Our ideas on the subject of the “Courtship” of animals are of necessity largely framed on what has been observed by each of us in regard to our own race; and without any very careful analysis of motives5, or thought of what lies behind. But no real insight into this most tremendous subject can be gained which does not strive to penetrate6 beyond what is actually seen; which does not endeavour to get at the source of conduct in this regard.
“Courtship” is the word we commonly employ to describe the act of wooing; and in civilized7 human society at any rate, the intensity8 of the emotions which inspire the desire to woo are held in restraint by a variety of causes—and hence the “Courtship.” In the lower animals it is a moot9 point whether the term “Courtship” can be accurately10 applied11. They are governed by no conventions, for them there is neither modesty12 nor immodesty. Desire with them is not made to walk 22delicately, veiled according to custom; nor is it artificially fostered as among civilized communities by stimulating13 food and the crowding together of large numbers of both sexes in artificial surroundings. Rather it is a natural, rhythmical14, highly emotional state, which gathering15 force inhibits16 the ordinary emotions, or, rather, overrides17 them, begetting18 an intensity of passion which brooks19 no control. It demands, without parleying, or mincing20 matters, what is really the object of courtship among the civilized human communities—the consummation of the nuptial21 ceremony. The term “Courtship” is a Euphemism22. Nevertheless, bearing this in mind, it may conveniently be used in these pages.
We cannot hope to understand the springs of courtship in the human race from what we observe in present-day society, or even from what we have gleaned23 thereon from the records of remote ages. We must get back, so far as is possible, to the very dawn of the human race: to that period of man’s evolution when his conduct was controlled by purely24 savage25 instincts. But even then the mark of the beast must have been fading out. His most valuable asset, his larger brain, even then gave him an advantage over the Apes, his near relations, and over the beasts of the field which he had begun to bring into subjection. We may assume that like his anthropoid26 relations, he was of a solitary27, nomadic28 disposition29, wandering in small parties from place to place as fancy or food determined30. His advance to this stage started when, by the activity of his enlarging brain, he began to be oppressed by the gloom of the forest, and drawn31 by the fascination32 of more open country, and the ever-varying scenes which exploration brought him. But this life 23begot new needs and new desires. Hitherto, hunger, self-preservation and self-perpetuation were the only stimulants33 which roused his activities; and they were also the three forces, and powerful forces, which shaped his love of solitude34. The proximity35 of his fellows threatened his three most vulnerable points—they competed for his food, they endangered his life, and threatened the possession of his family.
This more varied36 and adventurous37 existence roused new centres of activity in his brain; he began to perceive, though dimly, the possibilities of a larger life, though doubtless one which would minister to his own comfort rather than to that of his family—the natural and only road to better things. He began to devise more expeditious38 means of securing food, and circumventing39 his enemies, among whom the most formidable was his fellow-man, because in him he met his match. In the course of his wanderings he had learned the use of stones as weapons—which he could never have done in the forests—and he had also discovered the value of his family as ministers to his comfort, if only by setting them to collect such food as did not require strength and cunning in its capture. An inherent love of the chase for the sake of the excitement which this afforded probably made him nothing loth to regard hunting as his own peculiar40 duty. A little later the advantages of neighbourliness were borne in on him, largely for the sake of the greater ease wherewith the animals of the chase could be captured by their combined efforts; but this begat comradeship and some of the graces which follow therefrom.
Thus was laid the foundation of Society and “civilization” with all its attendant barbarities. Then, as now, 24whatever discordant41 notes were heard, were those struck by the twin Demons42 Envy and Jealousy43. These disturbers of the peace are parasites44 on Society, their very existence depends on it. They have played a larger part in fashioning its rules and regulations than is generally realized. Their influence is as powerful to-day as ever in the past. It expresses itself in varying degrees in different individuals, and is roused by varying causes. But the most potent45 of all is jealousy in regard to sexual matters.
