home；　and　you

can　see　your　less　familiar　cousins　behind　the　bars　of　the　zoological

garden。



And　now　we　come　to　the　parting　of　the　ways　when　man

suddenly　leaves　the　endless　procession　of　dumbly　living　and

dying　creatures　and　begins　to　use　his　reason　to　shape　the

destiny　of　his　race。



One　mammal　in　particular　seemed　to　surpass　all　others　in

its　ability　to　find　food　and　shelter。　It　had　learned　to　use　its

fore…feet　for　the　purpose　of　holding　its　prey；　and　by　dint　of

practice　it　had　developed　a　hand…like　claw。　After　innumerable

attempts　it　had　learned　how　to　balance　the　whole　of　the

body　upon　the　hind　legs。　（This　is　a　difficult　act；　which　every

child　has　to　learn　anew　although　the　human　race　has　been

doing　it　for　over　a　million　years。）



This　creature；　half　ape　and　half　monkey　but　superior　to

both；　became　the　most　successful　hunter　and　could　make　a

living　in　every　clime。　For　greater　safety；　it　usually　moved

about　in　groups。　It　learned　how　to　make　strange　grunts　to

warn　its　young　of　approaching　danger　and　after　many　hundreds

of　thousands　of　years　it　began　to　use　these　throaty　noises

for　the　purpose　of　talking。



This　creature；　though　you　may　hardly　believe　it；　was　your

first　‘‘man…like''　ancestor。







OUR　EARLIEST　ANCESTORS





WE　know　very　little　about　the　first　‘‘true''　men。　We　have

never　seen　their　pictures。　In　the　deepest　layer　of　clay　of　an

ancient　soil　we　have　sometimes　found　pieces　of　their　bones。

These　lay　buried　amidst　the　broken　skeletons　of　other　animals

that　have　long　since　disappeared　from　the　face　of　the　earth。

Anthropologists　（learned　scientists　who　devote　their　lives　to

the　study　of　man　as　a　member　of　the　animal　kingdom）　have

taken　these　bones　and　they　have　been　able　to　reconstruct　our

earliest　ancestors　with　a　fair　degree　of　accuracy。



The　great…great…grandfather　of　the　human　race　was　a　very

ugly　and　unattractive　mammal。　He　was　quite　small；　much

smaller　than　the　people　of　today。　The　heat　of　the　sun　and　the

biting　wind　of　the　cold　winter　had　coloured　his　skin　a　dark

brown。　His　head　and　most　of　his　body；　his　arms　and　legs　too；

were　covered　with　long；　coarse　hair。　He　had　very　thin　but

strong　fingers　which　made　his　hands　look　like　those　of　a　monkey。

His　forehead　was　low　and　his　jaw　was　like　the　jaw　of　a

wild　animal　which　uses　its　teeth　both　as　fork　and　knife。　He

wore　no　clothes。　He　had　seen　no　fire　except　the　flames　of　the

rumbling　volcanoes　which　filled　the　earth　with　their　smoke

and　their　lava。



He　lived　in　the　damp　blackness　of　vast　forests；　as　the

pygmies　of　Africa　do　to　this　very　day。　When　he　felt　the

pangs　of　hunger　he　ate　raw　leaves　and　the　roots　of　plants　or

he　took　the　eggs　away　from　an　angry　bird　and　fed　them　to　his

own　young。　Once　in　a　while；　after　a　long　and　patient　chase；

he　would　catch　a　sparrow　or　a　small　wild　dog　or　perhaps　a

rabbit。　These　he　would　eat　raw　for　he　had　never　discovered

that　food　tasted　better　when　it　was　cooked。



During　the　hours　of　day；　this　primitive　human　being