About the translator:
David E. Pollard, the translator, publishes in Chinese as well as English and is one of the most respected interpreters and translators of the Chinese essay and modern Chinese literature. He received his Ph.D. from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 1970. He was formerly Professor of Chinese at the University of London and Professor of Translation at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is currently Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Research Centre for Translation of the Institute of Chinese Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
《男人的进化》— 鲁迅
说禽兽交合是恋爱未免有点亵渎。但是，禽兽也有性生活，那是不能否认的。它们在春情发动期，雌的和雄的碰在一起，难免“卿卿我我”的来一阵。固然，雌的有时候也会装腔做势，逃几步又回头看，还要叫几声，直到实行“同居之爱”为止。禽兽的种类虽然多，它们的“恋爱”方式虽然复杂，可是有一件事是没有疑问的：就是雄的不见得有什么特权。
人为万物之灵，首先就是男人的本领大。最初原是马马虎虎的，可是因为“知有母不知有父”的缘故，娘儿们曾经“统治”过一个时期，那时的祖老太太大概比后来的族长还要威风。后来不知怎的，女人就倒了霉：项颈上，手上，脚上，全都锁上了链条，扣上了圈儿，环儿，——虽则过了几千年这些圈儿环儿大都已经变成了金的银的，镶上了珍珠宝钻，然而这些项圈，镯子，戒指等等，到现在还是女奴的象征。既然女人成了奴隶，那就男人不必征求她的同意再去“爱”她了。古代部落之间的战争，结果俘虏会变成奴隶，女俘虏就会被强奸。那时候，大概春情发动期早就“取消”了，随时随地男主人都可以强奸女俘虏，女奴隶。现代强盗恶棍之流的不把女人当人，其实是大有酋长式武士道的遗风的。
但是，强奸的本领虽然已经是人比禽兽“进化”的一步，究竟还只是半开化。你想，女的哭哭啼啼，扭手扭脚，能有多大兴趣？自从金钱这宝贝出现之后，男人的进化就真的了不得了。天下的一切都可以买卖，性欲自然并非例外。男人化几个臭钱，就可以得到他在女人身上所要得到的东西。而且他可以给她说：我并非强奸你，这是你自愿的，你愿意拿几个钱，你就得如此这般，百依百顺，咱们是公平交易！蹂躏了她，还要她说一声“谢谢你，大少”。这是禽兽干得来的么？所以嫖妓是男人进化的颇高的阶段了。
同时，父母之命媒妁之言的旧式婚姻，却要比嫖妓更高明。这制度之下，男人得到永久的终身的活财产。当新妇被人放到新郎的床上的时候，她只有义务，她连讲价钱的自由也没有，何况恋爱。不管你爱不爱，在周公孔圣人的名义之下，你得从一而终，你得守贞操。男人可以随时使用她，而她却要遵守圣贤的礼教，即使“只在心里动了恶念，也要算犯奸淫”的。如果雄狗对雌狗用起这样巧妙而严厉的手段来，雌的一定要急得“跳墙”。然而人却只会跳井，当节妇，贞女，烈女去。礼教婚姻的进化意义，也就可想而知了。
至于男人会用“最科学的”学说，使得女人虽无礼教，也能心甘情愿地从一而终，而且深信性欲是“兽欲”，不应当作为恋爱的基本条件，因此发明“科学的贞操”，——那当然是文明进化的顶点了。
呜呼，人 -- 男人 -- 之所以异于禽兽者！
David E. Pollard 译：
The Evolution of the Male Sex
To call the coupling of birds and beasts ‘love’ could verge on impious, one has to admit. But it cannot be denied that birds and beasts do have their sex life. When male and female come together in the mating season, we have to expect a bit of flirtation to go on. Indeed, the female does sometimes put on an act of coyness, running away and then looking back, even calling out, and may keep this up right until ‘cohabitation love’ is put into effect. Although there are many species of birds and beasts and their forms of ‘love’ are complex, one thing is beyond question: the male has no special rights to speak of.
That mankind is the lord of creation is evident in the first place in the capabilities of the male. To begin with nobody was very fussy, but owning to children ‘knowing their mother but not their father’, the distaff side ‘ruled’ for a period; at that stage the matriarch was probably a more imposing figure than the clan head of later days. Afterward, for whatever reason, women ran out of luck: round their necks, on their hands and on their feet shackles were secured, rings and bands were fixed. Though several thousand years later the rings and bands were changed to gold and silver and set with pearls and gemstones, these necklaces, bangles, rings and so on are still today symbols of female subjugation. Since women had been turned into slaves, men no longer needed their consent to ‘love’ them. As a result of tribal wars in olden days, captives would become slaves, and women captives would be raped. By then the mating season had long been ‘abolished’, and the male master could rape female captives and female slaves at any time and in any place. The practice of present-day bandits and toughs and their like not to regard women as human actually harks back to the warrior code of the tribal chiefs.