Amorousness, a word with a deep meaning, was, and is, the underlying46 factor which shaped, and is sustaining, human society; and is no less powerful among the beasts that perish. The motive force in this has not been the desire for offspring, but for the satisfaction of the elemental animal passion, the gratification of the purely sexual emotions which at their height are irresistible47. There may be some who will see in this contention48 a degrading aspect of life. But this view will obtain only among those who prefer the man-made sophistries49 of life to its Divine mysteries. This dominance of what are popularly called the animal passions is the outcome of a perfectly50 natural process, whereby those in which these passions were defective51 died without offspring, while those who tended to excess were similarly eliminated. The desire for offspring for its own sake may exist among our own species to-day but, normally, offspring follows as an effect not as a cause. Many of our social problems would straighten themselves out if these facts were once faced and acknowledged; we are apt to concern ourselves with what should be—according to our ideals—rather than what is. Let it be granted that this rendering52 is true, and much else that mystifies becomes 25clear.
Whether primitive man was monogamous or polygamous, or whether he practised promiscuity53, are themes which have exercised the minds of the most ingenious since the custom of making books began, and the most diverse conclusions have been arrived at. In coming to any conclusion on this subject probability based on what we know of the higher apes can be the only standard of argument. In these animals monogamy is the rule, the male and female with their young roaming at large in a family party. Occasionally, however, a male is seen accompanied by two females, and this is only what we should expect. The Apes are not very prolific54 animals nor are they numerous in individuals, hence, should any male be killed either in combat with a rival or by any other means, his mate probably wanders in search of another male, by whom, when found, she is probably readily adopted even if he should be already mated.
In like manner lived our half-human progenitors55. But with them family parties no longer wandered aimlessly searching for food, but with a purpose. No longer forest dwellers56, or vegetarians57, food would require more zeal58 and discrimination in collecting, and shelter of some kind had probably to be devised, partly as a protection against predatory animals, and partly for personal comfort, since it would now have become apparent that this could be appreciably59 increased by the exercise of a little effort and ingenuity60. This appreciation61 of creature comforts formed a cement holding the family together; a sense of safety in Society helped still further. Rude tools chipped from flints were among their earliest and most cherished possessions for the sake of the advantages they secured. Here was the earliest form of wealth and the birth of 26labour and a further step on the road to progress. Little would now occur to derange62 the harmonious63 routine of the daily life, save only the ever-present jealousy of the head of the family which was assailable64 both from within and without. His sons and daughters were probably now regarded as a portion of his wealth, for they ministered to his comfort, and aided in the daily work which had now become a necessity. As his sons attained65 to maturity67, so they became rivals to be watched with a jealous eye, and finally driven off, while his daughters at the same time became potential mates. This danger of close inter-marriage was a real one, though it cannot be supposed that it was in any way realized. The risk was evaded68 by perfectly natural means. The jealousy of the head of the family which drove him to expel his sons as they attained maturity provided the means. These young bachelors sought their mates from neighbouring families, and it is probable that they would not be hard to lure69 from their parental70 control, but in such matters force was able to effect where persuasion71 failed.
These mate hunting excursions are to be regarded as extremely powerful factors in securing the betterment of the race. They were adventures in which all must fail who did not possess courage, cunning, and brawn72, for, paradoxical as it may seem, evolution depends, not so much on the qualities of the individual as on the elimination73 of the unfit. As yet might was right. But the strife74 of combat, fierce and merciless, had its beneficial results not only in weeding out the physically75 and mentally deficient76, but in stimulating affection between the victor and his prize.
As the advantages of neighbourliness dawned upon these children of nature, rules and regulations, for the control 27of the individual on behalf of the good order of the community, came into being; and among the earliest laws to be framed, we may be certain, were those for the regulation of marriage. These, as we may gather from the history of savage races to-day, did not concern themselves with chastity, at any rate before marriage, it was enough if they secured the right of possession, and excluded the dangers of close intermarriage. Promiscuity in the past was never the practice of any race, its existence to-day, among both savage and civilized people, is due in part to imperfections in the social scheme, and in part to the vagaries77 of individuals.
That the sexual instincts form the bed-rock on which depends the survival of all races of animals, which, for their propagation, require the co-operation of separate sexes, is beyond dispute. And it is no less certain that in so far as the evolution of man is concerned, jealousy has been a powerful integrating factor.
