6.The Damned Human Race(584)

Ninth grade rewrite

The Damned Human Race

【1】Mark Twain, a renowned American author, conducted a thought-provoking study comparing human behavior with that of animals. His observations led him to a somewhat disheartening conclusion: humans may not have evolved from animals, but rather, animals might have improved by evolving away from humans.

【2】Twain's investigation was methodical and scientific. He tested his hypotheses through experiments at the London Zoo, which spanned several months of diligent work. One of his experiments involved a historical buffalo hunt in America, where hunters killed many buffaloes but only consumed a small portion, leaving the rest to waste.

【3】To contrast this with animal behavior, Twain placed calves in an anaconda's enclosure. The snake consumed one calf and then appeared content, leaving the others unharmed. This pattern repeated with other anacondas, leading Twain to believe that, unlike humans, anacondas do not destroy what they do not need.

【4】Twain also observed that while many wealthy individuals continue to accumulate more wealth than they could ever use, often at the expense of others, animals collect only what they require for survival. This led him to conclude that humans are greedy, whereas animals are not.

【5】His experiments revealed that humans uniquely hold onto grievances and seek revenge, a trait not observed in other animals. He also noted that while roosters may have multiple mates with the hens' consent, humans often use force and laws to maintain relationships, which he considered less fair than the roosters' approach.

【6】Twain pointed out that animals do not engage in indecent or vulgar behavior, which is exclusive to humans. He also noted that humans are the only animals that blush, a sign of embarrassment or shame.

【7】He highlighted historical instances of human cruelty, from the mistreatment of prisoners to religious persecution, and the destruction of entire communities. He argued that humans are the only species that wages wars, fights for money, and takes land by force, often repeating these actions throughout history.

【8】Twain also discussed how humans divide themselves into nations and flags, claiming patriotism while preparing for war against others. He criticized the hypocrisy of claiming universal brotherhood while maintaining armies ready to invade other territories.

【9】He also touched on the concept of religion, suggesting that humans are the only species that have multiple true religions and that they often inflict harm on others due to differing beliefs. He believed that humans have turned the world into a graveyard in their quest for happiness and heaven.

【10】Twain's experiments led him to believe that humans are not the reasoning animals they claim to be. He thought that if humans were truly rational, they would not have the violent and foolish history they do. He observed that animals learn simple things easily, while humans struggle with basic lessons.

【11】In one experiment, he successfully integrated various animals into a peaceful community. However, when he attempted a similar experiment with humans from different backgrounds and religions, they ended up in conflict over a minor religious disagreement, resulting in chaos.

【12】In conclusion, Twain suggested that humans have regressed from a distant ancestor, possibly a tiny creature in a drop of water, through various stages of life, to reach the current state of humanity. He believed that humans are at the lowest stage of development, with nothing beneath them.

九年级改写

可恶的人类

【1】美国著名作家马克·吐温进行了一项发人深省的研究，将人类的行为与动物的行为进行了比较。他的观察让他得出了一个有些令人沮丧的结论:人类可能不是从动物进化而来的，相反，动物可能是通过从人类进化而来的。

【2】吐温的调查是有条理的、科学的。他花了几个月的辛勤工作，在伦敦动物园通过实验验证了他的假设。他的一项实验涉及美国历史上的一次水牛狩猎，在那里猎人杀死了许多水牛，但只消耗了一小部分，其余的都被浪费了。

【3】为了与动物的行为进行对比，吐温把一些小牛放在水蟒的圈地里。这条蛇吃掉了一头小牛，然后看起来很满足，其他的小牛毫发无伤。这种模式在其他水蟒身上重复出现，这让吐温相信，与人类不同，水蟒不会破坏它们不需要的东西。

【4】马克·吐温还观察到，虽然许多富人不断积累着他们用不完的财富，而且往往是以牺牲他人为代价的，但动物们只收集它们生存所需的东西。这使他得出结论:人类是贪婪的，而动物不是。

【5】他的实验揭示了人类独特的怨恨并寻求报复，这是其他动物所没有的特征。他还指出，虽然公鸡可能在母鸡的同意下拥有多个配偶，但人类经常使用武力和法律来维持关系，他认为这比公鸡的方法更不公平。

【6】吐温指出，动物不从事不雅或庸俗的行为，这是人类所独有的。他还指出，人类是唯一会脸红的动物，这是尴尬或羞耻的标志。

【7】他强调了人类残忍的历史实例，从虐待囚犯到宗教迫害，以及对整个社区的破坏。他认为，人类是唯一会发动战争、为钱而战、用武力夺取土地的物种，而且在历史上经常重复这些行为。

【8】吐温还讨论了人类如何将自己划分为国家和旗帜，一边宣称爱国，一边准备与他人开战。他批评了在保持军队随时准备入侵其他领土的同时声称世界兄弟情谊的虚伪。

【9】他还谈到了宗教的概念，认为人类是唯一拥有多种真正宗教的物种，并且经常因为信仰不同而对他人造成伤害。他认为，人类为了追求幸福和天堂，已经把世界变成了墓地。

【10】吐温的实验使他相信人类并不是他们所宣称的那种会推理的动物。他认为，如果人类是真正理性的，他们就不会有暴力和愚蠢的历史。他观察到，动物很容易学会简单的东西，而人类却很难学会基本的东西。

【11】在一次实验中，他成功地将各种动物融合到一个和平的群落中。然而，当他对不同背景和宗教的人进行类似的实验时，他们最终因为一个小小的宗教分歧而发生冲突，导致了混乱。

【12】总之，吐温认为人类是从一个遥远的祖先，可能是一滴水中的微小生物，经过生命的各个阶段，退化到现在的人类状态。他认为人类处于发展的最低阶段，在他们之下没有任何东西。