I would like to introduce you to one of the most amazing scientists who have ever lived.
我要向你们介绍这世界上最令人赞叹的一位科学家。
So famous, that more places on Earth have been named after him than any human being.
他非常有名，以致于世界各地以他的名字命名的地名多于任何人。
So famous, that President Thomas Jefferson said he was the most important scientist he ever met.
甚至连美国前总统托马斯·杰斐逊都曾说他是自己见过的最有名望的科学家。
And Simon Bolivar called him the true discoverer of South America.
西蒙·玻利瓦格称他为真正发现南美洲的人。
On the 100th anniversary of his birth, every story on the front page of 'The New York Times' was written about him.
他百年诞辰时，纽约时报头版上每一则都是关于他的报导。
Who is this scientist and what did he do that was so extraordinary?
这位科学家是谁，他到底有什么丰功伟绩？
His name is Alexander Von Humboldt.
他的名字是亚历山大·冯·洪堡。
Never heard of him? Most people haven't.
没听过他的名字？大部分的人都没听过。
His name has been lost in history, but here is what he did.
他的名字已淹没在历史长河中，以下就是他的生平。
Alexander Von Humboldt started as a practicing geologist, but when an inheritance allowed him the freedom to travel,
洪堡一开始是位地质学家，当他继承了一笔遗产能够到处旅行时，
he began an incredible, five-year scientific journey through South America, Mexico, and Cuba.
他踏上了一个长达五年的科学之旅，探险南美大陆、墨西哥以及古巴。
From 1799 to 1804, Von Humboldt and his botonist partner, Aime Bonpland, traveled through the jungles of Venezuela,
自1799年至1804年，洪堡和他的伙伴，植物学家埃梅·邦普兰，踏遍委内瑞拉的丛林，
made detailed drawings of Inca ruins while exploring the mountains of Peru, and traversed the breadth of Mexico and Cuba.
在秘鲁的山区中详细绘图纪录了古印加遗迹，并横越了墨西哥及古巴。
He explored the length of the Orinoco River in Venezuela.
他全程探索了委内瑞拉的俄里诺柯河。
This 1700 mile portion of the trip was filled with danger, disease, and fantastic new discoveries.
这段长达1700英里的冒险，充满着危机、疾病和令人惊奇的新发现。
For example, Von Humboldt was the first explorer to witness the preparation of the curare plant for poison arrows.
例如，洪堡是第一位目睹了原住民利用箭毒植物准备毒箭的探险家。
He recognized the importance of the cinchona tree, whose bark contains quinine, which is a malaria cure,
他发现了金鸡纳树的重要用途，其树皮含有奎宁，能够治疗疟疾，
and discovered the ocean current, which limits rainfall on the coast of Peru, later named the Humboldt Current.
他还发现了限制秘鲁沿岸雨量的洋流，之后被命名为洪堡洋流。
He discovered and described many new species of plants and animals, including the electric eel.
他发现并描述了许多新物种，包括电鳗。

In Ecuador, he climbed the one of the highest volcanoes, Chimborazo,
在厄瓜多尔，他攀登了最高的火山之一，钦伯拉索山，
so that he could record air pressure, something no one had ever done at this altitude.
以测量大气压力，当时从未有人在如此高海拔测量气压。
The entire journey covered over 24,000 miles, the same distance as the circumference of the Earth.
他的整趟旅程长达两万四千英里，等同于绕地球一圈的距离。
Along the way, he took measurements about the shape of the land,
途中，他测量并记录了地形的变化、
its temperature, the air pressure, and the strength of magnetic fields.
温度、气压和地球磁场强度。
By connecting places of identical temperatures,
他将拥有相同温度的地点在地图上连接起来，
he created contour maps with lines of similar temperatures, which he called "isotherms".
创造了世界上第一幅标注了相似温度曲线的地图，他将之命名为“等温线”。
Because Humboldt invented these maps,
多亏洪堡发明了这种地图，
scientists began to see patterns in the life and the types of life present in certain places,
科学家开始发现生物的分布模式，世界上各种生物都出现在特定的区域，
and he became a pioneer in the visual presentation of scientific data.
洪堡成为了将科学数据进行视觉表现的先驱。
These discoveries and measurements were critical to what made him such an important scientist.
他的发明和测绘的数据，证明了为何他是如此重要的科学家。
Until Humboldt, scientists who described new plants and animals
在洪堡之前的时代，发现新物种的科学家们
did not clearly see the crucial connection between living things and the places in which they lived, called habitats.
并不了解各种生物以及其所栖息的地带，也就是所谓的“栖息地”之间重要的关联性。
They did not appreciate the role of the environment on the diversity of life.
他们并未重视环境对于生物多样性的影响。
Humboldt discovered and understood the importance of these connections.
洪堡发现并了解了这些关联的重要性。
Because of this, he is considered the founder of biogeography.
因此，他被视为生物地理学之父。
He also developed a theory called the "Unity of Nature," which shows the interconnectedness of all nature.
他还提出了名为“自然统一性”的理论，描述了自然界万物如何环环相扣。
This knowledge plays a vital role in the preservation and protection of our habitat.
这个理论大大影响了现今我们对栖息地的保护工作。
His book, 'Cosmos', describes this theory and is still in print today.
他所著的《宇宙》阐述了这个理论，如今仍旧在出版发行中。
As celebrated a scientist as he was, Von Humboldt was also generous, thus serving another role in the world.
虽然是位有名的科学家，洪堡仍然非常慷慨地乐于扮演其他角色。
He was the mentor and teacher to younger scientists.
他指导了许多年轻科学家。
In fact, just recently it was discovered the crucial role that Humboldt played in the work of his most famous pen-pal, Charles Darwin.
事实上，最近更有人发现，洪堡的思想大大影响了他最有名的笔友：查尔斯·达尔文。
A young Darwin read Humboldt extensively and wrote in his diary while on the Beagle,
达尔文年轻时大量阅读了洪堡德的著作，他曾在小猎犬号上的日记中写道：
"I am at present fit only to read Humboldt. He, like another sun, illuminates everything I behold."
“我现在只能研读洪堡的著作。他如太阳一般照亮了我眼前的道路。”
Today, although Humboldt is known and revered by a small community of scientists, he is almost totally forgotten by many of us.
现今，虽然洪堡仍在小的科学社群中被景仰，但却已被我们中的许多人所遗忘。
Alexander Von Humboldt's influence is apparent everywhere and in every scientific discipline.
洪堡的影响无处不在，贯穿了所有的科学领域。
He is, perhaps, the most important forgotten man of science.
他也许是被遗忘的科学家中最重要的。
But he doesn't have to be, because if you remember him, perhaps his influence will be celebrated.
但他并不需始终如此，因为如果你记得他，也许他的贡献就会被赞颂。