Among the higher animals apart from Man, both polygamy and polyandry are met with, and this with no apparent detriment78 to the race. It is significant, however, that polyandry is never met with among the mammals, and but rarely among the birds, when, as will be shown, this form of sexual relationship has been accompanied by a profound modification79 of the behaviour of the sexes in regard, not only to courtship, but to the offspring. The male has lost his masculinity, and the female her femininity. In human society both forms of marriage prevail, and there can be no doubt, from the history of such customs, that of the two types, polygamy is much to be preferred. It is certain that no race which practices polyandry can do more than hold its own, and that in a low grade of development. This cannot be 28said of polygamy, which might indeed be commended as a solution of some of our own social problems, were it not almost certain that the remedy would prove as bad as the disease.
The subject of “Courtship” in so far as it applies to the human race is one concerning which little can be said. Westermark, Letourneau, Sutherland, and last but by no means least, Darwin, have brought together a mass of facts bearing on the status of women among communities, savage and civilized, ancient and modern, and from these much may be inferred. To this harvest, however, Darwin himself still remains80 the most important contributor on all that directly concerns the “Sexual Selection” theory. Other writers seem to have paid more attention to the laws governing the possession of women than to the discussion of the motives which may have controlled the choice of mates. Instances of amatory dalliance, such as are met with among the inferior apes, and the birds, seem to be wanting. This negative evidence seems to show that, even among the most ancient, the most Ape-like, half-human races of man such dalliance was unknown. And this because primitive man, in his love-making as in everything else, was accustomed to take what he wanted, or die in the attempt. It is to this forcefulness of character that the human race owes its progress throughout the ages. But did he, when desire possessed81 him, exercise any sort of choice, when this was possible? What were his standards? These are unanswerable questions; at most we can but infer what his behaviour may have been from observations on existing races of mankind. These seem to demonstrate that while some races profess82 admiration83 for certain of their physical peculiarities84, these 29cannot be attributed to the action of sexual selection.
It has been suggested that the low, beetling85 brows, protruding86 mouth, and flat, broad nose which characterized the earliest human peoples, were slowly eliminated by the ?sthetic taste displayed by the females in their choice of mates. Now in the first place, it is highly improbable that they had any choice allowed them, and if they had, these are just the characters which were most marked in the males and might, or probably would, in consequence, have been deemed “manly” and desirable, for it is hardly to be supposed that such people would be capable of conceiving ideas of a possible refinement87 of their personal appearance if they could but add to the height of their foreheads and reduce the size of their faces. These graces settled down on them as the brain enlarged and habits changed. But the process of transformation88 must have been infinitely89 slow, and quite imperceptible from one generation to another.
The absence of secondary sexual characters in man, such as the brightly coloured areas which are so conspicuous90 a feature of many of the lower apes, is to be explained by his fundamentally different mode of life. Such vivid hues91 obtain only in species which live in troops, and they serve as aphrodisiacs, ensuring mating to every female forming a part thereof, which would be by no means certain were there no external signs of her condition. Primitive man, like the higher apes, was instinctively92 monogamous, and of necessity solitary, till he had acquired a tolerable measure of self-control and neighbourliness. When lust93 possessed him, he was obliged, in making his maiden94 venture to scour95 the country in the search for the object of his desire. This found, and won, probably only after desperate conflict with the 30head of the family, the nuptial ceremonies would be short.
The greater physical strength of the male and his higher brain capacity are probably the result of Natural, rather than of Sexual Selection. The former would weed out all the weakly and dull-witted in the ordinary course of the struggle for existence, the latter, during the early days of man’s development, would award the prizes of life to the most amorous2 and cunning, and to the most ambitious of the competitors.
The secondary sexual characters of the female are chiefly negative characters, the absence of those which are conspicuous in the male. She retains more of the primitive characters of the race. This is the rule in regard to the animal kingdom. Wherever we desire to find the onward96 tendency of evolution, the latest developments of the race, we turn to the male; when we desire to learn something of the past history of the species we turn to the female and young. This standard, of course, yields by no means uniform results, for we find every gradation of progress on the part of the latter, till male and female and young are externally indistinguishable. But the order is almost invariably the same—first the male, then the female, then the young. Thus progress is more or less automatic or “Orthogenic,” as the scientific text books have it, new characters, as they appear, tending to go on increasing in amplitude97 till checked by Natural selection. It is to be noted98, however, that this transference is limited, for the female never inherits characters which are concerned with aggressiveness to the same degree as in the males, as witness, for example, the brow-ridges and huge canines99 in the case of the gorilla100.
