In the dense forests of Tanzania, a young researcher sat quietly among the trees, her gaze fixed on a troop of chimpanzees. It was 1960, and Jane Goodall, armed with nothing but a notebook and endless curiosity, was about to change science forever. Inspired by childhood stories like the Dr. Dolittle series, she had dreamed of Africa — and now, thanks to the encouragement of anthropologist Louis Leakey, she was there, face-to-face with the wild.
What Jane discovered shocked the world. Chimpanzees weren’t mere creatures of instinct; they were individuals with emotions, families, and even the capacity for tool use. When she saw one, whom she named David Greybeard, strip a twig to fish for termites, she shattered the prevailing belief that tool-making was an exclusively human trait. The scientific community, skeptical at first, soon had to take her findings seriously.
But Jane’s story didn’t end in the forest. As she witnessed the threats facing chimpanzees—deforestation, poaching, and climate change—she knew she had to act. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute, a beacon of conservation, and created Roots & Shoots, a program to empower young people to protect the planet. Her message was simple: “Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play.”
Photo: Freepik 照片：Freepik
For over six decades, Jane traveled the world, giving speeches nearly 300 days a year, even in her final months. On October 1, 2025, at the age of 91, she passed away in California, leaving behind a legacy that extends beyond science. She showed the world that curiosity, compassion, and determination could change everything and that hope, like the forests she loved, could be renewed if we only dared to care.
在坦尚尼亞的茂密森林中，一位年輕研究員靜靜坐在樹叢間，目光緊盯著一群黑猩猩。那是1960年，僅帶著筆記本與無盡好奇心的珍．古德，即將永遠改變科學的面貌。受童年時期《杜立德醫生》系列故事的啟發，她一直夢想著非洲——如今在人類學家路易斯李奇的鼓勵下，她終於親臨此地，與野性面對面。
珍的發現震撼了世界。黑猩猩並非僅憑本能行事的生物，牠們擁有情感、家庭，甚至具備使用工具的能力。當她目睹名為灰鬍子大衛的黑猩猩將樹枝剝去葉片、捕食白蟻時，她徹底打破了當時「工具製造是人類獨有特質」的普遍認知。科學界起初雖持懷疑態度，但很快不得不正視她的發現。
但珍的故事並未止步於森林。當她目睹黑猩猩面臨的威脅——森林砍伐、盜獵與氣候變遷——她深知必須採取行動。她創立珍古德協會，成為保育事業的燈塔，並發起根與芽計畫，賦予年輕人守護地球的力量。她的訊息簡明有力：「每一個人都很重要，每一個人都有責任。」
六十餘載歲月裡，珍的足跡遍及全球，每年演講近三百日，直至生命最後數月仍未停歇。2025年10月1日，她以九十一歲高齡在加州安詳離世，留下的遺產遠超科學範疇。她向世界證明：好奇心、同理心與決心足以改變一切；而希望如同她摯愛的森林，只要我們敢於關愛，便能永保新生。
MORE INFORMATION
chimpanzee n. 黑猩猩
anthropologist n. 人類學家
termite n. 白蟻
deforestation n. 森林濫伐
poach v. 盜獵
beacon n. 燈塔
KEY VOCABULARY
1. dense adj. 稠密的；濃密的
The city has a dense population, with many people living close together in tall apartment buildings.
這座城市人口密集，許多人住在高樓大廈裡，彼此相距很近。
2. mere adj. 僅僅的
A mere five minutes after the store opened, all the new shoes were already sold out.
商店才剛開門僅僅五分鐘，所有新款鞋子就已經賣光了。
3. instinct n. 本能；直覺
When the dog heard a loud noise, its instinct was to run and hide under the table.
當那隻狗聽到巨大聲響時，它的本能反應是跑去躲在桌子底下。
4. prevailing adj. 盛行的；普遍的
The prevailing opinion among students was that the test was too difficult and needed to be changed.
學生之間普遍的看法是這次考試太難，需要做出調整。
5. trait n. 特質；特性
Patience is a trait that many people look for in a teacher who works with young children every day.
耐心是一種許多人在每天與年幼孩童相處的老師身上所尋求的特質。
6. skeptical adj. 懷疑的
Many consumers remain skeptical about advertisements that promise quick and effortless results.
許多消費者對宣稱能快速且毫不費力見效的廣告仍抱持懷疑態度。
7. empower vt. 賦權；使自主
The training program aims to empower employees so they can make decisions and take action more confidently.
這個培訓計畫旨在賦予員工權力，讓他們能更有自信地做決策與採取行動。
8. compassion n. 同理心
The nurse showed great compassion by staying late to care for patients who had no family nearby.
那位護士展現出極大的同理心，留下來照顧沒有家人在身邊的病人。
9. renew vt. 重新恢復；更新
The team took a break to renew their focus and continue the project with better concentration.
團隊稍作休息，以重新恢復專注力，並以更好的注意力繼續進行專案。
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