But although the capability of rape put mankind one step ahead of birds and beasts on the ladder of ‘evolution’, in the end it was still only half civilized. Imagine how off-putting all that women’s crying and sniveling, wringing of hands and contortions of body must have been. It was after that wonderful thing called money made its appearance that the evolution of the male sex was really impressive. Everything on earth could be bought and sold, sexual gratification naturally being no exception. At the expense of a few coins men could get what they wanted of a woman. On top of that he could say to her, ‘I’m not taking you by force, you are doing this of your own free will, if you want to earn some money, you have to do thus and thus, and submit to my every wish. This is a fair exchange between us!’ Are birds and beasts up to this? Whoring then marks quite a high stage in men’s evolution.
At the same time, the old-style marriage made ‘at the behest of the parents and after consultation between matchmakers’ was superior even to whoring. Under this system, the man came into a piece of live property that was his to hold forever. From the time the bride was deposited on the bed of the bridegroom she had only duties and obligations to perform; even the freedom to haggle over a price was denied her, let alone love. Like it or not, in the name of the Duke of Zhou and the sage Confucius, you had to cleave to one man for all your days, and you had to preserve your virtue. The man could use her whenever he pleased, yet she had to abide by the morality of the saintly fathers: even ‘to conceive an unclean thought is to be guilty of adultery’. If the dog had used such ingenious and harsh measures against the bitch, you may be sure the bitch would have ‘jumped the wall’ in desperation. But the woman’s only resort was to jump down a well and earn a reputation as a virtuous wife, a pure woman, or a martyr to chastity. The evolutionary significance of a marriage made according to religion needs no elaboration.
As to men’s resorting to the ‘most scientific’ theory to make women willingly bind themselves to lifelong fidelity without the benefit of religion, and firmly believe that sexual desire is ‘animal lust’, not the precondition for love, thus inventing ‘scientific chastity’—that of course is the acme of civilized progress.
Ah me, the difference between the ways of man—the male sex—and those of birds and beasts!
逐句欣赏：
说禽兽交合是恋爱未免有点亵渎。
To call the coupling of birds and beasts ‘love’ could verge on impious, one has to admit.
但是，禽兽也有性生活，那是不能否认的。
But it cannot be denied that birds and beasts do have their sex life.
它们在春情发动期，雌的和雄的碰在一起，难免“卿卿我我”的来一阵。
When male and female come together in the mating season, we have to expect a bit of flirtation to go on.
固然，雌的有时候也会装腔做势，逃几步又回头看，还要叫几声，直到实行“同居之爱”为止。
Indeed, the female does sometimes put on an act of coyness, running away and then looking back, even calling out, and may keep this up right until ‘cohabitation love’ is put into effect.
禽兽的种类虽然多，它们的“恋爱”方式虽然复杂，可是有一件事是没有疑问的：就是雄的不见得有什么特权。
Although there are many species of birds and beasts and their forms of ‘love’ are complex, one thing is beyond question: the male has no special rights to speak of.
人为万物之灵，首先就是男人的本领大。That mankind is the lord of creation is evident in the first place in the capabilities of the male.
最初原是马马虎虎的，可是因为“知有母不知有父”的缘故，娘儿们曾经“统治”过一个时期，那时的祖老太太大概比后来的族长还要威风。
To begin with nobody was very fussy, but owning to children ‘knowing their mother but not their father’, the distaff side ‘ruled’ for a period; at that stage the matriarch was probably a more imposing figure than the clan head of later days.
后来不知怎的，女人就倒了霉：项颈上，手上，脚上，全都锁上了链条，扣上了圈儿，环儿，Afterward, for whatever reason, women ran out of luck: round their necks, on their hands and on their feet shackles were secured, rings and bands were fixed.
——虽则过了几千年这些圈儿环儿大都已经变成了金的银的，镶上了珍珠宝钻，然而这些项圈，镯子，戒指等等，到现在还是女奴的象征。
Though several thousand years later the rings and bands were changed to gold and silver and set with pearls and gemstones, these necklaces, bangles, rings and so on are still today symbols of female subjugation.
既然女人成了奴隶，那就男人不必征求她的同意再去“爱”她了。
Since women had been turned into slaves, men no longer needed their consent to ‘love’ them.