Darwin believed that the beards of men have developed by the selective choice of the women who preferred 31bearded men, while the secondary sexual characters of the women indicate the lines of male choice. There is, however, no evidence to show that in the past—for these characters are as old as man himself—woman had any choice whatever in the choice of her mate, save under exceptional circumstances. He was led to this conclusion by one or two striking instances apparently101 demonstrating this choice, and on these he seems to have based his version of the influence of sexual selection in man. The first of them is furnished by the Hottentots wherein, in both sexes, there is a marked “Steatopygy,” or accumulation of fat on the buttocks. In the female this is excessively developed, and it is said that such females are highly prized by the males. Darwin cites an instance of a woman in which this accumulation was so enormous, that she could only rise with the greatest difficulty from a sitting position. But there is no evidence to show that less favoured females remained unmarried.
In other tribes the breasts attain66 excessive proportions, so much so that they can be slung102 over the shoulder to feed the infant strapped103 to her back. These may have been increased by sexual selection, the preference of the males for such mates as possessed this feature in the most marked degree; but there is good reason to believe that such characters, which, it must be remembered, are the outward manifestation104 of germinal variations, once having appeared, would of themselves, of their own inherent vitality105, have gone on developing. They won favour from long familiarity, which has imparted a semblance106 of increment107 from choice. These increments108 of growth in any given generation would be imperceptible, but variations in excess of the average would be conspicuous, 32and excite admiration from their very strangeness.
The part which sexual selection has played in determining the physical characters of the human race has without doubt been overestimated109. Its influence may be said to have ceased with the development of the emotional side of his nature. This momentous110 process began with the male and had its roots in the ebullitions of his inherently amorous nature which has been the dominating factor in his career, and will be to the end, however much its influence may be disguised by the complex conditions of civilization.
These emotions, varying in kind and intensity, are such as are embraced in the term “Love” in the highest sense. They control the selection of mates, but this selection takes no account, save by accident, of qualities which have any value as factors of race-survival. In the lower animals these are determined by natural selection, and sexual selection adopts as it were the material furnished thereby111. It “selects” only in so far as it eliminates the non-sexually inclined, and those which lack the qualities essential to ensure reproduction, such as weapons for example. In human communities natural selection is largely avoided, and “mate-hunger” seems now to be swayed by more than the mere112 desire for its satisfaction. With the development of human faculty113 new factors have been introduced, complex emotions have come into being, whose influences are as yet only vaguely114 understood. Whither are they tending? What will be their effect on race-progress? These are matters of grave importance to us all, and to the student of Eugenics in particular.
Of man’s higher emotions, which, it is contended, now govern his conduct, probably the earliest to assert itself 33was the ?sthetic. His quickening mentality115 could not fail to be captivated by the bright hues of birds and butterflies, and flowers, the glorious colour-effects of dawn and sunset, the seasons in their changes and so forth116. And as this sense of the beautiful slowly gathered force he would seek to decorate his naked body with such of the more brightly-coloured objects around him as were suitable or rather with such as could be affixed117 thereto.
As a signal mark of his favour and affection, he would occasionally transfer some one, or another, of his most lasting118 ornaments119 to his mate, and the additional charm this would give her ensured a continuance of such gifts, and paved the way for tribal120 fashions. But then, as now among savages121, the males take the lead in this matter of ornamentation, but in proportion as affection grows, they are transferred from him to her, so that among civilized races to-day, the custom is entirely122 reversed, the women, not the men, wearing the finery. So soon as families began to be neighbourly and to combine for the sake of company and mutual123 help, the spirit of rivalry124, so essential to progress everywhere, would tend to increase the number of such gifts, and to set “fashions.” With the foundation of society “selection”—by the elimination of the unsocial, would ensure, not only the survival of such fashions, but their multiplication125 and diversification126, producing results which, to our eyes, have often been hideous127. The immediate128 effect of this form of selection, however, was not a change in physical characteristics, but in the evolution of personal ornaments and development of the ?sthetic sense. Progress in this direction must have been infinitely slow, and the lower races of to-day furnish us with instructive object-lessons in its course. In many cases uglification 34rather than refinement has attended their efforts.
