[1]
むかしむかし、イクティオステガなどの「弱い魚たち」が、「強い魚たち」によって海を追われ、川に逃れたという「仮説」がある。そして、イクティオステガたちが「強い魚たち」につかまらないために胸ビレを川底の砂利に入れて急流に耐えている内に、胸ビレが骨格を備えて足になり、肺呼吸を発明し、やがて足を使って陸上に進出し、両生類になったという「仮説」がある。
In a very far-gone age, we have one hypothesis that “Strong Fishes” had pursed “Weak Fishes” like “Ichthyostega” to eat, then “Weak Fishes” run away to the river from the sea. And during the very long time when “Weak Fishes” was trying to keep their positions in the river keeping by their pectorals into the gravel of the bottom of a river, their pectorals could change to the feet with a bone. Then, by chance “Weak Fishes” could invent the pulmonary respiration, and at last they could advance to the ground, finally they could be an “Amphibian”.
これらの｢仮説｣によれば、両生類は、川から、しかも、「弱い魚たち」から誕生したのである。このような両生類は、イクティオステガたちの記憶を、自分たちの脳や動作の中に宿しているだろうか。そして、両生類がイクティオステガたちの記憶をもっているとするならば、それは喜びに満ちた記憶なのだろうか。つまり、自分たちが両生類になったことは嬉しい事件であり、このようなルーツをもつことを誇りに思っているだろうか。或いは、逆に、それは悲しみに満ちた記憶なのだろうか。
If these hypotheses are right, “Amphibian” could be bone from the river, moreover from “Weak Fishes”. I wonder such “Amphibian” could keep the memory about “Ichthyostega” in their brain and in their behaviors? And, if “Amphibian” keeps its memory I wonder it is a memory with happiness? In other words, this accident that they could be born as “Amphibian” from “Weak Fishes” was happy or not? They were proud of its roots? Or, its memory was filled with sadness?
[2]
私がこのように問うのは、このような来歴をもつ両生類が陸上の多様な環境で成長することで、多くの四足動物として進化していくからである。そして、一部の四足動物は、食物を採るためか、或いは別の理由もあったのか、「空中に飛び出す必要」に迫られ、彼らは木に登り、前足を翼に変え、鳥になった。また、他の一部の四足動物は、これも同様に、食物を採るためか、或いは別の理由もあったのか、「立ち上がりたいという欲求」にさいなまれ、前足を空中に上げ、後ろ足だけで立ち、二足歩行を不完全ながらも成功させ、サルになった。そして、このようなサルの一部が、自由になった前足を「手」として使い、動物の骨を武器としても使用するようになり、道具文化の第一歩を記したといわれているが、それは真実だろうか。
Why I want to ask these questions? Because “Amphibian” with this history could grow up at the various environments on the ground and they could evolve into many kind of quadruped animals. Then, one part of quadruped animals by a reason for getting the foods, or by other reason, they were driven by necessity to rise into the air. So they started to climb a tree and they changed their forefeet to the wings, finally they could transform into the “Birds”. Also, other part of quadruped animals by a same reason for getting the foods, or by other reason, they were driven by necessity to stand up. So they started to throw out their forefeet in the air and they could stand up on only their hind feet still imperfectly, finally they could transform into the “Apes”. And we know one part of such the apes could use their forefeet as a “Hand” and they could organize the animal’s born as the weapon, then they could realize a first step of the instrument culture. So, these stories are true, or not?
[3]
そして、最後に、われわれ人類についてであるが、一部のサルたちが、或いはサルに近い種族たちが、いまだ不完全な自分たちの二足歩行について不満に思い、「何かの不足を感じた」のか、或いは別の動機によるものなのか、二足歩行を他のサルたちにはない二本の筋を腰に進化させて完全なものに高め、後足だけで真っ直ぐに立てるようにして、自分たちを「最初の人類」としての特徴を際立たせることに成功した。
And, at last, about our humans, one part of the apes, or one ethnic group near the apes, they started to feel their bipedalism was not enough for their life, and by a reason for feeling something lack, or by other motive, they could get a success to stand up only by hind feet perfectly evolved by two new muscles on the waists which other apes didn’t have it. Then, they could raise their bipedalism as a perfect activity and get a great success to point up their character as “First Human Race.”
[4]
こうして、二足歩行を完成させた人類が、直立することによって脳を肥大化させ、「手」をさらに自在に使用して多様な道具を発明し、火を使用し、モノを誕生させ、言葉をたくみに使い、食物を生産し、戦争の技術を磨き、敵を殺して同族を増やし、コミュニケーションを発達させ、サルの世界にはない人工物の世界と高度な文化を築きあげ、人類として地上に君臨するようになっていく。これらの過程でも、人類は、さまざまな迷いごとや、悩みや、自分にも理解不能な数々の欲望や絶望に襲われただろうか。人類草創期における「悩み」について、また魚からの進化の歴史も含めこのような特徴をもつ人類として誕生したことの「喜び」について、或いは「悲しみ」について、今でもそれを記憶として語り表現することができる人間が、この世に存在するだろうか。
Like that, our humans through a perfect bipedalism could enlarge a brain, could invent various tools using by “Hand” well, could make a fire, could create various artificial objects, could use language, could produce the foods, could develop a skill for the war, could increase the “Family” killing by the enemy, could develop a communication, and could develop the artificial and high cultural world which we couldn’t find it in the ape’s world. Then, little by little, they could dominate on the grand as “Human Race”. In this process, maybe, our human experienced several doubts and worries, and they were visited with several abstruse desires and despairs? Can we find people in our world even now who can express it as their memories about the “Worries” in the early stage of our humans, and about “Joy of Life” they could birth with these characters, or its “Sadness”?