Lightman Bernard
309 Bethune College, Department of Humanities, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada.
Notes Rec R Soc Lond. 2010 Dec 20;64(4):339-58. doi: 10.1098/rsnr.2009.0059.
This article focuses on the early book-length biographies of Darwin published from his death in 1882 up to 1900. By making 1900 the cutoff point I can examine the biographies produced when the iconic figure was not yet set in stone, and before the rediscovery of Mendel's work in the early twentieth century and the anniversary celebrations of 1909 changed the way in which Darwin was regarded. Darwin's biographers dealt with three major themes. First, several biographers emphasized his scientific abilities, in particular his powers of observation and his prowess in conducting experiments. Second, many biographers discussed his character, a key issue in determining whether or not he could be trusted as a scientific guide. Finally, his scientific theories and religious beliefs, and how they related to the evolutionary controversy, formed a topic taken up by most biographers. By focusing on these three themes, the biographies published before 1900 were important in shaping the image of Darwin that was forming in American and British culture.
本文聚焦于1882年达尔文逝世至1900年间出版的早期长篇传记。将1900年作为截止点，我可以审视在这位标志性人物尚未定型，以及在20世纪初孟德尔著作重新被发现和1909年周年庆典改变了人们看待达尔文的方式之前所产生的传记。达尔文的传记作者们探讨了三个主要主题。首先，几位传记作者强调了他的科学能力，尤其是他的观察力以及进行实验的高超技艺。其次，许多传记作者讨论了他的性格，这是决定他是否能被视为科学指引者的关键问题。最后，他的科学理论和宗教信仰，以及它们与进化论争议的关系，构成了大多数传记作者所探讨的一个话题。通过关注这三个主题，1900年之前出版的传记对于塑造在美国和英国文化中逐渐形成的达尔文形象起到了重要作用。