It is indeed more than probable that the various types of ornamentation obtaining among savage races had their origin in outbursts of sexual exaltation. One of the earliest methods of personal decoration was probably to daub the body with paint, as is the custom during the performance of various religious and semi-religious rites129 among the Australian aborigines. A desire to find a permanent substitute for paint led to the practice of cicatrization, and the later and more refined custom of tattooing130. But personal mutilation has taken many and strange forms, such as knocking out the front teeth, filing them to saw-like points, inserting gold or jewels, or staining them. No less extraordinary are the various types of lip and ear ornaments, and the suspension of ornaments from the nose. The various fashions of dressing131 the hair are also traceable to this origin.
That these modes of personal decoration designed for special occasions should in course of time become permanent, and should, in many cases, have lost their original associations is but natural. To-day among savage and barbaric races many of these modes of transfiguration have become associated with religious and semi-religious ceremonies, but many have been retained solely132 to enhance the personal appearance, even though in our eyes an exactly opposite effect has been attained. Among the natives of the Congo, for instance, the face is covered with raised patterns formed by cicatrization; that is to say, by cuts made with a knife, which are made to form scars on healing by means of pungent133 juices or heated iron. Further, the teeth are filed to form saw-like cutting edges, producing a revolting effect according to European ideals, but charming according to the standards of those thus 35patterns which adorn134 the tattooed135 face of the Maori present a result more nearly pleasing. Many of the natives of East Africa pierce the lobes136 of the ear and hang ornaments therein so heavy, that in due course a hole large enough to run the arm through results. These are mutilations of a purely ornamental137 character. Curiously138 enough, precisely139 similar forms of mutilation occur among people dwelling140 in different continents, as in the case of the lip and ear ornaments worn by natives of Africa and South America. There can have been no means of communication between these races, and hence we must conclude they were independently derived141.
More striking still is the practice of deforming142 the head which prevailed among the Peruvians, the Caribs of the West Indies, and the natives of Vancouver, and the Chinook Indians, wherein it attained its maximum. Among some tribes, the head was depressed143 from above downwards144, giving the skull145 a cone-shape, the apex146 pointing backwards147; among others the pressure was applied to the back and front of the head, giving a more or less globular shape, and causing the sides of the head to bulge148 ominously149. Now these distortions are to be attributed solely to the whim150 of Fashion. But how could this have arisen? No adult could have started it, for the form of the skull cannot be altered once its growth is completed. The conception of this diabolical151 custom apparently then arose in the brain of some fiendishly ingenious person, who realized that to effect its realization152 pressure must be applied to the head of the infant at its birth and for some considerable time after, by squeezing the head between boards, or tying it round with thongs153 of hide. That disastrous154 results would follow from this tampering155 with the brain would seem an 36unavoidable conclusion; yet such was not the case. During the moulding process, travellers who have witnessed it tell us, children display no sign of suffering, even though their eyes seemed to be starting from their sockets156 from the pressure. But they cried when the thongs were loosened. On attaining157 to man’s estate, such victims to parental folly158 seemed to be in every way as intelligent as the men of neighbouring tribes which had no such insane customs.
How deeply rooted was the prejudice in favour of this extraordinary fashion is shown by the fact that when, during infancy159, from sickness, or other cause, the bandaging was neglected or omitted, and the child, in consequence, attained to man’s estate with a head of the shape designed by nature, he was seriously hampered160 in the struggle for existence, for no honours among his tribe were possible. Indeed, as often as not he was sold as a slave. But thus did Public Opinion bring disaster on its advocates, for those misguided people have been swept off the face of the earth by their own folly. Those who survived the ordeal161, it is true, seemed in no way mentally deficient, but the infant mortality must have been great, and none of the adults could ever have attained to their full potentiality.
