The Tree of Life--- David Maddison,2013

生命之树--赵研译, 2014

I think that I shall never see

我想我永远不会知道

A thing so awesome as the Tree

生命之树的奇妙

That links us all in paths of genes

它用基因连起的脉络

Down into depths of time unseen;

它用时间贯穿的线条

Whose many branches spreading wide

交叉的那枝繁叶茂

House wondrous creatures of the tide,

演绎的那生命奥妙

Ocean deep and mountain tall,

无论是浩瀚的海洋还是瑰丽的高山

Darkened cave and waterfall.

无论是幽暗的山谷还是欢快的泉源

Among the branches we may find

我们都听到那枝桠间

Creatures there of every kind,

谱写的

From microbe small to redwood vast,

不论是渺小还是广袤

From fungus slow to cheetah fast.

静止还是驰骋的生命乐章

As glaciers move, strikes asteroid

海枯石烂，斗转星移

A branch may vanish in the void:

跨过二叠纪迎来第三纪

At Permian's end and Tertiary's door，

生命树的根基

The Tree was shaken to its core.

开始在这时空交错里摇摆

The leaves that fall are trapped in time

只看那树叶飘落、枝杈断裂

Beneath cold sheets of sand and lime;

消失在时间的荒原里

But new leaves sprout as mountains rise,

随之山川起伏

Breathing life anew 'neath future skies.

时空更迭

On one branch the leaves burst forth：

新的嫩叶开始萌芽

A jointed limb of firework growth.

新的枝桠开始长大

With inordinate fondness for splitting lines,

以星星之火可以燎原之势

Armored beetles formed myriad kinds.

这颗生命树又变得枝繁叶茂

Wandering there among the leaves,

看那枝枝叶叶的错综复杂

In awe of variants Time conceived,

在时空里留下的线索

We ponder the shape of branching fates,

我们不仅惊叹

And elusive origins of their traits.

也十分好奇

Three billion years the Tree has grown

生命的种子

From replicators' first seed sown

怎么在30 亿年的历史长河里

To branches rich with progeny:

长成这样一棵枝繁叶茂的大树

The wonder of phylogeny.

是进化是演化还是奇迹?