Hi Bill. This is Jason Gots from Big Think. I’m reading a question that somebody submitted
你好比尔 这是来自Big Think的Jason Gots 我读了某人提交的一个信中的问题
in written form who wished to remain anonymous. But it seemed like a question that it would
他希望匿名提问 但这看起来是个你适合回答的问题
be good to have you answer. "I have a question about homosexuality," he asks. "If the purpose
“我对同性恋有些疑问” 他问
of a species is to reproduce and survive, how would it make sense evolutionarily for
“如果一个物种的目的是生殖和存活
humans to have same sex preferences? Are humans the only ones who practice homosexuality?
那么那些对同性有癖好的人在进化上有什么意义 仅有人类有同性恋吗
And if so does this mean that homosexuality is a product of human’s personal whim as opposed to instinct?"
而如果这意味着同性恋是人们一时与本能相反的个人奇想？”
So when I was growing up there was this controversial and super bestselling book called The Naked Ape.
所以我小时候有本有争论的畅销书叫《裸体猿》

And this guy, the author, Desmond Morris claimed, I guess he documented that there
然后这个家伙 作者 Desmond Morris宣称 我猜他能证明
is homosexual behavior among primates. And from what I remember – I haven’t read
灵长类间的同性恋行为 并且从我记事起——
it in many years – was chimpanzees and Bonobo’s exhibit homosexual behavior. And the answer
我没有读很多年——是黑猩猩和倭黑猩猩展示了同性恋行为
nowadays we give to everybody about this is it’s a spectrum. I don’t know about you
而现在我们给所有人的答案是它有一个范围
but I have known a great many gay men who are married, who have babies, who have kids.
我不了解你 但我知道很多结过婚、生过孩子、有小孩的男人
So apparently – I’m not an authority on this. I’m an observer of the human condition.
所以很明显——我并不是这方面的权威 我是人类状况的观察者
Apparently there’s a spectrum. Some people are more inclined to have sex with people
很明显这有一个范围 一些人更可能
of their same sex than others. And I think if you just watch the news right now you can
与他们的同性做爱 并且我认为如果你正在看新闻
see that for yourself. And so being somewhere on the spectrum of heterosexual with homosexual
你可以为了你而看 而且某种程度上异性恋与同性恋
being on that it’s not genetically lethal, you still have kids anyway. And you’ll hear
在基因上并不致命 你仍可以有孩子
people talk about the feminine side. You’ll hear people talk about the masculine side.
你会听到人们讨论女性 你会听到人们讨论男性
You’ll hear women use the expression well she’s got a lot of balls which can’t literally
你会听到女人们这样表达 她有许多勇气
be true if we’re using balls in that conventional construction. So I would say that it’s something
这从字面来说并不正确 如果在一般情况下用蛋蛋这词 所以我会说
that happens in nature and I remember very well in this book – now I haven’t read
有什么自然产生的事而且我对这本书的印象很深——现在我很长时间
it in a long time but man it was a big deal. Openly talking about sex in the 1960s was
不读它了 但是男人们这是件大事 在20世纪60年代公开讨论性
a big deal that he claimed that there was more homosexuality in zoos than he observed in nature.
是件大事 他宣称动物园里有比他在自然中观测的更多的同性恋
And that may be just because we happen to capture a couple of homosexual Bonobos or whatever.
而那只是因为我们碰巧抓捕了一些同性恋倭黑猩猩或其他什么
In other words the sample size is way too small to extrapolate.
换句话说同样的数量太小了而不能推定
So let’s celebrate being alive everybody. Apparently it’s just something that happens in nature and look, we’re all here.
所以让我们所有人庆祝活着吧 显然这是自然中发生的什么事 而且看 我们都在这里