These people were, however, not the only lunatics at large. For this extraordinary practice found its devotees in many other widely sundered162 parts of the world. Deformed163 heads of various types have been found in rock-tombs near Tiflis, in the Crimea, Hungary, Silesia, in South Germany, Switzerland, and even in France, Belgium and England! How did it spread from one nation to another? Since means of communication were extremely limited 37centuries ago, one can only suppose that in most cases it arose independently. It is possible that the idea started with the unintentional deformations164 of the head which follow the practice of carrying the child during early infancy. It is well known that if a child be constantly carried on one arm, so that one side of the head continuously presses against the shoulder, a more or less marked asymmetry165 of the skull results. It would be enough for the head of one of the chief’s children to show a rather unusually marked asymmetry of this kind for every mother to endeavour to copy the defect, for imitation ever was the sincerest form of flattery!
To place these superficial, non-transmissible, artificially created features, such as deformed heads, mutilated teeth and ears, and so on, in the same category as the “secondary sexual characters” of the lower animals which are physical, inherent and transmissible features, is to ensure confusion of thought. The one represents a physical, the other an emotional development. The persistence166 of certain forms of mutilation esteemed168 beautiful in human society is not to be attributed to Sexual selection, or to “preferential mating,” for these things are not only non-transmissible features, but outside the sway of the amorous instincts, as is shown by the case of those individuals who, living in a community where deformed heads are de rigueur, have heads of normal shape. So soon as such perversions169 become a part and parcel of everyday life, they become essential to the general well-being170 and comfort of their possessors, enabling them to follow their normal avocations171 without exciting the dislike or wounding the prejudices of their neighbours. The absence of the “tribal sign” alienates172 the esteem167 and comradeship of his neighbours and brings an unenviable 38notoriety. In like manner albinos among birds, for example, are hunted down by their fellows and killed, and birds of exotic species conspicuous by reason of their unfamiliar173 appearance are treated in the same manner. The sexual instincts have no part in this.
It will have become obvious in the course of this chapter that Sexual selection as a factor in shaping the evolution of the human race has not played a very conspicuous part. Nevertheless, the balance of opinion to-day is probably in favour of the view that the physical peculiarities by which we distinguish one race from another are, for the most part, due to the influence of this form of selection. A more careful survey of the facts will show that this view is untenable. And there is no more striking demonstration174 thereof than that it has been inconsequently applied to account for features in one race, which in another are attributed to environment or to Natural Selection. It may safely be asserted that colour, the shape of the nose, the prominence175 of the jaws176, and the character of the hair, are no more the result of “Sexual Selection” than stature177, for example. These are the manifestations178 of inherent growth forces, or “tendencies,” which owe their survival, and development, to the influence of Natural selection.
Sexual selection has brought about the dominance of the male, by the struggle between males for mastery, originally for females. It “selected” for survival, in primitive races, those males with the thickest skulls179 and the strongest physique; it determined the survival of the keenest witted and most aggressive and most amorous males, and it eliminated those in which the latter features were too active. It assured victory, in short, to those only who possessed just those qualities on 39which life or death depend in moments of conflict. In the case of the females, it assured survival only to those who possessed strongly developed maternal180 instincts and submissiveness.
It is by no means realized that the incidence of moulding forces has changed and is changing with the environment of the race. So long as physical force, as between man and man, determined survival, as among savage races to-day, so long does it ensure to such races strong men and strong children, for in conflict with neighbouring tribes victory rests with the most powerful of physique and endurance and the most prolific. This last is an all-important concomitant if repeated conflicts are to be successfully waged. Among civilized peoples such contests began to lose their value in this regard when, by the introduction of arms, physical personality became a steadily181 diminishing factor. Victory now rests rather with those peoples who are most skilful182 in devising engines of destruction. The brain, not brawn, tells. But man cannot live by brains alone. With the inevitable183 decline in his physical nature man’s hold on existence is seriously imperilled. Civilization is making for extinction184 as much as over-specialization in the case of the lower animals. Hitherto, save in the case of decaying nations, women have played but a minor185 part in what we may call the “tribal” affairs of the race. Among the civilized nations of to-day, in proportion as the “maleness” of the community becomes more and more effete186, the victims of sophistry187, and the slaves of shibboleths188, so the influence of the females asserts itself. And recent events among us show plainly enough that that influence is the reverse of good. Having its roots in personal vanity, and the love of notoriety, it is intolerant alike of reason and self-restraint, and that way madness lies.