古代部落之间的战争，结果俘虏会变成奴隶，女俘虏就会被强奸。
As a result of tribal wars in olden days, captives would become slaves, and women captives would be raped.
那时候，大概春情发动期早就“取消”了，随时随地男主人都可以强奸女俘虏，女奴隶。
By then the mating season had long been ‘abolished’, and the male master could rape female captives and female slaves at any time and in any place.
现代强盗恶棍之流的不把女人当人，其实是大有酋长式武士道的遗风的。
The practice of present-day bandits and toughs and their like not to regard women as human actually harks back to the warrior code of the tribal chiefs.
但是，强奸的本领虽然已经是人比禽兽“进化”的一步，究竟还只是半开化。
But although the capability of rape put mankind one step ahead of birds and beasts on the ladder of ‘evolution’, in the end it was still only half civilized.
你想，女的哭哭啼啼，扭手扭脚，能有多大兴趣？
Imagine how off-putting all that women’s crying and sniveling, wringing of hands and contortions of body must have been.
自从金钱这宝贝出现之后，男人的进化就真的了不得了。
It was after that wonderful thing called money made its appearance that the evolution of the male sex was really impressive.
天下的一切都可以买卖，性欲自然并非例外。
Everything on earth could be bought and sold, sexual gratification naturally being no exception.
男人化几个臭钱，就可以得到他在女人身上所要得到的东西。而且他可以给她说：我并非强奸你，这是你自愿的，你愿意拿几个钱，你就得如此这般，百依百顺，咱们是公平交易！
At the expense of a few coins men could get what they wanted of a woman. On top of that he could say to her, ‘I’m not taking you by force, you are doing this of your own free will, if you want to earn some money, you have to do thus and thus, and submit to my every wish. This is a fair exchange between us!’
蹂躏了她，还要她说一声“谢谢你，大少”。(原资料缺此句译文)
这是禽兽干得来的么？所以嫖妓是男人进化的颇高的阶段了。
Are birds and beasts up to this? Whoring then marks quite a high stage in men’s evolution.
同时，父母之命媒妁之言的旧式婚姻，却要比嫖妓更高明。
At the same time, the old-style marriage made ‘at the behest of the parents and after consultation between matchmakers’ was superior even to whoring.
这制度之下，男人得到永久的终身的活财产。
Under this system, the man came into a piece of live property that was his to hold forever.
当新妇被人放到新郎的床上的时候，她只有义务，她连讲价钱的自由也没有，何况恋爱。
From the time the bride was deposited on the bed of the bridegroom she had only duties and obligations to perform; even the freedom to haggle over a price was denied her, let alone love.
不管你爱不爱，在周公孔圣人的名义之下，你得从一而终，你得守贞操。
Like it or not, in the name of the Duke of Zhou and the sage Confucius, you had to cleave to one man for all your days, and you had to preserve your virtue.
男人可以随时使用她，而她却要遵守圣贤的礼教，即使“只在心里动了恶念，也要算犯奸淫”的。
The man could use her whenever he pleased, yet she had to abide by the morality of the saintly fathers: even ‘to conceive an unclean thought is to be guilty of adultery’.
如果雄狗对雌狗用起这样巧妙而严厉的手段来，雌的一定要急得“跳墙”。
If the dog had used such ingenious and harsh measures against the bitch, you may be sure the bitch would have ‘jumped the wall’ in desperation.
然而人却只会跳井，当节妇，贞女，烈女去。
But the woman’s only resort was to jump down a well and earn a reputation as a virtuous wife, a pure woman, or a martyr to chastity.
礼教婚姻的进化意义，也就可想而知了。
The evolutionary significance of a marriage made according to religion needs no elaboration.
至于男人会用“最科学的”学说，使得女人虽无礼教，也能心甘情愿地从一而终，而且深信性欲是“兽欲”，不应当作为恋爱的基本条件，因此发明“科学的贞操”，——那当然是文明进化的顶点了。
As to men’s resorting to the ‘most scientific’ theory to make women willingly bind themselves to lifelong fidelity without the benefit of religion, and firmly believe that sexual desire is ‘animal lust’, not the precondition for love, thus inventing ‘scientific chastity’—that of course is the acme of civilized progress.
呜呼，人 -- 男人 -- 之所以异于禽兽者！
Ah me, the difference between the ways of man — the male sex — and those of birds and beasts!
青春就应该这样绽放 游戏测试：三国时期谁是你最好的兄弟！！ 你不得不信的星座秘密