According to Wilson，the term sociobiology was used by John Paul Scott in l946．In l950 Scott suggested sociobiology as a term for the“interdisciplinary science which lies between the fields of biology(particularly ecology and physiology)and psychology and sociology”．Between l950 and l970 the term sociobiology appeared in a number of journal articles，but the terms biosociology and animal sociology were also used．In l971 Wilson titled the last chapter in The Insect Societies“The Prospect for a United Sociobiology”．
The study of social behavior has long been dominated by those who consider the explanations of that behavior to lie in individual experience and particular environmental conditions．①If you look at textbooks in sociology and social psychology，you will find few discussions of possible biological and hereditary factors related to social behaviors．In most mentions of possible hereditary factors，the comments range from slighting to outright derision．It might also be noted that most social psychologists，sociologists， and cultural anthropologists have an extremely limited knowledge of non-human social behavior．We hope that this situation is being changed，at least in some programs．Although it is not the whole story，part of the negative attitude of social psychologists and sociologists toward biological and hereditary factors in behavior stems from a long-standing suspicion or fear of a hereditary elite．
Most proponents of sociobiology come from a tradition different from that of the sociologists，social psychologists。and cultural anthropologists⑦Sociobiologists’backgrounds are generally in the study of non-human behavior．Thus they may feel free to concentrate on the behaviors as they exist，without any external criteria for what behaviors may be desirable from some philosophical position．③
To get an idea of how some sociobiologists might approach a problem。let’s consider the relationship of human adults to infants．Emphasis might be placed on those aspects of adult responses to infants that are common to human groups．One such common element is that infants are attractive to adults of both sexes．This characteristic is shared by most other highly developed primates．There are some local and situational variations in expressions of this human attraction(as there are in monkey troops of the same species)；nevertheless，the basic relationship remains．Here，then，is a critical element in many types of social organization．If this element is considered solely from the standpoint of the environment and culture，you may get one sort of answer．If，as the sociobiologists suggest，you view both hereditary factors and culture and environment，you may get a modified or even different answer to the basis of similarities and differences in the relationship of adults to infants．
1．The term sociobiology is______．
A．frequently used in scientific journal articles
B．the title of a chapter of an essay in a scientific journal
C．a discipline between ecology and physiology
D．a discipline between biosociology and animal sociology
2．The author believes that the explanations of social behavior lies to some extent in______．
A．individual experience
B．particular environmental conditions
C．biological and hereditary factors