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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amorous
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| adj.多情的；有关爱情的 | |
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amorousness
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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moot
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| v.提出；adj.未决议的；n.大会；辩论会 | |
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accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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stimulating
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| adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的 | |
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rhythmical
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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inhibits
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| 阻止，抑制( inhibit的第三人称单数 )； 使拘束，使尴尬 | |
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overrides
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| 越控( override的第三人称单数 )； （以权力）否决； 优先于； 比…更重要 | |
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begetting
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| v.为…之生父( beget的现在分词 )；产生，引起 | |
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brooks
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| n.小溪( brook的名词复数 ) | |
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mincing
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| adj.矫饰的；v.切碎；切碎 | |
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21
nuptial
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| adj.婚姻的，婚礼的 | |
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22
euphemism
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| n.婉言，委婉的说法 | |
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23
gleaned
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| v.一点点地收集（资料、事实）( glean的过去式和过去分词 )；（收割后）拾穗 | |
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24
purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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25
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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26
anthropoid
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| adj.像人类的，类人猿的；n.类人猿；像猿的人 | |
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27
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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28
nomadic
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| adj.流浪的；游牧的 | |
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29
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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30
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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31
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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32
fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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33
stimulants
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| n.兴奋剂( stimulant的名词复数 )；含兴奋剂的饮料；刺激物；激励物 | |
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34
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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35
proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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36
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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37
adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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38
expeditious
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| adj.迅速的，敏捷的 | |
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39
circumventing
|
|
| v.设法克服或避免（某事物），回避( circumvent的现在分词 )；绕过，绕行，绕道旅行 | |
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40
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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41
discordant
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| adj.不调和的 | |
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42
demons
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| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
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43
jealousy
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|
| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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44
parasites
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| 寄生物( parasite的名词复数 )； 靠他人为生的人； 诸虫 | |
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45
potent
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| adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的 | |
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46
underlying
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| adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的 | |
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47
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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48
contention
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| n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张 | |
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49
sophistries
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| n.诡辩术( sophistry的名词复数 )；（一次）诡辩 | |
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50
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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51
defective
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|
| adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的 | |
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52
rendering
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| n.表现，描写 | |
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53
promiscuity
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| n.混杂，混乱；（男女的）乱交 | |
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54
prolific
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| adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的 | |
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55
progenitors
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| n.祖先( progenitor的名词复数 )；先驱；前辈；原本 | |
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56
dwellers
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| n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 ) | |
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57
vegetarians
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|
| n.吃素的人( vegetarian的名词复数 )；素食者；素食主义者；食草动物 | |
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58
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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59
appreciably
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| adv.相当大地 | |
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60
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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61
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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62
derange
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| v.使精神错乱 | |
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63
harmonious
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|
| adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的 | |
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64
assailable
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| adj.可攻击的，易攻击的 | |
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65
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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66
attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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67
maturity
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| n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期 | |
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68
evaded
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| 逃避( evade的过去式和过去分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出 | |
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69
lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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70
parental
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| adj.父母的；父的；母的 | |
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71
persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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72
brawn
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| n.体力 | |
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73
elimination
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| n.排除，消除，消灭 | |
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74
strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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75
physically
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|
| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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76
deficient
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|
| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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77
vagaries
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|
| n.奇想( vagary的名词复数 )；异想天开；异常行为；难以预测的情况 | |
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78
detriment
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|
| n.损害；损害物，造成损害的根源 | |
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79
modification
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| n.修改，改进，缓和，减轻 | |
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80
remains
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|
| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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81
possessed
|
|
| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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82
profess
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| v.声称，冒称，以...为业，正式接受入教，表明信仰 | |
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83
admiration
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|
| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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84
peculiarities
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|
| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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85
beetling
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|
| adj.突出的，悬垂的v.快速移动( beetle的现在分词 ) | |
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86
protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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87
refinement
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|
| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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88
transformation
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|
| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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89
infinitely
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|
| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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90
conspicuous
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|
| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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91
hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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92
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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93
lust
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|
| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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94
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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95
scour
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|
| v.搜索；擦，洗，腹泻，冲刷 | |
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96
onward
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|
| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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97
amplitude
