虎耳如锯猜想:基于环境史的解读

北宋汀州最早出现了"虎耳有缺"的记载,并且将之与老虎吃人联系起来,认为虎每食一人,则耳成一缺。本文试图从环境史的角度提出一种猜想,认为虎耳上的缺口乃"伤口","两耳如锯"则是说此虎伤痕累累。这些都是老虎生存竞争的结果。而老虎生存竞争并在身上留下缺口至宋代时为人所留意,则又与唐宋时期的人口增长,经济开发,以及植被的破坏有着密切的关系。虎耳有缺如锯也可以视作环境恶化的标志。同时,古人对虎耳有缺的观察及其解释,也从一个侧面反映了中国古代生物知识增长的机制,以及宗教文化在传统中国科学发展中的作用。

Tiger with Saw-toothed Ear:A Reading Based on the Ecological History in Song China

The earliest records about tiger with saw-toothed ear were happened in Song,but it was believed that saw-toothed ear had relation with tiger eating man,and said that one saw tooth in tiger's ear,means one man was killed by the animal.Now,some Scholars think that tiger of saw-toothed ear maybe another kind of wild animal likes like tiger.This paper makes a conjecture from the viewpoint of environmental history.It argued that the saw tooth in tiger's ear were wound that bited by another tiger or other wild animal,saw-toothed ear means this tiger had experienced many injury.And this is a result of survival competition.While the records about saw-toothed ear of tiger was first happened in Song may had relation with the change of environment in the Tang and Song Dynasties.Saw-toothed ear of tiger is a symbol of environmental deterioration.We can also get some information about the growth mechanism of biological knowledge from the discovery and speculation that made by ancient Chinese.