D．one’s standpoint of the environment and culture
3．It can be inferred that a______ is most likely to side with a sociobiologist．
A．zoologist
B．botanist
C．physiologist
D．sociologist
4．The last paragraph is written to introduce______．
A．the relationship of adults to infants
B．the common aspects of adult responses to infants
C．the fact that infants are attractive to adults of both sexes
D．the way sociobiologists may use to study a problem
5．This passage is mainly about______．
A．the characteristics of sociobiology
B．the development of sociobiology
C．the importance of studying non-human behavior
D．the relationship of human adults to infants
难句透析
①The study of social behavior has long been dominated by those[who consider the explanations of that behavior tO lie in individual experience and particular environmental conditions]．
【结构】在本句中，方括号标示的部分是“those”的后置定语从句；关系代词“wh0”代替“those”，在定语从旬中作主语；宾语是“the explanations of that behavior”；动词不定式短语“tO lie in…”是宾语补足语；…individual experience and“particular environmental conditions”是动词不定式“tO lie in”的两个并列的宾语。
【释义】有些人认为应从个人经历和特定环境因素来解释社会行为。长期以来这些人一直支配社会行为研究。
②Most proponents of sociobiology come from a tradition[di f ferent from that of the sociologists，social psycholo gists，and cultural anthropologists]．
【结构】在本句中，方括号标示的部分是形容词短语，用做后置定语，修饰“tradition”；代词“that’，代替“tradition”。
【释义】大多数支持社会生物学的人遵从的传统与社会学家、社会心理学家和文化人类学家不同。
③Thus they may feel free tO concentrate on the behaviors [as they exist]，without any external criteria for[what behaviors may be desirable from some philosophical position]．
【结构】本句的主语“they”代替前一句的“sociobiologists”。在“as”引导的状语从句中，主语是“they”，代替的是“behaviors”。由“what”引导的名词性从句，用做介词“for”的宾语；这个从句的主语是“what behaviors”。
【释义】 因而，社会生物学家可以不受任何约束地关注实际存在的行为，不会受到任何外在标准的约束，不必从某种哲学角度去探讨到底应该有什么行为。
④[If，as the sociobiologists suggest，you view both hereditary factors and culture and environment]，you may get a modified or even different answer to the basis of similarities and differences in the relationship of adults to infants．
【结构】在本句中，方括号标示的部分是“if”引导的条件状语从句；名词“answer”后须用介词“t0”。
【释义】如果，正如社会生物学家建议那样，你不但考虑文化和环境，还考虑遗传因素，那么，要回答是由于什么原因造成了成年人和幼儿之间的相似和不同这个问题，你的答案就会有所变化，甚至完全不一样了 [NextPage]
全文翻译
根据威尔逊的说法，社会生物学这个词最早是由约翰·保尔·斯科特于1946年首次使用的。1950年，斯科特表示，社会生物学是指“处于生物学(特别是生态学和生理学)与心理学和社会学的中间地带的交叉学科”。l950年至1970年问，社会生物学一词在多家学刊上出现，但是生物社会学和动物社会学这样的词也仍在使用。1971年时，威尔逊将《昆虫社会》的最后一章定名为“建立统一的社会生物学的前景”。
有些人认为应从个人经历和特定环境因素来解释社会行为。长期以来这些人一直支配着社会行为研究。如果你现在去读一读社会学和社会心理学的教科书，你可能很少能发现对生物以及遗传因素对社会行为影响的讨 论。在很多关于可能的遗传因素的讨论中，其评论涵盖了从蔑视到认为其是直系遗传的各种论点。更值得注意的一点是，多数社会心理学家、社会学家和文化人类学家们对非人类的社会行为知之甚少。我们希望这样的情况正在改变，至少在现有的一些项目中应该是这样。虽然这并不是事情的全部，但是社会心理学家们以及社会学家们对生物和遗传因素在行为中作用的消极态度是来源于他们对此的长期质疑和对出现遗传性天才的恐惧。
大多数支持社会生物学的人遵从的传统与社会学家、社会心理学家和文化人类学家不同。社会生物学家们的 背景通常都是对非人类行为的研究。因而，社会生物学家可以不受任何约束地关注实际存在的行为，不会受到任 何外在标准的约束，不必从某种哲学角度去探讨到底应该有什么行为。
要想了解社会生物学家们解决问题的方法，让我们首先来考虑人类成人与婴儿之间的关系。重点在于关注对 整个人类社会都一样的成人对婴儿的反应。其中一个方面就是婴儿对成人男女都具有吸引力。这一特征在其他 多数发达的灵长类动物中也是相同的。虽然对这种人类的行为存在着一些地域和环境上的差异(就如同在同种不 同猴群中一样)；但是最基础的关系一直存在。这也就是许多不同类型的社会组织所具有的一个关键成分。如果 仅仅从环境与文化的角度来审视这个问题，那你或许只会得到一种答案。如果，正如社会生物学家建议那样。你不 但考虑文化和环境，还考虑遗传因素，那么，要回答是由于什么原因造成了成年人和幼儿之间的相似和不同这个问 题，你的答案就会有所变化，甚至完全不一样了。
超纲词汇
Biosociology n．生物社会学
derision n．嘲笑
Interdisciplinary adj．各学科间的
Outright adj．／adv．直率的(地)，彻底的(地)，完全的(地)
Primate n．首领，大主教，灵长类的动物
slighting adj．轻视的，藐视的，忽视的
Sociobiology n．生物社会学
参考答案：1．B 2．C 3．A 4．D 5．A