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| n.广大；充足；振幅 | |
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98
noted
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|
| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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99
canines
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| n.犬齿( canine的名词复数 )；犬牙；犬科动物 | |
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100
gorilla
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| n.大猩猩，暴徒，打手 | |
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101
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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102
slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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103
strapped
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|
| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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104
manifestation
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| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
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105
vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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106
semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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107
increment
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|
| n.增值，增价；提薪，增加工资 | |
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108
increments
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| n.增长( increment的名词复数 )；增量；增额；定期的加薪 | |
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109
overestimated
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| 对（数量）估计过高，对…作过高的评价( overestimate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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110
momentous
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|
| adj.重要的，重大的 | |
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111
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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112
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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113
faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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114
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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115
mentality
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| n.心理，思想，脑力 | |
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116
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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117
affixed
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|
| adj.[医]附着的，附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章） | |
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118
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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119
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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120
tribal
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| adj.部族的，种族的 | |
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121
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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122
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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123
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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124
rivalry
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| n.竞争，竞赛，对抗 | |
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125
multiplication
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| n.增加，增多，倍增；增殖，繁殖；乘法 | |
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126
diversification
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| n.变化，多样化；多种经营 | |
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127
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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128
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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129
rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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130
tattooing
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| n.刺字，文身v.刺青，文身( tattoo的现在分词 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击 | |
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131
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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132
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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133
pungent
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| adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的 | |
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134
adorn
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| vt.使美化，装饰 | |
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135
tattooed
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| v.刺青，文身( tattoo的过去式和过去分词 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击 | |
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136
lobes
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|
| n.耳垂( lobe的名词复数 )；（器官的）叶；肺叶；脑叶 | |
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137
ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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138
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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139
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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140
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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141
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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142
deforming
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| 使变形，使残废，丑化( deform的现在分词 ) | |
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143
depressed
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|
| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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144
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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145
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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146
apex
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| n.顶点，最高点 | |
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147
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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148
bulge
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| n.突出，膨胀，激增；vt.突出，膨胀 | |
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149
ominously
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| adv.恶兆地，不吉利地；预示地 | |
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150
whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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151
diabolical
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| adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的 | |
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152
realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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153
thongs
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| 的东西 | |
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154
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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155
tampering
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| v.窜改( tamper的现在分词 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄 | |
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156
sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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157
attaining
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的现在分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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158
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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159
infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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160
hampered
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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161
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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162
sundered
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| v.隔开，分开( sunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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163
deformed
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| adj.畸形的；变形的；丑的，破相了的 | |
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164
deformations
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| 损形( deformation的名词复数 )； 变形； 畸形； 破相 | |
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165
asymmetry
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| n.不对称；adj.不对称的，不对等的 | |
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166
persistence
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| n.坚持，持续，存留 | |
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167
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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168
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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169
perversions
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| n.歪曲( perversion的名词复数 )；变坏；变态心理 | |
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170
well-being
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| n.安康，安乐，幸福 | |
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171
avocations
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| n.业余爱好，嗜好( avocation的名词复数 )；职业 | |
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172
alienates
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| v.使疏远( alienate的第三人称单数 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等） | |
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173
unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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174
demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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175
prominence
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| n.突出；显著；杰出；重要 | |
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176
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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177
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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178
manifestations
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| n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式） | |
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179
skulls
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| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
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180
maternal
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| adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的 | |
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181
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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182
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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183
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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184
extinction
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| n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种 | |
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185
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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186
effete
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| adj.无生产力的，虚弱的 | |
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187
sophistry
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| n.诡辩 | |
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188
shibboleths
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| n.（党派、集团等的）准则( shibboleth的名词复数 )；教条；用语；行话 | |
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